Agathocles of Syracuse

Agathocles
King of Syracuse
Depiction of a bust possibly belonging to Agathocles
Reign	317 – 289 BC
Predecessor	Timoleon
Successor	Hicetas
Born	361 BC Himera
Died	289 BC Syracuse
Consort	Theoxena
Issue	With first wife Archagathus Heracleides With Alcia? Lanassa Agathocles II With Theoxena Archagathus Theoxena
Greek	Ἀγαθοκλῆς
Father	Carcinus of Rhegium
Religion	Greek Polytheism

Agathocles (Ancient Greek: Ἀγαθοκλῆς, Agathoklḗs; 361–289 BC) was a tyrant of Syracuse from 317 BC and king of much of Sicily from 304 BC until his death. Agathocles began his career as a military officer, and raised his profile as a supporter of the democratic faction in Syracuse against the oligarchic civic government. His opponents forced him into exile and he became a mercenary leader. He eventually made his way back to Syracuse and was elected as a general. A few years later he took control through a coup d'état. In practice he was a tyrant, although a democratic constitution theoretically remained in force.

Agathocles had led a long, costly war against the Carthaginians, who ruled the western half of Sicily between 311 and 306 BC. In a military campaign he led the invasion of Carthage's North African heartland in 310 BC. After initial successes he abandoned his army in Africa and returned to Sicily in 307 BC, where he made peace with the Carthaginians and restored the status quo ante bellum. He then assumed the royal title and managed to bring almost the entire Greek portion of Sicily, and part of Calabria, under his control. Agathocles came close to of bringing the entirety of Magna Graecia under his control but his attempt to establish a dynasty fell apart as a result of conflict within his family. He was assassinated in 289 BC and his kingdom instantly collapsed.