Hieron I ( el, Ἱέρων Α΄; usually Latinized Hiero) was the son of
Deinomenes, the brother of
Gelon and
tyrant
A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to ...
of
Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
* Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
* Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
** North Syracuse, New York
* Syracuse, Indiana
*Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, M ...
in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
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from 478 to 467 BC. In succeeding Gelon, he conspired against a third brother, Polyzelos.
Life
During his reign, he greatly increased the power of Syracuse. He removed the inhabitants of
Naxos
Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best ab ...
and
Catania
Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also b ...
to
Leontini, peopled Catania (which he renamed
Aetna
Aetna Inc. () is an American managed health care company that sells traditional and consumer directed health care insurance and related services, such as medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, long-term care, and disability plans, ...
) with
Dorians
The Dorians (; el, Δωριεῖς, ''Dōrieîs'', singular , ''Dōrieús'') were one of the four major ethnic groups into which the Hellenes (or Greeks) of Classical Greece divided themselves (along with the Aeolians, Achaeans, and Ioni ...
, concluded an alliance with
Theron, the tyrant of Acragas (
Agrigentum), and espoused the cause of the
Locrians The Locrians ( el, Λοκροί, ''Locri'') were an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region of Locris in Central Greece, around Parnassus. They spoke the Locrian dialect, a Doric-Northwest dialect, and were closely related to their neighbour ...
against
Anaxilas, tyrant of
Rhegium
Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label=Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popul ...
.
His most important military achievement was the defeat of the
Etruscans
The Etruscan civilization () was developed by a people of Etruria in ancient Italy with a common language and culture who formed a federation of city-states. After conquering adjacent lands, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, roug ...
at the
Battle of Cumae (474 BC), by which he saved the Greeks of
Campania
(man), it, Campana (woman)
, population_note =
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from Etruscan domination. A bronze helmet (now in the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
British Museum collection
/ref>), with an inscription commemorating the event, was dedicated at Olympia.
Hieron's reign was marked by the creation of what is believed to be the first secret police in Greek history, yet he was a liberal patron of literature and culture. The poets Simonides
Simonides of Ceos (; grc-gre, Σιμωνίδης ὁ Κεῖος; c. 556–468 BC) was a Greek lyric poet, born in Ioulis on Ceos. The scholars of Hellenistic Alexandria included him in the canonical list of the nine lyric poets esteeme ...
, Pindar
Pindar (; grc-gre, Πίνδαρος , ; la, Pindarus; ) was an Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian wrote, "Of the nine lyric poets, Pindar ...
, Bacchylides
Bacchylides (; grc-gre, Βακχυλίδης; – ) was a Greek lyric poet. Later Greeks included him in the canonical list of Nine Lyric Poets, which included his uncle Simonides. The elegance and polished style of his lyrics have been noted ...
, Aeschylus
Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Gree ...
, and Epicharmus were active at his court, as well the philosopher Xenophanes. He was an active participant in pan-hellenic athletic contests, winning several victories in the single horse race and also in the chariot race. He won the chariot race at Delphi
Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), in ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The orac ...
in 470 BC (a victory celebrated in Pindar's first Pythian ode) and at Olympia in 468 BC (this, his greatest victory, was commemorated in Bacchylides' third victory ode). Other odes dedicated to him include Pindar's first Olympian Ode, his second and third Pythian odes, and Bacchylides' fourth and fifth victory odes.
He died at Catania/Aetna in 467 BC and was buried there, but his grave was later destroyed when the former inhabitants of Catania returned to the city. The tyranny at Syracuse lasted only a year or so after his death.
References
*
*Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus, or Diodorus of Sicily ( grc-gre, Διόδωρος ; 1st century BC), was an ancient Greek historian. He is known for writing the monumental universal history '' Bibliotheca historica'', in forty books, fifteen of which ...
XI 38, 48, 49, 51, 53, 66, 67; Xenophon
Xenophon of Athens (; grc, Ξενοφῶν ; – probably 355 or 354 BC) was a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian, born in Athens. At the age of 30, Xenophon was elected commander of one of the biggest Greek mercenary armies o ...
, ''Hiero'', 6. 2; E. Lübbert, ''Syrakus zur Zeit des Gelon und Hieron'' (1875). N. Luraghi, Tirannidi archaiche in Sicilia e Magna Grecia (Florence, 1994)
Further reading
''The Extant Odes of Pindar'': "Pindar's Ode to Hieron"
BiblioBazaar, 2008, p. 81.
, width=25% align=center, Preceded by:
Gelo
, width=25% align=center, Tyrant
A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to ...
of Gela
Gela (Sicilian and ; grc, Γέλα) is a city and (municipality) in the Autonomous Region of Sicily, Italy; in terms of area and population, it is the largest municipality on the southern coast of Sicily. Gela is part of the Province of Ca ...
485 BC – 478 BC
, width=25% align=center, Succeeded by:
Polyzelos
, -
, width=25% align=center, Preceded by:
Gelo
, width=25% align=center, Tyrant of Syracuse
478 BC – 467 BC
, width=25% align=center, Succeeded by:
Thrasybulus
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hiero 01 Of Syracuse
467 BC deaths
5th-century BC Greek people
Ancient Greek generals
Sicilian tyrants
5th-century BC Syracusans
Ancient Geloans
Ancient Pythian athletes
Ancient Olympic competitors
Ancient Greek chariot racers
Year of birth unknown