A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

454 IIIERON..HIIERON.
of his life, except that he is supposed to have been and other colonists of Dorian origin; and having
a lawyer by profession, and not a veterinary sur- changed its name to Aetna, caused himself to be
geon, and to have lived in the tenth century after proclaimed the founder of the new city. (Diod. xi.
Christ, as he dedicated his work to Cassianus 49; Schol. ad Pied. 01. i. 35, Pyth. i. 1, 120.)
Bassus. He is perhaps the same writer who is At a very early period of his reign also we find
quoted in the Geoponica. An analysis of his him interposing in the affairs of the Greek cities in
opinions, so far as they can be gathered from the the south of Italy, and preventing the destruction.
fragments that remain, is given by Haller in his of Locri by Anaxilas of Rhegium, which he appears
Biblioth. Medic. Pract. vol. i. p. 290; see also to have effected by the mere apprehension of his
Fabric. Bibl. Gr. vol. vi. p. 497, ed. vet. [W.A.G.] power, without having actually recourse to arms.
HIERON I. ('Iepwv), tyrant of SYRACUSE, (Schol. ad Pild. Pyth. i. 98, ii. 34.) Some years
was son of Deinomenes and brother of Gelon, whom later he again interfered on behalf of the sons of
he succeeded in the sovereignty, B. C. 478. We the same Anaxilas, and by urging them to put forknow scarcely any thing of his personal history ward their claim to the sovereign power, succeeded
previous to his accession, except that he supported in effecting the expulsion of Micythus from Rhehis brother in his various wars, and appears to gium. (Diod. xi. 66.) The death of Theron in
have taken an active part in the great victory of B. C. 472, and the violence of his son Thrasydaeus,
HI-imera, as his share in the glory of that day was involved Hieron in hostilities with Agrigentum,
commemorated by Gelon himself in the inscription but he defeated Thrasydaeus in a great battle,
at Delphi which recorded his triumph. (Schol. ad which contributed essentially to the downfal of
Pind. Pyth. i. 155, ii. 115.) It is stated by Dio- that tyrant; and after his expulsion Hieron was
dorus (xi. 38) that Hieron was appointed by readily induced to grant peace to the Agrigentines..
Gelon as his successor, though it appears from (Diod. xi. 53.) But by far the most important.
other authorities that that prince left an infant son; event of his reign was the great victory which he
hence it may well be suspected that he assumed obtained over the Etruscan fleet near Cumae (B. C.
the government in the first instance only in his 474), and which appears to have effectually broken
nephew's name, and subsequently took possession the naval power of that nation. The Etruscans had
of it for himself. In either case it is clear that he attacked Cumae and the neighbouring Greek settlewas virtually sovereign of Syracuse from the time ments in Campania with a powerful fleet, and the
of Gelon's death, but his rule was soon distin- Cumaeans invoked the assistance of Hieron, who,
guished from that of his brother by its greater though suffering at the time from illness, appears
severity and more tyrannical character. Its tran- to have commanded in person the fleet which he
quillity was early disturbed by his jealousy of his destined to their support. (Pind. Pyt/h. i. i37
brother Polyzelus, to whom Gelon had left the and Schol. ad loc.; Diod. xi. 51.) Of the victory
command of the army and the hand of his widow he there obtained, and which was celebrated by
Demarete. This connection secured to Polyzelhis Pindar, an interesting memorial has been preserved
the powerful support of Theron of Agrigentum (the to our own days, in a bronze helmet found at
father of Demarete), and, united with his great Olympia in 1817, and now in the British Museum,
popularity, sufficed to render him an object of sus- which appears from the inscription it bears to have
picion to Hieron. The latter is said to have em- formed part of the spoils consecrated by Hieron on
ployed him in a military expedition against the this occasion to the Olympian Zeus. (Rose, Inscr.
Sybarites in Italy, or, according to another account, Graec. Vetust. p. 66; Boeckh's Pindar, vol. iii. p.
in Sicily itself, in hopes that he might perish in 225.) It was probably after this victory that he
the war. The failure of this design led to an open sent the colony to Pithecusa or Ischia, mentioned
rupture between the two brothers, and -Polyzelus by Strabo (v. p. 248.)
took refuge with Theron, who is said to have been How far the internal prosperity of Syracuse,
preparing to support him by arms, when a reconcili- under the rule of Hieron, corresponded with this
ation was effected, and a treaty of peace concluded external show of power we have no means of
between him and Hieron, which is attributed by judging, but all accounts agree in representing his
some accounts to the intervention of the poet government as much more despotic than that of
Simonides. (Schol. ad Pind. 01. ii. 29, 37.) Ac- Gelon. He fortified his power by the maintenance
cording to Diodorus (xi. 48), on the contrary, it of a large guard of mercenary troops, and evinced
was owing to the conduct of Hieron himself, who, the suspicious character of a tyrant by the employ-.
instead of listening to the overtures of the citizens ment of numerous spies and informers. (Arist.
of Himera, and espousing their cause against The- Pol. v. 11; Diod. xi. 48, 67; but comp. Plut. de
ron, gave him information of their designs; in Ser. Num. Vind. p. 551.) In one respect, howgratitude for which, Theron abandoned his hostile ever, he was superior to his brother-in the liberal
intentions. By the treaty thus concluded, Poly- and enlightened patronage that he extended to men
zelus was restored to his former position at Syra- of letters, which has contributed very much to cast
cuse, while Hieron himself married a sister of the a lustre over'his name. His court became the,
Agrigentine ruler. (Schol. ad Pind. 1. c.) resort of the most distinguished poets and philosoOur information concerning'the events of the phers of the day. Aeschylus, Pindar, and Bacchyreign of Hieron is very imperfect, but the detached lides are recorded as having taken up their abode
and fragmentary notices which alone remain to us with him, and we find him associating in friendly
attest the great power and influence that he must intercourse with Xenophanes, Epicharmus, and
have possessed. In Sicily he made himself master Sinonides. (Aelian. V. H. iv. 15; Paus. i. 2. ~
of the powerful cities of Naxos and Catana, the 3; Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. ii. 131, 167; Athen.
inhabitants of which, according to a favourite iii. p. 121, xiv. p. 656; Plut. Apophth. p. 175.)
policy of the Sicilian tyrants, he removed from His intimacy with the latter was particularly celetheir native seats, and established them at Leon- brated (Pseud. Plat. Epist. 2), and has been'made
tini, while he repeopled Catana with Syracusans, the subject by Xenophon of an imaginary dialogue