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

HIERON. HIERON. 4b5
entitled the Hieron (Xen. Opp. tom. v. ed. Schnei- opportunity during the war with the Mamertines
der), but, from the advice there put into the mouth (who, after the departure of Pyrrhus, had attacked
of the philosopher, as well as from the hints inter- the Syracusans), to abandon these troops to the
spersed by Pindar, in the midst of his praises and enemy, by whom they were almost all cut to
flatteries, we may gather that there was much to pieces, while Hieron, with the Syracusan citizens,
disapprove of in the conduct of Hieron towards who had kept aloof from the combat, effected in
his subjects and dependants. (See Boeckh, ad safety his retreat to Syracuse. Here he immediately
Pind. Pyth. i. 81-88.) His love of magnificence proceeded to levy a new army, and as soon as he
was especially displayed, as was the custom of the had organised these troops, marched forth to chasday, in the great contests of the Grecian games, tise the MvIamertines, who were naturally elated
and his victories at Olympia and Delphi have been with their victory. He soon drove them out of all
immortalised by Pindar. He also sent, in imitation the territory they had conquered, took the cities of
of his brother Gelon, splendid offerings to the Mylae and Alaesa, while those of Tyndaris, Abasanctuary at Delphi. (Paus. vi. 12. ~ 1; Athen. caenum, and Tauromenium, declared in his favour.
vi. p. 231, 232.) The Mamertines, thus hemmed in in a corner of
We are told that Hieronwas afflicted during the the island, ventured on a pitched battle at the
latter years of his life by the stone, and that painful river Longanus, but were totally defeated, their
malady was probably the cause of his death, which leader, Cios, taken prisoner, and Messana itself
took place at Catana, in the twelfth year of his would have probably fallen into the hands of
reign, B. C. 467. (Schol. ad Pind. 01. i. 1, Pyth. Hieron, had not the intervention of the Carthagii. 89, iii. 1; Plut. de Pyth. Orac. 19; Diod. xi. nians prevailed on him to grant a peace to his
38, 66.) Aristotle, indeed, says that he reigned humbled enemies. On his return from this glorious
only ten years (Pol. v. ]2), but the dates of Dio- expedition, Hieron was saluted by his fellowdorus, which are consistent with one another, are citizens with the title of king, B. C. 270. (Polyb.
confirmed by the scholiast on Pindar, and have i. 8, 9; Diod. Exe. Hoesch. xxii. p. 499, 500.)
been justly preferred by Clinton (F. H. vol. ii. p. The chronology of these events is not very clear
38, 267). He was interred with much pomp at (see Paus. vi. 12. ~ 2; Clinton, F. H. vol. ii. p.
Catana, and obtained heroic honours as the new 267; and Droysen, Hellenism. vol. ii. p. 268, not.),
founder of that city, but his tomb was subsequently but if the date above assigned for the commencedestroyed by the old inhabitants, when they re- ment of the reign of Hieron be correct, it was in
turned thither, after the expulsion of the Aetnaean the year preceding his elevation to the royal digcolonists. (Diod. xi. 66; Strab. vi. p. 268.) He nity (B. c. 272), that he assisted the Romans
had one son, Deinomenes, by his first wife, a during the siege of Rhegium with supplies of corn,
daughter of Nicocles, a Syracusan: by his subse- as well as with an auxiliary force. (Zonar. viii. 6.)
quent marriage with the sister of Theron already We know nothing more of his proceedings from
mentioned he left no issue. (Schol. ad Pind. Pyt/. this time until the year 264, nor can we clearly
i. 112.) The scholiast here calls her the cousin discover the relations in which he stood, either
(dvetla) of Theron, but she is elsewhere repeatedly towards Carthage or Rome; it is said indeed that
termed his sister (ad 01. ii. 29, 37). [E. H. B.] the assistance furnished by him to the latter had
HIERON II., king of SYRACUSE, was the son given umbrage to the Carthaginians (Dion Cass.
of Hierocles, a Syracusan of illustrious birth, who Frag. yat..57; Zonar. viii. 6), and rendered them
claimed descent from the great Gelon, the victor at unfavourable to Hieron, but this disposition did
Himera. He was however illegitimate, being the not break out into actual hostilities. His great
offspring of a female servant, in consequence of object seems still to have been the complete exwhich it is said that he was exposed as an infant, pulsion of the MVIamertines from Sicily; and when,
but that some omens prophetic of his future great- in 264, the Romans for the first time interposed in
ness caused his father to relent, and bring him up favour of that people, his. indignation at their inwith care and attention. (Justin. xxiii. 4; Zonar. terference led him to throw himself at once into
viii. 6.) The year of his birth cannot be fixed the arms of the Carthaginians, with whom he conwith certainty, but it must have taken place before cluded an alliance, and united his forces with those
B. C. 306; hence he was at least thirty years old of Ianno, who had just arrived in Sicily, at the
when the departure of Pyrrhus from Sicily (B. c. head of a large army. [HANNO, NO. 8.] With
275) left the Syracusans without a leader. Hieron their combined forces they proceeded to lay siege
had already distinguished himself in the wars of to Messana both by sea and land, but they failed
that monarch, and had acquired so much favour in preventing the Roman consul, Appius Claudius,
with the soldiery, that the Syracusan army, on oc- from crossing the straits with his army. He landed
casion of some dispute with the people of the city, near the Syracusan camp, and Hieron gave him
appointed him, together with Artemidorus, to be battle the next day, but met with a partial defeat;
their general; and he had the skill and address to and, alarmed at the aspect of affairs, and mistrustprocure the ratification of his command from the ing the faith of his allies, suddenly withdrew with
people, and conciliate the affections of the mul- all his forces to Syracuse. Thither, after some
titude as effectually as he had those of the soldiers. interval, Claudius followed him, and ravaged the
But his ambition did not stop here. By his mar- open country up to the very walls, but was unable
riage with the daughter of Leptines, at that time to effect any thing against the city itself, and was
unquestionably the most distinguished and influ- compelled by the breaking out of a pestilential disential citizen at Syracuse, he secured for himself order in his army to retreat. The next year (B. C.
the most powerful support in the councils of the 263) hostilities were renewed by the Romans, and
republic. But he felt that he could not rely on the consuls, Otacilius and Valerius, not only laid
the army of mercenaries, which, though they had waste the Syracusan territory, but took many of
been the first to raise him to power, he well knew their smaller and dependent towns;- and Hieron,
to be fickle and treacherous; he therefore took an findinig Lhimself unable to cope single-handed with
GO 4