Person

Dionysius I of Syracuse

c. 432–367 BCE · 4th century BCE · Also known as Dionysius the Elder

Dionysius I was tyrant of Syracuse from 405 to 367 BCE and the most powerful Greek ruler in the west of his time. He fought repeated wars against Carthage for control of Sicily, besieging and destroying Motya in 397 BCE with siege towers and the newly invented catapult. He also conquered or destroyed Greek cities such as Catana and extended his power into southern Italy.

Dionysius I of Syracuse
Image: Max Karl Baldamus · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 14 state histories

MotyaNaxos (Sicily)SyracuseZancleCatanaRhegionCrotonLocri EpizephyriiKauloniaHipponionItaliote LeagueSenonesand 2 more

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Dionysius I of Syracuse. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dionysius-i-of-syracuse
MLA
“Dionysius I of Syracuse.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dionysius-i-of-syracuse. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Dionysius I of Syracuse.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dionysius-i-of-syracuse.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Dionysius I of Syracuse’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dionysius-i-of-syracuse (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻