Abstract: There is a certain difficulty in attempts to describe the period in Syracuse between the death of Timoleon and the coming to power of Agathocles. It was a time of great turmoil and political instability – Syracuse would reappear after 317 BC as a tyranny. This article is a review of the events and causes that shaped the final outcome. The main points of interests are: an attempt to describe a type of government present in the given period, especially the function of the group of the so-called “Six Hundred Noblest,” and the career of Agathocles, an exemplary one considering the political realities of the time.

Keywords: Sicily, Syracuse, Agathocles, tyranny.

After the death of Timoleon in 333 BC democracy was restored in the polis of Syracuse. This period, however, was to last no longer than 13 years, with occasional bouts of oligarchy. Another tyrant, in this case Agathocles, would rise to power in 317 BC. This interim period is rife with questions and uncertainties. Modern scholars have usually concentrated on the later period, when Agathocles seized ultimate power, or just before then (Berve 1953). Still, even partial answers can shed light on our understanding of internal politics in Syracuse in general.

However, before I can deal with the events of that period, I need to review in brief the results of Timoleon's actions and decisions, as they clearly had an impact on subsequent events.