Dionysius of Herakleia

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Dionysius of Herakleia (Greek Διονύσιος , * around 360 BC; † 305 BC ) was the younger son of the tyrant Clearchus of Herakleia Pontike and had from 337/6 BC. Until his death held tyranny over this city on the Black Sea .

Life

As Klearchos 353/2 BC Died, his brother Satyros first became regent and guardian of Klearchus' sons Timotheus and Dionysius. After the death of Satyros, Timotheus exercised the tyranny, but later made his younger brother Dionysius co-regent. Since 337/6 BC Dionysius held the sole government over Herakleia.

When Alexander the Great on his campaign against the Persian king Dareios III. in the battle of Granikos in 334 BC Was able to celebrate a first great victory, the Persian rule over Asia Minor ended . Dionysius tried to use this situation to expand his sphere of influence. The citizens of Heraclea, banished by the tyrants, wanted to persuade the victorious Macedonian king to reinstate the abolished oligarchical constitution in their city. Dionysius was able to skillfully eliminate this danger to his sole rule, evidently especially in the last years of Alexander's government with the support of his sister Cleopatra .

When the exiled Heraclus turned to the imperial administrator Perdiccas for help after Alexander's death (323 BC) , Dionysius went over to his enemies. He married therefore in 322 BC. Chr. Amastris , niece Darius III. and previous wife of Alexander's comrade in arms , Krateros , who at that time chose Phila , Antipater's daughter , to be the new wife. By marrying Amastris, Dionysios was able to expand his connections and increase his fortune considerably. Amastris was the mother of two sons, Klearchus and Oxathres, as well as a daughter who was also named Amastris after her mother. In the Diadoch Wars that continued after Perdiccas's murder (320 BC), Dionysius established an alliance with Antigonus I Monophthalmos , supported him in the war against Asandros and gave a daughter from his first marriage to Ptolemy, a nephew of Antigonus, to the wife. This Ptolemy operated in 315 BC. BC successfully on the coast of the Propontis (today's Marmara Sea ) on behalf of Antigonos and received satrapy on the Hellespont from his uncle .

When some diadochi had settled the title of king, Dionysius joined in 306/5 BC. Their example. But soon afterwards there was 305 BC. His death after he had reached the age of 55 and ruled for 32 years, according to the Sicilian historian Diodorus . A generally mild exercise of power is certified to him. As Dionysius had ordered in his will, after his death his widow Amastris led the guardianship government for her underage sons Klearchus and Oxathres.

The names of the two brothers are printed on coins from Dionysios' co-reign with Timotheus. But coins were also discovered that he had issued as the sole ruler. The head of the young Dionysus appears on the front , while the Greek hero Herakles building a trophy is depicted on the lapel .

literature

Remarks

  1. Diodorus 16, 36, 3.
  2. Memnon 3, 1.
  3. Diodorus 16, 88, 5.
  4. Memnon 4, 1ff.
  5. Memnon 4, 4f .; Strabo 12, 544.
  6. Memnon 4: 6.
  7. Memnon 4, 7; see. Diodorus 19, 60 and 20, 19, 2.
  8. Memnon 4, 7.
  9. Diodorus 16, 88, 5 and 20, 77, 1; Nymphis , who wrote an extensive city chronicle of Heraclea, puts the duration of Dionysios' tyranny at 33 years (Nymphis, Fragment 16 by C. Müller, Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum (FHG) III 15); Memnon's statement (4, 9) that Dionysius only ruled for 30 years is probably based on incorrect textual transmission.
  10. Memnon 4: 9.