Timoleon

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Southern Italy at the time of Timoleon

Timoleon (* around 411 BC in Corinth ; † after 337 BC in Syracuse ) was an ancient Greek politician and military leader. As the victor over the Carthaginians , he played an important role in the history of Sicily , especially the history of Syracuse .

Life

At that time the Sicilian region suffered from fruitless feuds, in which Carthage also repeatedly interfered. 345 or 344 BC In the 4th century BC messengers came to Corinth from Syracuse. The mother city did not want to refuse support, even if the city leaders refused to accept responsibility for trying to establish a stable government in the party-torn city. Timoleon, brought into play by an unknown source as aisymnetes (mediator), was unanimously chosen in the popular assembly to lead the mission. He set out with a few of the leading Corinthians and an army of about 700 Greek mercenaries on 10 ships for Sicily. He avoided a Carthaginian flotilla and landed in Tauromenion ( Taormina ), where he was warmly received. At that time, Hiketas , tyrant of Leontinoi , was also lord of Syracuse with the exception of the island of Ortygia , which was held by Dionysius II , the nominal tyrant.

Syracuse in antiquity with the offshore island of Ortygia

Hiketas was beaten near Adranon , a city inland, and thrown back on Syracuse. 343 BC Dionysios handed Ortygia over to Corinth on condition of safe conduct. Hiketas now received support from Carthage (sources speak of 60,000 men), but a lack of success led to differences, whereupon the Carthaginians dropped Hiketas, who was now besieged in Leontinoi and was forced to give up. Timoleon was now lord of Syracuse.

He began the necessary work to restore the city, brought new settlers from Corinth and other parts of Greece, and set up a people's government based on the democratic laws of Diocles . In order not to act as a tyrant among the population, the ruling fortress on Ortygia was razed and a courthouse was built instead. The amphi-polos or priest of Zeus of Olympia , who was elected annually from one of three families, was installed as the supreme magistrate. Timoleon's reforms seem to have been so lasting that they remained in effect until the time of Augustus .

Hiketas brought Carthage again (340/339 BC) to send an army, this time 70,000 men, which landed in Lilybaion ( Marsala ). After the rapid drafting of 12,000 men, mostly mercenaries, Timoleon marched westward through the island to the vicinity of Selinus and won a decisive victory in the battle of the Krimisos , in which Timoleon himself led the infantry . The defeat of the other side was made complete by a hailstorm. This victory granted the Sicilian Greeks many years of peace and security.

Carthage made another attempt and sent some mercenaries to at least prolong the conflict between Timoleon and the tyrants. However, this attempt ended in 338 BC. BC with Hiketas' defeat, who was captured and then killed. By treaty, Carthage's rule in Sicily was restricted to the area west of the Halykos ( Platani ) river .

Timoleon now withdrew into private life, no longer held a title or held any office, but remained practically the highest decision-making body, not only in Syracuse, but on the entire island. Despite all discord, Sicily appears to have been calm and peaceful during this period. He went blind some time before his death, but insisted on continuing to attend the meetings and share his view, which was then usually accepted unanimously. He was buried at the expense of the citizens of Syracuse, who erected a monument in his honor in the market square, which was later surrounded by colonnades, as well as a gymnasion called Timoleonteon.

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literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Martin Dreher: Das antike Sizilien , Munich 2008, p. 61f.
predecessor Office successor
Dionysius II ( tyrant ) Aisymnet of Syracuse
344 - 337 BC Chr. 		oligarchical interregium
personal data
SURNAME Timoleon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek politician and general
DATE OF BIRTH around 411 BC Chr.
PLACE OF BIRTH Corinth
DATE OF DEATH after 337 BC Chr.
Place of death Syracuse