Agathocles, a Syracusan adventurer and military despot, died in 289 B. C. He was the son of a potter in the Sicilian town of Thermae, an exile from southern Italy, and in early life worked at his father's trade, then became a leader of banditti, and afterward a soldier under Damas, a prominent Syracusan, with whom he subsequently served as a chiliarch or commander of 1,000 men, in the war with Ag-rigentum. On the death of Damas Agathocles married his widow, and thereby became one of the wealthiest citizens of Syracuse, He obtained an ascendancy in the democratic party, was twice driven into exile, but returned, and after terrible bloodshed became autocrat of Syracuse in 317 B. C. Debts were abolished, and the property of the rich was confiscated and distributed among the people. He aimed to drive the Carthaginians out of Sicily, and annex the whole island to the state of Syracuse; but he was defeated by Hamilcar, the Carthaginian governor, near Hi-mera, and shut up in Syracuse on the land side. The sea being open to him, he carried the war into Africa in 310, burnt his ships on landing, and obtained many successes over the Carthaginian troops and cities.

The subject allies of Syracuse in Sicily revolted, headed by the powerful city of Agrigentum, and placed themselves under command of Dinocrates, a Syracusan Greek. Agathocles hurried home, but achieved nothing decisive in Sicily, and returned to Africa, where he found his troops mutinous from want of pay. His eloquence saved him. Defeated by the Carthaginians, he and his sons fied to the coast, leaving the army to look out for itself (307). The sons were caught and massacred by the troops, who then made terms with the Carthaginians. Agathocles escaped to Sicily, made peace with the Carthaginians, turned his energies against the revolters, defeated them, butchered thousands after they had laid down their arms on promise of amnesty, and took Dinocrates into his service. He next set on foot an expedition against the Bruttii in Italy, laid the Lipari islands under contribution, made himself master of Crotona on the peninsula, and had advanced far toward raising Sicily to a great naval power when he died.