Agathocles

Agathocles, Tyrant of Syracuse, was born at Thermae, in Sicily, in 361 B.C. As leader of the popular party in Syracuse, he was twice driven into exile, but ultimately made himself autocrat of Syracuse, after a massacre of several thousands of citizens, 317 B.C. Having failed in an attempt to expel the Carthaginians from Sicily, he passed over to Africa, and attacked them there. This war he carried on with success for four years, or until 307 B.C., when he suffered a serious defeat, and basely abandoning his troops to the enemy, escaped safely into Sicily. There, by fraud and bloodshed, he soon recovered his former power; but in 289 B.C. one of his favourites destroyed him by means of a poisoned toothpick.