Theagenes

### Intro

Theagenes was an important democrat in Syracuse. He was arrested and threatened with execution for his opposition to the rule of Dionysius but escaped with the help of his friends and fled Sicily.

When he returned with a few ships and soldiers after Dionysius' rule was overthrown, the populace of Syracuse gave him a warm welcome for his previous heroic deeds of defying Dionysius. They then elected him as a Strategos in the ecclesia, hoping he would join Syracuse's Wartime Council and check the growing power of Herolis. However, Herolis vetoed the election results of the ecclesia, insisting that any decision required his approval.

### Rebellion

When Herolis led his troops to crush the rebels in Akrai (Dionysius' remnant supporters and mercenaries), Theagenes persuaded Herolis' discontent allies (Phacipessas, Kuchillas, Steisikus among others) to work with the democrats and abandon Herolis. The rebellion succeeded in deposing Herolis, who fled to Corinth with his trusted subordinates.

To prevent a repeat of Herolis, the democrats who had taken over Syracuse used the ecclesia to elect 25 Strategoi, led by Steisikus and Phalekus, to manage the city's affairs. They then began to abolish some of the laws passed by Herolis, including the war reparations to Theonia and even took back the land allotted to the freemen in the power area.

However, that not only worsened Syracuse's diplomatic situation but also infuriated the population of the port area. When Theagenes proposed to increase the punishment of citizens who had served under Dionysius, causing even more panic in the city.

During the turmoil Phacipessas and Macias led the rebel army in Akrai to march on Syracuse, declaring that they would seek revenge for the citizens who had served Dionysius and suffered injustice. Theagenes then led the low-morale soldiers out of the city to fight but was defeated by the outnumbered rebel army of Phacipessas and had to retreat into the city to defend it.

The Akrai rebels distracted and outmaneuvered the Strategoi and took the northern gate and entered the city and the Epipolae (plateau). After an ill-prepared and failed sortie by the Strategoi when the rebels approached the inner city, the panicked democrats could only retreat to the island of Ortygia.

After Herolis and his Corinthian reinforcements defeated the rebels and restored the peace (spring of 388 BC), Theagenes, Phalekus and the others were stripped of their authority.

### Recovery

After overthrowing (Herolis' assasin) Andromachus of Corinth's rule, the Syracusan democrats regained power. They returned to the traditional democratic government of Syracuse and Theagenes became the Supreme commander.

Theagenes clearly favoured cooperating with Carthage against Theonia after Carthage sent envoys. But the moderates prevailed and Theagenes indignantly agreed to wait for Carthage to declare war on Theonia and gain ground before they support them.

Theagenes believe he is the only one who can restore Syracuse to its former glory.

### Ambition

During the Chaos of Mago's invasion of southern Sicily Theagenes took the initiative to bring Kamerina and Paccinus under Syracusan yolk. When the Theonian envoy came to admonish Syracuse and ask for the liberation of these cities he retorted by claiming they had no alliances/formal agreements with Theonia and they allied with Syracuse. He stated however that Carthage was their mortal enemy and they would never ally with them.

The angry Syracusan mob manhandled the Theonian envoy. Even though Theagenes sent patrol teams to stop this the battered envoy took it as a great humiliation.