Dion (408–353 BC)

Tyrant of Syracuse. When his brother-in-law the tyrant Dionysius I died 367, Dion invited Plato, the philosopher, to Syracuse with a view to making Dionysius II a philsopher-king. But ill feeling was stirred up between Dion and Dionysius by the historian Philistus. Plato narrowly escaped with his life and Dion was banished. He lived in exile at Athens until he returned to Syracuse 357 with a small force and drove Dionysius II into exile. With one brief interval Dion remained in power until he was assassinated.