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Siege of Syracuse (278 BC)

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By this time he was despised by the Sicilian Greeks for his authoritarian behavior. The last straw for the Sicilian Greeks was his execution of Thoenon. Even though Thoenon and Sostratus cooperated with Pyrrhus, he did not trust them. When Sostratus no longer felt safe and fled, he accused Thoenon of
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When the two factions in Syracuse were exhausted by their war, the Carthaginians exploited the situation and besieged the city by land and sea. They blockaded the Great Harbour with a hundred ships and besieged the walls with 50,000 men, while they looted the territory around the city. Both of the
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where he disembarked his infantry. While he moved his army and fleet to Syracuse, the Carthaginians had sent thirty of their ships away on other missions. The remaining fleet and army retreated and Pyrrhus entered Syracuse unopposed. After Thoenon and Sostratus delivered the city to him, he
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of Syracuse, was removed from power by Thoenon. Thoenon was then challenged for power of Syracuse by Sostratus. Sostratus captured the part of Syracuse on the Sicilian mainland while Thoenon held on to the part of the city on the island of
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at the time, accepted. The reputation of Pyrrhus as liberator of the Greeks from barbarian threats would have been damaged if Syracuse were to be conquered by Carthage. Also, Sicily offered the opportunity for a possible invasion of
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delivered his city and army of 4,000 infantry and 500 cavalry to him as well. After receiving many other Sicilian cities in alliance, he hoped he might even conquer Libya.
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conspiring with Sostratus and had him killed. The Sicilian Greeks became hostile to him, with some cities allying themselves with the Carthaginians and the
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warring factions in Syracuse asked Pyrrhus of Epirus to provide assistance. They expected Pyrrhus to help because his wife Lanassa was the daughter of
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Pyrrhus added the fleet of Syracuse to his own fleet. Syracuse possessed over 120 decked ships, 20 without decks and a royal
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Pyrrhus refused Carthaginian pleas for peace and attacked their territory on Sicily. He reduced their territory to
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to come to the aid of Syracuse. When Pyrrhus arrived, the Carthaginian army and navy retreated without a fight.
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Pyrrhus arrived at Sicily early in 278 BC. When he landed on Sicily he made an alliance with
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Franke, P. R. (1989). "Pyrrhus". In Walbank, Frank W. (ed.).
165: 634:. After receiving soldiers from that city, he continued to 924:(1920). "Life of Pyrrhus". In Perrin, Bernadotte (ed.). 579: 551: 682:, who were losing the war with the Roman Republic. 662:, their last stronghold on western Sicily. Pyrrhus 949: 877: 833: 801: 785: 717: 697: 447: 257: 454: 440: 264: 250: 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 920: 857: 841: 817: 769: 753: 602:National Archaeological Museum of Naples 583: 623:, like Agathocles had done before him. 536:in 278 BC was the last attempt of 950: 901: 737: 45:Please improve this article by adding 435: 245: 18: 580:Pyrrhus arrives to relieve Syracuse 552:Carthage attacks a divided Syracuse 16:Part of Sicilian wars with Carthage 13: 973:Battles involving ancient Syracuse 881:(1957). Walton, Francis R. (ed.). 14: 994: 271: 983:Sieges of the Hellenistic period 23: 576:, a former tyrant of Syracuse. 461: 58:"Siege of Syracuse" 278 BC 1: 904:The Cambridge Ancient History 685: 47:secondary or tertiary sources 963:Battles of the Sicilian Wars 642: 610:, who was waging war on the 7: 10: 999: 958:Battles of the Pyrrhic War 870: 471: 281: 223: 205: 184: 140: 128: 123: 664:laid siege to Lilybaeum 540:to conquer the city of 176:Epiro–Syracusan victory 604: 206:Commanders and leaders 34:relies excessively on 834:Diodorus Siculus 1957 802:Diodorus Siculus 1957 786:Diodorus Siculus 1957 718:Diodorus Siculus 1957 698:Diodorus Siculus 1957 587: 594:Villa of the Papyri 937:978-0-674-9-9112-5 884:Library of History 605: 234:20,000 land troops 229:50,000 land troops 978:270s BC conflicts 913:978-0-521-23446-7 894:978-0-674-99450-8 639:reconciled them. 546:Pyrrhus of Epirus 534:siege of Syracuse 529: 528: 429: 428: 421:Strait of Messina 240: 239: 218:Pyrrhus of Epirus 180: 179: 124:Siege of Syracuse 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668: 657: 646: 625: 606: 570: 555: 533: 531: 495: 411:4th Syracuse 410: 396:3rd Syracuse 391:Himera River 381:2nd Syracuse 341:1st Syracuse 185:Belligerents 129:Part of The 105: 96: 86: 79: 72: 65: 53: 33: 738:Franke 1989 632:Tauromenium 598:Herculaneum 464:Pyrrhic War 346:Tauromenium 306:1st Akragas 148:278 BC 135:Pyrrhic War 952:Categories 740:, p.  686:References 680:Tarentines 672:Mamertines 574:Agathocles 521:Beneventum 301:2nd Himera 291:1st Himera 69:newspapers 36:references 660:Lilybaeum 643:Aftermath 628:Tyndarion 592:from the 511:Lilybaeum 386:Crimissus 351:Abacaenum 236:140 ships 231:100 ships 215:Sostratus 99:July 2024 922:Plutarch 790:22.8.3–4 726:22.8.1–2 676:Samnites 653:Leontini 542:Syracuse 538:Carthage 496:Syracuse 476:Heraclea 316:Camarina 224:Strength 196:Syracuse 191:Carthage 158:Syracuse 153:Location 133:and the 871:Sources 774:note 30 649:enneres 608:Pyrrhus 590:Pyrrhus 566:Ortygia 557:Hicetas 516:Messina 506:Cranita 491:Rhegium 486:Venusia 481:Asculum 376:Drepana 366:Cronium 356:Chrysas 331:Messene 326:Segesta 296:Selinus 213:Thoenon 83:scholar 968:278 BC 934:  910:  891:  862:23.3–6 806:22.8.5 722:22.7.2 706:22.7.6 702:22.7.2 636:Catana 561:tyrant 559:, the 361:Cabala 336:Catana 200:Epirus 173:Result 162:Sicily 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  927:Lives 838:22.10 621:Libya 321:Motya 166:Italy 90:JSTOR 76:books 932:ISBN 908:ISBN 889:ISBN 846:23.3 822:23.2 758:22.2 678:and 532:The 501:Eryx 311:Gela 145:Date 62:news 742:477 614:in 596:in 38:to 954:: 860:, 844:, 840:; 836:, 820:, 804:, 788:, 772:, 756:, 724:, 720:, 704:, 700:, 568:. 164:, 160:, 49:. 940:. 916:. 897:. 864:. 848:. 824:. 808:. 792:. 776:. 760:. 744:. 728:. 708:. 455:e 448:t 441:v 265:e 258:t 251:v 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 43:.

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"Siege of Syracuse" 278 BC
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Sicilian Wars
Pyrrhic War
Syracuse
Sicily
Italy
Carthage
Syracuse
Epirus
Pyrrhus of Epirus
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e
Sicilian Wars
1st Lilybaeum
1st Himera
Selinus
2nd Himera
1st Akragas
Gela

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