Leptines of Syracuse

Leptines (c. 430 BC; † around 374 BC) was half-brother of the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse, for whom he worked as a fleet commander ( Nauarch ).

Leptines was married to his niece Dikaiosyne, a daughter of the tyrant from his marriage to Doris of Locri (now Locri in Calabria ). He also said to have had two daughters from an extramarital relationship with a married woman.

As Nauarch he was at the beginning of Dionysius ' second Carthaginian War in 398 BC in the successful siege of the Carthaginian city Motye (now Mozia ) involved. But the following year he suffered at Catana (Catania) a heavy defeat against the Carthaginian fleet; more than half of the ships were destroyed.

386 BC to Leptines one of his extramarital daughters without the knowledge of his half-brother at the consultant Philistus, the commander of the citadel of Syracuse, have been married. This step aroused the suspicions of the tyrant; Philistus fell into disfavor and was banished to the mainland.

383 BC led Leptines the Syracusan auxiliary troops should support the Italian Lucanians in their fight against the Greek Cities and Towns in Southern Italy. He 's intervention prevented the complete annihilation of the Greek city of Croton by the Italians. Since this mildness did not fit in the southern Italian expansion plans of the tyrant, Leptines for it now also fell into disgrace, was replaced as Nauarch by the (third) brother Thearides and also banished; both Leptines and his son- Philistus, then lived in exile in Thurii.

Later, Dionysius reconciled again with Leptines. This was allowed to return to Syracuse and again take over military office. He died (probably 374 BC) in the fight against the Carthaginians.