Philistus was born in
Syracuse around the time the
Peloponnesian War began. He was a faithful supporter of the elder
Dionysius, and commander of the citadel.
Cicero, who had a high opinion of his work, called him the miniature
Thucydides (
pusillus Thucydides). He was admitted by the
Alexandrian critics into the canon of
historiographers, and his work was highly valued by
Alexander the Great. His works were continued by the later historian
Athanas of Syracuse. Philistus was quite wealthy. Before his rise to power, Dionysius criticized the generals of Syracuse on their poor performance against the Carthaginians, and was fined by the assembly for his
seditious language. Philistus stepped in to pay Dionysius' fines, with the promise to continue paying them so long as the council saw fit to issue them. It was through Philistus' support that Dionysius was able to rise to power and control Syracuse. In 386 BC, without consulting the tyrant, Philistus married the daughter of Dionysius' brother
Leptines. Dionysius feared that Leptines and Philistus would use the marriage as the basis of an alliance against him, and exiled both men from Syracuse. Philistus settled at
Thurii but afterwards moved to
Adria, where he remained until the death of Dionysius in 367 BC. During his stay at Adria, Philistus occupied himself with the composition of his history of Sicily in eleven books. The first part comprised the history of the island from the earliest times to the capture of
Agrigentum by the
Carthaginians (406 BC); the second, the history of the elder and the younger Dionysius (down to 363 BC). From this point the work was carried on by Athanas. Philistus was then recalled by the younger
Dionysius, whom he persuaded to dismiss
Plato and
Dion. When Dion set sail from
Zacynthus with the object of liberating Syracuse in 356 BC, Philistus was entrusted by Dionysius II with the command of the fleet. After a lengthy sea battle, his ship was surrounded. Philistus took his own life to avoid retribution from his countrymen. ==Notes==