Syracuse was founded, according to the most reliable dating, in 733 B.C. (however, there are other datings in Greek sources: 734, 735 and even 757 B.C.) The city was founded by immigrants from Corinth, led by Archius, who belonged to the once ruling royal family, who produced themselves from Hercules. According to the legend, Archii, with the help of friends, tried with an armed hand to kidnap a beautiful boy Actaeon, son of Melissa, but during a fight with the boy’s father and friends, the boy was mortally wounded. Melissa, not having achieved the punishment of the Archies from the Corinthians, committed suicide, cursing the townspeople, after which drought and famine followed. The oracle of Delphi ordered the Corinthians to exorcise the felists. It was after this that the Archdiaus sailed to the west and, driving through the island of Ortigia, founded a settlement there, which he called Syracuse.
The political life of Syracuse developed in the same way as in other parts of the Greek world. When Syracuse was founded, it was time for the royal power to pass. The descendants of the founders of the city were privileged and legal citizens and owners; in their hands were concentrated both property and political rights. It was an aristocracy and at the same time an oligarchy. The rest of the masses had neither political rights nor landed property: they were engaged in trade and industry. The rise of Syracuse was accomplished gradually: initially, they were inferior in power to other neighbouring cities, and only having captured the southeastern coast of Sicily, they gained the importance of the first Greek city in Sicily. Between 663 and 598 years B.C. Syracusans were founded in Sicily, the settlements of Acre, Casmene and Camarina, which served as outposts of the Syracuse region.
V century B.C. was a period of the greatest power and prosperity of the city.
In 485 B.C. Syracuse mob, united with the slaves, expelled the gamors: the latter turned for protection to Hippocrates’ successor, Gela’s tyrant – Gelon , who without resistance seized Syracuse and made them his residence. Under Gelon, who was a clever and mild tyrant, the city grew considerably and decorated, and its population increased significantly due to the conquered cities.
Gelon’s successor, his brother Hieron I (478–467 B.C.), famous for his victories at the Pythian and Olympic Games, was suspicious and cruel, and his rule was restless.
After him, the power passed into the hands of his brother Thrasybulus, who a year later had to abandon tyranny in view of the popular uprising. With the overthrow of tyranny, democracy prevails, but soon the political struggle between full-fledged citizens and mercenaries and other disenfranchised citizens of the city soon arises.
In 461 B.C. a democratic form of government, which had existed for more than 50 years, was established, and so-called petalism was introduced against attempts to restore tyranny, which corresponded to Athenian ostracism.
The Sicilian expedition of Alcibiades and Nikias (415-413 B.C.), which ended in the defeat of the Athenians, resulted in the strengthening of the power of Syracuse. By this time, the reforms of Diokles demagogue, who transformed the Syracuse constitution in the spirit of radical democracy. After the fall of Leontin and Gimera, the influence of Diocles declined, although Hermocrates , who led the defense of Syracuse during the Athenian expedition, but expelled on suspicion of attempted democratic state system, did not dare to restore its political structure and fell in 407 B.C. during the popular uprising.
Sources:
High MF The history of Sicily in the archaic era. Early Greek tyranny of the end of VII – mid-V
Graham A. Western Greeks – in the book: “ Cambridge history of the ancient world
Obnorsky N. P. Syracuse, Greek colony // Encyclopedic dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron
Göller, “De Situ ex orig origine Syracusarum”
Schubring, “Achradina. Ein Beitrag zur Stadtgeschichte von Syrakus ”
him, Die Bewässerung von Syrakus
S. Cavallari, A. Holm, Cr. Cavallari, “Topografia archeologica di Siracusa”
B. Lupus, “Die Stadt Syrakus im Altertum”
Muess, “De Syracusanorum rerum statu etc.”