DIONYSIUS OF HERACLEA

Tyrant of Heraclea of Pontus, son of the tyrant Clearchus. After the death of his father Dionysios took over the governance of the city together with his brother Timotheus, who died in 337/336 BC. After the battle at Granikos (334 BC), he took advantage of the crisis that the Persian state was going through and extended his power, despite the reactions of the democratic Heraklionites, who first asked Alexander and then Perdiccas for the restoration of old polity in their city.

As Memnon relates, Dionysius married Amastrin, daughter of the Persian Oxathros and niece of Darius, greatly increasing his wealth. In the wars of the Successors, he allied himself with Antigonus, whom he helped in the siege of Cyprus. Following the example of Antigonus, but also of the other successors, he proclaimed himself king. The administration of Dionysios was moderate, which is why he was named Appropriate . He died in 305 BC leaving the guardianship of the two minor sons of Clearchus and Oxathros to their mother.

Coins from the time when Dionysios ruled together with Timotheus and others from the time of his personal power were saved, which bear on one side the head of a young Dionysos and on the other Hercules with a trophy.