Siege of Syracuse (397 BC) - Aftermath

Aftermath

Dionysius did not immediately march against the Punic possessions in Sicily but took time to order his realm. He probably did not wish to provoke Carthage more than necessary and the Sicilian Greeks cities, which had thrown off the Carthaginian over lordship, were more or less friendly with Syracuse Solus was betrayed to him and sacked in 396 BC. 10,000 of his mercenaries revolted after Dionysius arrested their commander Aristoteles of Sparta, and was placated only after their leader was sent to Sparta for judgement and the mercenaries received Leontini for their own. Next Dionysius repopulated the ruined city of Messena with colonists from Italian and mainland Dorian Greeks, then founded Tyndaris with the original inhabitants of Messana who had been driven out after the Carthaginian sack of Messana in 397 BC. Dionysius in 394 BC unsuccessfully besieged Tauromenium, then held by Sicels allied to Carthage. In response, Mago of Carthage led an army to Messana in 393 BC, and the war was renewed.