Dionysius I of Syracuse destroyed Rhegium in 387 BC, eliminating a rival power at the Strait of Messina and selling its population into slavery.
Key Facts
- Year of siege
- 387 BC
- Besieging commander
- Dionysius I of Syracuse
- Fate of inhabitants
- Sold into slavery
- Preceding battle
- Battle of the Elleporus
- Later refounding
- By Dionysius II
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Rhegium had allied with Carthage against Syracuse during the Third Sicilian War, motivated by rivalry over control of the Strait of Messina. After Syracuse and Carthage made peace, Dionysius I sought revenge against Rhegium for this opposition. He first crushed Rhegium's ally, the Italiote League of Taurentum, at the Battle of the Elleporus, removing its main source of support.
In 387 BC, Dionysius I led a Syracusan force in a siege of Rhegium. The city was besieged, captured, and sacked. Its inhabitants were sold into slavery, effectively ending Rhegium as an independent Greek city in Magna Graecia.
The destruction of Rhegium gave Syracuse dominant control over the Strait of Messina, eliminating a major regional rival. The city lay devastated until it was eventually re-founded by Dionysius II, marking a long interruption in its history as a functioning Greek community.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Dionysius I.
Side B
1 belligerent