Hieronymus of Syracuse
After the plot against Hieronymus, King of Syracuse,
note
Thraso having departed, Zoippus and Andranodorus persuaded Hieronymus to lose no time in
sending ambassadors to Hannibal. He accordingly selected Polycleitus of Cyrene and Philodemus of Argos for the purpose, and sent them
into Italy, with a commission to discuss the
subject of an alliance with the Carthaginians;
and at the same time he sent his brothers to
Alexandria. Hannibal received Polycleitus and
Philodemus with warmth; held out great prospects to the young king; and sent the ambassadors back without delay, accompanied by
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the commander of his triremes, a Carthaginian also named
Hannibal, and the Syracusan Hippocrates and his younger
brother Epicydes. These men had been for some time
serving in Hannibal's army, being domiciled at Carthage,
owing to their grandfather having been banished from Syracuse
because he was believed to have assassinated Agatharchus,
one of the sons of Agathocles. On the arrival of these
commissioners at Syracuse, Polycleitus and his colleague
reported the result of their embassy, and the Carthaginian
note
delivered the message given by Hannibal: whereupon the king
without hesitation expressed his willingness to
make a treaty with the Carthaginians; and,
begging the Hannibal who had come to him
to go with all speed to Carthage, promised that
he also would send commissioners from his own court, to
settle matters with the Carthaginians.
