Calippus of Syracuse

Callippus (; ; ) was a tyrant of Syracuse, Magna Graecia, who ruled briefly for thirteen months from 354 to 352 BC. He was a native Athenian who traveled with Dion to Sicily to capture Syracuse, whence Dion became the tyrant. Callippus then gained power by assassinating Dion, but ruled briefly before being ousted from power himself. Afterwards he commanded a band of mercenaries, who later killed him with the same sword that he used to kill Dion.

Dion's lieutenant Callippus was an Athenian who became a student of Plato. and Callippus accepted the offer. He was in a prime position to assassinate Dion, since most of Dion’s closest friends had been killed by Dionysius the Younger, and Callippus was his closest friend remaining.

Callippus used the money from Dionysius to bribe some of Dion’s troops to defect to him. Hipparinus, a son of Dionysius the Elder, a previous tyrant of Syracuse, attacked Syracuse with a fleet and army, after which Callippus fled from the city. According to Polyaenus, Hipparinus was staying in Leontini when Callippus had sent out his army. Hipparinus attacked while most of the army was gone and secured control of the city.

According to Plutarch, Callippus lost control of the city while he was absent, on an expedition to conquer Catana. But in Plutarch’s version Hipparinus is not mentioned, and instead Syracuse revolted against Callippus.

Mercenary leadership and death Callippus then attempted to conquer Messina instead, but his army was defeated. With his remaining troops he wandered around Sicily, but upon finding that he was unable to support himself, he travelled to Italy. There he conquered Rhegium, which had previously been controlled by Dionysius the Younger. But because he mistreated his mercenaries, his comrades Leptines II and Polyperchon stabbed him to death with a sword, reputed to be the same sword that killed Dion.