Bibliotheca Historica

​For a certain Damas, who was numbered among the illustrious men in Syracuse, became enamoured of Agathocles, and at first, by supplying him with everything abundantly, he became the cause of his amassing a moderate fortune; and after this, having been elected general against Acragas, when one of the chiliarchs died, he appointed him to that man’s place.

​And even before this campaign, Agathocles was highly conspicuous because of the size of his weapons; for he made it a practice in the armed exercises to wear a suit of armor of such size that no one of the others was able easily to handle the weight of the weapons. When he became a chiliarch, he acquired a much greater reputation, being fond of danger and reckless in battles, and bold and ready in his public speeches. When Damas died of disease and left his property to his wife, Agathocles married her and was numbered among the richest men.

​After this, when the Crotoniates were being besieged by the Bruttians, the Syracusans sent a strong force, of which Antander, the brother of Agathocles, was general along with others, while Heracleides and Sostratus held the supreme command over the whole, men who had spent the greater part of their lives in conspiracies, murders, and great impieties; concerning whom the preceding book contains the details.

​Agathocles also served with them, being well known by the people and appointed to a chiliarch’s command. He, at first, having proved himself the bravest in the battles against the barbarians, was deprived of the prize of valor by Sostratus and his faction because of jealousy.

​Being deeply grieved at this, he accused them before the people of having resolved to set up a tyranny. But since the Syracusans paid no attention to these accusations, Sostratus and his faction, after their return from Croton, established their dominance over the fatherland.