Hicetas was tyrant of Syracuse

Syracuse, Italy

Syracuse is a historic city in Sicily, the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in...

, during the interval between the reign of Agathocles and that of Pyrrhus

Pyrrhus of Epirus

Pyrrhus or Pyrrhos was a Greek general and statesman of the Hellenistic era. He was king of the Greek tribe of Molossians, of the royal Aeacid house , and later he became king of Epirus and Macedon . He was one of the strongest opponents of early Rome...

. After the death of Agathocles (289 BCE

289 BC

Year 289 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Corvus and Noctua...

), his supposed assassin, Maenon, put to death Archagathus

Archagathus (grandson of Agathocles of Syracuse)

For others of this name see Archagathus Archagathus was a Syracusan Greek Prince.Archagathus was the son of Archagathus by unnamed wife, being a paternal grandson of the Sicilian Greek King Agathocles of Syracuse from his first wife....

, the grandson of Agathocles; and assuming the command of the army with which the latter was besieging Aetna

Aetna (city)

Aetna , was an ancient city of Sicily, situated at the foot of the mountain of the same name, on its southern declivity. It was originally a Sicelian city, and was called Inessa or Inessum.-History:...

, directed his arms against Syracuse. Hereupon Hicetas was sent against him by the Syracusans, with a considerable army: but after the war had continued for some time, without any decisive result, Maenon, by calling in the aid of the Carthaginians

Carthage

Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...

, obtained the superiority, and the Syracusans were compelled to conclude an ignominious peace.