Dionisije II Mlađi i Jadransko more
Dionysius II. the younger and the Adriatic Sea

Summary/Abstract: The topic of the work is the positions of the Syracuse hegemony on the Adriatic Sea during the first tyranid-period of Dionysius II. The Sicilian-Roman historian Diodorus wrote that Dionysius II. founded two poleis (as apoikias) on Adriatic coast of Apulia. The reason for its establishment was the protection of sea routes and trade on Strait of Otranto and Adriatic Sea, which were threatened by pirates from the coastal communities. In that period Adriatic Sea was domain of Syracusan hegemony and at the time (357th BC) when Dion moved from Balkanic Greece to Sicily, the flotilla, which had a zone of responsibility on Adriatic Sea and that part of Ionian Sea that gravitated to Strait of Otranto, was commanded by the historian Philistus, a loyal follower of Dionysius II. After Philistus was informed by Dionysius II. on the sudden return of Dion with a mercenary army to Sicily, he with his fleet and army leaves the Adriatic Sea and Strait of Otranto and goes to help Dionysius II. After that, the hegemony of Syracuse on the Adriatic Sea, islands and parts of the coast ends, and the poleis there (both those founded, helped to found, occupied and protected by Dionysius the Elder and those founded by Dionysius the Younger) become independent, while the vacant space is occupied by corsairs from maritime Etruscan and Illyrian communities and groups. Thus, 357th BC can be considered the year when Syracusan hegemony on Adriatic Sea and Strait of Otranto ended.

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