Dekadrachm - Hieron II

Hieron II ruled Syracuse for over half a century under a careful balancing act — first allied with Carthage, then pivoting to Rome after the First Punic War, securing a treaty in 263 BC that preserved Syracusan autonomy for decades. These gold issues belong to the final years of his reign, struck as the Second Punic War erupted around him. Within months of his death in 215 BC, Syracuse made the catastrophic decision to align with Carthage, ending in the city's brutal sack by Marcellus in 212 BC.