Tyrant

by Valerio Massimo Manfredi

It is Sicily 412 the infinite duel between a man and a superpower begins. The man is Dionysius, who has just made himself Tyrant of Syracuse. The superpower Carthage, mercantile megalopolis and mistress of the seas. Over the next eight years, Dionysius' brutal military conquests will strike down countless enemies and many friends to make Syracuse the most powerful Greek city west of mainland Greece. He builds the largest army of antiquity and invents horrific war machines to use against the Carthaginians, who he will fight in five wars. But who was Dionysius? Historians have condemned him as one of the most ruthless, egocentric despots. But he was also patron of the arts, a dramatist, poet and tender lover.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Historical Romance, Greece, Italy, Fantasy

406 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Valerio Massimo Manfredi is an Italian historian, writer, archaeologist and journalist. He was born in Piumazzo di Castelfranco Emilia, province of Modena and is married to Christine Fedderson Manfredi, who translates his published works from Italian to English. They have two children and live in a small town near Bologna.
Valerio Massimo Manfredi defines himself as an "Ancient World Topographer". Since 1978 he spends his time teaching in several European universities, digging ruins in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East, and writing novels.
The Professor of Classical Archaeology in the "Luigi Bocconi" University of Milan and a familiar face on European television, he has led scientific expeditions, excavations and explorations in Italy and overseas. In addition to this, he has published a number of scientific articles and essays as well as thirteen novels, including the Alexander trilogy and The Last Legion. Alexander was published in thirty-six languages in fifty-five countries and The Last Legion was sold for a major film production in the USA. The Last Legion film was released in 2007.

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[V&C Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estupendo libro sobre la vida de un personaje que gobernó Siracusa en la antigua Grecia. No es uno de los mejores libros del autor pero es bastante entretenido.

[Oscar E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manfredi's book brings back to life its main character, a dictator that reigned in the center of the Mediterranean Sea a long time ago. The plot is thrilling, the narration perfect, the opening intriguing. The story and history of Dionysius mix politics, war, love, and hatred. Life, in one word. The Carthaginians have the same role as today's hostile alien lifeforms in a Sci-Fi masterpiece. Centuries would pass before the new invincibles, the Romans, beat them and delete their civilization. A very good book.

[Κώστας · Rating 4 out of 5]

Φοβερά ρεαλιστικό, ξυπνάει συναισθήματα & έννοιες μέσα μας θαμένες. Τόσο ζωντανή, τόσο παραστατική απεικόνιση των γεγονότων που ένιωσα θεατής στα 10 μέτρα κι όχι απλός αναγνώστης. Καθαρά αντρικό βιβλίο με την συγκίνηση που αποπνέει αντρική επίσης. Για όσους ξέρουν τον Μανφρέντι από άλλα του βιβλία, θα βρουν κι εδώ επίσης την υψηλή ποιότητα που τον διακρίνει. Απολαύστε τον, συμπληρώνοντας την ιστορία που δεν μάθατε στο σχολείο.

[Ivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primo libro letto di VMM, cui mi ero accostato con una certa diffidenza. Non male, anzi, accattivante questa biografia di Dioniso, nonché lo spaccato storico di Siracusa e della Sicilia greca. Un'ottima occasione e stimolo per accostarsi alla storia dei Sicelioti.

[Dimitris Kopsidas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ένα άκρως ενδιαφέρον ιστορικά μυθιστόρημα με έμφαση στις στρατιωτικές επιχειρήσεις. Ο Μανφρέντι χρησιμοποιεί μια αρκετά απλή γραφή για να περιγράψει την ιστορία του Διονύσιου των Συρακουσών, ένα όχι και από τα πιο γνωστά πρόσωπα της αρχαίας ιστορίας.
Η μεταφορά στην εποχή και η ατμόσφαιρα της αρχαίας Σικελίας δίνεται με ικανοποιητικό τρόπο, όχι όμως και η προσωπικότητα του Διονύσιου. Ο συγγραφέας προτιμά να επικεντρωθεί στα θετικά του χαρακτήρα και τις όποιες βαρβαρότητες διέπραξε, τις αναφέρει μεν, επιδερμικά δε. Επίσης θα ήθελα και μια όσο το δυνατόν αναλυτικότερη ματιά στη ψυχοσύνθεση του Διονύσιου.
Αξιόλογο σε γενικές γραμμές, έχει να προσφέρει στον αναγνώστη αρκετά. Όμως δεν μπορώ να μην αναφέρω ότι σε όποιον αρέσει το συγκεκριμένο, πρέπει να σπεύσει να διαβάσει τον Αύγουστο του John Williams.

6,7/10

[The Idle Woman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is to be commended in the sense that it's one of the very few novels based in classical Sicily, and it therefore provides an introduction to a period that most people are unlikely to know. From that angle, I am glad to have read it. However, Manfredi is so keen to counteract the traditional negative portrayal of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, that he ends up with a character who is implausibly perfect. We are given an insight into Dionysius' personality, with the invention of a beloved wife whose tragic death propels him into tyranny; and yet we are never fully able to sympathise with him because he doesn't convince as a three-dimensional, multifaceted character. We are invited to marvel at his intelligence, his tactical acumen, his good looks and his sense of honour. We are constantly shown how his strategic brilliance overshadows the selfish plotting of Syracuse's oligarch generals. As one previous reviewer noted, it's presented as self-evident that Syracuse will do better under the rule of a tyrant than under a democracy. But it isn't enough to be shown these things - we also need to be convinced of the character's reality and engaged in the story, and that's where I felt the novel failed. I simply ended up frustrated that the author was trying to dictate my reactions to his character - a character whom I felt lacked that most appealing aspect: a convincing grey area.

I must also mention the translation, which may accurately reflect the original Italian but which does little to make the text fluent and engaging for English-speakers. The style veers between overly academic and flamboyant; the dialogue is either implausibly colloquial or stilted. Throughout, you remain conscious that you are not reading the original language. Had I not been intrigued to find out more of the history behind the story - which does, generally, seem to be accurately represented here - I would have given up without finishing. I am sorry, as this is my first venture into Manfredi for quite some years, and I was expecting something more gripping and complex.

For a longer review, please visit my blog at http://theidlewoman.blogspot.co.uk/20...

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-No es lo mismo un tirano que un dictador, y en aquellos tiempos todavía menos.-

Género. Novela histórica.

Lo que nos cuenta. En el siglo IV antes de Cristo, un callado y misterioso personaje que dice ganarse la vida enseñando recuerda, tras una pelea tabernaria, el pasado de Dionisio de Siracusa, un hombre que hizo todo lo necesario para conseguir expulsar a los cartagineses de la isla que ahora es Sicilia, llegar al poder y expandir los límites de sus dominios.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5. The novel gives us an unusual subject and time period--Greek Sicily at the time of the Peloponnesian War and beyond. I'm just using that as a reference as to when the story takes place. The novel tells of Dionysius of Syracuse, a good man who is badly affected by the death and destruction of his beloved wife. He then seizes power and becomes a tyrant, in the worst sense of the word--ruthless, merciless, cold-hearted. We see how absolute power corrupts him. He has mixed success against Carthaginians but does make Sicily into someone to be reckoned with.

Hampered by a poor translation, was the wording of the original Italian also as bad? The novel was overwhelmed with battles, but I did have to admire Dionysius's military genius: hauling ships overland, the invention to catapults. Sex scenes were risible, especially the one under water. Characters were one-dimensional but for his brother, Leptines, and his friend, the historian Philistus, whose original work has been lost. I feel this author was a better historian than novelist, although I applaud him for tackling this subject. A superior novel on a Greek who lived somewhat later, Timoleon, whose name will always be coupled with Syracuse is Peter Vansittart's A Choice Of Murder.

[Sanity Assasin · Rating 3 out of 5]

hmm. no ones really wrote alot about this. just given it a rating. i thought it was a pretty enjoyable historical work of fiction. some of the historical people/characters were really interesting. i enjoyed reading more about dionysius's brother leptines and his friend philistus than the "tyrant" himself. maybe one day i will pick up another manfredi book. i liked it. he writes interesting and very often captivating historical fiction

[Antonio Rosato · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Ci sono momenti in cui si può rinunciare a una parte della propria libertà se è in gioco la vita stessa e la sopravvivenza di intere comunità, non credi? E vi sono situazioni nelle quali è proprio il popolo a conferire a un uomo degno responsabilità eccezionali".
Libro che ripercorre, in modo molto romanzato, la vita e le gesta di Dionisio I di Siracusa, uno dei primi tiranni della Storia. Romanzo, perciò, che vede la guerra (e di conseguenza la morte) farla da padrone ma che, paradossalmente, ha le sue pagine intrise anche di amore, amicizia e fedeltà.
Storia abbastanza realista e parecchio violenta (non dico che ad ogni pagina ci scappa o il morto ammazzato o una donna violentata a sangue… ma ci siamo quasi) che descrive perfettamente il clima dell'epoca. Libro che si legge velocemente ma, data la presenza ad ogni pagina di guerre e battaglie spesso si perde il filo del discorso. La fine, per giunta, mi è parsa molto velocizzata.
Fortemente consigliato agli amanti dei libri storici ma, per quanto mi riguarda, è il primo libro che leggo di Valerio Massimo Manfredi e non so se ne leggerò mai altri.
[https://lastanzadiantonio.blogspot.co...]

[Sundurra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great historical novel. This is a very vivid story about the greeks who were living in Sicily (do not remember the exact year, but it is definitely BC time). At the time, Carthage was their biggest enemy and they made several incursions over different cities. Dionisio, a very dedicated soldier, became increasingly frustrated about the way that the democratically-elected officials were handling the situation. Therefore, he decided to take over the government, so he could efficiently fight the threat. So, good intentions, but that is the way that he became the tyrant of Syracuse. Excellent book, very entertaining and I also learned a lot.

[Charles · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 100 pages. What a disappointment. Two maps and a great cover inspired confidence that this would be a great book but unfortunately it is not. The only thing that made me try to continue was the setting of Ancient Greece/Sicily and that the author is a historian so generally the events should be pretty accurate.

With this being a translation there was some issues with word choices that made you go hmm okay but you can forgive them and blame it on being lost in translation. What made this a struggle to read for me was nothing to do with it being a translation but it was the lifeless characters, lack of descriptive detail, poor storytelling and really really awful dialogue and romance. The characters are just so bland and have nothing to them.

Dionysius. This is his story and he is the “tyrant” and eventually becomes dictator of Sicily. He is basically Mr Perfect and almost everybody loves him cos of his massive balls. Gets really touchy when anyone talks bad about tyrants.
“That man was a tyrant,” objected Arete.
“That man was a man!” Roared Dionysius.

Arete the love interest. She has already fallen for Dionysius by the end of chapter two basically without any setup. She is extremely insufferable. She is just the worst and the main reason I couldn’t carry on with this book. She’s a real whinge bag when Dionysius won’t take her with him on campaign with the army. One of the lines she says is,
“You are a bastard. You don’t love me, not even a little bit?”
That’s just next level cringe.
There’s also this really weird scene where she is leaving Tellias and his wife to go join Dionysius and they’re all crying and having these weird private jokes that we as the reader know nothing about and she’s literally been there like one day. It’s just super weird and I don’t understand why I’m supposed to care?

Tellias and Philistus. Dionysius’ friends I think. I don’t know why the author bothered giving their names. Never have I read two more forgetful and indistinguishable characters.

I read historical fiction to be planted into the period and imagine I’m there. This book gave very little description of the settings, the landscape, architecture, the climate, the armour and everything that would make it stand out and feel like classical Greece. I just didn’t gel with the writing style and it had these weird jumps. At one point it was with Diocles giving a speech to the assembly and then the next line it was back with Hermocrates in a different location.

Overall a major disappointment. Arete is possibly one of the worst characters I have ever read and it’s a real shame as the subject of this book is really interesting. I don’t think I’ll be bothering now with the Alexander trilogy from this author.

[Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sizilien im späten 5. vorchristlichen Jahrhundert. Große Teile der Insel sind jedenfalls an den Küsten griechisch. Karthago will das ändern. Der Held des Buches rettet als junger Mann die Tochter eines wichtigen Politikers, ärgert sich über die regierende ‚demokratische‘ Elite seiner Stadt, wird zum Tyrannen und vereinsamt dabei. Ein Buch voller Schilderung großer und kleiner Kämpfe. Die Hintergründe und auch manche wichtigen Charaktere der Erzählung kommen dabei etwas kurz.

[Guillermo · Rating 3 out of 5]

La novela a nivel histórico es muy precisa, todo estaba en su sitio y las batallas bien explicadas. Sin embargo, en cuanto al relato de los personajes era muy pobre. Además, mis protagonistas favoritos desaparecían o morían muy rápido, lo que hacía que leer el libro fuese pesado y angustioso. He leído mejores obras del autor y esta me ha decepcionado un poco.

[David Sarkies · Rating 2 out of 5]

A novel based around a footnote in history
17 February 2011

This is a story about the rise and fall of Dionysius of Syracuse, a tyrant who unified the island of Sicily under Greek rule and then pushed the Carthaginians back to North Africa. While I have heard of him I don't for the life of me know of the ancient sources for this guy, and nobody that I have spoken to knows either (not that I have spoken to everybody that I know that could know about this).

While the book was entertaining, once again it is an historical novel, and though it was based on a real person, to me it does not stack up against the original sources. Further, due to the lack of sources that I know of that are available about Dionysius, it is difficult to know what is fact and what is simply made up to create the story.

Could one call this a tragedy? Quite possibly, but once again it does not stack up against the great tragedies of Shakespeare where the stage at the end of the play is littered with bodies, and it definitely does not stack up against what I consider the greatest of tragedies, King Lear, where at the end of the play your heart is torn over the death of his beloved daughter.

Does he have a fatal flaw? Not one that is consistent throughout the play, though one could consider that his desire for freedom for his Greek subjects is one, but in the end Dionysius becomes drunk with power, and it is this that in the end brings about his downfall (as it does with most dictators). That flaw is called hubris, but once again hubris is something that develops over time, particularly as the person who is caught up with hubris becomes more and more powerful, and in turn becomes more insane and paranoid about who wants to take his power away from him.

As mentioned about Manfredi's other book that I have read, it is a good book for somebody who knows little about the ancient world and is a good introduction to the intrigues and wars that were fought, but for one who is well versed in the classics, I would recommend simply going to the source.

[Francesco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grazie per la compagnia, Heghemòn.

[Babis Papadimitriou]

Η ιστορία του πιο διάσημου τυράννου της αρχαιότητας ξεδιπλώνεται στις σελίδες του παρόντος μυθιστορήματος με αρκετά πετυχημένο τρόπο. Ο συγγραφέας παρά τις (σκόπιμες) παραλείψεις και απλουστεύσεις σε πρόσωπα και γεγονότα μας παρουσιάζει μια ζωντανή εικόνα της εποχής και των βασικών πρωταγωνιστών του με ιδιαίτερο ρεαλισμό και λεπτομέρεια. Το δυνατότερο σημείο του βιβλίου είναι αναμφίβολα οι σχέσεις και οι απόψεις που αναπτύσσει ο πρωταγωνιστής καθ’ όλη την διάρκεια του βιβλίου. Σε αντίθεση με πολλά ιστορικά μυθιστορήματα σε αυτό, ουδέποτε ένοιωσα πως οι χαρακτήρες ήταν απλά πιόνια που εξυπηρετούσαν την πλοκή, αντιθέτως ακόμα και οι χαρακτήρες που εμφανίζονται ελάχιστα είναι αρκετά καλά αναπτυγμένοι και αφήνουν με κάποιο τρόπο το στίγμα τους. Στο κυριότερο αρνητικό σημείο που μπορώ να σταθώ, είναι πως η μετάβαση από ιδεαλιστή σε απολυταρχικό τύραννο ήταν κάπως πιο απότομη απ’ ότι θα ήθελα. Επίσης θεωρώ πως στο βιβλίο λαμβάνει χώρα μια σκηνή η οποία παρότι είναι καλογραμμένη είναι εντελώς ανούσια και δεν προσθέτει απολύτως τίποτα σε όλο το έργο. Σαν κατακλείδα τολμώ να πω πως το έργο θα ικανοποιήσει οποιοδήποτε θελήσει να διαβάσει μια δυνατή ιστορία χωρίς ωραιοποιήσεις…

[Chris Corpora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read about an interesting character in the classical era of Sicily. Manfredi is a great historical fiction writer. In league with Robert Graves and Robert Harris.

[Katerina T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

[Fabrizio Bozzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avvincente e con una dinamica che ha conferito alla lettura una leggerezza inattesa.
Mi è piaciuto molto

[Edu Zancaner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesante historia, narrada al estilo Manfredi, sobre Dionisio de Siracusa.

[Omar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever sources you may read about Dionysius, historians will agree that he is the perfect model of a tyrant. Though not much is known about his history, or the history of the Sicilian Greeks, Manfredi did an excellent job at trying to portray the impact Dionysius had in Greek history.

Many reviewers thought of this book negatively on the bases of historical inaccuracies, or that it's partly made up. Well here's a spoiler: history is never accurate. No two people can look at an apple the same way, some focus on the shape, others the color. This book is no different; I believe what Manfredi portrayed the metamorphosis of Dionysius. From a moral soldier, to a blood-thirsty tyrant, and the circumstances surrounding it revolved around a series of unfortunate events. Manfredi didn’t write this book as an account of Dionysius’ life, if so he would’ve written a biography. Instead he tried to send a message that behind every tyrant is a tragic story. This tragic story can serve as a “model” for how leaders become tyrants, and the pressure they face from the responsibilities of wielding such power.

This book is far from perfect, what I would like to see changed is the following;
1- The summary at the back of the book contains some unnecessary details that may spoil the conflict of the story. I would have appreciated it if they were written differently.
2- At certain points of the story, things were accelerated at the expense of the plot. Certain details would have enhanced the story and add more flavor to it. However, Manfredi himself admits in the author's notes that certain historical events were "omitted" for simplicity's sake.
3- A short page defining the technical terms used to describe military tactics and strategy would have been helpful. Uninformed readers, such as myself, of ancient warfare would love to understand what happened in every battle.

All in all a book worth reading for those who love ancient history, without expecting it to be 100% accurate.

[Alexandros Kyriakou · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This book is to be commended in the sense that it's one of the very few novels based in classical Sicily, and it therefore provides an introduction to a period that most people are unlikely to know. From that angle, I am glad to have read it.

However, Manfredi is so keen to counteract the traditional negative portrayal of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, that he ends up with a character who is implausibly perfect. We are given an insight into Dionysius' personality, with the invention of a beloved wife whose tragic death propels him into tyranny; and yet we are never fully able to sympathise with him because he doesn't convince as a three-dimensional, multifaceted character.

We are invited to marvel at his intelligence, his tactical acumen, his good looks and his sense of honour. We are constantly shown how his strategic brilliance overshadows the selfish plotting of Syracuse's oligarch generals.

As one previous reviewer noted, it's presented as self-evident that Syracuse will do better under the rule of a tyrant than under a democracy. But it isn't enough to be shown these things - we also need to be convinced of the character's reality and engaged in the story, and that's where I felt the novel failed.

I simply ended up frustrated that the author was trying to dictate my reactions to his character - a character whom I felt lacked that most appealing aspect: a convincing grey area."

[John Betts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose the audiobook version read by Sir Derek Jacobi because it fit better with my hectic schedule. The story itself was enjoyable, though a little tedious in some areas. However, besides the superb narration by Jacobi what I found most enjoyable was learning that this wasn't a completely fictional tale but instead based upon real historical people and real events. I hadn't heard of Dionysius I of Syracuse or his brother Leptines before. This book gave me a good introduction to the period and personalities which I've been able to examine more closely for the real historical details. For the Greeks the word "tyrannos" didn't necessarily have all of the negative connotations as the modern word "tyrant" derived from it. Yet Manfredi does a good job showing that when it came to Dionysius I, he unfortunately did become every bit the tyrant in all senses of the word.

[Πάνος Τουρλής · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πραγματικά πολύ καλό, απίστευτη αναπαράσταση της εποχής, ψυχολογία των απλών και των ηρωικών ανθρώπων, βαθιά μηνύματα έπαρσης, φιλίας, προδοσίας, άριστη γνώση της εποχής και του περιβάλλοντος. Μιλάμε για δουλειά, όχι αστεία. Ίσως κουράσουν οι μάχες αλλά είναι πολύ λίγες συγκριτικά με το μέγεθος του βιβλίου. Ο Μανφρέντι είναι καταπληκτικός αφηγητής, μοναδικός ιστορικός και παρόλαυτά το έργο του μπορεί να το προσεγγίσει οποιοσδήποτε, γιατί δεν διδάσκει (κατηχεί) αλλά αφηγείται. Και τα νοήματα είναι πάντα εκει, δίπλα σου. Μιλάει ακόμη και για Ευριπίδη, Πλάτωνα, Σωκράτη, Ξενοφώντα, τον Πελοποννησιακό πόλεμο, τις Ολυμπιάδες. Από τα πολύ καλά έργα του και από τα καλύτερα ιστορικά μυθιστορήματα που έπεσαν στα χέρια μου.

Στα ελληνικά από τον Ψυχογιό το 2012.

[Federico · Rating 4 out of 5]

È il mio Autore preferito, inarrivabile. In questo libro racconta la storia di un uomo che spinto dai più nobili obiettivi e da un orgoglio inattaccabile, perde se stesso e persegue la sua visione a testa bassa, ritrovandosi talmente in alto tanto da non poter più scendere, ma solo precipitare.
Il tutto contestualizzato nell’assolata Sicilia contesa tra i “greci” e Cartagine, notevole la spettacolare descrizione della città di Agrigento, dei suoi templi e piazze e case, sembra veramente di sentire la brezza mentre si legge.

[Federica Barufaldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manfredi ha la capacità di riportare in vita i personaggi dei suoi romanzi e farceli sentire "vicini", portandoli fuori dalla storia, rendendoli quasi reali.
Ne "Il tiranno" ci sentiamo infatti immersi in una storia di amori, inganni,tradimenti, politica e guerra; ci troviamo catapultati nell'epoca descritta e quasi fatichiamo a staccarci dalle pagine per tornare alla vita reale.
Un ennesimo capolavoro di un grande scrittore storico.

[Germano Marrello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basato sulla storia di Dionisio di Siracusa, la storia tragica di un uomo che per amore tenterà di rendere la sua città la migliore della Sicilia, affrontando sia nemici esterni come i Cartaginesi sia nemici interni alla città.

Bello, crudo e drammatico, con un colpo di scena finale tipico di Valerio Massimo Manfredi.

[Boulder Boulderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's pretty terrible. The writing isn't up to much and the translation is also extremely sub-par. We're presented with this guy who's supposed to be an amazing general etc but who never actually seems to win a battle, much less a campaign. His only real victories are against his countrymen. He also seems to have access to unlimited financial resources from no apparent source. It's a bad telling of the story and a bad novel.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but not the best Valerio Massimo Manfredi has written.

Still well worth reading. Dionysus of Syracuse isn't a person who gets a lot of time in historical fiction. He's a passing character in at least one Mary Renault book, but that's about it.

Very heavy on the military aspect, so will not be to everyone's taste.