The volume examines Sicilian affairs under Dionysius the Elder, recounting his wars with Carthage, the decisive impact of epidemic disease on military outcomes, and the fraught dependence on mercenary forces including mutinies and land grants. It describes the refounding and settlement of cities such as Messênê and Tyndaris, campaigns against Sicel communities, and strategic efforts to control the strait toward Italy, provoking conflicts with Italian Greek states. Episodes of Syracusan domestic politics are interwoven with notes on Plato's involvement in Syracuse, while the author signals a forthcoming comparative treatment of Plato and Aristotle.