# Hiero — Victory Odes character guide

> Hiero in Victory Odes by Pindar.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Son of Hiero, ruler of Etna

**First appearance:** 0001-victory-odes

## Snapshot

Tyrant of Syracuse and founder of Etna, Hiero commands fleets, horses, and poets alike, his chariot victories made immortal by Pindar's most dazzling odes.

## Who they are

Hiero rules Syracuse with a righteous sceptre and a hunger for glory that only the greatest victories can satisfy; his horse Pherenikus has just thundered to triumph at Olympia, and the poet is summoned to match the feat in song. The tension lies in the gap between mortal power and divine envy: Pindar praises his wealth and chivalry while warning that fables and flattery can corrupt even a king's legacy. Hiero matters because he is the hinge between politics and poetry, the patron whose favor shapes which deeds survive and whose mortality haunts every garland.

## In the story

### [Victory Odes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/chapters/victory-odes)

Ruler of Syracuse and Etna, celebrated for his chariot victory and military achievements.

### [The Olympian Odes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/chapters/the-olympian-odes)

Victor celebrated in the first Olympian Ode for his chariot race win.

### [I For Hiero of Syracuse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/chapters/i)

Ruler of Syracuse, victor in the chariot race, praised for his just sceptre and hospitality.

### [VI For Agesias of Syracuse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/chapters/vi)

Ruler of Syracuse, honored for his righteous scepter and devotion to the gods, including Zeus and the Maid of the White Steeds.

### [The Pythian Odes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/chapters/the-pythian-odes)

Tyrant of Syracuse and victor in the chariot race, celebrated in Pythian Odes.

### [I For Hiero of Syracuse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/chapters/i)

Ruler of Syracuse and founder of Etna, celebrated for his chariot victory and military leadership.

### [II For Hiero of Syracuse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/chapters/ii)

Victor of the chariot race; praised for his wealth, wisdom, and military achievements.

### [III For Hiero of Syracuse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/chapters/iii)

Ruler of Syracuse and Etna; praised for generosity and wisdom.

### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/chapters/endnotes)

Mentioned as the father of Deinomenes, ruler of Etna.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/characters/hiero_of_etna
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/victory_odes_se/characters