Agathocles of Syracuse vs Du Yu

Agathocles returned from exile and, with a mercenary army, overthrew the oligarchic government of Syracuse. He massacred thousands of wealthy citizens and established himself as tyrant, ruling Syracuse for the next 28 years.

Agathocles launched a daring invasion of Carthage's North African homeland while Syracuse was besieged by a Carthaginian army. He burned his ships to motivate his troops and won several battles, forcing Carthage to recall forces from Sicily.

Agathocles suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of White Tunis against a Carthaginian army led by Hamilcar. The loss forced him to abandon his African campaign and return to Sicily, ending his attempt to conquer Carthage.

Agathocles was poisoned by his grandson Archagathus, who feared being passed over for succession. His death led to the collapse of his empire in Sicily and southern Italy, as his generals and enemies quickly divided his territories.

Du Yu was appointed as the overall commander of the Jin forces for the invasion of Eastern Wu, following Yang Hu's recommendation. He was given command of the central army group.

Du Yu's forces captured key Wu cities, including Jiangling, and advanced toward the Wu capital Jianye. The campaign culminated in the surrender of Wu's emperor Sun Hao, ending the Three Kingdoms period.

Du Yu wrote a comprehensive commentary on the Confucian classic 'Spring and Autumn Annals', which became a standard reference for later scholars. His work influenced Chinese historiography.