Hicetas was a Syracusan

Syracuse, Italy

Syracuse is a historic city in Sicily, the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in...

 general, contemporary with the younger Dionysius

Dionysius II of Syracuse

Dionysius the Younger or Dionysius II ruled Syracuse, Sicily from 367 BC to 357 BC and again from 346 BC to 344 BC....

 and Timoleon

Timoleon

Timoleon , son of Timodemus, of Corinth was a Greek statesman and general.As the champion of Greece against Carthage he is closely connected with the history of Sicily, especially Syracuse.-Early life:...

. He is first mentioned as a friend of Dion

Dion of Syracuse

Dion , tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily, was the son of Hipparinus, and brother-in-law of Dionysius I of Syracuse.-Family:Dion was the son of the Syracusan statesman Hipparinus, who had assisted the despot Dionysius I, in the Syracusan army. Hipparinus' other children were Megacles and Aristomache...

, after whose death (353 BCE), his wife, Arete, and his sister Aristomache, placed themselves under the care of Hicetas. The latter was at first disposed to protect them, but was afterwards persuaded by the enemies of Dion to consent to their destruction, and he accordingly placed them on board a ship bound for Corinth

Corinth

Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...

, with secret instructions that they should be put to death upon the voyage.