Heracleides of Tarentum (300–200 BCE)
Born 300 BCE, died 200 BCE.
Heracleides (Ancient Greek: Ἡρακλείδης), also knows as Heracleides of Tarentum (Ancient Greek: Ἡρακλείδης ὁ Ταραντῖνος) (fl. 212–199 BC) was an ancient Greek architect from Tarentum in Magna Graecia who later served as a counselor and military commander under king Philip V of Macedon. During the Second Punic War the architect Heracleides had been entrusted with some repairs of the walls of Tarentum (at the time controlled by the Carthaginians), when he was accused of intending to betray the city to the Romans. In consequence of this charge he fled from his home town, and took refuge in the Roman camp, but was soon suspected of having opened secret negotiations with Hannibal and the Carthaginian garrison. After this double treachery he thought it prudent to quit Italy and repaired to the court of Philip V of Macedon. There, by his ability and cunning, he made himself useful to the king as a convenient tool for carrying into execution the most nefarious schemes, and ultimately rose to a high place in his favour and confidence.
Text from the Wikipedia article Heracleides_of_Tarentum, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.