Hélōris (Ancient Greek: Ἕλωρις), was a Syracusan exile from Magna Graecia, who fought against his adoptive son, the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse.
After the Second Sicilian War ended in 405 BC, Dionysius decided to focus his attention on securing Syracuse's borders, launching a campaign against neighboring Herbessus and calling for a levy of citizens to serve in the army.
During the Third Sicilian War, Rhegium had allied itself with Carthage against Syracuse because Syracuse was a rival in Magna Graecia and both wanted to control the Strait of Messina.Determined to control the Strait of Messina located between Messene and Rhegium, Dionysius resettled Messene and Medma with Italian Greeks from Locri and Messenians from Naupactus and Zacynthus respectively.
The citizens of Rhegium, despite being fearful of the with tyrant, offered asylum to his opponents, sponsoring the refugees of Naxos and Catana and resettling them at Mylae, west of the Strait of Messina.
[8] After arriving in Italy, with a force of 20,000 men, 3000 horses, and fleet of 40 galleys, Dionysius decided to lay siege to Caulonia a strong city of Locri.To force Dionysius into relaxing his siege, Heloris decided to leave his camp and marched north towards Eleporus[9] with his army numbering 25,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalrymen mostly composed of other Syracusan exiles, Dionysius then lifted the siege and decided to march his army to Eleporus 7 km (4.3 mi) away from the enemy.