Philistis was queen of Syracuse, wife of Hieron II (r. c. 275–215 BCE), known primarily through her coins and inscriptions. Her name, bearing the title of queen, appears on the stands of the theater of Tauromenium, associated there with Nereis, wife of Gelon II, confirming her identity as Hieron's consort. Her name also appears in the grand theater of Syracuse, suggesting she played a visible ceremonial role in festivals and cults, reinforcing the court's image as guardians of prosperity and order.

What elevates Philistis beyond most Hellenistic queens is the extraordinary scale of her coinage. There are 78 obverse dies and 165 reverse dies for her tetradrachms, compared to just 7 obverse and 12 reverse dies for Hieron's own silver issues, her portrait dominates the royal mint (https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2002/2002.08.05). Proportionally, the coins of Philistis outnumber the silver issues minted in the name of Hieron, her husband. These coins are among the earliest sustained civic issues to name and depict a Greek queen in her own right.