Dorieus was a Spartan prince, the younger full brother of King Cleomenes I. Believing he deserved the kingship over his elder brother, he led a failed colonial expedition to Libya before founding a settlement near Eryx in Sicily, guided by oracles claiming the land for the Heracleidae. He was killed in battle against the Carthaginians and Segestans around 480 BCE.

No poetic or literary works by Dorieus are attested in the historical record. The sources exclusively document his activities as a historical figure.

His significance is entirely historical, illustrating Spartan colonial ambition and rivalry with Carthage in the late Archaic period. His story, preserved by Herodotus, explores themes of dynastic succession and political ambition within Spartan society.