History of the Peloponnesian War

About the same time Lamis also came to Sicily with a colony from Megara and settled in a place called Trotilus, beyond the river Pantaeyas; but afterwards, having removed from there and joined the settlement of the Chalcidians at Leontini, he was a little later driven out by them, and then after colonizing Thapsus[*](A peninsula just north of Syracuse (now called Isola di Magnisi).) met his death. His followers were expelled from Thapsus and settled then at a place called Megara Hyblaea,[*](728 B.C.) since Hyblon, a Sicel king, gave up the land to them and led them to the site.

After dwelling there two hundred and forty-five years, they were driven out of the town and country by Gelon, tyrant of Syracuse. But before they were driven out, a hundred years after they had settled there, they founded Selinus,[*](628 B.C.) sending thither Pammilus, who came from the mother-city Megara and joined in the settlement.

In the forty-fifth year after the settlement of Syracuse Gela[*](689 B.C.) was founded by Antiphemus from Rhodes and Entimus from Crete, who together led out the colony The city got its name from the river Gela, but the place where the acropolis now is and which was the first to be fortified is called Lindii.[*](So called evidently from Lindus in Rhodes; cf. Hdt 1.cliii.)

The institutions given it were Dorian. Just about one hundred and eight years after their own foundation, the Geloans colonized Acragas[*](581 B.C.); and they named the city after the river Acragas, making Aristonous and Pystilus founders, and giving it the institutions of the Geloans.

Zancle was settled, in the beginning, by pirates who came from Cyme, the Chalcidian city in Opicia; but afterwards a large number of colonists came from Chalcis and the rest of Euboea and shared the land with them, the founders being Perieres and Crataemenes, the one from Cyme, the other from Chalcis. Its name at first was Zancle, and it was so called by the Sicels because the place is sickle-shaped: for the Sicels call a sickle “zanclon.” Afterwards these settlers were driven out by Samians and other Ionians, who in their flight before the Persians landed in Sicily[*](cf. Hdt. VI. xxii., xxiii.);

but the Samians were expelled not long afterwards by Anaxilas, tyrant of Rhegium, who colonized the place with a mixed population and changed its name to Messene[*](730 B.C.) after his own original fatherland.