Histories

Herodotus

Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).

This Cadmus had previously inherited from his father the tyranny of Cos. Although the tyranny was well established, he nevertheless handed the government over to the whole body of Coans of his own free will. This he did under no constraint of danger, but out of a sense of justice, and he then went to Sicily [14,37.5] (region), Italy, Europe Sicily, where he was given by the Samians the city of +Zancle [15.5667,38.1833] (Perseus) Zancle which he colonized and changed its name to +Messene [21.9333,37.175] (Perseus) Messene.

This is how Cadmus had come, and it was he whom Gelon now sent because of his sense of justice. What I will now relate was not the least of the many just acts of Cadmus' life; he had in his possession great wealth entrusted to him by Gelon and might have kept it. He nevertheless would not do so, but when the Greeks had prevailed in the sea-fight and Xerxes had headed home, Cadmus returned to Sicily [14,37.5] (region), Italy, Europe Sicily with all that money.

There is, however, another story told by the Sicilians: even though he was to be under Lacedaemonian authority, Gelon would still have aided the Greeks had it not been for Terillus son of Crinippus, the tyrant of Himera. This man, who had been expelled from Himera by Theron son of Aenesidemus, sovereign ruler of +Agrigento [13.566,37.316] (inhabited place), Agrigento, Sicily, Italy, Europe Acragas, at this very time brought against Gelon three hundred thousand Phoenicians, Libyans, Iberians, Ligyes, Elisyci, Sardinians, and Cyrnians,[*](The Carthaginians invaded Sicily [14,37.5] (region), Italy, Europe Sicily with a force drawn from Africa (continent)Africa and the western Mediterranean Sea [30,31.5] (sea)Mediterranean. The Ligyes are Ligureians, the Cyrnians Corsicans; the Elisyci an Iberian people living on the coast between the +Pyrenees [1,42.666] (mountain range), Europe Pyrenees and the +Rhone [4.833,43.333] (river), Europe Rhone. According to a statement quoted from the historian Ephorus, this Carthaginian expedition was part of a concerted plan, whereby the Greek world was to be attacked by the Carthaginians in the west and the Persians in the east simultaneously.) led by Amilcas son of Annon, the king of the Carchedonians. Terillus had induced him to do this partly through the prerogative of personal friendship, but mainly through the efforts of Anaxilaus son of Cretines, tyrant of +Reggio di Calabria [15.65,38.1] (inhabited place), Reggio di Calabria, Calabria, Italy, Europe Rhegium. He had handed over his own children as hostages to Amilcas, and brought him into Sicily [14,37.5] (region), Italy, Europe Sicily to the help of his father-in-law; for Anaxilaus had as his wife Terillus' daughter Cydippe. Accordingly Gelon sent the money to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi, because he could not aid the Greeks.