Histories

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.

They add this tale too—that Gelon and Theron won a victory over Amilcas the Carchedonian in Sicily [14,37.5] (region), Italy, Europe Sicily on the same day that the Greeks defeated the Persian at Salamis (island), Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, EuropeSalamis. This Amilcas was, on his father's side, a Carchedonian, and a Syracusan on his mother's and had been made king of Carchedon for his virtue. When the armies met and he was defeated in the battle, it is said that he vanished from sight, for Gelon looked for him everywhere but was not able to find him anywhere on earth, dead or alive.

The story told by the Carchedonians themselves seems to have some element of truth. They say that the barbarians fought with the Greeks in Sicily [14,37.5] (region), Italy, Europe Sicily from dawn until late evening (so long, it is said, the battle was drawn out), during which time Amilcas stayed in his camp offering sacrifice and striving to obtain favorable omens by burning whole bodies on a great pyre. When he saw his army routed, he cast himself into the fire where he was pouring libations on the sacrifice; he was consumed by this and was not seen any more.

Whether he vanished as the Phoenicians say, or in the manner related by the Carchedonians and Syracusans, sacrifice is offered to him, and monuments have been set up in all the colonists' cities, the greatest of which is in Carchedon itself.