Page 243
CHAP. XI.
The Death of Thero Prince of Agrigentum, and the Tyranny of his Son Thra∣sydeus, who Abdicated the Government, and kill'd himself. Three Hun∣dred of the Family of the Fabii slain at one time.
THE next Year, Chares was Archon at Athens, and at Rome, Titus Memius, and * 1.1 Caius Horatius were Consuls. Then were celebrated the Olympian Games at Elis, being the Seventy. Seventh O∣lympiad, * 1.2 in which Dancles of Argos was Victor. About this * 1.3 time, Thero King of Agrigentum died, in the Sixteenth Year * 1.4 of his Reign, and Thrasydeus his Son succeeded.
Thero governed with great Moderation and Justice, and * 1.5 therefore was greatly loved and honoured by his Subjects: And at his Death was reverenced as a Divine Heroe; but his Son even in his Father's Life-time, appeared to be of a violent and bloody Disposition.
And after his Father's Death, throwing aside all restraint of the Laws, he rul'd arbitrarily and tyrannically: For which * 1.6 reason his Subjects combin'd against him, as one not fit to be intrusted with the Government, and perfectly hated by all. * 1.7 And therefore within a little time after he came to an end suitable to his Deserts.
For after the Death of his Father, he rais'd a great Army of Mercenaries, and of his own Subjects of Agrigentum and Himera, to the number of above Twenty Thousand Horse and Foot, and with these went against the Syracusians. But Hiero furnish'd with a considerable Army, * 1.8 wasted the Borders of Agrigentum, and after join'd Battel with the Enemy, in which most of the Grecians on both sides being drawn up one against another, were slain. But the Syracusians got the Day, with the loss of Two Thousand Men; of the other side were kill'd above Four Thousand.
Thrasideus by this ill Success, perplexed in his Mind, Abdicated his Govern∣ment, and fled to the Megarians call'd Miseans, and being there condemn'd to Dye, slew himself. The Agrigentines af∣ter * 1.9 they had restor'd and setled their Democratical Govern∣ment, sent an Embassador to Hiero, to strike up a Peace. At the same time in Italy, the Romans had War with the Veians, and in a great Bat∣tel at Cremera were routed; and amongst others, Three Hundred of the Fabii, all of one Family, were slain every Man. And these were the Affairs and Events of this Year.