A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

GELON. - ELON.- 237
ctually preparing to join the allied airmament tohave'noiw thought himself sufficiently secure of
when he was prevented by the news of the Car- his power to make a show of resigning it, and acthaginian invasion of Sicily (Herod. vii. 163- cordingly presented himself unarmed and thinly
165), and. this appears to have been also the ac- clad before the assembled army and populace of
count of the matter-given by Ephorus (ap. Schol. Syracuse. He then entered into an elaborate'read: Psnd. Pyth. i.'146). The expedition of the view of his past conduct, and concluded with offerCarthaginians is attributed *by the last-mentioned ing to surrender his power into the hands of the
historian (I. c.), as well as by Diodorus (xi. 1, 20), people-a proposal which was of course rejected,
to an alliance concluded by them with Xerxes: and he was hailed by the acclamations of the
Herodotus, with more probability, represents them multitude as their preserver and sovereign. (Diod.
as called in by Terillus, tyrant of Himera, who had xi. 26; Polyaen. i. 27. ~ 1; Ael. V. H. vi. 11.),been expelled from that city by Theron of Agri- He did not, however, long survive to enjoy his ho._
gentum. The circumstances of their expedition nours, having been carried off by a dropsy in B.c;
are variously related, and may be suspected of much 478, only -two years after his victory. at Himera,
exaggeration (see Niebuhr, Lect. on Romn. list. and seven from the commencement of his reign
vol. i. p. 105, ed. Schmitz), but the leading facts over Syracuse, (Diod. xi. 38; Arist. Pol. v. 9;
are unquestionable. The Carthaginian general Schol. ad Pind. Pytlt. i. 8.9; Plut. de Pyth. Orac. p.
Hamilcar arrived at Panormus with an army, as it 403.) It appears from Aristotle (Pol. v. 10; see
is said, of 300,000 men, and advancing without also Schol. ad Pind. Nem. ix. 95) that he left an
opposition as far as Himera, laid siege to that place, infant son, notwithstanding which, according to
which was, however, vigorously defended by The- Diodorus, he on his deathbed appointed his brother
ron of Agrigentum. Gelon had previously formed Hieron to be his successor.
in alliance and matrimonial connection withTheron, We know very little of the internal adminishaving married his daughter Demarete (Schol. ad tration or personal character of Gelon: it is not
Pind. 01. ii. 1, 29): no sooner, therefore, did he unlikely that his brilliant success at Himera shed:
hear of his danger than he advanced to his succour a lustre over his name which was extended to the.t the head of a force of 50,000 foot and 5000 horse. rest of his conduct also. But he is represented
In the battle that ensued the Carthaginians were by late writers as a man of singular leniency and
totally defeated, with a loss, as it is pretended, of moderation, and as seeking in every way to pro150,000 men, while nearly the whole of the re- mote the welfare of his subjects; and his name even
mainder fell into the hands of the enemy as pri- appears to have become almost proverbial as an
oners.' Hamilcar himself was among the slain, instance of a good monarch. (Diod. xi. 38, 67, xiii.
md a few ships, which had made their escape with 22, xiv. 66; Plut. Dion. 5, de ser. Nun. vind. p.
number of fugitives on board, perished in a storm, 551.) He was, however, altogether illiterate (Ael.
so that scarcely a messenger returned to bear the V. H. iv. 15); and perhaps this circumstance may
lisastrous news to Carthage. (Herod. vii. 165, 166'; account for the silence of Pindar concerning his'alDiod. xi. 20-24; xiii. 59; Ephorus, ap. Schol. leged virtues, which would otherwise appear somePind. Pyth. i. 146; Polyaen. i. 27. 5 2.) This what suspicious. But even if his good qualities as
rictory was gained, according to the accounts re- a ruler have been exaggerated, his popularity at the?orted by Herodotus, on the very same day as time of his death is attested by the splendid tomb
hat of Salamis, while Diodorus asserts it to have erected to him by the Syracusans at the public ex)een the same day with Thermopylae: the exact pense, and by the heroic honours decreed to his mesynchronism may in either case be erroneous, but mory. (Diod. xi. 38.) Nearly a century and a half,he existence of such a belief so early as the time afterwards, when Timoleon sought to extirpate as
sf Herodotus must be admitted as conclusive evi- far as possible all records of the tyrants' that had
lence of the expedition of the Carthaginians having ruled in Sicily, the statue of Gelon alone was
)een contemporary with that of Xerxes; hence spared. (Plut. Timol. 23.);he battle of Himera must have been fought in Concerning the chronology of the reign of Gelon;he autumn of 480 B. C. (Comp. Aristot. Poet. 23. see Clinton (F. H. vol. ii. p. 266, &c.), Pausanias
3.) (vi. 9. ~ 4, 5, viii. 42. ~ 8), Dionysius (vii. 1), and
So great a victory naturally raised Gelon to the Niebuhr (Rom. Hist. vol. ii. p. 97, note 201).! The
fighest pitch of power and reputation: his friend- last writer adopts the date of-the Parian chronicle,
ship was courted even by,those states of Sicily which he supposes to be taken from Timaeus, acvrhich had been before opposed to him, and, if we cording to which Gelon did not begin to reign' at
nay believe the accounts transmitted to us, a Syracuse until s. c. 478; but it seems incredible that
iolemn treaty of peace was concluded between him Herodotus should have been mistaken in a matter
md the Carthaginians, by which the latter repaid of such public notoriety as the contemporaneity of
tim the expenses of the war. (Diod. xi. 26; Ti- the battle of Himera with the expedition of
naeus, ap. Scol. Pind. Pyth. ii. 3.) A stipu- Xerxes.
ation is-said by some writersto have been inserted 2. Son of Hieron II., king of Syracuse, who
-hat the Carthaginians should refrain forthe future died before' his father, at the age of more than 50'rom human sacrifices, but there can be little doubt years. Very little is known concerning him, but;hat this is a merefiction of latertimes. (Theophrast. he appears to have inherited the quiet and prudent
rp. Schol. Pind. 1. c.; Plut. Apophth. p. 175, de character of Hieron himself; and it is justly re-:er. Num. vind. p. 552.) Gelon applied the large corded to his praise, by Polybius, that he sacrificed
sums thus received, as well as the spoils taken in all objects of personal ambition to the duty'of.he war, to the erection of several splendid temples obedience and reverence to his parents. (Polyb.
o adorn his favoured city, at the same time that vii. 8.) It seems clear, however, that he was
le sent magnificent offerings to Delphi, and the associated by Hieron with himself in the governa
sther sanctuaries in Greece itself. (Diod. xi. 26; ment, and that he even received the title of king.
Paus. vi. 19. ~ 7;- Athen. vi. p. 231.) He seems (Schweighauser, ad Polyb. v. 88; Diod. Ear.