Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE TO VOL. V
- Contents
- PART II CONTINUATION OF HISTORICAL GREECE
- CHAPTER XXXVIII From the Battle of Marathon to the March of Xerxes against Greece
- CHAPTER XXXIX Proceedings in Greece from the Battle of Marathon to the time of the Battle of Thermopylæ
- CHAPTER XL Battles of Thermopylæ and Artemisium
- CHAPTER XLI Battle of Salamis.–Retreat of Xerxes
- CHAPTER XLII Battles of Platæ and Mykalê.–Final Repulse of the Persians
- CHAPTER XLIII Events in Sicily down to the expulsion of the Gelonian Dynasty and the establishment of Popular Governments throughout the Island
- CHAPTER XLIV From the Battles of Platæa and Mykalê down to the deaths of Themistoklês and Aristeidês
- CHAPTER XLV Proceedings of the Confederacy under Athens as head.-First formation and rapid expansion of the Athenian Empire
- CHAPTER XLVI Constitutional and Judicial Changes at Athens under Periklês
- Plate section
CHAPTER XLIII - Events in Sicily down to the expulsion of the Gelonian Dynasty and the establishment of Popular Governments throughout the Island
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 October 2010
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE TO VOL. V
- Contents
- PART II CONTINUATION OF HISTORICAL GREECE
- CHAPTER XXXVIII From the Battle of Marathon to the March of Xerxes against Greece
- CHAPTER XXXIX Proceedings in Greece from the Battle of Marathon to the time of the Battle of Thermopylæ
- CHAPTER XL Battles of Thermopylæ and Artemisium
- CHAPTER XLI Battle of Salamis.–Retreat of Xerxes
- CHAPTER XLII Battles of Platæ and Mykalê.–Final Repulse of the Persians
- CHAPTER XLIII Events in Sicily down to the expulsion of the Gelonian Dynasty and the establishment of Popular Governments throughout the Island
- CHAPTER XLIV From the Battles of Platæa and Mykalê down to the deaths of Themistoklês and Aristeidês
- CHAPTER XLV Proceedings of the Confederacy under Athens as head.-First formation and rapid expansion of the Athenian Empire
- CHAPTER XLVI Constitutional and Judicial Changes at Athens under Periklês
- Plate section
Summary
I have already mentioned, in the third volume of this history, the foundation of the Greek colonies in Italy and Sicily, together with the general fact, that in the sixth century before the Christian æra, they were among the most powerful and flourishing cities that bore the Hellenic name. Beyond this general fact, we obtain little insight into their history.
Though Syracuse, after it fell into the hands of Gelo about 485 B.C., became the most powerful city in Sicily, yet in the preceding century Gela and Agrigentum, on the south side of the island, had been its superiors. The latter, within a few years of its foundation, fell under the dominion of one of its own citizens named Phalaris; a despot energetic, warlike, and cruel. An exile from Astypalæa near Rhodes, but a rich man, and an early settler at Agrigentum, he contrived to make himself despot seemingly about the year 570 B.C. He had been named to one of the chief posts in the city, and having undertaken at his own cost the erection of a temple to Zeus Polieus in the acropolis (as the Athenian Alkmæônids rebuilt the burnt temple of Delphi), he was allowed on this pretence to assemble therein a considerable number of men; whom he armed, and availed himself of the opportunity of a festival of Dêmêtêr to turn them against the people.
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- A History of Greece , pp. 273 - 320Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010