, in the forty-fifth
year after the foundation of Syracuse. The town took its name from the
river Gelas, the place where the citadel now stands, and which was first
fortified, being called Lindii. The institutions which they adopted were
Dorian. Near one hundred and eight years after the foundation of Gela,
the Geloans founded Acragas (Agrigentum), so called from the river of
that name, and made Aristonous and Pystilus their founders; giving their
own institutions to the colony. Zancle was originally founded by
pirates from Cuma, the Chalcidian town in the country of the Opicans:
afterwards, however, large numbers came from Chalcis and the rest of
Euboea, and helped to people the place; the founders being Perieres and
Crataemenes from Cuma and Chalcis respectively. It first had the name
of Zancle given it by the Sicels, because the place is shaped like a
sickle, which the Sicels call zanclon; but upon the original settlers
being afterwards expelled by some Samians and other Ionians who landed
in Sicily flying from the Medes, and the Samians in their turn not long
afterwards by Anaxilas, tyrant of Rhegium, the town was by him colonized
with a mixed population, and its name changed to Messina, after his old
country.

Himera was founded from Zancle by Euclides, Simus, and Sacon, most of
those who went to the colony being Chalcidians; though they were joined
by some exiles from Syracuse, defeated in a civil war, called the
Myletidae. The language was a mixture of Chalcidian and Doric, but the
institutions which prevailed were the Chalcidian. Acrae and Casmenae
were founded by the Syracusans; Acrae seventy years after Syracuse,
Casmenae nearly twenty after Acrae. Camarina was first founded by
the Syracusans, close upon a hundred and thirty-five years after the
building of Syracuse; its founders being Daxon and Menecolus. But
the Camarinaeans being expelled by arms by the Syracusans for having
revolted, Hippocrates, tyrant of Gela, some time later receiving their
land in ransom for some Syracusan prisoners, resettled Camarina, himself
acting as its founder. Lastly, it was again depopulated by Gelo, and
settled once more for the third time by the Geloans.

Such is the list of the peoples, Hellenic and barbarian, inhabiting
Sicily, and such the magnitude of the island which the Athenians were
now bent upon invading; being ambitious in real truth of conquering the
whole, although they had also the specious design of succouring