Gelon

Gelon was a Greek tyrant who ruled Gela and Syracuse in the fifth century BCE. He led the Greek forces at the Battle of Himera in 480 BCE.

Hieron I: Hieron I was tyrant of Syracuse from 478 to 467 BCE, succeeding his brother Gelon. Gelon transferred power to his brother Hieron when he died.
Battle of Himera: The Battle of Himera was a Greek victory over Carthaginian forces in Sicily in 480 BCE. Gelon’s best-known military achievement was leading the Greek side in this battle.
Greek colonization: Greek colonization was the establishment of Greek settlements around the Mediterranean and Black Sea from the eighth century BCE onward. Gelon’s rule grew from the network of Greek settlements in Sicily.
Greco-Persian Wars: The Greco-Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between Greek states and the Persian Empire, especially from 499 to 449 BCE. Greek tradition placed Himera in 480 BCE alongside the defense of Greece against Persia.
Theron of Acragas: Theron was tyrant of Acragas and an ally of Gelon in fifth-century BCE Sicily. Their alliance joined the two leading Sicilian Greek powers against Carthage.
Siege of Motya: The Siege of Motya was Dionysius I’s assault on the Carthaginian stronghold in western Sicily in 397 BCE. It shows how later Syracusan rulers continued the struggle for power in Sicily.
Ancient Greek tyranny: Ancient Greek tyranny was personal rule by a leader who seized or maintained power outside customary political institutions. Gelon’s authority was personal and dynastic, rather than based on a hereditary monarchy.
Sicilian Greeks: Sicilian Greeks were the Greek-speaking communities and city-states established on Sicily from the eighth century BCE onward. Gelon’s government made Syracuse a dominant power among these communities.
Polyzelos: Polyzelos was a brother of Gelon and Hieron who held power in Gela and Syracuse. Disputes among Gelon’s brothers shaped the succession he arranged.
Syracuse: Syracuse was an ancient Greek city on Sicily’s southeastern coast and a major Mediterranean power. Gelon made Syracuse his principal seat and expanded its political influence.

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Hamilcar I of CarthageRelated: The leading Greek commander opposing Hamilcar's expedition.