the famous tyrant of Sicily, was the son of a potter at Reggio. He was a thief, a common soldier, a centurion, a general, and a pirate, all in regular succession. He defeated the Carthaginians several times in Sicily; and was once defeated himself. He first made himself tyrant of Syracuse, and then of all Sicily; after which he vanquished the Carthaginians again both in Sicily and Africa. But at length having ill success, and being in arrears with his soldiers, they mutinied, forced him to fly his camp, and cut the throats of his children, whom he left behind. Recovering himself, he relieved Agathocles, Corfu, besieged by Cassander; burnt the Macedonian fleet; and murdered the wives and children of those who had murdered his. Afterwards meeting with the soldiers themselves, he put them all to the sword; and ravaging the sea-coast of Italy, took the city of Hipponium. He was at length poisoned by his grandson Archagathus, in the 72d year of his age, 290 years before Christ, having reigned 28 years.

AGATHYRNA or AGATHYRNUM, AGATHYRSA or AGATHYRYSUM, in Ancient Geography, a town of Sicily, now St Marco, as old as the war of Troy, having been built by Agathyrnus, son of Æolus, on an eminence. The gentilicious name is Agathyrneus; or, according to the Roman idiom, Agathyrnenus.