one of the most illustrious characters which Sicily produced, the chief transactions of whose life extend from the period when he became Prince of Gelon, 491, to his death, 478 B.C. He was descended from a family who had come from Telos, an island of the Egean Sea, into Sicily, when the city of Gela was founded. Here Gelon was born; and when Hippocrates fell in battle, the inhabitants of Gela made an attempt to free themselves from the dominion of his children. Gelon, however, espoused their cause; but when he had defeated their army, the opportunity to make himself tyrant of his native place was too favourable to be allowed to escape. His authority being established at Gela, he was invited by some exiles from Syracuse to use his influence to restore them to their country. In this too he was successful, and thus became sovereign of Syracuse, which he made the capital of his kingdom, 488 B.C.

It was now the policy of Gelon to embellish and improve the city of which he had made himself master. To increase its population, he compelled the inhabitants of Camarina, of Megara, and a portion of those of Gela, to take up their residence in his new abode; but he soon had affairs of a more important nature to occupy his attention. The power of the Carthaginians had already begun to make itself felt beyond their own immediate vicinity; and Gelon was not slow in perceiving that he must prepare for a formidable contest. He made application to the Greeks for assistance, 484 B.C.; but they refused to interfere; and by his own resources he succeeded in defeating the Carthaginians. It was now his turn to prove to the Greeks the folly of the policy which they had pursued. He refused to aid them, 480 B.C., when they were threatened with invasion by Xerxes, unless they consented to declare him commander-in-chief of the Grecian forces. To such a proposition they would not deign to listen, and in the mean time Gelon found sufficient employment in opposing the attacks of the Carthaginians. The two armies met near the city of Himera; and by a stratagem of Gelon, the Carthaginians were completely defeated, and their general Hamilcar killed.

From this period Gelon seems to have devoted himself to promote the happiness of his people. He increased the wealth of his kingdom, and employed himself in framing a code of laws on just and sound principles. On his deathbed he named his brother Hiero as his successor; and the high respect with which he was regarded by the Syracusans induced them to acquiesce in the appointment. (Herodotus, vii. 153, 166; Diodorus Sic. xi. 21-25. See Hiero.)