an ancient Greek city in Sicily, on the east coast of the island, about halfway between Messana and Catana. It stood on a hill about 3 miles N. of the site of Naxos; and it was not till after the destruction of that city that Tauromenium was founded. In 403 B.C., Naxos was destroyed by Dionysius of Syracuse, and its territory was given to the Sicilians in the vicinity. They did not rebuild the former city; but in 396 established on the neighbouring hill of Taurus, a camp which afterwards grew into the city of Tauromenium. In 394 Dionysius besieged the new city, and spent the greater part of a winter in an unsuccessful effort to take it. A peace was concluded in 392, in terms of which Tauromenium became subject to Dionysius, who immediately expelled the former inhabitants, and supplied their place by mercenaries of his own. This state of affairs seems to have continued till 358, when Andromachus collected the survivors of the original Naxians from different parts of the island, and settled them at Tauromenium, which now first became a Greek city, and was regarded as taking the place of the fallen Naxos. Andromachus governed well and wisely; and under him the city made rapid progress. He assisted Timoleon in his expedition to Sicily, and was allowed by him to retain his power in Tauromenium. At a latter period, however, the city was conquered by Hiero of Syracuse, and it remained subject to that city until, with the whole of Sicily, it passed into the power of the Romans. Under them it enjoyed great privileges, being an allied city, and thus having at least a nominal independence. But in the Servile war in Sicily (134-2 B.C.), it was captured by the insurgent slaves, and held by them till the last extremity, suffering the utmost calamities, until the citadel was betrayed to the Romans. Augustus made it a colony; and under his successors, and even after the fall of the Western Empire, it continued to be one of the most important cities in Sicily. It was one of the last in the island that the Greek emperors lost; and was not totally destroyed till the Saracens took it in 906 A.D., after a siege of two years. From this blow it never recovered. The modern Tuormina, a small village, occupies the site; and in its vicinity a theatre and some other remains are to be seen.