Anaxilas

Anaxilas of Rhegium (c. 500-476 BC) was the tyrant of Rhegium and Zancle (later Messana, now Messina) in Sicily during the early 5th century BC. He seized power in Rhegium sometime before 494 BC, and later gained control of Zancle after driving out its Samian inhabitants.

Anaxilas is significant for his political and military activities in the region. He allied with Teron, tyrant of Akragas, and together they exerted considerable influence over other Sicilian cities. His rule involved both expansion and consolidation of power through strategic alliances and military campaigns. He is also noted for his efforts to repopulate Zancle with new settlers.

After his death in 476 BC, his sons initially ruled Rhegium, but were overthrown a few years later, restoring democratic rule. The coinage issued under Anaxilas often featured a hare, a symbol of Rhegium, on one side and a lion's head, representing Zancle, on the other, providing valuable insights into the political union he forged. Historical accounts of Anaxilas are primarily found in the writings of Herodotus and Thucydides, although these accounts are often fragmentary and biased.