Anaxilaus
(Ἀναξίλαος), a Greek historian, of uncertain date. (Dionys. Ant. Rom. 1.1; D. L. 1.107.)
(Ἀναξίλαος), of Byzantium, one of the parties who surrendered Byzantium to the Athenians in B. C. 408. He was afterwards brought to trial at Sparta for this surrender, but was acquitted, inasmuch as the inhabitants were almost starving at the time. (Xen. Hell. 1.3.19; Plut. Alc. pp. 208, d., 209, a.; comp. Diod. 13.67, and Wesseling's note; Polyaen. 1.47.2.)
(Ἀναξίλαος) or Ana'xilas (Ἀναξίλας), tyrant of Rhegium, was the son of Cretines, and of Messenian origin. He was master of Rhegium in B. C. 494, when the Samians and other Ionian fugitives seized upon Zancle. Shortly afterwards he drove them out of this town, peopled it with fresh inhabitants, and changed its name into Messene. (Hdt. 6.22, 23; Thuc. 6.4; comp. Aristot. Pol. 5.10.4.) In 480 he obtained the assistance of the Carthaginians for his father-in-law, Terillus of Himera, against Theron. (Hdt. 7.165.) The daughter of Anaxilaus was married to Hiero. (Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. 1.112.) Anaxilaus died in 476, leaving Micythus guardian of his children, who obtained possession of their inheritance in 467, but was soon afterwards deprived of the sovereignty by the people. (Diod. 11.48, 66, 76.) The chronology of Anaxilaus has been discussed by Bentley (Diss. on Phalaris, p. 105, &c., ed. of 1777), who has shewn that the Anaxilaus of Pausanias (4.23.3) is the same as the one mentioned above.
(Ἀναξίλαος), a physician and Pythagorean philosopher, was born at Larissa, but at which city of that name is not certain. He was banished by the Emperor Augustus from Rome and Italy, B. C. 28, on account of his being accused of being a magician (Euseb. Chron. ad Olymp. clxxxviii.), which charge, it appears, originated in his possessing superior skill in natural philosophy, and thus performing by natural means certain wonderful things, which by the ignorant and credulous were ascribed to magic. These tricks are mentioned by St. Irenaeus (1.13.1, p. 60, ed. Paris, 1710) and St. Epiphanius (Adv. Haeres. lib. i. tom. iii. Haer. 14, vol. i. p. 232. ed. Colon. 1682), and several specimens are given by Pliny (Plin. Nat. 19.4, 25.95, 28.49, 32.52, 35.50), which, however, need not be here mentioned, as some are quite incredible, and the others may be easily explained. (Cagnati, Variae Observat. 3.10, p. 213, &c., ed. Rom. 1587.) [W.A.G]
- son of Archidemus, ancestor of Leutychides: Hdt. 8.131