Terillus son of Crinippus, tyrant of Himera

Himera

thumb|250px|Remains of the Temple of Victory.thumb|250px|Ideal reconstruction of the Temple of Victory.Himera , was an important ancient Greek city of Sicily, situated on the north coast of the island, at the mouth of the river of the same name , between Panormus and Cephaloedium...

, in Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

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Nothing is know about how Terillus rose to power. Nor is there any information available to historians about the duration or events of his reign. Rather, knowledge about Terillus relies on his interactions with other historical figures.

Terillus sought to consolidate his power as tyrant of Himera by giving his daughter Cydippe in marriage to Anaxilas

Anaxilas

Anaxilas or Anaxilaus , son of Cretines, was a tyrant of Rhegium . He was originally from Messenia, a region in the Peloponnese....

, the ruler of Rhegium. Terillus also maintained good relations with the Carthaginian

Carthage

Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...

 general Hamilcar

Hamilcar

Hamilcar was a common name in the Punic culture. There are several different transcriptions into Greek and Roman scripts. The ruling families of ancient Carthage often named their members with the traditional name Hamilcar...

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Hence, when Terillus was expelled from Himera by Theron

Theron of Acragas

Theron , son of Aenesidamus, was a Greek tyrant of the town of Acragas in Sicily from 488 BC. He soon became an ally of Gelo, who at that time controlled Gela, and from 485 BC Syracuse. Gelo later became Theron's son-in-law....

, tyrant of Agrigentum, Terillus sought assistance from the Carthaginians. His son-in-law, Anaxilas, not only supported his request to the Carthaginians for assistance, but offered his own children as hostages to the Carthaginians. In response, the Carthaginians decided to assist Terillus' bid to be restored to power in Himera. Yet, they used Terillus' request as the basis for extending their own power in Sicily. So the expulsion of Terillus by Theron of Acragas became the excuse for a major Carthaginian expedition under Hamilcar against the Greek cities in Sicily, which would end in a major Carthaginian defeat in the Battle of Himera

Battle of Himera (480 BC)

The Battle of Himera , supposedly fought on the same day as the more famous Battle of Salamis, or on the same day as the Battle of Thermopylae, saw the Greek forces of Gelon, King of Syracuse, and Theron, tyrant of Agrigentum, defeat the Carthaginian force of Hamilcar the Magonid, ending a...

in 480 BC.

Nothing is known of the fate of Terillus after the defeat of his allies at Himera.