Lentini

Lentini (Sicilian: Lintini), historically Leontini, Leontinoi (Ancient Greek: Λεοντῖνοι), or Leontium, is a town and comune in the Province of Syracuse, southeast Sicily (southern Italy).

History

The ancient city was founded as Leontini by colonists from Naxos in 729 BC, itself a Chalcidian colony established five years earlier.

It is virtually the only Greek settlement in Sicily not located on the coast, being some 6 miles inland. The site, originally held by the Sicels, was seized by the Greeks owing to its command of the fertile plain to the north. The city was reduced to subject status in 494 BC by Hippocrates of Gela, who made his ally Aenesidemus its tyrant. In 476 BC, Hieron of Syracuse moved the inhabitants from Catana and Naxos to Leontini.

Later on, the city of Leontini regained its independence. However, as part of the inhabitants' efforts to retain that independence, they sought the intervention of Athens. It was mainly the eloquence of Gorgias of Leontini which led to the abortive Athenian expedition of 427 BC.