
Athenion (died 101 BC) was a Sicilian slave who, alongside Salvius Tryphon, led a slave rebellion against Roman rule in the Second Servile War of 104-100 BC. He was victorious against several Roman armies before ultimately being slain in a duel with Manius Aquillius in 101 BC.
Biography[]
Athenion was born in Sicily to a family of slaves, and, in 104 BC, he led a slave revolt in western Sicily, inspired by Salvius Tryphon's successful uprising in the east at the start of the Second Servile War. He proclaimed himself a King and only allowed combat-experienced slaves to join his army, while using the others as workers to keep his army well-fed and well-supplied. Athenion's 10,000-strong army was defeated during its siege of the well-fortified Roman city of Lilybaeum, and he and his 3,000 survivors later joined forces with Salvius' army at Triocola and besieged the Roman town there. He served as one of Salvius' generals, recognizing him as the slaves' king. When Salvius died in 102 BC, Athenion succeeded him as King, and he rampaged across Sicily and took over several towns and cities. In 101 BC, Manius Aquillius invaded Sicily with a 20,000-strong consular army and brought the overconfident Athenion's 30,000-strong army to battle in the field. Two-thirds of Athenion's army was massacred, and, while Athenion wounded Aquillius in a duel, Aquillius succeeded in slaying Athenion.