THE GREEKS

8^th  – 3^rd century BCE

Agrigento - Selinunte - Syracuse - Naxos – Solunto
 

It is clear that Greeks found heaven in Sicily… They reached the island in the 8th century BCE founding Naxos, Katane, Leontinoi and Zankle (by the Chalcidians), Syracuse (by the Corinthians), Megara Hyblaia (by the Megarians) in the eastern part and , Gela (Cretans and Rhodians) on the southern coast. Then Syracusans founded: Akrai, Kamarina and Kasmenai, while the Megarians, Selinous (Selinunte) and the Dorians from Rhodes, Gela and Akragas (Agrigento), the last of the great colonies (582 BCE). Arts blossomed and Syracuse became one of the most important cities in the Greek world, but the Greek period was not renown for an unitary history: not at all. From the 6th to the 5th century BCE, battles between Syracusans and Carthaginians are particularly relevant because of the role the Greek city had there over the west coasts, which were important to trade in the western Mediterranean.
The most glorious period of the island, under the Greeks’ domination was the fist part of the 5 century BCE, when Syracuse exerted its supremacy, ruled by the Diomenidi. Two wonderful victories are remembered: the fist one in 480 BCE by Gelo over the Carthaginians (battle of Himera) and the second one in 474 BCE by Hiero I over the Etruscans (battle of Cumae). Later, the fall of the Diomenidi (456 BCE) and the insurrection of Sicels led by Ducetius, compromised the unification process that had already started. Athens first tried to suppress the internal fights against the Siceliotes (Hellenic colonists of Sicily, often reputed of Doric origin, descendants of colonists from Greece) in 427 BCE. Then, in 424 BCE the Siceliotes signed a general peace in Gela. Yet the peace didn’t last and Athens had to intervene again (415 – 413 BCE): it was a failure, the Siceliotes pushed it back, helped by Syracuse, in vain besieged by them for two years. Despite the new balance several mournful events followed: the Carthaginians took their revenge over the Greek cities and annihilated Akragas (Agrigento), Gela and Kamarina (Camarina), menacing Syracuse too. The terrible invasion was stopped by the commander Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse from 405 to 367 BCE. When his son and successor Dionysius II (or “the younger”) was deposed after several conjures, Timoleon ruled Syracuse. This latter had been sent there in 345 BCE from Corinth on a request of the Syracuse conservators. He succeeded in confining the Carthaginians in the west of the Halycus (Platani), reforming the Syracusan constitution. After his death, however, new fights occurred and led to the dictatorship of Agathocles (316 – 289 BCE). He fought tightly against the Carthaginians, participated to the African War, however he never accomplished important victories for the great waste of energies and men in the internal fights in Syracuse. After Agathocles died, Carthage tried to attack again and then Pyrrhus (king of Epirus and married to the daughter of Agathocles) was called for help, but his intervention did not give any relevant support, though he valiantly fought for two years, forcing the Carthaginians to take refuge in Lilybaeum (Marsala). In fact, as soon as Pyrrhus left, Carthage conquered its lost territories back. The struggle of the Syracusans, ruled by Hiero, against the Mamertines (Italic mercenaries), involved the Romans and the Carthaginians (allied with Hiero) causing the First Punic War (264 – 241 BCE) that represented the pretence for the Romans to enter Sicily.