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The battle of Himera (autumn 480) was a famous victory won by the
Greeks of Syracuse over an invading Carthaginian army. The Carthaginians had
landed at Panormus, on the northern coast of Sicily. The ancient sources given
them 300,000 men under the command of Hamilcar (probably a significant
exaggeration). The Carthaginians marched east from Panormus towards the city of
Himera. Once there they built two camps - one on the coast to defend their
ships and one for the main army. They then defeated the defenders of the city
in a battle outside the walls and prepared for a siege. Theron of Akragas, who
had recently expelled the tyrant of Himera, was in command of the defence of
Himera. He called for help from Gelon, tyrant of Syracuse, who led a force of
50,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry to Himera. Again this figure is probably
exaggerated. Gelon built his own camp near the city, captured a large number of
Carthaginian looters in the local area and prepared for a decisive battle.
Diodorus gives the most detailed account of the battle. Gelon decided to try
and trick the Carthaginians, burn their ships and if possible kill Hamilcar. By
a stroke of luck Gelon's cavalry captured a messenger carrying a letter from
the people of Selinus to Hamilcar in which they agreed to send a force of
cavalry to the Carthaginian naval camp on the same day that Hamilcar was
planning to be in the camp preparing a sacrifice to Poseidon. Gelon decided to
take advantage of this stroke of luck by sending his own cavalry to ride around
the area of the two armies and approach the Carthaginian camp from the
direction of Selinus. They were to pretend to be the allies from Selinus, trick
their way into the camp and then kill Hamilcar and burn the boats. At sunrise,
just as Gelon's cavalry approached the naval camp, Gelon moved his main army
out of camp and arrayed them in order of battle in front of the Carthaginian
land camp. The Carthaginian commanders in the land camp led out their troops
and a battle broke out between the two main armies. Meanwhile at the naval camp
Gelon's cavalry successfully tricked the guards and got into the camp. They
found Hamilcar at the site of the sacrifice, killed him and then set fire to
the boats. The main battle was closely fought until the Carthaginians saw
flames coming from their naval camp and began to hear rumours of Hamilcar's
death. The same news greatly encouraged the Greeks. Herodotus gives a very
different account of Hamilcar's death. In his version of the battle Hamilcar
spent the day making sacrifices in a vain attempt to get good omens. When he
saw that the battle was lost Hamilcar threw himself onto the fire being used
for the sacrifices and was burnt to death. Polyaenus gives yet another account
in his Stratagems. In his account Gelon didn't want to risk a battle, so he
dressed Pediarchus, commander of his archers, in his cloths. Pediarchus and a
group of arches dressed in white and with bows concealed in myrtle branches out
to make a sacrifice, presumably on an altar between the armies. Hamilcar came
out to offer his own sacrifice and was cut down by a shower of arrows. The
battle took place in the autumn of 480 BC. Herodotus says that it took place on
the same day as the battle of Salamis while Diodorus has it taking place on the
same day as Thermopylae. The defeat at Himera ended Carthaginian interest in
expanding their empire on Sicily for over seventy years, and they didn't return
until 409.
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