| |
The siege of Himera in 480 was the first
military action of the Carthaginian invasion of Sicily of 480, and was ended by
the dramatic Carthaginian defeat at the battle of Himera. The Carthaginian army
landed at Parnormus on the northern coast of Sicily. According to the ancient
sources the army was 300,000 strong, and was led by one of many Hamilcars to
appear in Carthaginian history. After three days of rest Hamilcar led his army
east along the coast towards the city of Himera, marching alongside the fleet.
According to Herodotus the Carthaginians had come to Sicily to help Terillus,
the exiled former tyrant of Himera and this line of march would fit with that
story. When he reached the city Hamilcar built two camps, both on the western
side of Himera. The first, on the coast, was protected by a deep ditch and a
wooden palisade. Most of his ships were beached in this camp. The second camp,
stretched from the navy camp all the way to some hills close to the city. The
city was defended by its own army, and close by was the army of Theron, ruler
of Akragas, the man who had expelled Terillus in the first place. After
building his camps Hamilcar advanced towards the city. The defenders came out
to fight and suffered a heavy defeat.
Theron does not appear to have been involved in this battle. In the aftermath
of the battle outside the city Theron sent messengers to Gelon, Tyrant of
Syracuse, asking for his help. Gelon had already mobilised his army, and
advanced towards the city at the head of 50,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry
(according to Diodorus). As with the Carthaginian army this is probably an
exaggeration, but even so the combined armies of Gelon, Theron and Himera were
still outnumbered. After arriving close to Himera, Gelon built his own camp,
fortified with a ditch and palisade. He used his cavalry to capture a large
number of Carthaginian straggles who had been looting the countryside. These
successes restored morale in Himera, and gates that had been blocked in
preparation for a Carthaginian assault were re-opened to prepare for a Greek
offensive.
After these early successes Gelon decided to attack the Carthaginian naval
camp, hoping to destroy their fleet and kill Hamilcar, who was expected to be
in the camp preparing for a sacrifice. The resulting battle of Himera was a crushing Greek victory. Hamilcar
was killed and most of his army destroyed. The siege was lifted, and the
Carthaginians didn't campaign on Sicily for another eighty years.
|
|
