Battle of Selinus

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Battle of Selinus
Part of The Sicilian Wars
Punic campaign against Selinus 409 BC. Political boundaries and path of troop movement are inexact because of lack of primary source data. Source map created by Marco Prins-Jona Lendering
Date 409 BC Location Selinus Result Territorial changes Dorian Greek city Selinus destroyed
Belligerents
Syracuse Selinus	Carthage
Commanders
Unknown	Hannibal Mago
Strength
Less than the Carthaginian forces	30,000-40,000
Casualties and losses
19,000	unknown

The Battle of Selinus which took place in the spring of 409 BC, is the opening battle of the so called Second Sicilian War. The 10 day long siege and battle was fought in Sicily between the Carthaginian forces under Hannibal Mago (A king of Carthage of the Magonid family, not the famous Hannibal of the Barcid family) and the Dorian Greeks of Selinus. The city of Selinus had defeated the Elymian city of Segesta in 415 BC, an event that led to the Athenian invasion of Sicily in 415 BC and ended in the defeat of Athenian forces in 413 BC. When Selinus again worsted Segesta in 411 BC, Carthage, responding to the appeal of Segesta, had besieged and sacked Selinus after the offer of negotiations had been refused by the Greeks. This was the first step towards Hannibal’s campaign to avenge the Carthaginian defeat at the 1st battle of Himera in 480 BC. The city of Selinus was later rebuilt, but never regained her former status.

[edit] Background

The islan of Sicily contained the Elymians, Sikans and the Siculi living in respective communities before the Phoenicians had started to colonise Sicily after 800 BC. The Phoenicians had planted trading posts all over Sicily, but never penetrated far inland and ultimately withdrew without resistance to the Western half of the island (concentrating in the cities of Motya, Panormus and Soluntum) with the arrival of the Greek colonists after 750 BC. The Ionian Greeks took the lead in colinising Sicily among Greeks when they planted Naxos in 735 BC, and spread north and west along the coast until the city of Himera was founded in c648 BC, bordering the Phoenician territory of Soluntum. The Dorian Greeks founded Syracuse in 734 BC, and spread south then west along the coastline until Selinus was founded around 654 BC, bordering the Phoenician territory of Motya. While the Ionian Greeks on the whole had friendly relations with the native Sicilians and the Phoenicians, the Dorian Greeks were comparably more aggressive, pushing inland at the expense of the natives to expand the Greek domain. Conflicts among the Greeks colonies and between the natives and Greeks eupted, but these were localised affairs without any decisive results or intervention from non Sicilian powers. The Phoenicains traded with everyone in Sicily and on the whole all the island colonies prospered. This prosperity caused some of the Greek cities to expand their territories, leading to the events known as "Sicilian Wars".

[edit] Carthaginian Hegemony

The Phoenicians in Sicily had not resisted the initial Greek expansion by force of arms, but this state of affairs changed when the Greeks began to encroach on their territory in Western Sicily. Phoenicians had aided the Elymians against the Dorian Greeks of Selinus in 580 BC, when a Greek colonization attempt of the area around future Lilybaeum (which lies across the Phoenician colony of Motya) was defeated by their joint effort. Nothing is known of the role of Carthage in this episode, and it is possible that the Sicilian Phoenicians were not a part of the Punic hegemony at that time.^[1] The Carthaginian king Malchus is said to have "conquered all Sicily" and sent booty captured to Tyre sometime after this event. This probably implies that Carthage had incorporated the Phoenician colonies of Motya, Panormus and Solus into the Punic Hegemony, which had begun to resist Greek encroachment of Western Mediterranian after 600 BC. The growth of Selinus and Himera during the period Malchus was active in Sicily indicates that Carthaginians were not in conflict with the Sicilian Greeks. However, Carthage countered the expedition of Spartan Dorieus in 510 BC and the Greeks were defeated near Eryx, a clear indication that Carthage now held sway over the Phoenician interests in Sicily. A war followed this event, which eventually led to Carthage destroying the city of Heraclea Minoa.^[2] The year this even took place is not known, but Carthage did not intervene in Sicily again until 480 BC after Heraclea had been destroyed. Carthage granted the Sicilian Phoenicians local autonomy, keeping control of their foreign policy, extracting some sort of tribute in exchange for military aid. The Elymians, dominated by Segesta, were given allied status, protecting them from further hostility of Selinus, which had allied herself with Carthage.

[edit] Greek Tyrants

Carthage was engaged in in Sardinia, the Greek colonies in Sicily had fallen under the rule of tyrants. Some of these tyrants, notably ruling Gela, Akragas and Rhegium, sought to expand their dominion at the expense of native Sicilians and other Greek cities during the time period of 505 -480 BC, with the Dorian city of Gela being the most successful. Tyrants like Cleander and Hippocrates successfully took over Sicel and Ionian Greek territory, and by 490 BC, Zankle, Leontini, Catana and Naxos had fallen under Gelan control. Syracuse had managed to survive the attampts of Hippocrates with help from Corinth, but Gelo, successor of Hippocrates, captured Syracuse and made the city his capital. Akragas expanded her territory against the Sikans and Sicels, and under Theron, allied with Gelo to forstall any future conflicts. The Ionian Greeks, having lost Naxos and Catana to Gelan aggression, responded by creating an alliancebetween Himera and Rhegion through marriage. Anaxilus, tyrant of Rhegion, who had managed to detach Zancle from clutches of Syracuse by 485 BC, married the daughter of Terillus, tyrant of Himera. Both Himera and Rhegion made treaties with Carthage. terillus went further, becoming guest friend of Hamicar Mago, "king" of Carthage.

Thus 3 powers were delicately balanced in Sicily by 483 BC. Carthage kept the peace between Elymians and Selinus, while the Ionian Greeks in the north (led by Himera and Rhegion) faced the the Dorians Greeks from the South, led by Syracuse and Akragas. This situation changed when Theron, with support from citizens of Himera, deposed Terillus and took over that city in 483 BC. Carthage intervened at the instigation of Anaxilus, and the Sicilian Greeks under the tyrants Gelo and Theron crushed the Punic expedition of 480 BC in the 1st battle of Himera. The Carthaginian domain in Western Sicily was untouched by this defeat. Carthage had refrained from intervening in Sicilian affairs for 70 years, while expanding her hegemony in Africa, Sardinia and Spain.

This defeat of an external power brought prosperity but not peace for Sicilians, Greeks and non Greeks alike. The political landscape in Sicily during those years changed as some of the Greek tyrants were replaced by democracy and oligarchy, the influence of Syracuse shrunk in Sicily and infighting between the Greek cities flared up. Athens had sent fleets to Sicily in 427, 425 and 424 BC to intervene in these conflicts, which ultimately caused Hermocrates of Syracuse to request all Sicilian Greek cities to remain at peace at the congress of Gela in 424 BC. Peace between Greeks and the natives of Sicily was not part of this agreement.

The Elymian city of Segesta had clashed with Selinus over territorial rights and marriage issues, and had been worsted in the conflict. After an appeal to Carthage was turned down in 415 BC, Athens heeded the plea for help and organized the Sicilian Expedition that was ultimately defeated at Syracuse in 413 BC. Faced with renewed hostility from Selinus, Segesta again appealed to Carthage in 410 BC. The Carthaginian Senate, after some debate, agreed to intervene. This appeal came at a time when the mainland Greek cities were locked in the Peloponnesian War, and Syracuse, an alley of Sparta, was not focused on Sicily because of her commitments in that war.

[edit] The Carthaginian Response

[edit] The Expedition of 410 BC

Selinus was one of the Greek cities with which Carthage had made treaties prior to 480 BC. During the doomed Punic expedition of 480 BC Selinus had sided with Carthage and had later given shelter to Gisco, the son of Hamilcar (the Carthaginian “King” slain at Himera) after his exile from Carthage. Carthage at first tried to negotiate a settlement between the two belligerent Sicilian cities. Embassies from Carthage, Segesta and Selinus all visited Syracuse, where the Carthaginian suggestion that Syracuse be selected as mediator was rejected by the Selinutes. This caused the Syracusans to declare their neutrality in this matter.^[3] Carthage thus had a free hand to deal with Selinus, without the fear of outright interference from Syracuse.

The Carthaginian Senate then authorized “King” Hannibal Mago, who had been elected to his position sometimes after 413 BC, to aid Segesta with whatever means necessary. Carthage initially sent an army made of 5,000 African soldiers and 800 Italian mercenaries (previously in service with the Athenian expedition)^[4] to Sicily, (Carthage also provided horses for the Italians), and stationed this force at Segetsa. While the army of Selinus was plundering Segestan territory, and had scattered into small groups because of carelesness, the reinforced army of Segesta sallied forth, caught the scattered Selinute soldiers by surprise, inflicted almost 1,000 casualties on their enemies and captured all the booty collected by the Greeks.^[5] Segesta was secure from Greek raids for the moment, as the Greeks retreated back to Selinus. Syracuse received a request for aid from Selinus after this fiasco, which was voted but nothing was done at this time. Carthage was left with the task of arranging a more permanent solution for the security of Segesta, diplomatic or otherwise.

[edit] The Main Expedition

Hannibal Mago is described as a “Greek Hater” by the Herodotus and his subsequent actions (despite his grandfather Hamilcar Mago having married a Syracusan woman and his father Gisco living out his life among the Greeks in Selinus) seems to bear this out.^[6]

After the victory of the first expedition, Hannibal put together a larger force, said to have numbered 120,000 men including 4,000 cavalry, recruited from Africa, Sardinia, Spain and even Sicilian Greeks, and this army even contained many Carthaginian volunteers.^[7] Modern estimates place the army strength at 30,000-40,000 soldiers.^[8] The army started mustering in the summer of 410 BC, and under the escort of 60 triremes^[9] the soldiers, supplies and siege equipments were ferried to Motya in Sicily by 1,500 transports in the spring of 409 BC. Hannibal allowed 1 days rest for his soldiers before setting out for Selinus, capturing the city of Mazara, an outpost of Selinus, on the way. This city would serve as the supply base for the Punic army during the campaign.^[10] The army carried their siege equipment with them to Selinus, while the Carthaginian fleet stayed at Motya.^[11]

The walls of Selinus is said to have fallen in ill repair,^[12] but the city was forewarned of Hannibal’s approach, as some of their cavalry had scouted the Carthaginian army on their arrival at Motya. The Selinute citizens prepared their defenses, while requests for help was sent to Gela and Syracuse.

The Carthaginian army reached the city before any help arrived and camped on the western hill near the acropolis before commencing siege operations. Hannibal did not fully invest Selinus by building circumventing walls,^[13] as the construction delay might have given Syracuse and other Sicilain Greek cities ample time to send a large army and foil the Carthaginian enterprise. Instead of starving the Greeks into submission, Hannibal chose to attack the city directly with the help of siege equipment.

Leaving a detachment on the eastern side of the city to foil any approaching Greek relief army,^[14] the Carthaginians probably attacked northern side of the city with 6 wooden siege towers and battering rams supported by the Italian mercenaries on the first day.^[15] The walls were eventually breached, but this attack, led by the Italian mercenaries^[16] was ultimately repulsed after an all day battle, part of the reason being the rubble of the walls had not been cleared away and it impeded the movements of the Carthaginian detachment. While the men of Selinus fought off the Carthaginians, the women and old men carried supplies to the walls and affected repairs. At nightfall the Carthaginians broke off the assault and retired to their camp.

The Selinutes took this opportunity to again send messages to Akragus, Gela and Syracuse and repair the damage to their walls. Akragus and Gela opted to wait for the Syracusan response before acting on behalf of Selinus. Syracuse, then engaged against Leontini and Naxos, broke off hostilities to gather a relief army, but the speed of their preparations were dictated by the assumption that Selinus would hold out for a long time against the Carthaginians.^[17]

[edit] The Final Assault

Hannibal renewed his efforts the following day. Archers and slingers positioned on top of the 6 siege towers cleared the walls of Greek defenders at different sections of the city wall,^[18] helped by the fact that the towers stood higher than the walls. Six battering rams were then employed against the walls and ultimately several breaches were made for the Punic infantry to exploit. After the rubble was cleared away from the breaches, groups of soldiers assaulting in relays were unleashed on the town defenders through the gaps in the walls.^[19] For 9 days and nights a bitter street by street battle raged, the Iberian troops of the Punic army leading the assault against the Greeks. The Greeks fought back fiercely, tiles/bricks were hurled on the Carthaginians from rooftops lining the narrow streets to aid the hand to hand struggle. Despite heavy casualties, the weight of numbers slowly enabled the Carthaginians to advance through the city, and ultimately the last stand of the Greeks took place in the Agora after 9 days of savage fighting. When all resistance finally ceased in Selinus, 6,000 Greeks were made prisoners, 3,000 soldiers had escaped to Akragas while 16,000 Greeks had died in the battle and the subsequent massacre.^[20] The Carthaginians spared only those who had sought shelter in the temples in the city.

[edit] Aftermath

The Syracusan vanguard of 3,000 troops under Diokles had arrived at Akragus when Carthaginians finally captured Selinus. Unable to aid in the defense of that city, Diocles opened negotiations with Hannibal. The first Greek delegation was given harsh answers, but the second one led by Empediones, a pro Carthaginian Selinute, obtained permession to eventually rebuilt the city and ransom prisoners.^[21] The Carthaginians razed the city to the ground, but spared the temples from any desecration, although the temple treasures were carried off. The mission entrusted to Hannibal had been totally fulfilled with the destruction of Selinus. Instead of returning to Carthage or negotiating a truce with the now hostile Greeks, Hannibal chose to march against Himera, the site of the crushing Carthaginian defeat in 480 BC. Syracusans, alert to the situation, began preparations to aid Himera in earnest.

Selinus would later serve as the base for Hermocrates of Syracuse for his raiding on Punic territory in 407 BC, who would rebuild the walls of Selinus. The peace of 405 BC would allow Greeks to resettle in Selinus, but as a city, Selinus would never rise to its former glory, and would never again be a threat to Segesta. It would finally be destroyed during the First Punic War.

[edit] Bibliography

• Baker, G. P. (1999). Hannibal. Cooper Square Press. ISBN 0-8154-1005-0. 
• Warry, John (1993). Warfare in The Classical World. Salamander Books Ltd.. ISBN 1-56619-463-6. 
• Lancel, Serge (1997). Carthage A History. Blackwell Publishers. ISBN 1-57718-103-4. 
• Bath, Tony (1992). Hannibal’s Campaigns. Barns & Noble. ISBN 0-88029-817-0. 
• Kern, Paul B. (1999). Ancient Siege Warfare. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-33546-9. 
• Freeman, Edward A. (1892). Sicily Phoenician, Greek & Roman, Third Edition. T. Fisher Unwin. 
• Church, Alfred J. (1886). Carthage, 4th Edition. T. Fisher Unwin. 

[edit] References

[edit] External Links

• Diodorus Siculus translated by G. Booth (1814) Complete book (scanned by Google)
• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith (1870).