Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 2.djvu/325

 1065 HIMEKA. hU expnlsion from the latter citj (Herod, ti. 24). Not long after this event, Himera fell itself under the yoke of a despot named Terillos, who sought to for- tify his power bj contracting a close alliance with Anaxilas, at that time ruler both of Rhegium and Zancle. But Terillns was unable to resist Uie power of Theron, despot of Agrigentum, and, being expelled by him from Himera, had re(»nrse to the assbtance of the Carthaginians, a circumstance which became the immediate occasion of the first great expedition of that people to Sicily, b.c. 480. (Id. vii. 165.) The magnitude of the armament sent under Hamilcar, who is said to hare landed in Sicily with an army of 300,000 men, in itself sufficiently prores that the conquest of Himera was rather the pretext, than the object, of the war : but it is likely that the growing power of that city, in the immediate neighbourhood of the Carthaginian settlements of Panormus and Solus, had already given umbrage to the latter people. Hence it was against Himera that the first eff<Mt8 of Hamilcar were directed : but Theron, who had thrown himself into the city with all the f<Mroes at his com- mand, was able to maintain its defence till the arrival of Gelon of Syracuse, who, notwithstanding the nu- merical inferiority of his forces, defeated the vast army of the Carthaginians with such skughter that the battle of Himera was regarded by the Greeks of Sicily as worthy of comparison with the contemporaiy victory of Salamis. (Herod. viL 166, 167 ; Diod. xi. 20—23; Find. Pyth. i. 152.) The same feeling probably gave rise to the tradition or belief, that both triumphs were achieved on the very same day. (He- rod. I. c.) This great victory left Theron in the undisputed possession of the sovereignty of Himera, as well as of that of Agrigentum ; but he appears to have be- stowed his principal attention upon the latter city, and consigned the government of Himera to his son Thrasydaeus. But the young man, by his violent and oppressive rule, soon alienated the minds of the citizens, who in consequence applied for relief to Hi- eron of Syracuse, at that time on terms of hostility with Theron. The Syracusan despot, however, in- stead of lending assistance to the discontented party at Himera, betrayed their overtures to Theron, who took signal vengeance on the unfortunate Hime- raeans, putting to death a Urg^ number of the disaf- fected citizens, and driving others into exile. (Diod. xi. 48.) Shortly after, seeing that the dty had suf- fered greatly from these severities, and that its po- pulation was much diminished, he sought to restore its prosperity by establishing there a new body of citizens, whom he collected from various quarters. The greater part of these new colonists were of Do- rian extraction ; and though the two bodies of citizens were blended into one, and continued to live harmo- niously together, we find that from this period Hi- mera became a Doric city, and both adopted the in- stitutions, and followed the policy, of the other Doric states of Sicily. (Id. xi. 49.) This settlement seems to have taken jdace in b.c. 476*, and Himera caa- Diodorus relates the circumstances in the year of Phaedon, 01. LXXVL 1, which would place it in B.C. 476, he adds that the new colony subsisted 58 years, till its destruction by the Carthaginians, which would refer it to the year 466 B.a This hist date (which has been inadvertently adopted by Mr. Clin- ton, F, H. vol. i. p. 198) is clearly incompatible with the fact that Theron died in B.a 472. himera: tinned subject to Thenm till his death, in 47S : bat Thrasydaeus retained possession of the aovereigDty for a very short time after the decease of his fii^icr, and his defeat by Hienm of Syracuse was speedily followed by his expnlsion both firam A gi i j^euta m and Himera. (Id. xL 53.) In b.c. 466 we find the Hi- meraeans, in their turn, sending a fbree to aeest tla Syracusans in throwing off the yoke c^ ThnsybnlBs; and, in the general settlement of affiun wlJeh fci- lowed soon after, the exiles were allowed to retm to Himera, where they appear to have aetded quietly together with the new citizens, (id. xi. 68, 76.) From this period Diodorus expressly tells m that Himera was fortunate enough to escape from dvil dissensions (xi. 49), and this good govenmient onat have secured to it no small share of the pufepe ti i^t which was enjoyed by the Scilian citaea iu gcsenl during the snooeedlng faalf-oentoiy. But though we are told in general tenns that the period which eUpsed from this re-eettienieBt of Himera till its destmctian by the Carthi^iBisiiB (b. c 461—408), was one of peace and pnfct> e iitj. the only notices we find of the city during thia m- terval refer to the part it took at the time of the Athenian expedition to Sicily, b. c. 415. On that occasion, the Himeraeana were among the fixai to promise their support to Syracuse: hence, when Nicias presented himself before their port with the Athenian fleet, they altogether relnaed to leoeife him ; and, shortly after, it was at Himera that Gy- lippoB landed, and from whence he marehed aaom the island to Syracuse, at the head of m foice oom- posed in great part of Himeraean dtizena. (Thac vL 62, vii. 1, 58 ; Diod. xiiL 4, 1^.) A few yean after this the prosperity of the dty was hnioght to a sudden and abrupt termination by the great Car- thaginian expedition to Sicily, b. c. 408. Thon^ the ostensible object of that armament, ib it lad been of the Athenian, was the support of the S^ges- tans against their neighboun, the Sehnontises, jtt there can be no doubt that the Carthaginians^ &oan the first, entertained more extensive designs ; and, immediately after the destruction of Selinos, Han- nibal, who oemmanded the expedition, hastened to turn his arms 'against Himera. That city was ill- prepared for defence ; ite fortifications were of tittk strength, but the citizens made a de^>erate rriii tance, and by a vigorous sally inflicted severe loss on the Carthaginians. They wers at fint supported by a force of about 4000 auxiliaries from Syncose^ under the command of Diodes; bat that geEwnl be- came adzed with a panie fbur for the safety of Syracuse itself, and precipitotdy abandoned Hiinen, leaving the unfwtnnate citizens to contend aiz^ie- handed against the Carthaginian power. The rsolt could not be doubtful, and the dty was soon taken by storm : a laige part of the citizens were pnt to the sword, and not less than 3000 of them, who had been taken prisoners, were put to death in aM bbod by Hannibal, as a sacrifice to the mennory of In grandfather Hamilcar. (Diod. xiiL 59 — 62 ; Xen. Bell. i. 1. § 87.) The dty itself was utterly de- stroyed, ite buildings razed to the ground, and even the temples themselves were not spared ; the Car- thaginian general being evidently desirous to oblite- rate all teace of a city wliose name was aasodatcd with the great defeat of his conntiymoL Diodorus, who reUtes the total destmctjon of Himera, tells us expressly that it was never rebuilt, and that the site remained uninhabited down to his own tiroes (xi. 49). It seems at first in coDtndii>-
 * There is a confusion about this date ; for, though