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Ancient Greek City of Himera in Sicily History Ancient Coins Numismatic
Investment
Example of Authentic Ancient
Coin of:
Greek city of Himera in Sicily Bronze Hemilitron 17mm (2.77 grams) Struck 420-408 B.C.
Reference: Sear 1110; B.M.C. 2.54
Head of nymph Himera left, wearing sphendone; six pellets before.
Six pellets within laurel-wreath.
Himera (Greek:
Ἱμέρα), was an important
ancient Greek city of
Sicily, situated on the north coast of
the island, at the mouth of the river of the same name (the modern
Grande), between Panormus (modern
Palermo) and Cephaloedium (modern
Cefalů). Its remains lie within the
borders of the modern
comune of
Termini Imerese.
Remains of the Temple of Victory. Ideal
reconstruction of the Temple of Victory.
History
Foundation
and earliest history
It was the first Greek settlement on this part of the island and was
a strategic outpost just outside the eastern boundary of the
Carthaginian-controlled west.
Thucydides says it was the only Greek
city on this coast of Sicily,[1]
which must however be understood with reference only to independent
cities;
Mylae, which was also on the north
coast, and certainly of Greek origin, being a dependency of
Zancle (modern
Messina). All authorities agree that
Himera was a colony of Zancle, but Thucydides tells us that, with the
emigrants from Zancle, who were of Chalcidic origin, were mingled a
number of
Syracusan exiles, the consequence of
which was, that, though the institutions (νόμιμα)
of the new city were Chalcidic, its dialect had a mixture of
Doric.
The foundation of Himera is placed subsequent to that of Mylae (as,
from their relative positions, might naturally have been expected) both
by
Strabo and
Scymnus Chius: its date is not
mentioned by Thucydides, but
Diodorus tells us that it had existed
240 years at the time of its destruction by the Carthaginians, which
would fix its first settlement in
648 BCE.[2]
We have very little information as to its early history: an obscure
notice in
Aristotle,[3]
from which it appears to have at one time fallen under the dominion of
the tyrant
Phalaris, being the only mention we
find of it, until about
490 BCE, when it afforded a temporary
refuge to
Scythes, tyrant of Zancle, after his
expulsion from the latter city.[4]
Not long after this event, Himera fell itself under the yoke of a despot
named
Terillus, who sought to fortify his
power by contracting a close alliance with
Anaxilas, at that time ruler both of
Rhegium (modern
Reggio di Calabria) and Zancle. But
Terillus was unable to resist the power of
Theron, despot of Agrigentum (modern
Agrigento), and, being expelled by him
from Himera, had recourse to the assistance of the Carthaginians, a
circumstance which became the immediate occasion of the first great
expedition of that people to Sicily,
480 BCE.[5]
First
interaction with Carthage
The magnitude of the armament sent under
Hamilcar, who is said to have landed in
Sicily with an army of 300,000 men, in itself sufficiently proves 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 neighborhood of the Carthaginian settlements of Panormus and
Solus, had already given umbrage to the
latter people. Hence it was against Himera that the first efforts of
Hamilcar were directed: but Theron, who had thrown himself into the city
with all the forces at his command, was able to maintain its defence
till the arrival of
Gelon of Syracuse, who, notwithstanding
the numerical inferiority of his forces, defeated the vast army of the
Carthaginians with such slaughter that the
Battle of Himera was regarded by the
Greeks of Sicily as worthy of comparison with the contemporary victory
of
Salamis.[6]
The same feeling probably gave rise to the tradition or belief, that
both triumphs were achieved on the very same day.[7]
After
the Battle of Himera
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 bestowed 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
Hieron of Syracuse, at that time on
terms of hostility with Theron. The Syracusan despot, however, instead
of lending assistance to the discontented party at Himera, betrayed
their overtures to Theron, who took signal vengeance on the unfortunate
Himeraeans, putting to death a large number of the disaffected citizens,
and driving others into exile.[8]
Shortly after, seeing that the city had suffered greatly from these
severities, and that its population 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
Dorian extraction; and though the two
bodies of citizens were blended into one, and continued to live
harmoniously together, we find that from this period Himera became a
Doric city, and both adopted the institutions, and followed the policy,
of the other Doric states of Sicily.[9]
This settlement seems to have taken place in
476 BCE,[10]
and Himera continued subject to Theron till his death, in
472 BCE: but Thrasydaeus retained
possession of the sovereignty for a very short time after the death of
his father, and his defeat by Hieron of Syracuse was speedily followed
by his expulsion both from Agrigentum and Himera.[11]
In
466 BCE we find the Himeraeans, in
their turn, sending a force to assist the Syracusans in throwing off the
yoke of
Thrasybulus; and, in the general
settlement of affairs which followed soon after, the exiles were allowed
to return to Himera, where they appear to have settled quietly together
with the new citizens.
[12] From this period Diodorus
expressly tells us that Himera was fortunate enough to escape from civil
dissensions,[13]
and this good government must have secured to it no small share of the
prosperity which was enjoyed by the Sicilian cities in general during
the succeeding half-century.
But though we are told in general terms that the period which elapsed
from this re-settlement of Himera till its destruction by the
Carthaginians (461–408
BCE), was one of peace and prosperity, the only notices we
find of the city during this interval refer to the part it took at the
time of the
Athenian expedition to Sicily,
415 BCE. On that occasion, the
Himeraeans were among the first to promise their support to Syracuse:
hence, when
Nicias presented himself before their
port with the Athenian fleet, they altogether refused to receive him;
and, shortly after, it was at Himera that
Gylippus landed, and from whence he
marched across the island to Syracuse, at the head of a force composed
in great part of Himeraean citizens.[14]
Destruction
by Carthage
A few years after this the prosperity of the city was brought to a
sudden and abrupt termination by the great Carthaginian expedition to
Sicily,
408 BCE. Though the ostensible object
of that armament, as it had been of the Athenian, was the support of the
Segestans against their neighbors, the
Selinuntines, yet there can be no doubt
that the Carthaginians, from the first, entertained more extensive
designs; and, immediately after the destruction of Selinus,
Hannibal Mago, who commanded the
expedition, hastened to turn his arms against Himera. That city was
ill-prepared for defence; its fortifications were of little strength,
but the citizens made a desperate resistance, and by a vigorous sally
inflicted severe loss on the Carthaginians. They were at first supported
by a force of about 4000 auxiliaries from Syracuse, under the command of
Diocles; but that general became seized
with a panic fear for the safety of Syracuse itself, and precipitately
abandoned Himera, leaving the unfortunate citizens to contend
singlehanded against the Carthaginian power. The result could not be
doubtful, and the city was soon taken by storm: a large part of the
citizens were put to the sword, and not less than 3000 of them, who had
been taken prisoners, were put to death in cold blood by Hannibal, as a
sacrifice to the memory of his grandfather Hamilcar.[15]
The city itself was utterly destroyed, its buildings razed to the
ground, and even the temples themselves were not spared; the
Carthaginian general being evidently desirous to obliterate all trace of
a city whose name was associated with the great defeat of his
countrymen.
Diodorus, who relates the total destruction of Himera, tells us
expressly that it was never rebuilt, and that the site remained
uninhabited down to his own times.[16]
It seems at first in contradiction with this statement, that he
elsewhere includes the Himeraeans, as well as the Selinuntines and
Agrigentines, among the exiled citizens that were allowed by the treaty,
concluded with Carthage, in
405 BCE, to return to their homes, and
inhabit their own cities, on condition of paying tribute to Carthage and
not restoring their fortifications.
[17] And it seems clear that many
of them at least availed themselves of this permission, as we find the
Himeraeans subsequently mentioned among the states that declared in
favour of
Dionysius I of Syracuse, at the
commencement of his great war with Carthage in
397 BCE; though they quickly returned
to the Carthaginian alliance in the following year.[18]
The explanation of this difficulty is furnished by
Cicero, who tells us that, after the
destruction of Himera, those citizens who had survived the calamity of
the war established themselves at
Thermae, within the confines of the
same territory, and not far from their old town.[19]
Diodorus gives a somewhat different account of the foundation of Thermae,
which he represents as established by the Carthaginians themselves
before the close of the war, in
407 BCE.[20]
But it is probable that both statements are substantially correct, and
that the Carthaginians founded the new town in the immediate
neighbourhood of Himera, in order to prevent the old site being again
occupied; while the Himeraean exiles, when they returned thither, though
they settled in the new town, naturally regarded themselves as still the
same people, and would continue to bear the name of Himeraeans. How
completely, even at a much later period, the one city was regarded as
the representative of the other, appears from the statement of Cicero,
that when
Scipio Africanus, after the capture of
Carthage, restored to the Agrigentines and Gelenses the statues that had
been carried off from their respective cities, he at the same time
restored to the citizens of Thermae those that had been taken from
Himera.[21]
Hence we cannot be surprised to find that, not only are the Himeraeans
still spoken of as an existing people, but even that the name of Himera
itself is sometimes inadvertently used as that of their city. Thus, in
314 BCE, Diodorus tells us that, by the
treaty between
Agathocles and the Carthaginians, it
was stipulated that
Heracleia, Selinus, and Himera should
continue subject to Carthage as they had been before.
[22] It is much more strange that
we find the name of Himera reappear both in
Mela and
Pliny, though we know from the distinct
statements of Cicero and Strabo, as well as Diodorus, that it had ceased
to exist centuries before.[23]
Foundation
of Thermae
The new town of Thermae or Therma called for the sake of distinction
Thermae Himerenses,[24]
which thus took the place of Himera, obviously derived its name from the
hot springs for which it was celebrated, and the first discovery of
which was connected by legends with the wanderings of
Hercules.[25]
It appears to have early become a considerable town, though it
continued, with few and brief exceptions, to be subject to the
Carthaginian rule. In the
First Punic War its name is repeatedly mentioned. Thus, in
260 BCE, a body of
Roman troops were encamped in the
neighborhood, when they were attacked by
Hamilcar, and defeated with heavy loss.[26]
Before the close of the war, Thermae itself was besieged and taken by
the Romans.[27]
Cicero relates that the Roman government restored to the Thermitani
their city and territory, with the free use of their own laws, as a
reward for their steady fidelity.
[28] They were on hostile terms
with Rome during the First Punic War, so it can only be to the
subsequent period that these expressions apply; but the occasion to
which they refer is unknown. In the time of Cicero, Thermae appears to
have been a flourishing place, carrying on a considerable amount of
trade, though the orator speaks, of it as oppidum non maximum.[29]
It seems to have received a
colony in the time of
Augustus, whence we find mention in
inscriptions of the Ordo et Populus splendidissimae Coloniae Augustae
Himeraeorum Thermitanorum:
[30] and there can be little
doubt that the Thermae colonia of
Pliny in reality refers to this town,
though he evidently understood it to be Thermae Selinuntiae (modern
Sciacca), as he places it on the south
coast between Agrigentum and Selinus.
[31] There is little subsequent
account of Thermae; but, as its name is found in
Ptolemy and the Itineraries, it appears
to have continued in existence throughout the period of the
Roman Empire, and probably never ceased
to be inhabited, as the modern town of
Termini Imerese retains the ancient
site as well as name.[32]
The magnificence of the ancient city, and the taste of its citizens for
the encouragement of art, are attested by Cicero, who calls it in
primis Siciliae clarum et ornatum; and some evidence of it remained,
even in the days of that orator, in the statues preserved by the
Thermitani, to whom they had been restored by Scipio, after the conquest
of Carthage; and which were valuable, not only as relics of the past,
but from their high merit as works of art.[33]
The numerous examples of coins from Himera testify to the city's wealth
in antiquity.
Current
situation
Because of extensive remains, no doubt can therefore exist with
regard to the site of Thermae, which would be, indeed, sufficiently
marked by the hot springs themselves; but the exact position of the more
ancient city of Himera was a subject of controversy until recent times.
The opinion of
Cluverius, which has been followed by
almost all subsequent writers into the 19th century, would place it on
the left bank of the river which flows by Termini on the west, and is
thence commonly known as the Fiume di Termini, though called in the
upper part of its course Fiume San Leonardo. On this supposition the
inhabitants merely removed from one bank of the river to the other; and
this would readily explain the passages in which Himera and Thermae
appear to be regarded as identical, and where the river Himera (which
unquestionably gave name to the older city) is represented at the same
time as flowing by Thermae.[34]
On the other hand, there is great difficulty in supposing that the Fiume
San Leonardo can be the river Himera; and all our data with regard to
the latter would seem to support which the view of
Fazello, who identifies it with the
Fiume Grande, the mouth of which is
distant just 8 miles from Termini. This is the view adopted by most
modern scholarship.[35]
This distance can hardly be said to be too great to be reconciled with
Cicero's expression, that the new settlement was established non
longe ab oppido antique;[36]
while the addition that it was in the same territory
[37] would seem to imply that it
was not very near the old site. It may be added, that, in this case, the
new site would have had the recommendation in the eyes of the
Carthaginians of being nearer to their own settlements of Solus and
Panormus, and, consequently, more within their command. But Fazello's
view derives a strong confirmation from the circumstance, stated by him,
that the site which he indicates, marked by the Torre di Bonfornello on
the seacoast (on the left bank of the Fiume Grande, close to its mouth),
though presenting no ruins, abounded in ancient relics, such as vases
and bronzes; and numerous sepulchres had also been brought to light.[38]
On the other hand, neither Cluverius nor any other writer has noticed
the existence of any ancient remains on the west bank of the Himera; nor
does it appear that the site so fixed is one adapted for a city of
importance.
Archaeology
The only recognizable ruin in this city is the Tempio della Vittoria
(Temple of Victory), a
Doric structure supposedly built to
commemorate the defeat of the Carthaginians (although recently some
scholars have come to doubt this hypothesis). To the south of the temple
was the town's
necropolis. Some artifacts recovered
from this site are kept in a small
antiquarium. However, the more
impressive displays are in
Palermo's Museo Archeologico Regionale.
Famous
people
Himera was celebrated in antiquity as the birth place of the poet
Stesichorus, who appears, from an
anecdote preserved by
Aristotle, to have taken considerable
part in the political affairs of his native city. His statue was still
preserved at Thermae in the days of Cicero, and regarded with the utmost
veneration.
Ergoteles, whose victory at the
Olympic games is celebrated by
Pindar, was a citizen, but not a
native, of Himera. On the other hand, Thermae had the honour of being
the birthplace of the tyrant
Agathocles.
