GREEK CITIES IN
• Magna Græcia (Latin meaning "Great Greece",
Greek: Μεγάλη Ἑλλάς, Megálē Hellás) is the
name of the coastal areas of Southern Italy on
the Tarentine Gulf that were extensively
colonized by Greek settlers; particularly the
colonies of Tarentum, Croton, Sybaris and
Syracuse, but also, more loosely, the cities of
Cumae and Neapolis to the north. The colonists,
who began arriving in the 8th century BC,
brought with them their Hellenic civilization,
which was to leave a lasting imprint in Italy,
particularly on the culture of ancient Rome.
Syracuse
• Syracuse is a city of Italy on the east coast of Sicily.
• Founded by the ancient Greeks in 734 BC or 733 .
• It was the most important city of Magna Graecia and one of
the most important ancient Greek cities.
• The impressive ruins of the ancient city center is a UNESCO
World Heritage.
• In Southeastern Sicily, the ruins of Syracuse still survive today.
• In 485 BC Gelon the tyrant of Gela came to conquer
them.
• Gelon had created a powerful coalition of cities,
which included the three most powerful cities of
southwestern Sicily: Syracuse, Gela and the
Agrigento.
• This powerful coalition eventually led to
conflict with the Carthaginians
• Gelon died in 478 BC and was succeeded by
his brother Hieron.
• The Hieron died in 467 BC and was succeeded
by his brother Thrasybulus.
• Thrasybulus did not have the capabilities of
his predecessors and was deposed by a
revolution
• After the fall of tyranny, the city was dominated by
the democratic party. Between 458 and 452 BC the
indigenous inhabitants of Sicily, the Sicilians have
created a powerful state within the island and
occupied some Greek and Punic cities of the coast.
• Athens was involved in the events of Sicily in
427 BC by sending a small force to help
Rhegium and Leontinous threatened by
Syracuse.
• In 416 BC in response to the assistance
requested by the city Egesta from Athens to
protect against attacks from the neighboring
Selinus, was organized in Athens by the great
Sicilian expedition.
• The Egesta after the failure of Athens to offer
aid turned to Carthage. They responded by
sending a large army with General Hannibal.
• The Syracusans elected General Dionysius.
• He became tyrant at 406 BC.
• Dionysius then occupied towns of eastern
Sicily managed to control most of the eastern
part of the island.
• In 398 BC campaigned against the bases of
Punic Sicily and was able to conquer Punic
city Motyi.
• Following these developments the
Carthaginians sent troops to Sicily, conquered
Messina and then besieged the same
Syracuse. The Syracusans reinforcing with
thirty ships of the Spartans defeated the
Carthaginians and defeated them at sea.
• Dionysius died in 367 BC and was succeeded by his
son Dionysius the Younger.
• Dionysius the Younger was overthrown by General
Dio.
• Dio was assassinated a year later by the leader of his
opponents, the Kallipo who was murdered two years
later.
• Then followed in Syracuse a period of anarchy
which resulted in 346 BC when the city's
control was taken by Dionysius the Younger.
• In 339 BC the Carthaginians tried again
campaign in Sicily. Timoleon Krimiso faced
them. Then he turned against some tyrants
Greek cities, some of whom were allied with
the Carthaginians and executed or deposed.
• The Carthaginians after the defeat of the last
allies in Sicily had to make peace with
Timoleon.
• Timoleon died in 337 BC having managed to
repel the Carthaginians and to strengthen the
city of Syracuse.
• The period of Agathocles
• In 316 BC took over the tyrant Agathocles.
• The Agathocles aimed at creating a strong statecentered Syracuse and soon turned against the
Carthaginians who were the strongest obstacle to his
ambitions.
• Having failed to defeat in Sicily decided to
transfer the war in Africa.
• Agathocles died in 289 BC having created a
great state.
• Syracusians called for help Pyrrhus
• Pyrrhus defeated the Carthaginians
• After the departure of Pyrrhus as Syracuse
went into a period of political instability,
which ended in 275 BC by climbing to power
of Hieron, who imposed a tyrannical regime.
• The Romans then besieged Syracuse and
conquered in 212 BC after a siege of a year.
GELA
• Gela was founded in 688 BC on the south
coast of Sicily, near the river Gela,
from Cretan and Rhodian colonists 45 years
after the founding of Syracuse.
• The name “Gela” prevailed, from the
native name of the nearby river (Gelas).
• Gela flourished and, after only a century, a
group of Gela’s people founded many other
colonies (Agrigento) . Most of the colonies
was completely independent from Gela.
• Hippocrates was the second tyrant of Gela and
ruled from 498 BC to 491 BC.
• Gela began its expansion phase .Hippocrates
dreamed to conquer all of southeastern Sicily
in order to build a great state with Gela as its
capital.
• During his government, his city became the
most powerful and flourishing among the
Greek colonies in Sicily.
• Hippocrates was killed during an attack on the
Sicel city of Hybla .
• In two centuries the warlike spirit of
the colonists of Gela achieved to
control the most of Sicily.
• Most of the cities didn’t resist because they
couldn’t or they would have profits in near
feature by cooperating in realm of trading so
they surrendered.
• The economy started flourishing for next two
centuries because of trade and that gave the
chance to arts to be enhanced
• In 480 BC, the metropolitan Greeks had to
overcome the dangerous Persian invasion.
• Greece asked Gelon for military aid. Gelon
agreed to help the motherland, only under
the condition that he would be the
commander-in-chief of the Greek allied forces
• It was a way to deny the appeal of the
metropolitan Greeks. Gelon couldn’t split his
army because it wasn’t much populated so
because the Sicilian Greeks were expecting
at any moment the Punic invasion they
chose not to help the metropolis.
•
GREEK-PUNIC WARS
• The Greek-Punic Wars or, the Sicilian Wars,
were a series of conflicts fought between the
Carthaginians and the Greeks, led by
Syracusans , over control of Sicily and the
western Mediterranean between 600 BC and
265 BC.
• They were the longest lasting wars of classical
antiquity they were divided into three parts .
Finally in the third part Romans captured and
destroyed the city of Carthage in 146 B.C and
dominated the sicilian region which entailed
the end of the wars.
Messina
• The Messina is the third largest city of Sicily and
capital of the homonymous province.
• The city's economy is mainly based on the port that
serves both commercial and military purposes and
has many shipyards.
• The agricultural development of the region is in
citrus production and then fruit, vegetables and
wine.
• The city was founded during the 8th century BC. The
original name of the city was Zanglis
• In 397 BC Messina destroyed by the Carthaginians
and defeated them in battle of Messina.
• The 288 was besieged and captured by the
mercenaries Mamertinous.
• The Mamertini held the city for 20 years.
Because they unleashed attacks against
neighboring cities the tyrant Hieron of
Syracuse marched against them defeated
them in Mills and then besieged Messina.
• To help the Mamertini turned to Carthage
and Rome leading to the outbreak of the first
Punic War. The Romans prevailed and took
control of the city remained Roman until the
fall of the Roman Empire.
AGRIGENTO-AKRAGANTAS
• Agrigento was founded in 582 B.C , it is on the
south coast of Sicily in Italy and is the capital
of the homonymous province.
• In ancient times, was known as Akragantas,
one of the foremost cities of Magna Graecia.
• Agrigento developed rapidly and became one
of the wealthiest Greek colonies.
• The city remained neutral during the conflict
in the cities of Athens and Syracuse.
• At the end of the war came into the hands of
the Romans, who renamed the city to
Agrigentum.
• There were a lot of greek speaking people
who at the the 44 B.C when Julius Ceasar died
became roman citizens.
• The city was founded during the 8th century BC. The original
name of the city was Zanglis
• In 397 BC Messina destroyed by the Carthaginians and
defeated them in battle of Messina.
• The 288 was besieged and captured by the mercenaries
Mamertinous.
• The Mamertini held the city for 20 years.
Because they unleashed attacks against
neighboring cities the tyrant Hieron of
Syracuse marched against them defeated
them in Mills and then besieged Messina.
• To help the Mamertini turned to Carthage
and Rome leading to the outbreak of the first
Punic War. The Romans prevailed and took
control of the city remained Roman until the
fall of the Roman Empire.
HIMERA
• The Himera was the first Greek colony in the
northern part of Sicily.
• Himera was founded during the 7th century BC
by settlers who came from Messina.
• Diodorus Siculus puts the founding of the city
240 years before its destruction by the
Carthaginians which means that was founded in
648 B.C.
• Along with the first settlers Syracusans came to
Himera that is why people’s language had like
Chalkidaiki and Dorian dialect.
WAR OF HIMERA
• The intervention of Amiklas led to the first major
conflict between Greeks and Carthaginians in
Sicily.
• The Amiklas with a big army went to western
Sicily and from there to Himera who defended
the city. According to reports the Carthaginian
army reached the 300,000 men.
• During the battle Amiklas was killed and
Carthaginians retreated. The battle took place in
480 BC and according to the reports was the
same day as the Battle of Salamis
Selinountas
• The Selinountas was ancient Greek colony in Sicily.
• The city was founded during the 7th century BC
• From the information we have on the territory of the
town seems to know prosperity and wealth during
the 6th and 5th century BC
• The main opponent was the town Egesta
• Selinountas asked the help of Syracuse Egesta
the Athenians to turn for help.
• After the failure of the Athenian mission to
Sicily Egesta the left defenseless and fled to
the Carthaginians for help.
• The Carthaginians gathered a large army and
led by Hannibal landed in Sicily, Punic city
Lilyvaio and from there went to Selinus.
• Selinountas remained subordinate to the
Carthaginians till 383 BC when it came under
the control of Syracuse.
• During the first Punic war, Selinountas found
in the heart of conflict in the region. Shortly
before the end of the war, the Carthaginians
totally destroyed and its inhabitants moved to
Lilyvaio
• A project made by :
• Lapatsanis Miltiades
• Mitsopoulos Dimitris