GEOGRAPHY
 

Lat: 38°N, Long: 13.8°EHimera was the western frontier of the Greek sphere of influence, on the northern coast of Sicily. Just west of the Himera river [Fiume Grande], the site of Himera stretches along the coast and the river’s edge. The older part of the city was built on the higher plateau, while another part is lower along the narrow shoreline. The coastline is a series of promontories, and carved valleys, making travel difficult. Looking from the sea toward the interior, the Himera valley stretches far to the south, creating a gap of sorts which leads to the southern portion of Sicily. This was a passageway in ancient times to the interior.Again, looking from the sea, on the left of the Himera valley is the beginning of the Madonna Mountain Range, with the slopes of Monte San Clangor reaching steeply down to the river. The mountain chain stretches to Messina in the east, and it is here the native Sicels lived well into Roman times. These mountains were always secure against Greek and Carthaginian alike. Not because the Sicels were dangerous, but because the Greeks and Carthaginians could not live in peace, and this valley represents the ‘frontier’.To the right [west] of the river, a series of rugged hills extends all the way to the west end of Sicily. Of limestone and shale's, bare rock alternates with thin soil-covered grassy areas. While small crops can be grown, it is a difficult life here. Closer to the sea, the soil thickens, and vineyards take over, producing a good quality cooking wine.Himera lies about 24 miles east of Palermo and 18 miles from Solunto, in the Province of Palermo. To the east is Cefalù, about the same distance away. [Just under 2 miles to the east is the modern village of Campofelice.] Looking due north one gets a spectacular view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the Italian coast just out of sight to the northeast.Termini Imerese was a Roman spa, near a hot spring. There are still a few ruins nearby, especially the arched aqueduct which brought the water from the mountains, still hot, to the city. Termini is still occupied, the ruins supplying stone for buildings, while Himera has long since decayed to little more than the foundations of the Doric Temple of Athena.
The City
The city was laid out in a typical Greek grid plan, and after being destroyed, an improved grid plan was overlaid. To completely change the city’s basic layout implies that the destruction was virtually total. This would have occurred in 480 BCE, when the Carthaginians were defeated, although after the city’s destruction. The blocks were in the ratio 1:4, as first suggested by the urban designer Hippodamus of Miletus. Likewise, the streets were straight, intersecting at right angles, and avenues were twice the width of streets, which themselves were generously wide.Both the old and newer city occupied the top of a low hill as well as the narrow strand, or coast below. Only the upper city had the characteristic Greek grid plan, suggesting there was not enough room for a grid and the lower city pre-existed the Greek’s arrival.
Monuments
According to the ancient historian Diodorus Siculus Himera had at least three temples, although only the Temple of Athena still
exists, and that in a sad state of preservation. This temple was built by Theron, tyrant of Acragas after the battle with Carthage in 480 BCE. Interestingly, another temple, a sister to this one, was built by Gelon, tyrant of Syracuse, to commemorate the same battle. However, Gelon built his version in his own home city of Syracuse.The temple’s foundation and the lowest column drum is about all that is left. Over 50 terracotta lion’s head’s, which served as waterspouts along the eaves, have been found as well as a few fragments of statuary. Nothing of the interior stonework, nor the metopes has been located. Enough of the temple exists to show that it is a sister to Gelon’s version in Syracuse, so we can reconstruct, at least on paper, what it must have looked like. In size, it was 184 x 74 feet, located between the city and the sea, along the edge of the promontory. The visual effect from a traveler approaching from the sea must have been remarkable.
Etymology
The city was called Imera by the Greeks, from a Phoenician word, the meaning of which is now lost, and translated as Himera in English. Nearby is Termini Imerese [Latin ‘Thermae Himerenses’], or Hot Springs of Imera.
HISTORY
pre-Greek
The mouth of the Himera river was undoubtedly inhabited for centuries before the Greeks began their colonization of Sicily. While we do not know for sure, it was probably the Sicans, native Sicilians. Since the Greeks brought writing to the island, there is little to go on. We do know that there was pottery being made in the neighborhood of Himera, using Greek designs, before there was Greek colony at Himera.
Greek History
Himera was founded in 678 BCE by Greek colonists from Zancle, modern Messina. Messina could not grow her own food, as the soil was too poor in the area, so small groups of Greeks followed the coast until farmland was located. They started a colony, and displaced the Sicans, or whatever native tribes they found. The tendency was to follow the northern coast, as Naxos barred the route south.Himera was established as a thriving community before the Carthaginians realized the Greeks were making a grab for control of the islands resources. As the Greeks sent out more and more settlers, the Carthaginians also began to send out settlers to stem the westward migrations. Himera became the frontier on the north coast, while Selinus became the frontier city in the south. However, the animosity between these two powers was not based on land; it was rivalry over the sea routes between east and west. Sicily made an excellent port of call along the way, and also, with a proper fleet, could halt others from passing. The very life-blood of both powers was trade.Battle of Himera, 480 BCE.
In a time of unrest, while the Etruscan were advancing south in Italy, the Greeks were being assaulted on many sides. The Carthaginians chose this time to advance on the city of Himera, in an attempt to secure the northern coast of Sicily. Hamilcar assembled an army said to be 30,000 strong, and began a march on Himera. [Other accounts say 300,000 men and 3000 ships. This seems like a rather large, unwieldy army.]The inhabitants of Himera asked Theron of Acragas and Gelon of Syracuse for help, and both men responded, each with an army. The three armies met near Himera and Hamilcar stood on a nearby hillside and burned sacrificial victims to his gods. [The Carthaginians used children as sacrificial victims, although it not known if this story is truth or legend.] When his defeat became evident, he threw himself in the fire, for which the Carthaginians never forgave the Greeks.The Greeks massacred the Carthaginians, and the threat from this quarter was eliminated for quite some time. However, the Carthaginians never forgot. A tomb to Hamilcar was erected to Hamilcar on the site. The Theron, tyrant of Acragas, built the Temple of Athena as a victory offering.Battle of Himera, 409 BCE.
A Carthaginian army, under Hannibal, began destroying Greek cities, beginning with Selinus, followed quickly by five of the greatest Greek cities in Sicily: Acragas, Gela and Camarina. And then Himera. General Hannibal, the grandson of Himilco, had brought along siege engines and artillery, new devices which with the Greeks were unfamiliar. And the city defenses were unprepared to withstand this new age warfare.The city of Himera disappeared from history. After Himera was destroyed, many of the survivors relocated at Termini, about 9 miles to the west of Himera. Others simply disappeared into the mountains to the south. Soon after, there were no independent Greek cities in Sicily excepting Syracuse. Messina fell to Hannibal in 397 BCE
post-Greek
Syracuse rebounded under the general Dionysius I. He fortified Syracuse, then began retaking cities and introducing new, Greek populations. As Syracuse became stronger, Messina called in both the Carthaginians and the Romans to aid in their defense. The Romans eventually win the entire island and the Carthaginians are forced out of Sicily. The last major battle on Sicilian soil was the First Punic War.
Coinage
Himera was among the first of cities to mint its own coins, the other cities including Messina, Naxos, and Selinus. These were all port cities, dealing in trade, not agriculture. Apparently Himera’s trade resource was timber from the mountains to the south. These would have been cut high up on the steep slope, skidded to the Himera river, and floated to the port. And since the western end of Sicily does not have large forests, is probable that the Carthaginians were its best customer.The type motif on coins of Himera is the cock, a bird which announces the new day, and Greek for ‘day’ is "hemera". The coins are easy to identify, and there are a surprising amount of them, much more that expected. This large volume can not yet be explained.

CHRONOLOGY
BCE
 649 Himera founded by colonists from Messina.
 482 Terillus driven out by Theron of Acragas.
 480 Carthaginians called in to help by Terillus.Carthaginians defeated in great battle by Theron and Gelon alliance.
476 Himera re-peopled with Dorian colonists.
472 Overthrow yoke of Acragas after death of Theron.
409 Himera destroyed by Hannibal.
407 Foundation of Termini Imerese, west of Himera, by survivors.