Himera

Himera was an ancient Greek city on the northern coast of Sicily.

History

Himera was a chalkidisch Dorian mixed colony, it was founded around 648 by Zankle and expelled from Syracuse Myletiden on the north coast of Sicily. Himera is today the railway station Buonfornello Palermo - Messina, 47 km east of Palermo, 10 km from Termini Imerese, on the left bank of the northern Himerasflusses ( Fiume Grande). Behind the more than 1 km wide beach city level hill about 100 m rises quite steeply from the river Himera left immediately.

The place was (except Mylae ) the only ancient Greek colony on the north coast of Sicily.

The large Himeras year was 480 BC: Established by the threatened by Theron of Akragas tyrants Terillos, the Carthaginians landed - in agreement with the in the east attacking Xerxes - at Himera, but were defeated by Theron in league with Gelon of Syracuse. Internal struggles led 476 to a great carnage and filling the citizenry with new settlers.

In the Peloponnesian War Himera was faithful to Syracuse. 409 BC Himera was a great Carthaginian offensive to the victims and was in revenge for the role played in the battle of Himera 480 BC, totally destroyed; the survivors were in the Carthaginian colony Thermai Himeraiai, today's Termini Imerese, level.

The destruction meant the end of the city.

Research

Was discovered in the city of Himera in the 16th century. The excavations began around 1926 and lasted until 1930. At the time of Victoria temple was excavated. From 1963 onwards, the city was systematically explored. In this case, parts of the Upper Town were excavated.

Visit

You can visit the Upper Town and the Victoria Temple (37 ° 58 ' 26 " N, 13 ° 49' 27" O37.97394213.82414210 ). In the Antiquarium of the archaeological zone finds from Himera and the environment are to be visited, as well as finds from the necropolis of Cefalù. Outstanding exhibits are the wedding grave, the lion head gargoyles of Victoria Temple, and a prehistoric vessel from the 13th century BC.

Other finds from Himera located in the municipal museum of Termini Imerese and the archaeological museum Antonino Salinas, Palermo.

Literature Note

• Dieter Mertens: Cities and churches in western Greeks. From the time of colonization until the crisis around 400 BC. Hirmer Verlag, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-7774-2755-1.