Battle of Himera (480 BC)

The Battle of Himera (480 BC), supposedly fought on the same day as the Battle of Salamis, or at the same time as the Battle of Thermopylae, saw the Greek forces of Gelon, King of Syracuse, and Theron, tyrant of Agrigentum, defeat the Carthaginian force of Hamilcar the Magonid, ending a Carthaginian bid to restore the deposed tyrant of Himera. The alleged coincidence of this battle with the naval battle of Salamis and the resultant derailing of a Punic-Persian conspiracy aimed at destroying the Greek civilization is rejected by modern scholars. Scholars also agree that the battle led to the crippling of Carthage's power in Sicily for many decades. It was one of the most important battles of the Sicilian Wars.

Battle of Himera
Part of the Sicilian Wars

Romanticised representation of the Battle of Himera
Date480 BC
Location
Himera, Sicily
37°58′26.39″N 13°49′26.35″E
Result

Greek victory

  • Syracusan hegemony of Sicily
Belligerents
Syracuse
Akragas		 Carthage
Commanders and leaders
Gelo
Theron		 Hamilcar †
Strength
Unknown
50,000 infantry
5,000 cavalry		 Unknown
300,000 Modern sources estimate around 50,000
Casualties and losses
Minimal Heavy
Location within Mediterranean
Battle of Himera (480 BC) (Italy)

The discovery in 2007 and 2008 of mass graves from the battle has confirmed the location and nature of the battle.

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