The Battle of Selinus which took place in the spring of 409 BC, is the opening battle of the so-called Second Sicilian War. The 10 day long siege and battle was fought in Sicily between the Carthaginian forces under Hannibal Mago (A king of Carthage of the Magonid family, not the famous Hannibal of the Barcid family) and the Dorian Greeks of Selinus. The city of Selinus had defeated the Elymian city of Segesta in 415 BC, an event that led to the Athenian invasion of Sicily in 415 BC and ended in the defeat of Athenian forces in 413 BC. When Selinus again worsted Segesta in 411 BC, Carthage, responding to the appeal of Segesta, had besieged and sacked Selinus after the Carthaginian offer of negotiations had been refused by the Greeks. This was the first step towards Hannibal's campaign to avenge the Carthaginian defeat at the 1st battle of Himera in 480 BC. The city of Selinus was later rebuilt, but never regained her former status.
Read more about Battle Of Selinus: Background, The Carthaginian Response, The Main Expedition, The Final Assault, Aftermath, Bibliography
Famous quotes containing the word battle:
“In a time of war the nation is always of one mind, eager to hear something good of themselves and ill of the enemy. At this time the task of news-writers is easy, they have nothing to do but to tell that a battle is expected, and afterwards that a battle has been fought, in which we and our friends, whether conquering or conquered, did all, and our enemies did nothing.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)