Selinunte — The Last Song of the Temples

Selinunte, founded in the 7th century BC by colonists from Megara Hyblaea, quickly became one of the most prosperous Greek cities in Sicily, famous for its colossal temples dedicated to Hera, Apollo, and Zeus. Its wealth came from fertile agriculture and a strategic port. However, its western position placed it on the border of Punic territories, making tensions with Carthage inevitable. The city was a major player in the complex geopolitics of ancient Sicily, oscillating between alliances and conflicts with its Greek neighbors and the rising power of Carthage.

In 409 BC, under the leadership of General Hannibal Mago, Carthage launched a major punitive expedition against Selinunte, in response to territorial provocations. Despite the arrival of reinforcements from Gela and Akragas, and attempts by Empedocles, the philosopher from Akragas, to drain the marshes to prevent disease, the city was besieged and captured in nine days. The destruction was almost total: inhabitants massacred or enslaved, and temples systematically demolished, their column drums toppled, symbols of Greek power annihilated by the Carthaginian hammer. These ruins remain a poignant testament to an era of grandeur and brutality.