Selinunte

Visit of Selinunte Acropolis and Doric temples (about 3 hours)

According to Thucydides, Selinunte was founded towards the middle of the seventh century BC by Greek colonists from Megara Iblea. The site chosen was on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between the two river valleys of Belice and Modione.
The city had a short life (about 200 years). In this period its population grew to 25,000 units. The name comes from wild celery (σέλινον in greek) that the settlers found there in abundance. A parsley plant was also depicted on coins minted later in Selinunte.

The city was the western outpost of Greek culture in Sicily. Allied with Carthage, particularly to ensure protection against the nearby city of Segesta elim. But after the disastrous Sicilian expedition of ateniensi (415-413 BC) changed the balance: Segesta, first ally of Athens, managed to secure an alliance with the Carthaginians. The selinuntini had missed the signs of change and invaded the territories segestani, who believed now unprotected. Instead the reaction of Carthage was drastic: the city was besieged for nine days by an army of 100,000 Carthaginians and, according to Diodorus of Sicily, destroyed completely. 25,000 of 16,000 inhabitants were killed and 5,000 were taken prisoner.

Selinunte was subsequently rebuilt by Greek and Punic settlers. In the 250 a.c. Rome, after winning the first Punic War, destroyed the city a second time, he would never recover.

from Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia)

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