Discover Ancient Warfare Magazine Vol VII-2 - Fight for Control

Ancient Warfare - VII.2

Topic: Fight for control - Wars in Sicily

Introduction: Matthew Beazley, 'Historical Introduction: Wars in Sicily'.

Illustrated by Carlos García.

Created by the gods and the land of giants, Sicily was a rich but deadly prize dangling in front of many ancient powers. The ill-fated island would be subjected to a seemingly endless series of wars fought by peoples from all over the ancient Mediterranean. For centuries, the Greeks and Carthaginians pounded each other to exhaustion over the desire to dominate the island. Heeding the siren's call, the power of Athens would crash against the rocks of Sicily. Like a lover forced to choose between two suitors, Sicily would choose Rome over Carthage and thus hasten the
Disappearance of the latter.

Subject: Konstantin Nossov, 'Military Architecture as a Source: Greek and Sicilian Fortifications'.

Greek fortifications appeared in Sicily with Greek immigrants in the 8th century BC. The first city founded by Greek settlers, Naxos, boasts the oldest known examples of Greek fortifications in Sicily. Beautiful examples of later fortifications can be found in Syracuse, Selinus, and Gela. The Greek fortifications in Sicily shared similarities with the Greek military architecture found elsewhere, but there were also notable differences. The fortifications of Sicily reached their peak in the period between 405 BC, when Dionysius I came to power, and 211 BC, when Syracuse and the rest of the island were captured by the Romans.

Subject: paul mcdonnell-staff, 'savior of sicily - timoleon of corinth'.

Illustrated by Angel Garcia Pinto.

Between 1907 and 1938, parts of the pedestal of a bronze statue of Poseidon were recovered on the Isthmus of Corinth. The inscription on the pedestal reads: The Corinthians and their general, Timoleon, liberated the Greeks living in Sicily from the Carthaginians, and thus dedicated this offering of thanks to the gods.

Subject: Annelies Koolen, 'Athenian cavalry in Sicily: an underestimation of the enemy cavalry'.

Illustrated by José Antonio Gutiérrez López.

During the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), the Athenians not only fought intensely against the Spartans and Boeotians, between 415 and 413 BC, but also undertook a rather daring undertaking: a military expedition to the island of Sicily.

Subject: Nicholas Sekunda, 'a regiment of Cretan mercenary archers - in the service of the tyrants of Syracuse'.

Illustrated by igor dzis.

After their defeat by Hannibal at the Battle of Trebbia in December 218 BC, the Romans appealed for help to Hieron II, tyrant of Syracuse. According to Polybius (3.75.7), he sent them 500 Cretans and 1,000 peltophoroi. These latter troops were typical Hellenistic "peltasts," armed with pikes and a small bronze shield (pelte). They were able to fight as light infantry in special operations or in phalanx formation. After the Battle of Lake Trasimene, fought the following year, Hannibal is recorded as having released the Latin-named allies (Livy 27.7.5); the Cretans were sent back to the Syracusan army. Hieron sent further reinforcements, consisting of 1,000 archers and some slingers (Livy 22.37.8). He also sent supplies of corn to Rome after this battle, knowing that the Romans employed even foreigners to fight in those roles.

Subject: Filippo Donvito, 'Sow the Wind and Reap the Whirlwind - Siege of Motya by Dionysius I, 397 BC'.

Illustrated by Johnny Shumate.

A traveler who had arrived in Syracuse at the dawn of the 4th century BC would have been very impressed by the city's appearance. In fact, it didn't resemble the usual Greek polis, but rather a kind of giant open-air military factory, full of barracks and fortified places that echoed with the metallic clinking of blacksmiths producing thousands of suits of armor. The best engineers from all over the Mediterranean were inventing war machines that had never been seen before. All this wasn't just a way of bragging. The tyrant of Syracuse, Dionysius, was planning to capture the most formidable Carthaginian fortress in Sicily: Motya.

Topic: Sidney E. Dean, 'Agathocles of Syracuse and the Third Greco-Punic War: Betrayal, Tyranny, and Terror'.

Illustrated by Angel Garcia Pinto.

Agathocles (361–289 BC) became tyrant of Syracuse in 317 or 316 BC. Between 316 and 314 BC, he conquered numerous Greek cities in eastern and central Sicily and forced others to become allies of Syracuse. Only the major cities of Gela, Acragas, and Messana were able to hold out by forming an alliance and appealing to Carthage for support. In 314 BC, Hamilcar, the Carthaginian military governor of western Sicily, negotiated a “peace agreement” that recognized Syracuse’s hegemony over the eastern two-thirds of Sicily. Hamilcar’s generosity is not surprising. He and Agathocles appear to have forged a personal pact in 317 BC, with the Syracusans pledging to support Hamilcar against his political enemies in Africa. When Agathocles' Greek opponents complained directly to Carthage in 314, the Punic government accused Hamilcar, who died before they could be removed from Sicily.

Characteristics

The find: Vincent van der Veen, 'Roman property inscriptions: Keep your filthy paws off my things!'

In 2011, the Het Valkhof Museum in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, purchased a Roman helmet from a private individual who had discovered it in a field. The helmet was of the so-called coolus type and could be dated to the first three-quarters of the 1st century AD. Although damaged, all parts were recovered. The dome and neck guard were made from a single sheet of bronze, while the conical knob of the crest was welded and the peak reinforcement riveted. The cheek pieces were originally attached to the helmet by two hinges.

Special: Korneel van Lommel, 'Refusal of military service in ancient Rome: I'd rather cut off my thumb.'

In the span of a few centuries, Rome grew from a small settlement to a vast empire that stretched from Scotland to Mauritania and from the Iberian Peninsula to the Caspian Sea. The Roman army was a crucial factor in establishing the empire. This may give the impression that the Romans were a warrior society, where every Roman was willing to risk their life. However, this ideal mischaracterizes Roman civilization. Several sources refer to young men who did not want to enlist in the army and instead deliberately mutilated themselves, only to be rejected for medical reasons. In this article, these testimonies are placed in their proper time and context. I will explain in more detail the refusal of military service, the young men's motives for self-mutilation, and the legal repercussions of this act of desertion.

The debate: Duncan B. Campbell, 'What really happened at the Granicus River? - Alexander's great cavalry battle.'

Illustrated by Pablo Outeiral and Julia Lillo.

In the spring of 334 BC, Alexander the Great, then 21 years old, crossed into Asia Minor at the head of a Macedonian army of 35,000 men to begin his conquest of the Persian Empire. Just 80 kilometers into his journey, he encountered his first Persian opposition at the Granicus River and convincingly overcame it. However, our main sources disagree on the course of the battle and give only a vague picture of the terrain. So, is it possible for us, more than two millennia later, to trace exactly what happened at the Granicus River?
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