In the summer of 311 BC, two large armies faced each other at the River Himera in Sicily. The Carthaginians, led by Hamilcar, the grandfather of Hanno the Great, positioned themselves on Mount Ecnomus, while Agathocles, the tyrant of Syracuse, occupied another strongly fortified camp on the opposite side of the river. Between these two positions, the Himera flowed, serving as a natural defensive line.
The Greeks formed an impregnable wall of iron and discipline with their heavy armour and long spears. Their phalanx was one of the most powerful and feared formations of antiquity.
However, Hamilcar had a plan to break through this unyielding human wall. He relied on the elite of his army: the Balearic slingers.
These warriors, known for their incredible accuracy and strength, stood ready. With their slings, they could hurl heavy stones and lead projectiles with deadly precision and extreme force over great distances.
The Greeks began the battle with a surprise assault on the Carthaginian camp. Agathocles seized the opportunity as Carthaginian troops tried to thwart a Greek plundering of their pack animals. The Greeks set a trap for them and lured them into an ambush near the river. The Carthaginians were easily driven back when they attempted to cross the river.
Seeing his chance, Agathocles ordered his entire army to cross the river and attack the enemy camp. The Greeks charged forward, tore down the palisade fence, and surprised the Carthaginians, who could not form an orderly battle line. The fight for the trench was fierce, but the Greeks gained the upper hand and initially pushed the Carthaginians back.
But then, as the Greeks thought they had won, an unexpected element entered the battle: the 1000 Balearic slingers. These elite warriors of the Carthaginians, known for their precision and strength, were sent into battle. They hurled heavy stones at the Greek phalanx with incredible speed and accuracy.
The first ranks of hoplites collapsed under the weight of the projectiles, shields, and helmets, which offered no protection against the destructive power of the stone and lead missiles.
The Greek phalanx, once an invincible fortress, began to falter. The Syracusans panicked, overwhelmed by the precision and sheer number of projectiles. Their formation broke down, and discipline dissolved into chaos.
Hamilcar recognised the moment of confusion and ordered the advance. The Carthaginian troops, now unexpectedly reinforced by 5,000 Libyan troops from Carthage, charged forward, penetrated the weakened Greek ranks and completed the work of destruction. The battle at the River Himera was decided, and Agathocles’ army was overwhelmed.
The Greeks fled over a distance of about 7 km while being pursued by the Carthaginian cavalry. Since the pursuit took place in the middle of the day, most of the fleeing Greeks became thirsty due to the heat and drank water from the River Himera. Many Greeks died from drinking its water because the Himera River is naturally salty (reflected by its modern name, Salso).
According to Diodorus, the number of casualties caused by the river was roughly equal to the number of Greeks killed in the pursuit. He states that in the entire battle, 500 Carthaginians and 7,000 Greeks fell. As a result, Syracuse lost control of the eastern part of Sicily except for Syracuse itself, as many Sicilian Greeks despised Agathocles as a “bloodthirsty tyrant” and seized this opportunity to join the Carthaginians.
This battle, detailed by the ancient historian Diodorus, demonstrated the tactical superiority and deadly efficiency of these professional ranged fighters. The Greek phalanx, which was considered invincible at the time, was defeated on that day by the precision and force of these Balearic slingers.
The battle at the River Himera went down in history as an example of military innovation and was to change the balance of power in Sicily in favour of the Carthaginians, leading Pyrrhus of Epirus to come to Syracuse’s aid 35 years later.
The article first appeared in Archaeology and Ancient Worlds.
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