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Heraclea Minoa

Q1502156

Heraclea Minoa (Greek: Ἡράκλεια Μινῴα): Greek town in southern Sicily.

History

The theater of Heraclea Minoa. The soft stones are protected against the wind.

Situated at the mouth of the Halykos River (modern Platani) in southern Sicily
Mid-sixth century: Colony founded by people from Selinus^note[Herodotus, Histories 5.46.]
Involvement of Theron of Acragas, who found the bones of King Minos over here, who had (according to legend) been looking for Daedalus and was killed over here by the daughers of of the Sican king Kokalos, who poured boiling oil through a pope into Minos' bath
BCE c.510: The name "Heraclea" may have been added by Dorieus' Spartan setttlers^note
BCE c.480?: destroyed by Carthaginians.^note[Diodorus, World History 4.23.3.]
BCE 405: Probably part of the Carthaginian zone of influence west of the Halycus River and recognized as such in the treaty with Syracuse.^note[cf. Diodorus, World History 13.114.]
Probably unoccupied although the double name was remembered
Archaeological finds from the late s.IV (resettled by Timoleon of Syracuse?); what you see today, is essentially a Hellenistic town
BCE 305: Recovered for Syracuse by Agathocles, returning from Africa^note[Diodorus, World History 20.56.3.]
It becomes Carthaginian at some point; conquered by Pyrrhus.^note[Diodorus, World History 22.10.2.]
Captured (?) and used by Hanno during the Roman-Carthaginian war for Acragas;^note it remains in use as Carthaginian naval base ^note
BCE 241: At the end of the First Punic War, the town becomes Roman
During the Second Punic War, it is usually Carthaginian.^note[Livy, 24.35, 25.27, 25.40, 25.41.]
It may have suffered from the war against Eunus, but colonists were sent.^note[Cicero, Against Verres 2.50.]
s.I BCE: Abandoned, perhaps because of malaria, just like other towns in southern Sicily.^note[Strabo, Geography 6.2.5.]

Heraclea Minoa, Governor's House	Heraclea Minoa, Gorgo-shaped antefix	Heraclea Minoa, Flute	Heraclea Minoa, House
Heraclea Minoa, Black-figured lekythos with warriors	Heraclea Minoa, Bottle	Heraclea Minoa, Red-figured bottle	Heraclea Minoa, Alabastra