but rather their order and the uniformity of their weapons. In fact, it became apparent that Hamilcar’s forces numbered at least three times those of the Greeks. He was certain of victory, had giant bonfires lighted before the images of the gods that had been erected in various parts of the camp, and circulated among his troops, encouraging them and sacrificing rams to the gods.
The paucity of the Greeks was, however, compensated for by their strategy. A half day’s march from Himera they paused to scout our camp and to establish contact with the Himeran garrison by means of Egyptian doves. Now Hamilcar thought they hesitated because of his overwhelming superiority and planned to send his troops against them. But it became apparent why they waited when the combined fleets of Syracuse and Agrigentum, totaling over two hundred modern triremes, rowed out of the morning haze, filling the entire sea. Moreover, the fleet arrived from the west, from the direction of Panormos and not from the strait to the east where Hamilcar had stationed half his fleet. Thus we could not believe our eyes at first and thought that the vessels were Carthaginian until we recognized them as triremes and distinguished “ the Greek emblems.
When the warships had closed the sea we learned that the Greek land forces had begun to move and were quick-marching toward Himera. Without hesitation Hamilcar took the necessary action and sent numerous warnings to his fleet at the strait by both sea and land. But only two Siccanians were able to get through and Hamilcar’s commanders at first refused to believe them, thinking it a Greek stratagem. Only when the fishermen on the shore confirmed the incredible fact that the Greek fleet had circled Sicily did the commanders obey the order. But by then it was too late.
For on the following morning the Greek forces spread themselves in battle formation before Himera, supporting their flank on one side with the river, on the other with the forest and slopes. Contrary to custom, they had placed their cavalry in the center to try to break through Hamilcar’s front and establish contact with Himera during the battle. The mournful drums of the Siccani began to sound in the forest and for once our camp was afoot in the gray of dawn as the troops marched in good order to their indicated positions.
Immediately he saw the position of the Greek cavalry Hamilcar changed his battle plan at the last moment and withdrew forces from both wings to support the center. These consisted of the heavily armored Iberians and the Libyans who were linked together, for Hamilcar did not intend to permit his foe to break through his center. His lack of confidence in us Etruscans angered us, nor were we pleased by the fact that fettered barbarians would drive us ahead once the battle started and thus isolate us from our ships. But the ceaseless clatter of the Carthaginians’ rattles and the sound of their long horns prevented any further thinking. Nor did the Greeks pause to await our attack but sent their cavalry forward and resolutely advanced toward us.
When he saw that the battle was beginning Hamilcar gave the order to set fire to the logs piled before the gates of Himera to prevent an attack by the garrison. Also at the last moment we managed to strike sharp piles and stakes into the ground before us while the war machines catapulted boulders into the cavalry. But otherwise we remained in the path of the hoofs.
During the first attack more than half the Etruscans died or were incapacitated. Thus we had no alternative but to fall back, allow the cavalry to penetrate our front and close our thinned ranks again behind it.
The cavalry was followed by the columns of heavily armored men. Now the battle was more equal and the biting swords of the Etruscans began to have their effect. But still the force of the attack thrust us backward and those of us who survived did so not so much by our own efforts as through a miracle.
Behind us the wall of Himera was hidden by black smoke and from a distance the entire city seemed to be in flames. After they had broken through our center the remnants of the Greek cavalry galloped toward the city and the Greek heavily armored troops began to roll toward both our flanks, cutting Hamilcar’s army in two. The battle would have been decided then and there had not the Greeks’ left wing, which had pushed into the edge of the forest, suddenly been disorganized by a Siccanian thrust. Swiftly the Siccanians struck and retreated again into the forest leaving the Segestan forces to shout in triumph and attack the Greek flank, dispersing it and sending the Agrigentian lightly armored troops fleeing to the protection of the slopes.
Thereafter it was impossible to obtain a clear picture of the battle, for it raged violently from early morning until late night. I myself had been thrust with the remaining Etruscans to the right flank near the edge of the forest, where we paused for breath as the rested troops of Eryx pushed by us in a counterattack. In a manner worthy of him, Hamilcar, in the midst of the dreadful chaos of the attack, sent a runner to withdraw us from the battle. Swaying from exhaustion, bloody from head to toe, our shields dented and our swords dull, we stumbled back to the rear to rest.
Hamilcar had erected a high altar on the hill of the encampment and from that point followed the battle. With glowing eyes he raised his arms in greeting, thanked us for a heroic effort and had his slaves toss golden chains to us. But so bitterly did we mourn our fallen comrades that not one of us troubled to pick them from the ground.
With the aid of the counterattacks by the reserve troops and by drawing back his left wing as far as the encampment, Hamilcar managed to close his ranks again, but the Greeks who had broken through forced their way to the wall of Himera, scattered the flaming logs before the south gate and escaped through the opened gate into the city. But the remnants of their cavalry made a final surprise attack on Hamilcar’s camp, actually throwing glowing firebrands into the tents before they retreated into the city.
When we had quenched our thirst, bound up our wounds and stolen food from the camp peddlers, we went to our vessels in the hope of meeting the surviving Etruscans. Brother called to brother, friend to friend, commander to helmsman and rower to benchmate, but no one replied to the calls. We noticed then that there were barely enough of us to man two warships and even that would have availed us nothing since the Greek triremes closed the sea. Our fearful losses proved that we at least had maintained the Etruscans’ reputation as warriors at the battle of Himera.
As the sun began to sink in the west in the midst of the smoke and the chaos, we saw the Greeks force the left wing of the Carthaginian army into the river and the sea and the Himeran garrison, having torn down its burned gate, fall on the rear of Hamilcar’s victorious right wing. In the camp, plunderers fell upon the executioners and floggers and killed them, after which they cold-bloodedly began to loot. That in my opinion was the surest indication of defeat. In vain Hamilcar attempted to rally his forces, but by now the barbarians were rushing into their own camp and killing their commanders. Others of them fled to the shore and boarded the vessels in the hope of escaping by sea, only to be rammed and sunk by a Greek trireme.
We consulted among ourselves and the Etruscans decided to remain near their vessels to await the coming of darkness when they could perhaps slip out to sea. For my part I suggested that they accompany me and seek shelter among the Siccani, but as seafaring people they could not bring themselves to relinquish their vessels. Thus I was alone as I made my way across the encampment and behind the city to the Siccanian forest. Surely the gods protected me in the midst of the horrifying confusion as the Greeks and the barbarians fought for loot.
Conceding defeat, Hamilcar covered his head and descended from his hill. His Greek mercenaries cleared the way for him to his tent, where he smashed the image of Baal and threw the pieces into the sacrificial fire lest his god fall under the influence of the enemy. His eyes wild and his lips frothing as though he had taken poison, he screamed for the guards to bring forth Kydippe and her sons and to kill them. But then the mercenaries, most of whom were from Rhegion, turned against him and began plundering the camp. A few of them did, however, go into the tent, but they did not have to drag Kydippe out by force, for she ran out ahead of them, plunged a knife into Hamilcar’s throat and pushed his corpse into the fire. The guards surrounded Kydippe, protected her and her sons with their shields, and began to call to their Greek kinsmen to aid Kydippe’s surrender to Gelon. So clear a sense of political reality did Kydippe have and so swiftly did she make her decision.
But the Siccanians’ Erkle, despite his youth, was equally realistic. Seeing that Hamilcar’s center was hopelessly broken and his left wing collapsing, Erkle quickly dispatched his Greek teacher, a green branch in his hand, to tyrant Theron of Agrigentum, and sent his troops to attack the Elymians from the rear as they were victoriously pursuing the Agrigentians. Through all the succeeding days they killed and robbed the retreating Carthaginian forces and Theron was so grateful for the assistance that he sent Hiuls a golden shield, a golden chain and the golden eagle of Agrigentum to fasten on his shield. But Hiuls, though he accepted the remainder, rejected the eagle since he did not wish to bind the Siccani to Theron.
Undoubtedly, as I myself had said to Hiuls, a talented politician must consider only his own people and forget the laws of honesty and honor that prevail among ordinary men. But in his actions I recognized all too well the shade of Dorieus who, having gained the dog crown, was ready to desert Dionysius and his men.
When I saw what had happened I no longer wished to find a haven among the Siccani but returned to the shore to share the fate of the Etruscans. We decided not to surrender our arms, for the fate of a slave did not
