The Evolution of Multiple Civilizations in Ancient Sicily
2023-09-18
Sicily, known as the largest inhabited island in the world by ancient Greeks, was the intersection of the east-west and north-south routes in the ancient Mediterranean commercial and trade circle, and an important area for the coexistence and exchange of Eastern and Western civilizations. Starting from the 8th century BC, the Greeks and Phoenicians successively colonized and traded in Sicily, and the Greek and Punic civilizations became the two major foreign civilizations in the early classical period of Sicily. With the beginning of Roman rule over Sicily in the late 3rd century BC, Roman civilization entered Sicily and became the dominant civilization in the late empire. In the 1st century BC, the Greek Latin Punic trilingual inscriptions appearing in Lilibem and Panom became a microcosm of the coexistence and fusion of multiple civilizations in Sicily during Roman rule. Herodotus said that the Phoenicians colonized Sicily before the Greeks, but modern scholars believe that the Greeks arrived slightly earlier than the Phoenicians. The Greeks arrived in southern Sicily around 735 BC and gradually established settlements or cities in the south and east, with a maximum of 70. The Phoenicians of the western Mediterranean are known as the Bunis, with the most important being the Carthaginians. Starting around 700 BC, the Phoenicians established settlements in western Sicily such as Panum, Mothia, and Sorois. In 580 BC, Greek colonizers attempted to enter the port of Ribeim at the western end of Sicily, but were jointly driven away by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and indigenous peoples of the Aries. In the Battle of Alaria in 535 BC, the Carthaginians and the Etruscans of northern Italy teamed up to defeat Greek colonizers, turning the Tyrrhean Sea into the "Carthaginian Sea" and vigorously developing the maritime commercial empire. In the Battle of Chimera, which occurred in 480 BC, the Greek army of Syracuse and Akragas, led by tyrant Galen, defeated Carthage. After conquering several Greek cities in Sicily at the end of the 5th century BC, Carthage implemented a provincial system in Sicily and sent governors to rule, collecting tithes in kind, while residents paid taxes without being soldiers. Starting from the 3rd century BC, with the decline of Greece, Carthage pursued imperialist policies and attempted to control the entire Sicily. The war between the Carthaginians and Greeks did not affect their economic and cultural exchanges. Traces of Greek culture can be seen everywhere in Phoenician gathering areas, and the Punic cultural elements in Greek residential areas are not uncommon, forming a fusion of cultures. In Phoenician cities such as Modia, Panum, and Sorois, a large number of Punic Greek bilingual coins were unearthed to promote Greek mythology and Punic legends. The two 6th century BC portrait sarcophagus unearthed by Solois are typical Bunic sarcophagus, showcasing Hellenistic female images. Under the control of Carthage, the residents of Lilibem spoke Greek. The Greek goddess of harvest Demeter and her daughter Kolai have long been worshipped by the Carthaginians of Sicily, and their portraits even appear on Carthaginian coins. The popular worship of Heracles and Melcatus in Sicily and the western Mediterranean reflects the Bunification of the Greek god Heracles and the Hellenization of the Phoenician god Melcatus. Herodotus even believed that the cult of Heracles originated from Tyre. Many Bunic inscriptions have also appeared in Akragas
Edit:GuoGuo Responsible editor:FangZhiYou
Source:gmw.cn
Special statement: if the pictures and texts reproduced or quoted on this site infringe your legitimate rights and interests, please contact this site, and this site will correct and delete them in time. For copyright issues and website cooperation, please contact through outlook new era email:lwxsd@liaowanghn.com