History of Sicily

218-201 BC

201

Second Punic war: Syracuse falls in 211 giving way to Roman rule.

210BC

210

in 210 BC, the Roman consul M. Valerian told the Roman Senate that "no Carthaginian remains in Sicily".

264-241 BC

241

First Punic War: Romans use the Sikels against Carthage. What's left to see: Punic Ship at Marsala.

242BC

242

Rome intervened in the First Punic War, crushing Carthage, so that by 242 BC, Sicily had become the first Roman province outside of the Italian Peninsula.

262BC

262

the Romans sought to annex Sicily as their republic's first province.

415-413 BC

413

Athenian invasion (the Great Expedition) of Syracuse in support of Segesta against Syracusan Tyrants fails leaving 7000 Athenian soldiers in slavery.

734BC

Mar 3, 734

Colonisation of Naxos. Greeks begin to arrive in search of land in development of a wealthy “Magna Graecia”. Naxians followed by Megarians at Megara Hyblaea, Corinthians at Ortygia, Rhodians, Cretans and Cnidians at Gela

750BC

Mar 3, 750

the Greeks began to live in Sicily (Σικελία – Sikelia), establishing many important settlements.

1200BC

Mar 3, 1200

In 1200 BC, the Sicels, who are thought to originally have been Ligures from Liguria, arrived from mainland Italyand forced the Sicanians to move back across Sicily and settle in the middle of the island.

70BC

Jan 3, 1970

In 70 BC, the noted figure Cicero condemned the misgovernment of Verres in his oration In Verrem.

480BC

Mar 2, 2022

Battle of Himera: a rare alliance of Gela, Agrigento and Syracuse defeat the Carthaginians heralding the beginning of a “Golden Age”.450 Rebellion led by Ducetius , quashed by Syracuse, confirming their power.

800BC

Mar 2, 2022

Important historical evidence has been discovered in the form of cave drawings by the Sicani, dated from the end of the Pleistocene epoch, around 8000 BC.