Battle of the Himera River (446 BC)

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Battle of the Himera River
Battle of the Himera River (446 BC)
Date 446 BC Location The Himera River, either the modern Salso or the Grande, on Sicily, Italy Result Decisive Syracusan victory; peace treaty
Belligerents
Syracuse	Acragas
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Over 1,000

The Battle of the Himera River was fought in 446 BC^[1] between Syracuse and Acragas near the Himera river. The latter had declared war on Syracuse because their common enemy, the Sicel leader Ducetius, had returned to Sicily to colonize Cale Acte. Syracuse had exiled rather than executed Ducetius in 450 BC. Syracuse defeated Acragas and the conflict was settled with a peace treaty.

In classical antiquity the name Himera was used for two rivers on Sicily: the Grande and the Salso. The Grande flows north towards its mouth at the site of ancient Himera, the Salso follows a southern course to its mouth in modern Licata. It is not certain near which river the battle took place.