Selinunte is an ancient Greekarchaeological site in the south province of Trapani, in the island of Sicily. Selinunte is the modern Italian name for the ancient Selinus.
The archaeological site contains five temples centered around an acropolis.
History
According to Thucydides, Selinus was founded by people from Megara Hyblaea, a city on the east coast of Sicily, in the 7th century BC. The city had a very short life (about 200 years). During this time its population grew to a total of about 25,000. A wealthy trade center, Selinus was envied by the Carthaginians.
Selinus became an ally of Carthage mainly to gain support against Segesta. However, Diodorus Siculus wrote about Hannibal, who in 409 BC destroyed Selinus after a war that counted about 16,000 deaths and 5,000 prisoners. The city was beseiged for nine days by an army of 100,000 Carthaginians.
We hear of boundary disputes with Segesta as early as 580 B.C. Selinus soon grew in importance, and extended its borders from the Mazarus to the Halycus.
3 In 408 Hermocrates, returning from exile, occupied Selinus and rebuilt the walls; and it is to him that the fine fort on the neck of the acropolis must be attributed.
Outside the ancient city, on the W. of the river Selinus, lie the ruins of a temple of Demeter, with a propylon leading to the sacred enclosure: the temple itself has a cella with a narrow door and without columns.
Selinus, mentioned by Ptolemy, V, 8, 2, Pliny, V, 22, and other ancient geographies, was a port on the east side of Cilicia at the mouth of a river of the same name.
In 198 Longinus of Selinus, a rebel leader, was taken by Count Driscus and sent to Constantinople.
Le Quien (Oriens christianus, II, 1019) names four bishops: Neon, present at the council of Constantinople, 381; Alypius, at Ephesus, 431; AElianus, at Chalcedon, 451; Gheon, signer of the letter of the bishops of the province to Emperor Leo, 458.
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