European Kingdoms

Elymi (Italics)

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What are generally known as West Indo-European tribes arrived at the eastern edge of Central Europe around 2500 BC. Their northern group later became the proto-Celts of the Urnfield culture while the southern group seemingly migrated westwards and southwards, reaching Iberia, Illyria, and northern Italy.

Already further divided into semi-isolated tribes, they became more civilised in their habits and available forms of technology due to contact with southern Greeks and Etruscans. In the period between the eleventh to eighth centuries BC some of those groups in Illyria crossed by sea into the Italian peninsula and settled along the south-eastern coast.

Those who had entered peninsular Italy via the north Italian piedmont gradually migrated southwards to occupy much of the rest of eastern and central Italy. These tribes all formed part of a general group which are known as Italics, seemingly part of the main population of West Indo-Europeans prior to the emergence of Celtic culture.

The Elymi (or Elymians) were part of that generalised group of Italics but, specifically, they themselves were of indeterminate origin. During the majority of the Italian Iron Age they were located in western Sicily, and were neighboured by the Sicani to the east and by the Phoenician settlements of Carthage surrounding them along the coast.

A large number of groups steadily migrated into Italy between the twelfth and tenth centuries BC, such as the Iapyges from the Balkans and a vast collection of other Italics, generally from the north. The Elymi themselves probably arrived during this period.

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(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Edward Dawson, from Researches into the Physical History of Mankind, Vol 3, Issue 1, James Cowles Prichard, from An Historical Geography of Europe, Norman J G Pounds (Abridged Version), from The Roman History: From Romulus and the Foundation of Rome to the Reign of the Emperor Tiberius, Velleius Paterculus, J C Yardley, & Anthony A Barrett, from A Genetic Signal of Central European Celtic Ancestry, David K Faux, from The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, David W Anthony, from The History of Rome, Volume 1, Titus Livius (translated by Rev Canon Roberts), from The Histories, Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from Encyclopaedia Britannica (Eleventh Edition, Cambridge (England), 1910), from Encyclopaedia of the Roman Empire, Matthew Bunson (1994), and from External Links: The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe (Nature), and Massive migration from the steppe was a source for Indo-European languages in Europe (Nature.com), and Indo-European Chronology - Countries and Peoples, and Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, J Pokorny, and Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, William Smith (1854, Perseus Digital Library), and The Natural History, Pliny the Elder (John Bostock, Ed), and Geography, Strabo (H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London, 1903, Perseus Online Edition), and L'Arbre Celtique (The Celtic Tree, in French), and Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz or Dictionnaire Historique de la Suisse or Dizionario Storico dell Svizzera (in German, French, and Italian respectively), and Le Alpi (Università di Trento), and Pleiades (Ancient World Mapping Center and Institute for the Study of the Ancient World).)

fl c.1220 BC

Son of Teleon. King of the Elymians.

According to Greek tradition, Butes serves as a member of the crew of the Argonaut, under Jason of Iolkos. Jason himself is roughly datable as he is from one generation before that of the participants of the Trojan War which had resulted in Troy's destruction.

This map pinpoints the general location of the Italic tribes in peninsular Italy during the Iron Age (click or tap on map to view full sized)

He makes the heroic voyage to Kolkis to secure the Golden Fleece, rescuing Phineas of Thrace before he gets there. Butes is the only member of the crew not to be able to resist the song of the sirens, leaping from the ship to swim to them. Aphrodite saves him by transferring him to Lilybaeum on Sicily, which is the story which supplies the Elymi with their migration event from Greece.

Son. Founder & king of one of the three principle towns.

Brother.

10th century BC

According to Thucydides, the arrival of the more warlike Oenotri and Opici in northern Calabria triggers the migration of the Elymi, Itali, and Siculi into the 'toe' of Italy and onto Sicily. Antiochus of Syracuse, writing around 420 BC, confirms this, although archaeology suggests that elements of the Elymi have already settled there from perhaps 1100 BC.

Perhaps the heartland of Oenotri territory even at the point of their greatest expansion during the ninth century BC, Monte Arioso is verdant, productive land

Once on the island, Thucydides has them intermarrying with the native Sicani. In terms of archaeology of the early Italian Iron Age (as far as about 500 BC), the Elymi and Siculi are indistinguishable, although it is generally accepted that the Elymi largely displace the Sicani in the north-west of the island.

6th century BC

The Greek colonies along Sicily's coastline have an influence on the Elymi. Many elements of Greek culture have been and continue to be absorbed, including the Greek alphabet. The Elymi write their own language using this, and to date it remains undeciphered.

They also erect temples, including a notable example at their capital, Segesta (in the modern province of Trapani). The two other major Elymi towns are Entella (possible a town of the Sicani), on the left bank of the Hypsas (the modern Belice), and Eryx (modern Erice).

The proto-Sicani cave paintings of about 8000 BC were created perhaps two thousand years after their first arrival on Sicily at the end of the most recent ice age

580 - 576 BC

Segesta first comes into conflict with the Greek colony of Selinus (modern Selinunte). The Greeks are attempting to establish their colony as a major port, but Segesta dominates in that respect.

460 - 450 BC

The recent termination of the tyranny of Gelon I and his brothers in Syracuse has left problems in its wake on Sicily. War breaks out between Syracuse and its former colony at Catana in 460 BC. Ducetius, a prominent Hellenised Sicel, backs Syracuse in revenge for the former occupation of Sicani land by Catana, and the latter colony is defeated.

Ducetius goes on to found several Sicani colonies, while defeating Syracuse in battle, and forming a short-lived Sicani empire in central Sicily.

454 BC

The Greek colony of Selinus again comes into conflict with Segesta, presumably for the same reasons as before.

Despite this feud, which is probably caused solely by the need to secure trading rights for the region, the Elymi seem to be happy to welcome the colonists, whether Greek or Carthaginian. Open conflict between them is rare. Increased trade is apparently much more of an incentive, and Elymo-Greek culture replaces earlier Elymi culture.

The city of Carthage existed in its original glory for at least four hundred and twenty-eight years before it was destroyed by the Romans - and possibly another two centuries before that as a developing colony which was founded by Phoenicians

c.430 BC

Segesta builds an imposing temple, one which is fully Greek in style and form, showing that, despite the differences between the Elymi and the Greeks of Selinus, Greek culture has heavily influenced the Elymi.

415 - 413 BC

As part of the overall Peloponnesian War, Segesta requests help from Athens in its ongoing conflict with Selinus. The Athenian expedition to Sicily is misconceived from the start, and subject to political interference.

Athens' failure to take the Corinthian colony of Syracuse and the subsequent loss of thousands of troops almost brings the city and its empire to its knees. Segesta subsequently asks the Carthaginians for help and, following the complete destruction of Selinus in 409 BC, the Elymi remain Carthaginian allies.

307 BC

The city of Segesta is destroyed by Agathocles of Syracuse, self-proclaimed 'king of Sicily'. The city later recovers, but the Elymi have swiftly become Hellenicised, obliterating their Italic past so that their origins remain more obscure than almost any other Italic group.

The temple of Segesta was built around 500 BC and is fully Greek in style, as well as being one of the best-preserved Greek temple ruins in Europe

276 - 241 BC

Segesta is allied to Pyrrhus of Epirus when he invades Sicily and conquers Syracuse in 276 BC. Subsequently, during the First Punic War, the city surrenders to Rome, in 260 BC. Despite its long allegiance to Carthage, the city is not punished by Rome as the two have a traditional shared heritage in that both had traditionally been founded by Trojan refugees.

In the same year, Eryx is destroyed by Hamilcar and its citizens moved to a new site at Drepanum. Something of the old, well-defended city survives and is captured by Rome a few years later. Drepanum is abandoned by Carthage at the end of the war, in 241 BC. It is possible that Eryx is never restored, although its temple survives for quite some time.

218 - 202 BC

The Second Punic War is fought against Carthage. Rome is aided by its Etruscan, Picene, and Umbrian forces, but Italy is invaded by Hannibal Barca and a Roman army is massacred at the Battle of Cannae, killing sixty thousand.

The territory that had been settled by the Umbri was focussed along a stretch of the mountainous Apennines which form a spine down the middle of Italy

91 - 89 BC

The Marsi fight the Social War against Rome in which Rome's allies strive for, and are eventually granted, citizenship. The Frentani, Latins, and Umbri are also granted citizenship, although they play a smaller role in the war, with the Umbri joining the rebels late and agreeing terms with Rome early on.

Thereafter, the Elymi are gradually absorbed within Roman Italy and lose their individual identity. The city of Segesta gradually declines after its port is developed into a city in its own right, known as Castellammare del Golfo.

Segesta itself is destroyed by the Vandals. Briefly reoccupied by Muslims in the twelfth century AD, it is finally abandoned in the early thirteenth. Its ruins survive today.