Punic-Sicilian Wars ⚔️ The Siege of Syracuse (397 BC) DOCUMENTARY

[@InvictaHistory]

At one point I thought I was uncovering secret history by learning about the under discussed First Punic War. However little did I know that beneath it lay centuries of even bloodier conflicts between the Greeks and Carthaginians. Studying this has been truly revelatory and made me gain a better appreciation for the history of Sicily. In particular the innovations of Dionysius when it came to pioneering the Quinquereme and the catapult truly seems to have had a large impact on the military history of the era. I'm surprised this topic is not discussed more.

[@timmcclymont3527]

Hey great video as per usual. I apologize for the shameless request, but I've been dying for someone to cover River trade routes in history. It's a woefully under covered topic that I still have yet to find ONE video on here at KZbin. Anyway, again great video, keep em up!

[@MilitaryHistory1]

ever through of starting a discord?

[@caaaaaaammmmmm]

This video is my all time favourite and I’ve been a fan since m the Rome 2 total war days chur

[@kaizokujimbei143]

LGBTQ is a recent phenomenon in the modern era. They did not exist in ancient times.

[@alexislaisney3404]

I am glad you talk and uncover the history of the purple people

[@nisarbo3781]

In addition to the video an important aspect is missing: After the destruction of Motya Himilco when retaking the ruins he resettled its survivors a few kilometers south & founded a new Punic stronghold in 397 BC which served as the new main base of operations for Carthage's campaigns in the next 156 years to come & fun fact that one was never taken by force not even by the dogged & determined Romans: Lilybaeum.

[@wankawanka3053]

Lol kinda funny how the romans didn't even need to take it by force in the end

[@LeSethX]

I noticed that on satellite view in Google Maps. The island former city appears to now be almost entirely farmland, with the site of Lilybaeum of old still urban area.

[@gabrielalvarez6175]

The Roman's laid siege to Lilybeaum in 250BC and took it by force over the next 9 years. Source: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Lilybaeum_(250%E2%80%93241_BC) A lot of Classical Antiquity Greek/Roman historians wrote about it.

[@nisarbo3781]

@@gabrielalvarez6175 You are wrong: "In 241 BC the Romans defeated the Carthaginian fleet. The Carthaginians sued for peace and the war ended after 23 years with a Roman victory. The Carthaginians *still held Lilybaeum* but by the terms of the Treaty of Lutatius, Carthage had to withdraw its forces from Sicily and evacuated the city the same year." Rome never took it by force but merely were besieging it for the last 9 years as the peace treaty was signed. They had to turn it over to the Romans along with the punic stronghold Drepana and withdraw their troups from Sicily according to terms of the treaty.

[@takashi1488]

I recently went to Syracuse and stayed at the Ortigia island. It was beautiful and one of the most underrated place in Italy. It's a must go for those who like history and Sicily.

[@kaloarepo288]

The fountain of Arethusa in Syracuse was celebrated in both ancient times and in later times as an inspiration for poetry.According to a Greek myth she was a nymph in Arcadia southern Greece who tried to escape from the embraces of the river god Alpheus and so fled under the sea to resurface at Syracuse in Sicily where there is a fresh water fountain.Legend states that a goblet thrown into the Alpheus river in Greece will eventually bob up in Sicily.Great English poet John Milton mentions this legend in his elegy "Lycidas" written to commemorate the death of a friend -I had to study it in my literature course!This fountain is the only place in Europe where the papyrus plant grows.

[@nisarbo3781]

The naval battle of catana in 397 BC was a pivotal battle that established the reputation of Carthage being renowned & feared for having one of the most powerful navies in the Mediterranean. Syracuse was a strong naval power of their own right with the invention of the Quinquereme & having defeated Athen's navy during the Sicilian expedition 15 years prior & thus earned a leading position of greek naval prowess after Athens was at last completely defeated by Sparta during the Peloponnesian war. 100 destroyed ships & over 20.000 dead sailors & marines is a defeat that no greek navy has previously suffered to this extent.

[@Vikingr4Jesus5919]

Imagine being a civilian seeing the beaches after that battle

[@thomashenebry8269]

Why do you capitalize Carthage, but not Catana?

[@theblindlucario5093]

@@thomashenebry8269 likely autocorrection tbh. Catana isn’t as recognized by most keyboards as something like Carthage that autocorrects to capital

[@wankawanka3053]

You do know that the athenian navy was defeated by a surprise attack in the ports and not an open naval battle like catana right?and the remaining fleet was destroyed after the Athenians lost on land so i don't thing that Syracuse could really challenge athens in the sea

[@nisarbo3781]

@@wankawanka3053 It is just excuses at that point: Sparta who was never particularily formidable at naval warfare royally defeated Athens at the battle of Aegospotamai annhilating or capturing the entire Athenian fleet & its Delian league of 180 triremes which caused Athens to be besieged & to surrender to the Spartans. Also Syracuse supported Sparta with its fleet throughout 411 to 409 BC and scoring successes in smaller naval battles against them at the Bosporus & Ionian Coast. Carthage was in a similar situation as Athens when the plague broke out in 396 BC during the Siege of Syracuse. Syracuseans attacked them in the harbor too with their remaining 80 ships + 30 ships that arrived from their mother city Corinth as reinforcements, yet their fleet suffered losses but wasnt destroyed since Himilco managed to salvage the situation, something Athens was unable to achieve in this similar situation. Syracuse is often overlooked as a strong maritime power but they were at least on par with Athens & even rivaling Carthage during that time, they also defeated the Etruscans in naval battles such as the battle of Cumae in 474 BC in central Italy - who were considered a major maritime power as well after all.

[@pseudomonas03]

Dionysius was one of the greatest leaders of the ancient Greek world. His strategy on the Carthaginean island stronghold by builting a land bridge, it was used some years later by Alexander the Great, in the Siege of Tyrus (in much larger scale of course, designed by Diades the Thessalian, who is considered one of the greatest military mechanics of the antiquity) Dionysius's leadership skills made Isocrates to consider him as one of the possible candidates for the leader who could fullfil the Panhellenic idea. Next chapter i guess... Timoleon the Corinthian!

[@jmgonzales7701]

Its weird that they are greek and not italian

[@SpartanLeonidas1821]

@@jmgonzales7701 Una Fatsa una Raccia

[@jmgonzales7701]

@@SpartanLeonidas1821 what?

[@SpartanLeonidas1821]

@@jmgonzales7701 Italians say: Uno Faccua Una Razza It means: Same Face & Same Race For Greeks & Italians Hope that helps! 👍

[@jmgonzales7701]

@@SpartanLeonidas1821 europe is 1 race

[@theawesomeman9821]

Syracuse standing up to Carthage is an impressive story.

[@OnlyInMelsele]

Himilco is one of the best Carthaginian commanders ever. His naval victory at Catana was a masterpiece. No Greek navy had ever suffered such a massive defeat. Even when the siege of Syracuse was lost, he managed to save the lifes of many. If only a plague hadn't broken out in the besieging Carthaginian army, he might have achieved Carthaginian rule over (most of) Sicily.

[@benedictjajo]

I mean Dionysius still won in the end.

[@nisarbo3781]

@@benedictjajo well in turn Dionysius is going to lose both the 4th (383 -376 BC) & 5th Punic-Sicilian war (368-367 BC) decisively so his success was only lasting initially by destroying Carthage's stronghold Motya & by defending Syracuse.

[@benedictjajo]

@@nisarbo3781 but he didn't lose to Himilco.

[@nisarbo3781]

@@benedictjajo he did at the siege of akragas in 406 bc (while not leader of the army he was a member of the command staff) however he gained command of the Syracusean forces for the first time at the siege of gela in 405 bc which he lost as well & had to retreat & evacuate the city & finally at a pitched battle near Syracuse in 405 bc his forces lost again but details, much less numbers are sparse or not known of that engagement. It's just Dionysius didnt lose a land battle vs Himilco during the 3rd Punic-Sicilian war but he did indeed lose battles & sieges prior during the 2nd war against him no doubt.

[@davidearea242]

@@benedictjajo -Dionysius fanboi.

[@aaron6178]

Fun fact, there were vestige Greek speaking communities in the SE region well into the modern period. Sicily is wildly interesting. Greek, Roman, Carthaginian, Arab, Norman. It's seen most empires come and go, leaving behind their influences. Cool place.

[@kaloarepo288]

These communities are remnants of the Byzantine empire which recaptured these areas in the Gothic Wars and remained Byzantine until Normans or Arabs captured them.

[@wankawanka3053]

Finally hope you also start covering the syrian wars between Alexander's successors

[@oriolguerrero1702]

Since when are the wars of the diadochi called syrian wars? At most there was the Babylonian war. But i too hope he covers those soon

[@t.wcharles2171]

@@oriolguerrero1702 the wars between the sons of Seleucus and Ptolomy in Syria

[@oriolguerrero1702]

@@t.wcharles2171 Well, id say it was mostly fought on Egypt, Cyprus, Israel/palestinia, but sure also syria, no ones calls them the syrian wars, thats my point.

[@t.wcharles2171]

@@oriolguerrero1702 but he's referring to the series of wars fought in Syria by the sons of Ptolomy and Seleucus six to be precise

[@wankawanka3053]

@@oriolguerrero1702 who said anything about the diadochi wars ? The wars between the seleucids and ptolemies are called syrian wars my guy and both of them are Alexander's successors so

[@pickupsticks8578]

Fantastic episode. Your channel is the go-to for all things Mediterranean.

[@jmgonzales7701]

The mediterranean?

[@daddyloup3145]

I never knew this!!!! All did by one man and the people believed in him!!!! It's like literally the best war preparation in his era

[@chungawunga7769]

Thanks man, I really enjoyed the first video on Syracuse you uploaded three months ago, and I had been waiting for a follow up. Cheers

[@percy3993]

He damaged Carthage more by letting there army escape. I mean that was outright genius right there. He can always say Carthage might return so strength his position and he got elite mercenaries. Not to mention that absurd amount of money

[@sergiopiparo4084]

Sicily is a outdoor museum many layers of history proudly of my Sicilian heritage, thanks for this video

[@brokenbridge6316]

I love a good underdog story. And this one is one of the lesser talked about one. Great video.

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

Happy Greek noises

[@Mr_Dopey]

I believe the noise you're looking for is OPA!

[@SpartanLeonidas1821]

Crying Pechneg noises 🦃🎯

[@scrapmason3721]

Himilco must have said to himself "Well at least they didn't have Archimedes..."

[@cheddar1554]

I went to Syracuse this Summer, your videos really brought the history to life.

[@Hluz]

Very incredible art in this video 😮

[@explosiverex5023]

Loved this,very informative,cant wait for the next one!

[@HellenicWolf]

dude, from all the channels like yours, you have the most documentary like feel to it, it's like reading a novel. AWESOME! Good work!

[@invarietateconcordia1988]

A few years ago I went to Syracuse and spent a week there to see the sites of the sicilian expedition. So I wandered a lot in and around the city and thus besides the incredible content of this video I highly appreciate your wonderful maps. Thank you for your great work!

[@rohitrai6187]

BTW, This is around the same time as the expedition of the Ten Thousand into Persia in service of Cyrus the Younger

[@Sealdeam]

I think the Iberians produced some of the most underrated units of the ancient world as seen here they were an important part of Carthage's armies long time before Hannibal Barca's times, after the First Punic war when Carthage started its conquest and colonization of the Iberian peninsula they found the locals to be a difficult and hardy opponent and they would never completely control Iberia and neither would the Romans until the times of Augustus more almost 2 centuries after the end of the Second Punic War; it is also important to mention that one of the first clashes Rome had against Germanic tribes during the Cimbrian War ended in total disaster, the worst defeat Rome had suffered since Cannae but these german tribes were repelled from iberia by its inhabitants after this victory, the Cimbri and Teutons would be then defeated and destroyed by Gaius Marius who was given time to reform Rome's army by the decision of those tribes of proceed to Gaul and Iberia instead of invade Italy after their initial success.

[@Talematros]

More videos on ancient Syracuse and Sicily, love this and fascinating period

[@easyyo6784]

this was a very interesting video. the strategie is understandable and clever

[@iainmaclean612]

Glad you finally got round to this. Although I recommend a follow up addition on the truceless war/ mercenary war. Reasonable classic source, poor coverage in the mainstream of what was a crucial turning point in Carthage's home affairs.

[@marcbartuschka6372]

A very good video. By the way, the history of Syracuse explains why even the Romans had problem to conquer it - and it is impressive that they were in the end sucessful were so mighty other armies have failed.

[@SFE3610]

If you could do a living celt video or a soldier of the Celtic tribes break down that would be amazing! I know it's hard because a lot of Celtic history was oral but I'm sure there's enough sources to piece together a comprehensive picture

[@-RONNIE]

Good video thanks

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

A wonderful historical video coverages about this matter...naval competition dominant between Greeks footages & Roman empire & Carthageian (Phineas)state on Mediterranean sea...reflected in all Mediterranean shores.. thanks for sharing...much wonderful introducing

[@JBaseball777]

Great job per usual!

[@giorgilabadze1]

Vid about kingdom of Georgia 🇬🇪 would be 🤩

[@Harib_Al-Saq]

Epimethius made a good video about the subject.

[@ralambosontiavina7372]

Great video !

[@alejandrosakai1744]

As a fan of 1000 ways to Die, you could cover the Brazen bull because that episode was inaccurate! After all, the death happen in the Greek Sicilian city of Akragas and not in Athens or said that was a Greek Empire that didn't exist before Alexander the Great!

[@davidhughes8357]

Great as always my friends.

[@neo-didact9285]

Remember the part where the Nazis fired at them from their bomber?

[@bolobalaman]

They called "Dragons"

[@helios4753]

I really wish more people would study antiquity. I think we'd be better off as a whole if we did. There is so much good stuff to learn in there. From the grand wars to the mundane everyday life. It's amazing.

[@bigalsnow8199]

But Hannibal and his father valued Libyan troops far more than they did Iberian or Spanish troops. They used Iberian and Spanish troops as cannon fodder

[@helios4753]

@@bigalsnow8199 I think you replied to the wrong person

[@bigalsnow8199]

@@helios4753 And?

[@helios4753]

@@bigalsnow8199 maybe you wanted to know 🤷‍♂️

[@dwolf4164]

Nice video

[@cc0767]

I see a new punic sycilian war video, I need to fight my urge to play Rome 2 again

[@robbabcock_]

Terrific stuff!

[@twonumber22]

Always great.

[@baggelis_aikaterinis]

EB on the KZbin XD Well done Invicta team !!!

[@tadarn7799]

Here after watching Indiana Jones.

[@thegageinator805]

I don't know where the hell we're going, but it sure as hell isn't 1939.

[@guillermogarciaballesca9325]

Hey, I love your videos! BTW, I don’t know if you knew, but it seems that Kamikoto knives could be kind of a scam :(

[@AfaqueAhmed_]

Carthaginians every time they prepare for war . Plague :- Howdy mate ?

[@thehunter6321]

Great video, thx from Syracuse

[@nicholaiginovaef4861]

people sure were dramatic back then, locking himself in the house and telling people to go away until he starved to death 🤣👏👏👏

[@zenleek2129]

Yeah, if I had to do that everytime my code had a bug, I wouldn't have lived very long

[@IronWarrior86]

Nice one.

[@christophermillar5852]

Hello, absolutely love your videos and normally trust you sponsors, but have you looked into kamikoto? They use 420J2 steel, if you look up the type of steel you get quotes like "If you're looking very low priced knives"

[@jhnshep]

last year I happened across one youtuber that managed a 75% off for 30 days with free shipping, looked into them and found the same reviews, thought what the hell, they worked out cheaper than anything I could locally, happy so far, though I would never pay full price.

[@christophermillar5852]

@@jhnshep that's fair enough, the blades are very resistant to corrosion, but they don't keep their edge well at all, meaning you'll need to sharpen them far more. Also I find it a little off how they can provide all of those discounts and still make a profit. Then again if they're using steel that's extremely sub par it makes sense. I just dislike how they frame themselves as a premium high quality brand and everyone just believes it.

[@jhnshep]

@@christophermillar5852 oh yea I wouldn't recommend them at full price, got them because moving house and the lot I got was cheaper than the cheap here, also I have a couple of stones and strops for other bits n pieces, so I spend time sharpening other things. The single bevel I find a pain so I don't spend too much time, enough for what I need lol. always beware of marketing and as the saying goes caveat emptor lol

[@cc0767]

these kind of knives are mallninja stuff anywhere, just buy a cheap victorinox and you are set for life

[@johnharder6380]

Kamikoto knives are supermarket knives sold from Hong Kong. Not bad knives, but not legendary Japanese quality, as their marketing suggests

[@lukeochs3981]

Oh my god, I’ve been trying to take Sicily for like 50 turns in DEI Rome 2 TW as Epirus… I ditched Greece and Rome and sent a strong army to try and fortify the island but getting hit by Carthage, Rome and rebellions made it impossible so i dipped to the island in the northwest.

[@daniel-fs2ux]

Will the military units of ancient Athens be covered? Macedon & Sparta's units were already made, therefore wondering if Athens would be next.

[@Hamzakhan-dt3gv]

Interesting video

[@hyperion752]

The latest Indiana Jones movie brought me here

[@clintmoor422]

nice vid

[@CharlesXavier]

Video, prepare to be bombarded with views/comments from Indiana Jones watchers.

[@thegageinator805]

Your calculations are WRONG!

[@CharlesXavier]

@@thegageinator805 This video belongs in the museum!

[@omaindustry3502]

Incredible numbers. The world was not always sparsely populated.

[@MBP1918]

Interesting

[@robinpadilla314]

Loving this series! Amazing to learn about Carthage (long) before the Punic Wars. Are there links to the soundtrack? What's the track played at the very start of the video? Thanks!

[@malipasta1]

Love your videos. Some of the Greeks in the animation look very Macedonian the storming of the cities animation looks like it might be the Macedonian siege of Thiva. Not that it matters just wondered as I am very interested in Thiva and Thespiae which I have visited several times over the last 30 years. I have set up a fb page for them. keep up the excellent work.

[@KomradeCPU]

when you roll the eventual good tyrant but there's always the question of succession.

[@vv5651]

Great video! Himilco wasn't not the brother of Hannibal Barca who indeed fought the Second Punic War some 180 years later.

[@steveclapper5424]

It doesn't say much about Carthaginian intelligence, that he was able to raise such a force and they were surprised by that.

[@charlesdeleo4608]

And just seven years later, a band of Celtic warriors led by Brennus sacked Rome itself…

[@alex_zetsu]

I wonder why the plagued besiegers didn't infect the defenders. In the confines of the city walls, any respiratory disease would spread quicker inside than outside. Especially since a lot of the Syracusian-aligned farmers would have been let into the city before the siege, the crowding must have been pretty bad.

[@reeyees50]

They outside vs they inside. Basically non voluntary isolation

[@alex_zetsu]

@@reeyees50 But the attackers were trying their best to get inside which would break the isolation. One guy getting in, dying, and coughing all over while he dies should be enough to break this isolation. Unless the guys attacking are so comically outmatched they not only couldn't breach the walls in an assault, but couldn't even get someone inside in a failed try then I guess there us non voluntary isolation.

[@reeyees50]

@@alex_zetsu For the pandemic to spread, one person has to have full contact (exchange of air, saliva, blood, fluids, etc) with another person inside the walls. Obviously, people have always known how to isolate, pandemics precede humanity after all. You dont get more isolated than being sieged (nobody goes in, nobody goes out). There however tons of sieges and battles where pandemics occured, but heres the catch, the combats and siege opperations during those battles made the spread easier. 2 examples, mongol armies catapulting black plagued infected cadavers over the walls. Another example, is enemy siege sappers getting into the water supply of a city and poisoning them (imagine anything used for poison, lead, arsenic, feces, disesese infected corpses)

[@nestorand]

[@pyeitme508]

Yep

[@TheCaesarion]

Can you do a video on that new Roman emperor discovered?? Sponsian and when he claimed the title Augustus?

[@RemusKingOfRome]

Excellent, should be a computer game.

[@georgezachos7322]

80.000 troops? Fighting men? Are we sure? Those are huge numbers, I'm amazed!

[@ak9989]

And I collect ancient coins including Syracuse and Magna Grecia vases. Amazing history.

[@solarsage252]

Based.

[@jeanclaudejunior]

Had anyone watched Indiana Jones and the Dial of destiny? It showed the Battle of Syracuse

[@wwb16]

your calculations are WROONG

[@jeanclaudejunior]

@@wwb16 so you have watched that film

[@wwb16]

@@jeanclaudejunior of course

[@ObscureGaruda]

If that plague didn’t happen: 1. Carthage would’ve taken all of Sicily 2. Carthage would’ve won the first Punic war with Rome 3. Rome might not have expanded as far as it did 4. Carthage wouldn’t have been sacked in the third Punic war

[@morgant.dulaman8733]

Assuming there would have been a Punic war. That's the thing about alternate history: so many variables pile on top of each other so fast that there's no real knowing how factor A would later effect outcome B.

[@pakshirajan8585]

Please make a video on Vijayanagara Empire (1336 - 1565 CE)

[@MFC343]

I'd love you to do the peloponnesian war also/

[@Goblin_Mode]

guys please be nice to syracuse theyre just chilling ;(

[@klaiken989]

Wow, that is crazy messed up. He literally abandoned his allies and his own hired mercenaries.... I'm glad the Libyans revolted and got a little blood for vengeance. Could you imagine your father or brother, who is a venerated badass mercenary. Having fought and survived dozens of battles. Only to never return from their most recent contract because their employer, in an effort to save his own life. Gave up your family members and their allies for slavery so he could escape... Whew, that kinda reminds me of the Afghanistanians who helped us fight the Taliban and more. They also were literally abandoned themselves after the U.S. withdrawal. Betrayal is seriously one of the most deplorable actions one can take!!!

[@Thanadeez]

what do people use to make animations like these?

[@ThroatSore]

Please identify some of the Michilin Star Chefs who use those knives.

[@stardustreverie9737]

Himoko and Battle of Katana, the CC strikes again lol.

[@themodernshoe2466]

What is the instrument that's playing at 16:10?

[@IronWarrior86]

Way better than k&g in every conceivable metric!

[@johnconnor8206]

What’s wrong with them

[@thomasmillward3671]

Is that Rome 2 music in the background lol

[@sss.8150]

Ah, the ol' "creat a public emergency to solidify power" trick! Still working thousands of years later

[@jakelowery7398]

Anybody know the song at the beginning?

[@nvmtt]

Syracuse: We are saved! Dionysis: Oh I wouldnt say saved............. more like.. under new management (*executes someone).

[@gantz0949]

indiana Jones anyone?

[@robertstuckey6407]

Man, it would suck to be in a siege

[@maxsheng8215]

This shows the importance of cleanliness. The army with better potty training and better toilet will eventually win the war. Great Britain was a good example.

[@giannisgiannopoulos791]

Dear Invicta, his name was Dionysios of Syrasuse ( The Elder )for Διονύσιος ό Συρακούσιος (ό Πρεσβύτερος). Not Dionysius. He was not Latin.

[@MarfSantangelo]

Dionysius is also the English form of Dionysios, they borrowed it directly from Latin.

[@milesmalcolm587]

gotta say, videos go from 9 to 10 with the english voiceover guy lol. Love your stuff tho

[@fatihahenouze2036]

Can you do a video about roman war dogs Or Camels in dynastic egypt

[@therealunclevanya]

I didn't think there were very many camels in dynastic Egypt only Donkeys. They only appear in greater numbers after Alexander.

[@fatihahenouze2036]

@@therealunclevanya Many people think that roman bring camels to egypt and that's wrong information they just reintroducing Them

[@bolobalaman]

" Those are Roman Triremes "

[@DenienN]

where did the the epic voice go?

[@corvus2512]

How the hell does one city on a war torn island muster an army of 80,000 men? Where did they all come from? Medieval armies, recruiting from an entire kingdom maybe muster 10% as many..... the ancient world is nuts

[@Cancoillotteman]

Actually if letting the carthaginian citizens escape created the Lybian revolts, then the decision was even smarter than just for internal politics. It reinforced Syracuse's hand significantly

[@chomocharlie3997]

8:11, The Punic leader could not have been Hannibal's brother, because Hannibal lived in the 200''s b.c..

[@gchecosse]

Common carthaginian name

[@yeedbottomtext7563]

Everyone should read Polybius

[@mirmidon8595]

👏👏👏

[@Deridus]

Always happy to see Punics get their just rewards. Cartago delendem esse!

[@-carthage7779]

Why ?