Ancient Coin Stories

Panormos founded by Phoenicians

Syracuse is founded by settlers from Corinth.

Katane founded by settlers from Naxos

Leontini founded by settlers from Naxos

Gela is founded by settlers from Rhodes and Crete.

Settlers from Syracuse found Akrai.

The remaining Bacchiads in Corinth are expelled by the tyrant Kypselos. They flee throughout Magnia Grecia and found Syracuse and Korkyra.

Himera is first settled

Settlers from Syracuse found Kasmenai.

Kamarina founded by Syracuse

Settlers from Syracuse found Kamarina.

Akragas founded by colonists from Gela.

Akragas comes under the control of Phalaris, who became infamous for roasting his enemies alive in a bronze bull.

Settlers from Syracuse found Morgantina.

Sack of Kamarina by Syracuse

Leontini becomes subject to Gela

Hippokrates of Gela besieges Syracuse, but withdraws when Corinth and Korkyra get involved.

Kamarina again rebels against Syracuse

Death of Hippokrates, tyrant of Gela.

Gelon of Gela takes Syracuse.

Theron makes himself tyrant of Akragas and forms an alliance with Gelon of Gela and Syracuse.

The tyrant Gelon of Gela conquers Syracuse.

Kamarina destroyed by Gela

Theron of Akragas invades and conquers Himera.

Carthage invades Sicily, but are defeated by Theron of Akragas and Gelon of Gela and Syracuse.

The Greeks defeat Carthage under Hamilcar at the Battle of Himera

Death of Gelon of Gela. The tyrant Hieron then moves to Syracuse.

Death of Gelon, tyrant of Syracuse. His brother Hieron takes over.

The inhabitants od Katane are forcibly expelled by Hiero I of Syracuse and repopulated from Leontini. The city is renamed to Aetna

Thrasydaios succeeds Theron as tyrant of Akragas. Hiero I of Syracuse invades and overthrows him.

Death of Hieron, tyrant of Syracuse.

Thrasyboulos sets up a democracy in Syracuse.

Kamarina refounded by Gela

Katane renamed back to Katane

Death of the playwright Aeschylus in Gela.

Ducetius, leader of the Sicels, invades Akragas and conquers an outpost.

Ducetius, leader of the Sicels, defeated at Nomae by Syracuse, but is allowed into exile.

Kamarina allies with Athens and Leontini against Syracuse

Gela allies with Syracuse in the Sicilian wars.

Kamarina and Gela conclude an armistice

The Peace of Gela is signed, ending the Sicilian Wars.

Syracuse supports the oligarchs of Leontini against the people

The Sicilian expedition of Athens against Syracuse departs, on the urging of Leontini and Segesta. Ainos, Argos, Mantineia, and Elis provide support. Akragas remains neutral.

Kamarina votes to stay neutral

Athens forces entry into Katane. Alcibiades gives a speech to their assembly and they become allies.

Kentoripai surrenders to the Athenians.

The Sparta general Gylippos takes Iaitas on his way from Himera to Syracuse.

Metapontion provides a small support force to Athens against Syracuse.

The Athenian forces in Sicily are destroyed by Syracuse.

Pharnabazos orders ships built at Antandros. At the same time, Syracuse helps Antandros finish its city wall, resulting in citizen privileges for Syracusans there. When the ships are complete, Pharnabazos sails for Kalchedon.

Himera destroyed by Carthage

Akragas sacked by Carthage.

Gela is sacked by Carthage.

Kamarina is sacked by Carthage

Dionysos of Syracuse gives the northern part of his territory to mercenaries, who found Alaisa there

Katane occupied by Dionysos I of Syracuse

Dionysios I of Syracuse takes control of Enna through treachery.

The general Himilco of Carthage concludes a treaty with Kephaloidion.

Tyndaris founded by Dionysos of Syracuse

Syracuse signs a treaty with Carthage that increases its possessions.

Hipponion taken by Dionysios I of Syracuse.

Plato travels to Syracuse on the invitation of Dionysios I.

Soldiers from Syracuse support Sparta against Thebes, then invade and defeat Sikyon.

Eudoxos assumes the head of the Academy at Athens while Plato is in Syracuse.

Plato returns to Syracuse to work with Dion.

Plato arrives in Syracuse for the third time.

Agathokles of Syracuse born at Thermai Himeraia.

Tauromenion founded by exiles from nearby Naxos

Dionysios the Younger, tyrant of Syracuse, is expelled by Dion.

Dionysios the Younger reclaims the throne of Syracuse.

Timoleon lands at Tauromenion

Hiketas besieges Dionysios the Younger in Syracuse.

Tyndaris joins in favor of Timoleon

Agathokles moves with his father, a potter, to Syracuse.

Agathokles begins his military career serving in the army of Syracuse under the leadership of Timoleon.

Timoleon of Syracuse drives Carthaginians out of Akragas and declares it a free city.

Timoleon ousts the tyrant Nikodemos from Kentoripai.

Timoleon rebuilds the walls of Gela.

Agathokles marries the daughter of a wealthy Syracusan citizen, which helps him rise in social and political standing.

After years of service in the army, Agathokles gains popularity and starts to accumulate power in Syracuse, becoming involved in political conflicts.

Kamarina returns to control of Syracuse

Agathokles seizes power in Syracuse by staging a coup. He establishes himself as a tyrant, eliminating his political rivals and ending the democratic government.

Agathokles of Syracuse begins a campaign to expand his territory in Sicily. He conquers several neighboring cities, including Gela and Messana.

Agathokles of Syracuse temporarily takes Kentoripai.

Carthage conquers Gela with little resistance.

Kamarina sides with Carthage against Syracuse

Outbreak of the Agathokles War: The tyrant Agathokles of Syracuse invades North Africa, threatening Carthage but is ultimately repelled.

Agathokles‘ conflict with Carthage escalates. Agathokles faces a major invasion by the Carthaginian general Hamilcar, who besieges Syracuse. In a daring move, Agathokles decides to strike back by invading North Africa.

Enna opens its gates to Xenodicus under the hope of his promise of freedom.

Kamarina is destroyed by Syracuse

Kephaloidion attacked and taken by Agathokles of Syracuse.

Kentoripai taken by Agathokles of Syracuse.

Korkyra is again besieged by Kassander, but Agathokles of Syracuse destroys his fleet.

Agathokles dies of natural causes at the age of 72. On his deathbed, he decides not to pass his power to his descendants, attempting to restore a democratic government in Syracuse.

After the death of Agathokles of Syracuse, Phintias declared himself leader of Akragas.

Phintias of Akragas destroys Gela.

Death of Phintias tyrant of Akragas.

Katane opens its gates to Pyrrhos and welcomes him

Pyrrhos travels to Sicility and lifts a siege of Syracuse by Carthage.

Panormos conquered by Pyrrhos of Epeiros

Pyrrhos moves to attack Iaitas, but they yield without a fight.

Carthage re-takes Panormos

Hiero II seizes power in Syracuse.

Katane taken by Rome in the First Punic War

Kentoripai submits to Rome.

Rome lays siege to Akragas. Carthage attempts to relieve it, but the city is taken and its inhabitants sold into slavery.

Roman troops near Thermai Himeraiai are attacked by Carthage under Hamilcar and defeated.

Carthage under Hamilcar seizes Kamarina

Battle of Tyndaris involves Tyndaris against the Lipari Islands

Carthage recaptures Akragas.

Iaitas expel their garrison from Carthage and hand the city over to the Romans.

The Romans Aulus Atilius Calatinus and Scipio Nasica take Kephaloidion by treachery.

Rome takes Panormos

Tyndaris expels its Carthaginian garrison and joins the Roman alliance

Carthage fails to re-take Panormos at the Battle of Panormos

Peace settlement ends the First Punic War between Carthage and Rome. Akragas is given to Rome.

Romans elevate Kentoripai to a free city due to their loyalty.

Thermai Himeraiai is besieged and taken by Rome.

Hieronymos becomes king of Syracuse.

Pinarius, the governor of Enna, worries that the city will defect from the Romans. He therefore uses the garrison to massacre its citizens in the theater.

Romans under Marcus Claudius Marcellus take Leontini

Syracuse is besieged by Rome.

Akragas shifts its loyalty to Carthage in the Second Punic War.

Syracuse is finally taken by Rome. Archimedes is killed.

Rome retakes Akragas and renames it to Agrigentum.

Katane occupied by slaves in the First Servile War

Enna is at the center of the First Servile War.

Sicily is reorganized as a Roman province, including Akragas, with its administrative center at Syracuse.

Katane damaged by eruption of Mt Etna

C. Claudius Pulcher sent to Alaisa to regulate their laws

Cicero serves as questor of Sicily at Syracuse.

Cicero visits Alaisa for the prosecution of Verres

The inhabitants of Akragas and Syracuse receive full Roman citizenship after the death of Julius Caesar.

Katane joins Sextus Pompey, who utilizes its harbor

Tauromenion serves as a primary defense point for Sextus Pompey

Revolt by the gladiator Selurus in Katane