Sack of Camarina

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The siege and subsequent sacking of Camarina took place in 405 BC during the Sicilian Wars.

The conflict began as a response to the offensive activities undertaken by Hermocrates of Syracuse against Carthaginian territories in Sicily, particularly Selinus, after 408 BC. In response, Carthage dispatched an army under the command of Hannibal Mago and Himilco II, members of the Magonid family, to Sicily. Once in Sicily, they found themselves facing a coalition of Greek Sicilian forces led by Syracuse. The encounter resulted in an extended siege lasting eight months.

The Greek forces were compelled to abandon Akragas in the winter of 406 BC due to the intensity of the siege. During this period, the Carthaginian command suffered a loss as Hannibal Mago succumbed to the plague. In the aftermath, the Carthaginians seized Akragas, and then used it as their winter base. They launched an assault on Gela in the spring of 405 BC. By this time, Dionysius I had assumed the role of the Supreme Commander of Syracuse. However, his army was defeated at Gela.

Despite relatively few Greek casualties, Dionysius ordered an evacuation of the city. The Carthaginians entered the vacated Gela the subsequent day. The Greek forces then withdrew to Camarina, accompanied by the displaced residents of Gela. Upon reaching Camarina, Dionysius made the controversial decision to order the inhabitants to abandon their city instead of preparing for a defensive stand.

After retreating to Syracuse, internal strife resulted in a faction of the Greek army seizing Syracuse. However, the city was later reclaimed by Dionysius. Meanwhile, the Carthaginians pillaged Camarina and encamped there during the summer. Eventually, a peace treaty was established which affirmed Carthaginian control over Selinus, Akragas, Gela, and Camarina. The Greeks were permitted to inhabit these cities under the new administration, while Dionysius was recognized as the ruler of Syracuse.

This event marked a significant point in the Sicilian Wars, with Carthage attaining peak control over Sicily, a level of dominance that wouldn't be seen again until after the demise of Agathocles in 289 BC.