Rescue in Himera

By Carlos Rozo Suarez

Ancient manuscripts are found in La Madrague just south of Marseille. Researchers from the Centre Camille Jullian of the Maison méditerranéenne des sciences de l'homme in Aix-en-Provence are called to examine the finding. They are granted permission to examine the manuscripts at the the CCJ-MMSH. Some of the documents are translated from the ancient Greek. The text tells the story of a group of men involved in a task of great danger:

In 409 BC, the Carthaginians at the request of the Elymians who have been fighting against the Selinuntines to stop them from invading their lands, send an anrmy to southwestern Sicily. After landing somewhere near actual Marsala, the Caryhaginian forces march to the Greek city and lay siege to it. After two days they break into the city but only after nine more days is the city taken. The walls are razed to the ground, as well as many buildings, including temples. After destroying Selinus, the Carthaginians head for Himera, the main objective of the commander general Annibas (Hannibal) Mago who wants to get even for his grandfather's defeat before that city in 480 BC. Hannibal will raze the city to the ground so it will never be inhabited again. In the Greek city of Elea (Velia, in actual Campania) merchants have found out that the Carthaginian army is headed for Himera. They are worried for the well being of relatives and friends living there. They hire a team of Black Sea Greeks to save their kin and friends. They providde them with ships for transport and a unit of Elean hoplites to help them in their mission. They will have to sail to Sicily, extract those to be rescued from Himera, escape and head back to Elea, but in their way will be the enemy's army and pirates. It will tough then to make it back to Elea.

The researchers are called by the legal owner of the mansucripts who's gettig impatient and wants these back to sell them. The researchers will need to convince the owner to let them finish studying the documents and hope that they can be granted more time. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carlos Rozo Suarez
• Release date: Jun 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386057093

Carlos Rozo Suarez

Born in Cali, Colombia, 1963 Degree in Physics (equivalent to BS), 1988 MS in Physics, UPR-Mayagüez, Mayagüez, PR, US Commonwealth PhD in Chemical Physics, UPR-Río Piedras, Río Piedras, PR, US Commonwealth, 2008 teacher, private tutor first fiction ebook -> Rescue in Himera

Book preview

Carlos Rozo Suárez

PROLOGUE

B on jour, Laboratory of Professeur Leclerc, Centre Camille Jullian, who would you wish to speak to? ... Oui ... aha ... bon ... bon ... au revoir.

The student who took the call made to the lab walked over to the office of the lab director who was discussing the details of a paper to be presented at a symposium in late spring with a doctoral student. She knocked on the open door.

Yes, Claire. What is it? said professor Leclerc.

Someone just called from La Madrague. Some workers found documents stored in a smashed chest while digging to expand a basement at a restaurant. They want to have experts from the university determine how old these may be. Here is the address. said Claire, an undergraduate student with a work-study assistantship with the lab, as she left a Post-it paper on the professor's desk.

Sounds interesting. Paul, keep focusing on this approach, rewrite this section here and show me the edited version tomorrow. Claire, get Professeur du Ferrièr, I want him to come with me. Call several of the boys here. They're coming too. said professor Leclerc.

The group from the Centre left Aix by the AutoRoute du Val de Durance, then at the junction followed on the AutoRoute du Soleil past Septèmes-les-Vallons, and later on reached the neighborhood of Saint Lazare in Marseille. Taking turns here and there, not far from the Porte d'-Aix, professors and crew passed into the neighborhood of Joliette to the Quai de la Joliette  continuing then towards the Vieux Port, passing by the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie Majeure along the Quai de la Tourette. Taking the turn between the Fort de Saint Jean and the Eglise de Saint Laurent, all the boats and yachts came into view, some docked at the piers while others were either approaching these or heading out to the sea. It was a sunny spring morning, with a clear blue sky, a nice setting for navigating and breathing in some sea air. The Vieux Port was at a narrow inlet, surrounded by hills. Its entrance was flanked by two hilly promontories. At the northern one which extended from the Saint Laurent hill was the Fort de Saint Jean and at the southwestern one was the Palais du Pharo. Southeast of the Palais was the complex of the Fort de Saint Nicolas, which overlooked the inlet, and was separated from the former by the Boulevard Charles Livon. These constructions were located in the neighborhood of Pharo. Farther south was the highest hill, La Garde, at the top of which was the Basilique de Notre Dame de la Garde. The crew from the CCJ could see these monuments as it was on its way along the Quai du Port.

Since the group had passed La Major, professor Leclerc was imagining how the ancient Greek city of Massalia would have looked like from where he was. The ancient waterline was further up the Moulins and Saint Laurent hills than the Quai de la Joliette and Quai de la Tourette. He saw the high stone walls of the city, probably some thirty feet high with towers and battlements, run along the hillsides of the Moulins and Saint Laurent hills. The walls would have run along the promontory where the Fort de Saint Jean was, to follow on overlooking the inlet. As the group drove between the Église de Saint Laurent and the Fort de Saint Jean, professor Leclerc saw himself going right through the hillside, under the walls, underground below a small part of the city, under the walls again and out the hillside to end in the inlet. The ancient waterline of the northern side of the inlet would have followed uphill from the Quai du Port. As he looked north he would see the walls running along the hillsides of the Saint Laurent and Moulins hills as these reached the entrance to the harbor. The harbor was shaped much like a theatre and looked south. North of it was the Carmes hill, west of it was the Moulins hill and east was the hill on which was the present day neighborhood of Belsunce. It had its own perimeter walls protecting it and was not far from the city's eastern walls. From the harbor entrance southwards, the ancient waterline would have passed uphill from the Quai des Belges as well as uphill from the Quai de la Rive Neuve, to reach the promontories on which were the Fort de Saint Nicolas complex and the Palais du Pharo. Professor Leclerc saw the marshes just south of the city walls in the lower part of La Canebière by the inlet which would receive rainwater from the plateau of Longchamp and La Plaine and from water sources to the south. He saw a city extending across the hills of Carmes, Moulins and Saint Laurent with blocks of buildings of all sorts and streets crisscrossing the hills according to a grid plan. The marketplace was at the Place de Lenche. The city counted with a system of cisterns, water reservoirs and different pipe systems. He saw temples to its most important gods: Delphinian Apollon, Ephesian Artemis, Athena, Demeter and Persephone spread over said hills. He also saw limestone quarries in the Saint Victor neighborhood, especially at La Garde. More stone could be obtained from the massifs to the south and southeast. He saw the city walls run north from the harbor and then turn to the west to reach the coast running along the northern hillsides of the Carmes and Moulins hills.

Do you think the people that called us would have also called the Musées d'Histoire, des Docks Romains or d'Archéologie Mediterranéene? asked Professor du Ferrièr as the group was taking the curve to head down the Quai des Belges.

It's possible, but let's hope not or we will never end haggling with those guys to be able  to examine whatever was found. replied Professor Leclerc after his image of merchants selling their goods at the marketplace vanished as his concentration diverted by the question asked.

After the Quai, the group took another turn leading to the Quai de Rive Neuve and the Boulevard Charles Livon. At the coast, another turn to the left led them to the Rue des Catalans; the CCJ crew sped by a short stretch of beach known as the Plage des Catalans, and on to the Corniche Président John Fitzgerald Kennedy. They could see in the distance the Rochers des Pendus and the Iles des Friouls, the smallest of which was the Ile d'If, where the Chateau d'If was. Though it was initially built as a fortress it turned later into a prison ... it would become that ghastly giant of granite from whose projecting crags Edmond Dantès would luckily escape after 14 years of unjustly imprisonment as the result of an act of treachery. They passed the monument of Morts d'Orient and crossed the bridge over the small inlet of Vallon des Auffes. After passing to a side of the Promontory of Malmosque they drove on and passed by the Plage des Prophètes, the Mémorial des Repatriés d'Algérie and the Plage du Prado, while crossing the Huveaune River and passing the Parc Borély with its Château and hippodrome.

In less than three months, this place will be crowded and there will be traffic jams down to Callelongue. said Professor du Ferrièr as he drove along the Rond-point Henri Fernay.

Neither of us will be around by then to suffer by the traffic jams. There's someone here, though, who will feel like fish in the water in the crowded Vieux Port and La Canebière, especially during the night ... replied Professor Leclerc with a smirk as he quickly looked at the graduate students seated at the back through the rear-view mirror.

But Sir, we still are young and can enjoy life! said Henri, one of them, with a chuckle.

Laddie, your enjoyment is over! You have the doctoral candidacy exams at the end of summer! Your grades on the latest courses have been mostly B- with a few being B. The exams will correspond to the topics presented in those courses. What are the nicknames you have earned among your mates, by the way? replied Professor Leclerc also chuckling.

'Dr. Scratch' and 'Dr. Barely'! replied Louis and Edouard, two of Henri's lab mates, laughing.

They drove on the Avenue de la Madrague de Montredon, through Pointe Rouge, Montredon and then reached La Madrague. The restaurant was close to the village's small inlet with a few boats moored at its piers. Part of the restaurant was open but a section of it was closed. Only construction workers were at said section. The owner was talking to the foreman on the sidewalk. The Professors got out of the car and walked over to the two men.

Bon jour, we come from the Centre Camille Julian at Aix. Do any of you know the owner of this establishment? said Professor Leclerc.

Bon jour; well, that would be me. My name is Ives Borély. replied the restaurant owner, a tall man in his fifties, extending his hand.

Jean Leclerc. Not a descendent of Louis Borély by any chance? asked Professor Leclerc as he shook the owner's hand.

Of the Château? Bien sûr que non! I've had tourists here who after hearing my name ask me if I own the Parc! Can you imagine that? replied the restaurant owner with a chuckle.

Michel du Ferrièr. Have you contacted any of the museums from Marseille about your finding? asked Professor du Ferrièr as he shook hands with the restaurant owner.

Are you mad? I'd have the media here in no time and after their moment in the spotlight the directors of those museums would just try to pull the documents out of here without wanting to even offer some minimal compensation. The more hush-hush I can have these documents analyzed the better. I see you brought a whole team with you. replied Mr. Borèly as he saw a lab engineer, a lab technician, one of the lab's post-docs and three more grad students come out of the lab's van.

Could you show us where the chest was found? asked Professor Leclerc.

No, not exactly. The workers have already begun work on the expansion of the basement. The finding had been made two days ago, while they were finishing the digging. replied Mr. Borèly. The best thing I can do is ask the foreman, M. Leblond, to show you where it was found, from the stairs leading to the basement. The documents were found wrapped in cloths. We put them in some boxes. Pieces of the battered chest were placed in another box. These are at the restaurant. Come, let's go there. À toute à l'heure, M. Leblond!

I'll send the technician to take a photo. said Professor Leclerc who turned over to the technician and signaled him to follow the foreman.

The foreman went back to check on his workers while Mr. Borèly led the group from Aix to the section of the restaurant open to service. The name of the place was La Rascasse Rouge.

Don't be fooled by the name. Although you'd expect only sea food we also serve beef and chicken. Even the more popular Italian foods such as pasta, risotti and ossobuco, though not at the moment due to the construction work. said Mr. Borèly as he opened a door and went in followed by the professors, the engineer and the post-doc.

They reached the cash register by which were the cashier and Mrs. Borèly, who was in her forties and shorter than her husband.

Chérie, this is the group from Aix who have come to look at the documents found. said Mr. Borèly.

The group stayed for a moment shaking hands with Mrs. Borèly, who then led them to a room behind the cash register and the bar the restaurant had. At one side of the room, next to the wall and away from the main desk were a couple of boxes. The post-doc and the engineer, who both had lab coats on, took some gloves and masks out of their coat pockets, put them on and carefully unwrapped two bundles of documents without lifting these and the cloths from the box they were in. The bundles were very thick. The cloths showed the wear of time with their colors fading away and had a few holes. The two saw many sheets of dark yellow or brown parchment which showed a few small holes around the text and a few folds too, but in general the sheets were in a good state of conservation.

There are so many sheets. They are written in Greek ... Professor Patakis and her group will have to examine the sheets and tell us how ancient the texts may be as well as perform the respective translations. said the post-doc, Juliette Haroche as she looked at the parchment at the top of her bundle. 

Mr. Borèly, we'd have to take these boxes to the lab to examine the contents. The remains of the chest, the cloths and the parchments need to be carbon dated and the texts must be translated and analyzed. That could take some time, with the translation of the text in the parchments taking the most time. said Professor Leclerc looking at the couple of restaurateurs.

How much time is it that you are speaking of? asked Mrs. Borèly.

With the present workload at the lab examinations and analysis could take at least a month. Only Professor Patakis can say how long it will take her and her team to complete the translation, but from the thicknesses of the bundles, it could be quite some time. It is important to know what was written on those parchments, though. replied Professor Leclerc.

And then they will be brought back here? asked Mr. Borèly.

Yes. You are the legal owner. However, we might have to inform of this find to the directors of the Centre and of the Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l'Homme. They might be interested in talking to you. replied Professor Leclerc.

Zut! I hope they don't! said Mr. Borèly feeling a bit bothered.

We will try to keep this as secret as possible, then. said Professor Leclerc trying to calm him.

Mr. Borèly looked at his wife who nodded affirmatively.

C'est bien! You can take the boxes to your lab. said Mr. Borèly uncomfortably.

Go get the boys, s'il vous plait. requested Professor Leclerc to the technician who had just returned from the basement and immediately went to fetch the students.

With the boxes in the van, the group from Aix was about to take their leave, when Mr. Borèly stopped them.

It's about lunch time. Wouldn't you wish to take a look at the menu? he asked.

Do you have any recommendation? asked Professor Leclerc.

Le plat du jour is bouillabaisse accompanied with a demi-boteille of a local Cabernet-Sauvignon dry red wine. answered the restaurateur.

Then that is what we will have. said Professor Leclerc.

My wife'll take you to your tables and I will place the orders for you. said Mr. Borèly as he headed to the kitchen while his wife led the group to a couple of tables.

It was Juliette. She went to the AixMICADAS lab at the CEREGE to discuss with the lab specialist the measurement results of the samples she took there some days ago. said Professor du Ferrièr as he checked a text message in his cell phone. The radiocarbon dating showed the parchments seem to have been from the period 150-100 BC. Well, apart from the dating information we know the skins to be bovine from the hairs found in certain rough spots of the sheets. We still must have samples of the skins DNA analyzed to determine from what animals these were taken. Imagine if the skins were not from domestic animals but say from feral bulls from the Camargue.

That's too much toil for some skin. You can hold on to that fantasy if you wish. We'll send some samples for DNA analysis later on. In any case, it seems then that the restaurateur found documents that are about as old as the oldest of the Avroman parchments, and plenty, while the others were only three. It's practically unbelievable. said Professor Leclerc while enjoying the last of his plate of daube.

C'est vrai. The sheets, which vary in size from about 10 cm x 16 cm to 16 cm x 25 cm more or less, in general do not seem to present holes big enough for us to be worried about any missing sections of the text, at least at first sight  from the ones we've seen. That is a miracle. replied Professor du Ferrièr.

Any news from Sophia Patakis about the manuscripts? asked Professor Leclerc who had finished the daube and was munching on a piece of calisson.

She has her post-docs, helped by some doctoral students, working on those parchments. She said it will take time to translate all of them. replied Professor du Ferrièr before sipping some local brown ale. Professor Leclerc was also drinking some local amber ale. They were eating at a place called Sylvano's, not far from Avenue de l'Europe about a mile from the MMSH where the Centre was located.

I'm coming here with my family Saturday night, which is when they have musicians playing. The owner of this place has a jazz band. He is a Biréli Lagrène and Sylvain Luc fan and sometimes he and his band play pieces that have been interpreted by the guitarists. You should come with your family to watch them play. said Professor Leclerc as they were leaving.

I'll think about it. replied Professor du Ferrièr.

What about the chest and the pieces of cloth? asked Professor Leclerc as the two researchers walked to the car.

Aah, yes! Juliette told me they were found to be practically contemporary with the parchments. The average dates are very close to one another and the date ranges overlap significantly. answered Professor du Ferrièr.

It was late June and work in the MMSH was as usual. While some of the professors of the Université Aix-Marseille with only teaching load were either teaching during the summer session or involved in the summer outreach program activities others were on vacation. Those with research were working at their labs or offices or off on field work. 

It's a pleasure to see you visit us today, Sophia! Comment ça va? I thought I would not see you until the semester began. Anything new? said Professor Leclerc as he saw Professor Patakis enter his lab, while he was talking to some students involved in summer research, not far from the door.

Bien, merci! Et vous? I must say I was doubtful of coming here. I thought you had left with Michel to a dig. I heard he had already left the country, is that so? replied Professor Patakis as both professors followed on to Professor Leclerc's office.

Oui, he is collaborating on and off with digs at the ruins of Selinous. He took some students and post-docs with him. I will be going to a symposium, but that's in late August; which means that you are in luck. Do you wish a cappuccino? said Professor Leclerc as they went in.

Ah ... only a small cup, si'l vous plait. answered Professor Patakis.

Professor Leclerc went to fetch a couple of students and sent them for two cups at the vending machine in the hall outside the lab.

Let's wait for the students to come back with the coffee. As I was saying, I will be off to a symposium in some southwestern town or city in the United States, outside California; I do not remember its name. Do you have any symposium to attend to this summer? said Professor Leclerc as they sat down, Leclerc behind his desk and Professor Patakis in one of the three chairs regularly in front.

Non, but I will attend one close to winter in Poland. answered Professor Patakis.

The one in Wroclaw? asked Professor Leclerc.

Oui, that one. replied Professor Patakis.

Are you going to take a break before the beginning of next semester? asked Professor Leclerc.

Oui. I'll be travelling. answered Professor Patakis.

To Hellas? asked Professor Leclerc.

To visit my family for a few days. But from there we will head to western Georgia. replied Professor Patakis.

Oh! Vraiment? Where to? asked Professor Leclerc with certain interest. Ah! At last, the coffee is here!

The students handed the cups over to the professors and then went back to their affairs.

You are the only one I know around here who has picked the Black Sea area to spend a vacation. Where in Georgia are you going to? asked Professor Leclerc again, taking a sip while waiting with great expectation Professor Patakis' answer.

Bon ... we will be on a tight schedule. First will be Batumi, with its Botanical Garden, and Gonio. From there, we will visit the Mtirala National Park and Kintrishi Nature Reserve. Next, Kobuleti, from where we will visit the Kobuleti Nature Reserve. After that Poti, from where we will visit the Kolkheti National Park, basically the Paliastomi Lake and River Pichori areas, and drive to the site of Archaeopolis. Then Vani ... said Professor Patakis.

Where you will go to the archaeological site! interrupted Professor Leclerc.

Ha, ha ... oui. Last, Kutaisi, from where we will visit the Sataplia Nature Reserve with its cavern and the Okatse Canyon. We will also go sightseeing within the city. Then we come back home. said Professor Patakis.

Without going to Tbilisi and the wineries in the area? asked Professor Leclerc.

There will not be time for that. I would have liked to visit the Château Mukrani, about an hour's drive away from the city. replied Professor Patakis taking a sip. One can buy the wines in Kutaisi, anyway.

And that local liquor they produce ... said Professor Leclerc taking a sip.

Oui ... the chacha ... said Professor Patakis taking another sip.

I understand they also produce a local candy like our calisson ... added Professor Leclerc.

Mmm ... the churchkhela. We will have more than one chance to taste it ... said Professor Patakis finishing off her coffee. Bon ... we are making advances on the translation of one of the bundles. I think I will be able to email you the text before I go on vacation so you can read it before leaving for the United States.

What do you think of the manuscripts? asked Professor Leclerc.

Hmm ... it is strange; the text is not Koine Greek, but Ionic Greek and the writing of the letters corresponds to that of the Classical Period, which I find quite odd. But you already noticed that, right? said Professor Patakis.

Yes. And due to the number of sheets we thought it would be best if you and your team handled the analysis and translation of the manuscripts ... replied Professor Leclerc.

Nice of you, by the way. Bon ... This makes me suspect that the manuscripts must be transcriptions of the original text without anyone ever bothering to update the writing of the letters to that of the period of the parchments. Fortunately, the holes do not pose serious problems for the interpretation of the text, which is a miracle ... quite unusual ... Tell me, where were these manuscripts found? said Professor Patakis.

Hmm ... they were in a bronze-plated pinewood chest wrapped in cloths, buried underground. The owner of a restaurant in La Madrague was expanding his basement and the workers bumped into a buried cist while removing earth. They broke through the stone and almost completely damaged the chest, which survived thanks to the plating. The pinewood was cracked but fortunately nothing happened to the cloths or the manuscripts. The workers pulled out the chest and called for the owner who had it and its contents carried to the restaurant. The workers got back to their job breaking through the rest of the stone of the cist, which was disposed of that same day. The owner got in touch with us two days later. replied Professor Leclerc. 

Very strange ... why would the parchments be buried underground? It is stranger still that they are in so good a condition ... Bon ... the text is in prose ... the style is quite straightforward ... nothing like what is known of Greek literature be it fictional, or not. It could be either a fictional piece or a recounting made by a witness of the events described ... I cannot say which ... replied Professor Patakis.

Interesting ... we will not be able to know why those documents were buried until all the parchments are read, so you'll have the honor of finding that out ... So, once Michel has read the texts your team has translated, I have come back from the symposium and you have returned from your vacation, we can get together and discuss our impressions. If we agree that the text does not need further revision we must contact M. Borèly to give him back that bundle. It would be best to take photos of each parchment of the manuscript before handing it back, though ... said Professor Leclerc.

We're already working on that. added Professor Patakis.

Super! I will be awaiting your email then. If you can, send me the image files of the parchments too, si'l vous plait. said Professor Leclerc.

OK. Je vous verrai alors. said Professor Patakis and left.

Summer was advancing on at an easy pace. The Day of the Bastille passed by with its joyous celebrations; for Henri the holiday extended to a vacation as he couldn't be found anywhere in the MMSH for weeks afterwards. It was rumored he had left to Marseille and then continued through the rest of the Côte d'Azur. Aix had celebrated the Festival International d'Art Lyrique, the Fair of the Vineyards, which Professor Leclerc went to along with his family and the Alpes Retro Antique Car Show, which he also checked out. July ended some days later. The first week of August, Professor Leclerc received the email he had been expecting. He opened the message and saw the icons of the attachment files. The images had been compiled in a pdf file. The text of the manuscript was in another pdf file. The message read:

Jean:

My students finished preparing the pdf file of the images of the parchments of this manuscript just in time before my trip. The text was modernized with respect to the original transcription, with the exception of most of the mythical, historical and geographical terms or names which were left unchanged. I hope you enjoy the reading. You will notice some coincidences of the story with our chat about my vacation trip. By the time you begin to read this message I will be flying to Hellas.

 bientôt!

PROFESSOR LECLERC CLICKED the icons to download the files to the desktop. He minimized the web browser and clicked the icon of the file of the images and flipped through the file page by page. Satisfied with the resolution of the images he closed the file. He then clicked the icon of the file of the text and sat back as the file opened ...

This is one of a number of stories of the adventures of a team of men under the leadership of a Sinopian of great qualities. These narrations have been written down and transcribed so that their memories may endure into the future. This tale is of events taking place during a rescue mission in Himera.

SELINON

Oh, Selinous! City of the selinon plant, founded by proud Doric Hellenes from Megara Hyblaia, with vast territories from the river Mazaros to the west to the River Halykos to the east ...

Oh, Selinous! Gifted with two harbors and with an imposing citadel, on the hill in between these, overlooking the sea to the south ...

Oh, Selinous! With great temples to the Olympic gods, among the greatest of all of the Hellenic cities, and with magnificent sculptures ...

Oh, Selinous! Your citizens grew too greedy and attacked the Elymians, raiding and seizing their lands, wanting them all, forgetting who they would implore to for help ... Karkhedon ...

Oh Selinous! Once ally of Karkhedon, now its enemy ... enemy of which your citizens underestimate its might ...

Oh, Selinous! The prayers of your citizens to the Olympic gods at their temples, the offerings deposited at the feet of their statues, the sacrifices to them of the finest animals, the prayers to Hestia at the hearth where the sacred fire burns, in the city-hall, in public buildings or in the homes, the prayers to river god Selinous ... all will be in vain...

Oh, Selinous! Your days are numbered; you will be destroyed. Your men will be slaughtered; your women and children will be left at Karkhedon's disposal. You will never again be the proud city you once were ...

It is a sunny spring day of the third year after of the ninety second Olympiad. From a small promontory, two horsemen hidden within a grove of elm trees, a certain distance away from the shore, have been watching the movements of ships to and from Motya, important Phoenician port located on a small island to the north, just in front of the western coast of Sikelia, as well as the sea to the southwest. Its walls are high and of very thick stone; there is constant movement of sentinels at the battlements. The city's kothon has not presented activity beyond the normal flow of merchant ships. The way that runs from the northeastern part of the island to the mainland following a northeast direction presents its everyday transit of people, wagons and animals. There are salt-works along the coast of the mainland to the north and farther away are the manufactories where fish are salted and garon is being prepared. A few stades inland are numerous houses extending to the north all the way to the mouth of the river Akithios. Closer to the way from the island to the mainland are weaving manufactories and the city's necropolis. Not far from there, along the coast are factories where the Phoenician purple dye is being produced, with heaps of shells around them. The spit of land, known as the Aigithallos, along with two islets, surrounds the island city to the west. On the Aigithallos are more salt-works, dye manufactories, fishermen villages, shipyards and watchtowers looking out to the sea to the south and west. Many of the fishermen are on their boats making their catch around the Aigoussian Islands, several tens of stades to the west, or spread along the sea between said islands and the Aigithallos. Inland to the north, east and south of the grove are the farmlands, traversed in part by the Akithios, where the Phoenicians have their crops of grain, olive groves and vineyards. The two lookouts can see the farms in the distance to the east and the workmen toiling in the respective fields.

It's jus' ano'er usual day, like yesterday an' the days before. said one of the spying horsemen.

Well, let's hope nothin' happens as the rest o' the day passes on an' tomorrow mornin' we'll be relieved. It'll be good t' sleep in bed 'gain. replied the other.

Don't talk too soon, we've still got t' go t' the promontory south, past the stone quarries, so let's get movin'. added the first lookout.

They ride along the coast at a gallop from grove to grove, passing beyond multiple stone quarries about four stades inland, where some crews including Hellene stonemasons are preparing to carry needed stone for some building projects at Motya and the different sectors around the bay of Motya. They reach a cape south and hide within an oak tree wood. The sun keeps on its journey west without much happening, but later in the day, suddenly some small specks appear on the horizon to southwest. As time goes on, their number increases.

By the wrath of the Erinyes! They're here! gasped the first spy.

A fleet of many ships is approaching, consisting of some sixty three-banks-of-oars and different transport ships, fifteen hundred in all. The ships, instead of advancing towards Motya, make way towards the cape.

On t' the horses! They're goin' t' land t' the east! said the first rider.

The horsemen ride towards the landing area east of the cape and seek tree cover. They watch the disembarkation from the first ships that have arrived and after a while leave the tree cover without making noise or being seen, to ride off along the coast to the southeast. 

Once at Mazara, a Selinontine fort on the left bank of the Mazaros, close to its mouth, the two sentries leave their horses to the stable boys and follow on to the fort headquarters. After the salutations, the riders report to their commander.

The Karkh'donian fleet has arrived, sir! They've landed on the coast t' the south o' Motya. They've more than fifty warships, many more transport vessels, which've carried a big army, o' more men than there are people in Selinous, many supplies an' a vast amount o' arms! says one of the horsemen.

Good work, boys. Take a rest. Be up an' ready 'fore nightfall; we've t' prepare everythin' t' abandon the fort in the mornin'. Everyone at the tradin' station will be advised t' do the same. The enemy will be here tomorrow or the day after. On your way aroun' the courtyard, call the messengers; we need to send word t' the city, t' the forces we have attackin' the Elymians an' t' the farms close t' the Mazaros, right now. replied the commander of the fort.

The messengers immediately ride out. The first messenger heads up the River Mazaros to the lands of the Elymians of Halikyai being laid waste by the Selinontines. The second messenger gallops at full speed east over to Selinous, on the southwestern coast of Sikelia not far away. As fast as possible, the herald reaches the west harbor of the city, follows on to the residential and commercial sectors north of the harbor and past the temples of the western hill to cross the bridge over the Selinous. He then rides south along the length of the walls that only enclose the central portion of the city between the Selinous and the middle stream, comprised of the citadel and the north hill, to the gate which is opened to him. He continues up the citadel, which overlooks the sea to the south, and reaches the city-hall to report to the chief magistrates, already in meeting with the generals under the command of the general-in-chief.

Hon'rable Chief Magistrates an' gen'rals, message from the fort at the Mazaros! The city is t' make preparations for its d'fense! The Karkh'donian army has disembarked south o' the city o' Motya! It's a big army! Messengers've already been sent t' recall the troops up the Mazaros; these should be here by nightfall at the latest! reported the herald.

First, we must dispatch riders t' our allies an' then discuss the initial measures t' be taken for the defense of our city. said the regal magistrate.

Messengers are sent to Akragas, Gela and Syrakousai requesting their aid. These quickly leave the citadel and head to the eastern gate, cross the middle stream to the eastern portion of the city and leave it passing by the eastern harbor. Further on, the messengers then reach the Hypsas, cross it and continue further east.

The chief magistrates rapidly discuss the most immediate measures to take.

All right now, have you finished writin' down the instructions t' be given t' the citizens? Well then, the gen'rals'll appoint officers, hoplites an' horn blowers so you can make your way t' the marketplace an' address the pop'lation. said the eponymous magistrate to the junior magistrates. 

The junior magistrates are each clad in a sleeved long tunic, wrapped in a mantle and wear sandals. The officers wear linen cuirasses over their tunics, sandals and helmets without nose-pieces, with narrow cheek-pieces and carmine plumes; they carry swords which hang from a shoulder. The hoplites wear the same helmets, with no crests, tunics and sandals but no body armor. They carry their shields with hanging aprons, spears and swords. All the shields have a blazon painted in black on them: a man's face in profile, representing the river god Selinous. The heralds also wear tunics, helmets with no crests and sandals; they carry each a shield with a hanging apron, a sword and a trumpet instead of a spear.

The designated group of the junior magistrates, along with the officers, hoplites and heralds leave the city-hall, which is at a corner at the junction of the main south-north and main west-east stone paved streets of the citadel, to start their walk north along the main south-north street. On the corner diagonal to it is a public fountain house. At the corner in front, still on the main west-east street which is about twelve feet wide at said block is a building and next, to the east, are the enclosure walls surrounding a temple to Apollon, which is close to two-hundred-and-ten feet long by eighty feet wide and close to forty feet high, having an outer colonnade of seventeen by six columns. The gateway for the temple site faces the west-east main street. The group of men makes its way north, passing by four story buildings with business offices, a courthouse and stores, the west face of a temple to their right side, more buildings for businesses, stores or dwellings, and public fountain houses. There are many passersby as the group marches on, with people crossing the streets at one place or other. Some people do not notice the group and keep on their own paths while others do find the sight odd as it is an uncommon occurrence and turn around to follow the junior magistrates and their escort. They reach the northern gateway to the citadel with an entrance width of eight feet. They exit the citadel and follow along the paved street up a slight slope passing by an olive grove with selinon plants among the trees, followed by a few blocks of dwelling buildings on one side and a square followed by houses and elm trees on the other. At the square are two seven feet tall bronze statues on six feet tall bases, surrounded by flower and selinon plants, as well as small shrubs. One statue is of the naked, standing river god Selinous and the other of the standing Akragantine polymath Empedokles, clad in a long tunic and mantle, who lived for some time in the city, had a house on the citadel, paid for and led the drainage works for the city and was revered at one of the smaller temples at the south side of the citadel. It was a belief among many that he was bestowed with the power, abilities and good fortune to succeed in such public construction project by the god Selinous himself. The base of the statue of Empedokles presents an inscription reading: Most honorable magician and storm averter praised by all and accompanied by those who thirst for deliverance. With such abilities he would have also been favored by the gods Hekate and Zeus, too. More people that have crossed paths with the group of the magistrates are now enlarging the tail of walkers already behind it. Past the square, the group crosses a small bridge over a narrow canal. From there on, the blocks present files of dwarf palms close to the street in front of courts with flower plants and shrubs flanked either by buildings of four or five stories with stores and dwellings. Women can be seen either walking through the courts with their children or sitting on stone benches while the kids are playing or goofing around. Sometime afterwards, they reach the marketplace just before the ascending slope of the northern hill. They enter through the southwestern gate to the marketplace. Within the square, an eight feet tall bronze statue of Zeus of the Marketplace on a seven feet tall base stands near the gate. The god is seated on a throne with his staff held in his left hand, dressed in a mantle and calmly scrutinizing the court as if in expectance that all transactions be conducted with propriety and honesty, to the satisfaction of all parties. In front of the statue is the altar to the god. The group follows into the two-story colonnaded and railed western wing of the side-buildings enclosing the court while the crowd after them continues instead among the stalls in the courtyard looking up to said respective wing. The group goes up the staircase to the second floor and walks along the corridor till it is at mid-length of the marketplace. The court is filled with people immerse in the active commerce of one of the month's busiest days. The heralds approach the rails facing the court and blow their war-trumpets in unison. Then they stand aside and the lead junior magistrate approaches the rails with the other junior magistrates and the officers behind him.

Citizens o' Selinous! What we've feared is upon us! We've just received the last report from the Mazaros fort! The Karkh'donian army has landed today south o' the Phoenician city o' Motya and it'll be here within the next two days! We must prepare! All produce and livestock will be collected, gathered an' brought within the city walls from the nearest farms! It'll be brought here from where it'll be distributed t' the available storehouses! All residents from the western an' eastern hills are t' seek refuge within the city walls! They'll be accommodated in tents at the squares an' other free spaces available throughout the city! Water must be collected from the fountains an' stored in all cisterns within the walls! Use any other containers available t' store additional water! The enemy'll most certainly destroy all pipes supplying water t' the city, so collect as much as you can! After the water has been collected throughout the citadel and the north hill and everyone from the eastern and western hills has moved within the walls, all males fit for combat are t' present themselves at the nearest posts at the city walls, with their armor an' weapons if they possess these! Those that don't have weapons will be given the available shields, spears, swords, bows an' arrows from the city arsenals! At the posts the officers, 'fore assigning anyone t' the different positions on the wall-walks, will assign men to go out on wagons for the following tasks: first: t' collect the produce an' livestock from the nearest farms; second: t' collect stone from the two nearest quarries t' the north, for missiles or for repairs o' the walls; an' third: t' collect timber as well as firewood an' fodder! The older males an' the women must also present themselves at the mentioned posts t' be assigned t' different chores in aid o' the defense o' the city! After the initial tasks o' prep'rations have been completed an' 'fore the walls are to be manned, religious rituals will be held with offerin's an' animal sacrifices at the altars outside the respective temples!

Business immediately closes. The merchants pack up their merchandise and the stalls are put away as everyone else heads to their homes in accordance with the instructions given by the junior magistrate. The junior magistrates, along with their company of soldiers, leave the marketplace and continue towards the western hill, to a square where they can address the people of the western sector of the city. After that they must head to the eastern hill to do the same thing. The chief magistrates themselves would have already addressed themselves to the citizens at the citadel. Riders have already been sent to call all people in the nearest farms as well as all men at the different stone quarries to the northwest and northeast. The Selinontines have cultivated lands and settlements from the mid-course of the Mazaros, south of Halikyai and another neighboring Elymian settlement to the north, to the mid-course of the Hypsas, south of the Elymian fort of Elyma and the Elymian city of Entella to the north. The city also has more land along the coast beyond the Hypsas east to the right bank of the Halykos. The tillers most to the west can be aided in their flight by the troops sent to attack the Elymian lands near Halikyai while these are withdrawing back to the city. The stone quarries to the northwest are no more than fifty-five stades away, so the people working there are promptly alerted and soon are back in the city. The stone quarries to the northeast are beyond the Hypsas, some seventy-five stades away, so the people there would return to the city sometime afterwards. Later in the day, long lines of farmers and their families, carrying belongings and provisions on wagons, can be seen heading to the city. All the people who have gone to the necropoleis west and north of the city are also called in. Later during the night, the Selinontine troops ravaging the Elymian territories show up at the city's northern gate with the refugees from the farms and settlements found on the way back. The women and children were worried and frightened, the men not cheerful, either, but once within the city, all had hope that the city's deities would protect them all from the enemy about to arrive. The religious ceremonies would take up the better part of the night and many prayers would be said and much imploring would be made to Zeus of the Marketplace, Zeus the Protector of Those Who Entreat in a Propitiating Manner, Apollon, Athena, Herakles and the Sons of Zeus as well as to the river gods Selinous and Hypsas. 

A section of the shore east of the promontory south of Motya presents sufficient beach frontage for the landing of the Karkhedonian fleet. All ships assemble along it and the disembarkation and unloading begins. Magonid Annibas, general-in-chief and chief magistrate of Karkhedon, in command of the disembarking army, is already on land with his generals mounted on his black horse of Nisaian breed overseeing everything and giving orders. He is wearing a linen cuirass wrought with golden figures of animals and hanging leather strips, over a long sleeved embroidered woolen tunic, along with a woolen cape and sandals. He also has on a conical helmet with cheek pieces and a crest. He carries a sword hanging from a shoulder. He also has a wooden shield with bronze covering strapped to a haunch of his horse. A Phoenician cavalryman rides to the commander. He wears an unornamented linen cuirass with hanging leather strips, over a long sleeved woolen tunic and sandals, a conical helmet without cheek pieces or crest, and carries a sword. His shield is strapped to a hip of his horse. He salutes his supreme commander.

Honorable general-in-chief and chief magistrate, we are in luck! A party of quarrymen from Motya was found filling their water-skins from a well at the promontory to the west! They have already sent a party to the city to notify of our arrival!

Annibas turns over to one of his generals.

Order the camp to be set close to the well, take all the units necessary and follow the cavalryman!

Once at the well, said units decide on the site of the camp and proceed to the felling of the nearby trees, the organization of the camp and the putting up of the tents. The cavalry units work on the building of makeshift pens. Meanwhile, the rest of the army is disembarking and unloading supplies, movable tower parts, battering ram parts, pointed bars, weapons and tools. Everything is loaded on wagons and taken to the site of the camp. Once the tents are up, all unloaded materials are stored in the respective storage tents. Infantry and cavalry units organize themselves in the designated tent areas. All mounts are led to the pens and given fodder and water from the well. To speed the collection of water, some horsemen and wagons with containers are sent to the wells or springs indicated by the quarrymen, in the low heights inland a few tens of stades north. Before riding to the camp, Annibas has ordered messengers to Segesta and Halikyai as well as Panormos and Solous to notify of the arrival of his army. With everything and everyone on land the general-in-chief gives orders for the fleet to sail to the bay of Motya and have the ships hauled on its shores. He also assigns a company to be in charge of the protection of the vessels. The general-in-chief sees the importance of Syrakousai not suspecting of any Karkhedonian intention of sending a fleet to attack it, at least not yet.

Magonid Annibas has reached the island of Sikelia with a force a hundred thousand strong, consisting of Phoenician and Libyo-Phoenician infantry and cavalry, Libyan infantry and cavalry, Iberian infantry and cavalry, Ligyan, Elisykian and Celt infantry and cavalry, Pityousan slingers, Opikan and Hellene infantry. The Phoenician, Libyo-Phoenician and Hellene infantry include units of archers. These are dressed and have the same body armor as the rest of the foot soldiers of their units, but beside bows and arrows only carry a swords, daggers and bucklers. The Phoenician and Libyo-Phoenician infantrymen and cavalrymen wear linen cuirasses with hanging leather strips over woolen tunics, conical helmets without nose pieces or cheek pieces, with crests only for the officers in accordance to rank, and sandals. They carry spears, swords and wooden shields with bronze coverings. Libyan infantrymen and cavalrymen wear woolen tunics, no helmets, hardened leather cuirasses the infantrymen only, and sandals some while others are barefoot. The Libyans carry short spears, round wooden flat shields and swords. The Iberians wear woolen tunics, leather caps or rounded helmets, with no nose pieces or cheek pieces and with crests worn only by officers, depending on rank, as well as boots. They carry spears or javelins, long wooden oval flat rimless shields or round wooden flat bucklers with metal bosses and curved swords. Some Celt infantrymen fight completely naked but otherwise, the Celts, as well as the Ligyans and Elisykians wear torcs, woolen tunics, woolen trousers, belts, boots and rounded helmets with no nose pieces, some with cheek pieces, with or without crest, depending on rank. They carry spears, long wooden oval or round flat leather-covered shields and long swords. Pityousan slingers wear woolen tunics, are mostly barefoot, and carry knives, slings and stone bags. The Opikans wear bronze breastplates, basically chest and back plates along with smaller side and curved shoulder plates clasped to the other two plates. Some chest plates only have wrought circular designs, while others include faces of war gods. These are worn over woolen tunics. The Opikans also wear a bronze belt and greaves as well as oval shaped helmets, with cheek pieces, no nose pieces and crests only for the officers, depending on the rank. Some wear sandals, others are barefoot. The Hellenes, mostly Italiotes, wear woolen tunics. Some wear sandals, others are barefoot. Their helmets have thin narrow nose-pieces, narrow cheek pieces, with or without crests depending on rank. Some wear bronze cuirasses, others linen cuirasses, with hanging strips and still others no body armor at all. Some wear bronze greaves, others do not. They carry wooden shields with bronze coverings, with or without hanging aprons, long spears with bronze spear heads and spear-butts and swords. 

With the camp prepared, Annibas assembles his generals at his tent for the first strategic discussions. Past nightfall, everyone goes early to sleep as the next days will be long ones.

Within the following two days, the Elymian relief forces show up at Annibas' camp. The commanding officers search for Magonid Annibas' tent. They wear leather hardened cuirasses over woolen tunics, sandals and helmets with round tops, no nose pieces, straight narrow cheek pieces and crests. They carry straight bladed swords. They represent the Segestans and Halikyans, plus the forts of Elyma and Entella along the mid-valley of the Hypsas. They are allowed to enter the general-in-chief's tent by the two guards stationed at the entrance. They take off their helmets and proceed into the tent. They see him accompanied by some of his generals, which are all seated on wooden framed leather seated folding chairs around a wooden table upon which they had left their conical helmets with cheek pieces and crests. They are all wearing their linen cuirasses on woolen tunic, cloaks and sandals. On top of the hemp tent material which served as the floor of the tent were different animal skins. There are extra folding chairs available. With Annibas and his generals are also his interpreters and scribes.

The Elymians have been caught up in a territorial dispute with the Selinontines for some years now. The Selinontines have been invading lands around Halikyai and another neighboring Elymian settlement close to the source of the Mazaros, and from this river's upper course to the right riverside of the upper course of the first river east. There had already been a battle which the Elymians lost. After their defeat, the Elymians requested aid from Akragas and Syrakousai, which was refused. Aid was then requested to Karkhedon but said request was ignored. The Elymians then sent emissaries to Athenai. At the same time the city of Leontinoi had a territorial dispute with Syrakousai and had also sent a delegation to request aid from Athenai. The Athenians launched a military expedition to Sikelia during the second year of the ninety-first Olympiad supposedly to aid the two allies requesting their help, but which concentrated mostly on fighting Syrakousai. The Athenians lay siege to said city. After two years the expedition ended in utter disaster. The Athenians were defeated, chased, slaughtered. Those that weren't killed were sold into slavery. Athenai sustained heavy losses in terms of navy ships, fighting men and funds to continue the war against the Peloponnesians, which would have terrible consequences for the city. The Elymians were left to have to contend with the Selinontines on their own. The Hellenes renewed their attacks on Elymian lands. Despite having ceded land to the Selinontines without a fight, the greed of the Hellenes for more was not sated and they kept on seizing more. The desperate Elymians requested the aid of Karkhedon once again. This time Karkhedon dispatched five thousand Libyans and eight hundred Italiotes to Elymia. With these relief forces, the Elymians fought another battle against the Selinontines and defeated them. More skirmishes followed on as each side continued to send out aid requests. The Karkhedonians, seeing how this dispute was escalating to the point of putting in jeopardy the territory of Motya, decided to entrust the command of the city's forces to Magonid Annibas with the purpose of putting an end to the Selinontine threat. The general-in-chief is now, in the middle of spring, with his fully assembled and trained army, stationed not far from his prey. 

Esteemed general-in-chief and chief magistrate of Karkhedon, the Elymians have brought a relief force to fight under your orders along with your army. They have the scouts to guide you and to inform you about the city and its surroundings. They consider it urgent that your army start the march to Selinous as soon as possible. Patrols from Elyma and Entella have observed Selinontine messengers crossing the Hypsas, sent to request aid from the bigger Hellene cities east of the River Halykos, such as Akragas, Gela and Syrakousai. The Selinontines have gathered up whatever amount of stone possible from its nearest quarries for their defense as well as supplies and water. They have all sought refuge within their city's walls. says the Motyan translator to Annibas after the Elymian chief has spoken.

Annibas in his early years had lived with his exiled father in Selinous and when he was more grown up moved to Karkhedon, but his father remained in the Hellene city until his passing away, and wrote to him much about it and its people. With this background, Annibas decides to intensively discuss and review with the Elymians the city's surroundings. He is given the locations of the stone quarries closest to the city and of the springs to the north of the city that supply its water, which are all close to the upper courses of the Selinous River and of the middle stream between the Selinous and the Hypsas. Another relief force had been sent by Motya before the arrival of the Elymian force. The Motyans are also eager to cut off the Selinontine snake's head before the greed of said city demands their lands as well. They have offered their cooperation in watching over the Karkhedonian ships. The messengers on their way to Panormos and Solous will hand in the written orders of the general-in-chief to the commanders of the two cities upon arrival at these. The relief forces from both cities are to march directly to Selinous to meet with the general-in-chief's troops there. Annibas instructs his generals to prepare the troops for the march the next day.

At sunrise, the army breaks camp and marches along the coast to the east. Not much later, the army crosses a stream at a spot where it is narrow and shallow. It continues on, a bit more inland to avoid the marshes close to the shore, passing by groves of elm or oak, shrubs and other vegetation. Some villages of mixed populations of indigenous and Phoenician settlers are also seen along the way. To the north are Motyan fields of vineyards, olive groves and grain with neighboring woods and thickets. By noon the army reaches the Mazaros River. After finding a place to ford the river, Annibas orders cavalry and infantry units to cross and secure the other bank from possible attacks from the Selinontine fort, while the wagons cross at a place further upriver, where it is shallower. With a sizable force on the other bank, Annibas orders the attack on the fort. Other units head to the trading-station. Both are taken effortlessly, with no resistance, because they have already been abandoned. The soldiers take whatever has been left behind that may suit their fancy. The Karkhedonian army then continues on. The Elymians wave back at fellow cavalrymen that can be seen in the distance who from Halikyai had taken over lands abandoned by the Selinontine invaders and have ventured further south to explore. The army crosses the river just east of the trading station, which ends at the sea, and further ahead passes by a set of lakes and ponds, with plenty of croplands  to the north, as well trees, shrubs and high grasses along the way. It continues a bit inland, passing close by the stone quarries northwest of the city of Selinous. Some column drums, column blocks and capitals which the Hellenes did not have time to transport back to the city can be seen lying there. North of the quarries is an abandoned Selinontine village. The men follow a bit towards the south and pass by the extensive necropolis west of Selinous by mid-afternoon. To the south at the