The places of historical events: Battle of the Grand Harbor (413 BC)
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The places of historical events: Battle of the Grand Harbor (413 BC)

Location inserted in the IWB register of the Sicily Region (Places of historical events) - Sector “Places of historical events of antiquity 

413 a. C. - Greek Sicily - Peloponnesian War - Athenian army battle - Syracusan militias:

  • Great Port 
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La first naval battle of Syracuse (also called Battle of the Grand Harbor from the place where it was disputed) took place in 413 BC during the Athenian expedition to Sicily of the Peloponnesian war.

The Athenians, who arrived in Syracuse in 415 BC, began the siege in 414 BC At that point the Syracusan generals, Hermocrates and Gilippo, after various discussions and small clashes, decided to face the Athenians in the favorable waters of the Porto Grande.

The Athenian historian of the Peloponnesian war, Thucydides, narrates the events of the battle of the Great Port in the seventh book of his work.

The pretext for starting the attack was not long in coming to the Syracusans: the Athenians had in fact, during the night, moved their infantry. Spotting a potential danger, the Syracusan generals gave the signal to attack: 35 triremes left the Porto Grande, accompanied by another 40 from the small port, in the direction of Plemmirio (part south of the Porto Grande, in the hands of the Athenians). In response to the attempted attack, the Athenian generals deployed 60 ships and, among these, 25 sent against those enemy of the Great Port, while the rest remain to protect the Plemmirio. The battle flared up, the remaining 25 also joined the 35 Athenian ships to protect the port, thus leaving the Plemmirio uncovered. The Syracusans thus took advantage of the hole in the opposing defense and through the ground troops they conquered three Athenian forts one after the other, just when the Syracusans were beginning to dominate the battle in the port. But, in an attempt to enter the port, the Syracusan ships lost their formation and, hindering each other, allowed the Athenian ones to turn the tide of the clash. Although Thucydides assigns the victory to the Athenians (who also erected a trophy), the Syracusans had conquered the forts of Plemmirio, obtaining a great advantage.

(Source card: Wikipedia)

 

Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero

Photo: web

Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero, Region of Sicily

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