SELINUS, the most westerly, as well as one of the most important, of the Greek colonies in Sicily, on the south coast of that island, at the mouth of a small river, 4 miles W. of the Hypsas. The original settlers came partly from Megara Hyblaia, on the east coast of Sicily, and partly from Megara in Greece, the parent city of that colony. The date of the settlement is not exactly known, but was probably about 628 B.C. It derived its name (from σέλινος, wild parsley) from the quantities of that herb which grew in the vicinity, and adopted a sprig of it as the symbol of the city. Selinus rapidly rose to a high degree of power and prosperity; but was involved in frequent contests with the aborigines and the Carthaginians. The city of Segesta, too, was a formidable rival, and frequently an enemy. Selinus was in alliance with Carthage when Hamilcar undertook his expedition against Sicily in 480 B.C., but rendered no effectual aid to that general. But at the time of the Athenian expedition against Syracuse, Selinus had enjoyed half a century of peace and prosperity, and acquired great
military resources and large stores of wealth. In the disputes between Selinus and Segesta, the former called in the aid of Syracuse, and the latter that of Athens. Hence the Athenian siege of Syracuse. After its failure, the Selinians pressed their enemies to extremities, and so led them to call in the aid of Carthage. With this assistance they defeated the forces of Selinus in 410 B.C.; and in the following spring an army of 100,000 Carthaginians, under Hannibal, son of Gisgo, landed in Sicily, and before any of its allies could send succour, laid siege to Selinus. Notwithstanding a desperate resistance, the place was taken, after ten days' siege. The walls were destroyed; and though permission was given to the inhabitants to occupy the city, as subjects of Carthage, Selinus never recovered its former prosperity. During the first Punic war the Carthaginians destroyed the city, and removed its inhabitants to Lilybaeum. Selinus was never rebuilt, and its site is now completely desolate, and overgrown with brushwood. The remains of the ancient walls may be traced on a small hill near the sea, and within their limits the ruins of three Doric temples lie. Outside the walls, which enclose a comparatively small area, are traces of two edifices, whose character is unknown; and on a hill to the east stood three temples, which must have been among the largest and most magnificent in the ancient world. The place is now called Torre dei Pulci.