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Group: Lorraine (Lothier), Lower, (second) Duchy of
People: Welf II
Topic: Motya, Siege of
Location: Margat Syria

Motya, Siege of

Years: 398BCE - 397BCE

The Siege of Motya takes place either in 398 or 397 BCE in western Sicily.

Dionysius, after securing peace with Carthage in 405 BCE, has steadily increased his military power and had tightened his grip on Syracuse.

He has fortified Syracuse against sieges and has created a large army of mercenaries and a large fleet, in addition to employing the catapult and quinqueremes for the first time in history.

In 398 BC, he attacks and sacks the Phoenician city of Motya despite the Carthaginian relief effort led by Himilco.

Carthage also loses most of her territorial gains secured in 405 BCE after Dionysius declares war on Carthage in 398 BCE.

“One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.”

― Golda Meir, My Life (1975)