Selinunte

Selinus was an ancient Greek city located on the southern coast of Sicily, founded in 651 or 628 BCE by colonists from Megara. The city was named after the wild celery that grew in the area and experienced significant prosperity in the 5th century BCE, during which its grand temples were constructed. Selinus became involved in territorial disputes with the neighboring city of Segesta. After an initial alliance with Syracuse against Carthage, Selinus was eventually destroyed by a Carthaginian army in 409 BCE. Although it was later repopulated and became a Carthaginian tributary, Carthage razed it again in 250 BCE. Today, the extensive ruins of Selinus, including several Doric temples, are a significant archaeological site near the modern Italian town of Selinunte.1