Analysis of the burial sites of Himera

In 2019, seven mass graves were discovered in Himera, exposing thousands of skeletons of soldiers who fought in the city’s fierce battles of 480 and 409 BC against the Carthaginians (see: The Battle of Himera, a major confrontation). Their bodies had been neatly arranged with great respect in an orderly fashion. Another thirty burial sites were reserved for the horses, which the experts related to the severe clash of 480 BC (see: Mass Graves discovered in Himera). 

Thanks to modern geochemical evidence, specialists were able to analyze the tooth enamel of 62 soldiers who fought in both battles. The tooth’s chemistry varies based on the region of origin of the men. In the battle of 480 BC, it turned out that only one-third of Himera’s soldiers were locals. In the confrontation of 409 BC, three-quarters of them were locals. This confirms Diodorus’ account that the Himerans received more outside help in their first battle than in the second. 

However, it appears that this account is incomplete because the present geochemical analysis reveals that the outside help was not Greek but came instead from mercenaries hired for the occasion from territories outside the Greek realm.  

This discovery sheds new light on history, as told by Diodorus and Herodotus. They apparently ignored the role of foreign mercenaries in Himera to portray a more appealing true Greek intervention. We should remember that Greeks generally considered it distasteful to hire foreign mercenaries, which may be a good reason for our historians to bend their story to accommodate their pride. Building the Temple of Victory on the very location of the battlefield truly confirms that sense of pride.

Another argument for taking this decision may be the attempt to align the victory at Himera with other Greek victories across the Mediterranean. It transpires that from 480 BC onward, foreign mercenaries influenced the ancient population in the western Mediterranean. Food for thoughts!