Today's Passage
This passage opens Thucydides' account of the Sicilian Expedition (415-413 BCE), providing essential ethnographic and historical background about Sicily's inhabitants.
Crawley Translation (1910)
It was settled originally as follows, and the peoples that occupied it are these. The earliest inhabitants spoken of in any part of the country are the Cyclopes and Laestrygones; but I cannot tell of what race they were, or whence they came or whither they went, and must leave my readers to what the poets have said of them and to what may be generally known concerning them. The Sicanians appear to have been the next settlers, although they pretend to have been the first of all and aborigines; but the facts show that they were Iberians, driven by the Ligurians from the river Sicanus in Iberia. It was from them that the island, before called Trinacria, took its name of Sicania, and to the present day they inhabit the west of Sicily. On the fall of Ilium, some of the Trojans escaped from the Achaeans, came in ships to Sicily, and settled next to the Sicanians under the general name of Elymi; their towns being called Eryx and Egesta. With them settled some of the Phocians carried on their way from Troy by a storm, first to Libya, and afterwards from thence to Sicily. The Sicels crossed over to Sicily from their first home Italy, flying from the Opicans, as tradition says and as seems not unlikely, upon rafts, having watched till the wind set down the strait to effect the passage; although perhaps they may have sailed over in some other way. Even at the present day there are still Sicels in Italy; and the country got its name of Italy from Italus, a king of the Sicels, so called. These went with a great host to Sicily, defeated the Sicanians in battle and forced them to remove to the south and west of the island, which thus came to be called Sicily instead of Sicania, and after they crossed over continued to enjoy the richest parts of the country for near three hundred years before any Hellenes came to Sicily; indeed they still hold the centre and north of the island. There were also Phoenicians living all round Sicily, who had occupied promontories upon the sea coasts and the islets adjacent for the purpose of trading with the Sicels. But when the Hellenes began to arrive in considerable numbers by sea, the Phoenicians abandoned most of their stations, and drawing together took up their abode in Motye, Soloeis, and Panormus, near the Elymi, partly because they confided in their alliance, and also because these are the nearest points for the voyage between Carthage and Sicily.
Modern Translation
The settlement of Sicily occurred as follows, with various peoples inhabiting the island over time. The earliest inhabitants mentioned anywhere in the land are the Cyclopes and Laestrygones; however, I cannot determine their ethnic origin, where they came from, or where they went. I must leave readers to consult what the poets have written about them and whatever common knowledge exists. The Sicanians seem to have been the next to settle there, though they claim to be the original inhabitants and indigenous to the island. However, evidence indicates they were actually Iberians, expelled by the Ligurians from the Sicanus River region in Iberia. The island, previously known as Trinacria, derived its name Sicania from these people, and they continue to inhabit western Sicily to this day. After Troy's destruction, some Trojans who escaped the Achaeans sailed to Sicily and established settlements adjacent to the Sicanians, collectively calling themselves Elymi; their cities were named Eryx and Egesta. Some Phocians also settled among them, having been driven by storms from Troy first to Libya, then subsequently to Sicily. The Sicels migrated to Sicily from their original homeland in Italy, fleeing the Opicans. According to tradition—which seems plausible—they crossed on rafts, waiting for favorable winds to navigate the strait, though they might have used other means of passage. Even today, Sicels remain in Italy, and the country received its name from Italus, a Sicel king. They arrived in Sicily with substantial forces, defeated the Sicanians in combat, and compelled them to relocate to the island's southern and western regions. Consequently, the island became known as Sicily rather than Sicania. After crossing over, they controlled the most fertile territories for nearly three centuries before any Greeks arrived in Sicily; indeed, they still occupy the island's central and northern regions. Phoenicians also inhabited areas throughout Sicily, having established settlements on coastal promontories and nearby small islands to facilitate trade with the Sicels. However, when Greeks began arriving in significant numbers by sea, the Phoenicians abandoned most of their settlements and consolidated their presence in Motye, Soloeis, and Panormus, near the Elymi. They did this partly due to confidence in their alliance with the Elymi and because these locations offered the shortest sea route between Carthage and Sicily.
Historical Context
This passage opens Thucydides' account of the Sicilian Expedition (415-413 BCE), providing essential ethnographic and historical background about Sicily's inhabitants. Writing for an Athenian audience largely unfamiliar with Sicily's complex demographics, Thucydides methodically catalogs the island's successive waves of settlement, from mythical peoples to historical populations. This ethnographic digression serves a strategic purpose: it emphasizes Sicily's wealth, strategic importance, and the complexity of its political landscape—all factors that would prove crucial in the disastrous Athenian expedition. The passage also subtly highlights the pattern of displacement and conquest that characterizes Sicilian history, foreshadowing Athens' own imperial ambitions. By detailing the Phoenician retreat to strategic coastal positions near Carthage, Thucydides hints at the geopolitical tensions that would complicate Athenian involvement in Sicily.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Sicilian Ethnography
Thucydides provides a rationalist account of Sicily's settlement, distinguishing between mythical (Cyclopes, Laestrygones) and historical peoples. His systematic approach reflects Greek ethnographic traditions while serving the practical purpose of orienting his audience to this distant theater of war.
Learn more →Greek Colonization
The passage culminates with Greek arrival in Sicily, part of the broader colonization movement (8th-6th centuries BCE) that established Greek cities throughout the Mediterranean. This colonization would fundamentally alter Sicily's political landscape and create the conditions for later Athenian intervention.
Learn more →Phoenician Trade Networks
The Phoenician presence in Sicily represented part of their extensive Mediterranean trading empire. Their strategic withdrawal to positions near Carthage illustrates the complex interplay between commerce, colonization, and geopolitics in the ancient Mediterranean.
Learn more →Troy in Greek Historical Memory
Thucydides includes the Trojan refugees (Elymi) as historical fact, showing how the Trojan War served as a chronological anchor and explanatory framework for population movements in Greek historical thinking, even in rationalist accounts.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 5.2-9)
Diodorus, himself Sicilian, provides a more detailed account of Sicily's early inhabitants and settlement patterns, including extended treatment of the Sicanians and Sicels that both confirms and expands upon Thucydides' outline.
Read passage →Virgil: Aeneid (Book 3.692-708)
Virgil's epic includes Aeneas's journey past Sicily and encounters with Cyclopes, providing a poetic treatment of the mythical elements that Thucydides mentions but deliberately sets aside in favor of historical analysis.
Read passage →Strabo: Geography (Book 6.2)
Strabo's geographical account of Sicily includes discussion of its various peoples and cities, offering a systematic treatment that complements Thucydides' historical narrative with additional geographical and ethnographic details.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides balance mythological traditions with historical analysis in this passage? What does this tell us about Greek historical methodology?
- What role does displacement and migration play in Thucydides' account of Sicilian history? How might this pattern relate to contemporary Athenian imperialism?
- Why might Thucydides begin his account of the Sicilian expedition with this detailed ethnographic background? What strategic or narrative purposes does it serve?
- How does the pattern of Phoenician withdrawal in response to Greek colonization reflect broader dynamics of competition and coexistence in the ancient Mediterranean?