The Battle of Katane was fought between the Sicilian Greek city-states of Syracuse and Agyrion at the coastal town of Catania in 399 BC at the start of the Syracusan-Agyrian War. The Syracusan tyrant Dionysius I launched a surprise attack on Agyrion, taking Katane with light casualties; the Catanians happily accepted Dionysius' rule due to their shared Hellenic heritage, and the rest of Agyrion was conquered within just three years.
Background[]
In 399 BC, the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius I decided to embark upon the unification of the Greek poleis of eastern Sicily to present a united front against the Carthaginian invaders in western Sicily. By that year, his rule had extended to the neighboring cities of Hybla Heraea (Ibla), Leontini (Lentini), and Gela. As the Carthaginians prepared their own offensive against the Greek town of Entella, Syracuse established friendly relations with Acragas, creating a western buffer against Carthage. Dionysius was thus able to turn his attention northwards, against the Hellenized Sicel poleis ruled by Archon Hermokrates from Agyrion. He and his general Hipparinus assembled large armies on Syracusan soil before marching to the southern bank of the River Simeto, where, in the autumn of 399 BC, Dionysius bolstered his ranks with mercenaries such as Umbrian spearmen, Sardinian bowmen, Sicilian slingers, and Greek horsemen. With a strength of 2,080 troops, Dionysius decided to cross the river and launch a surprise attack on the Sicel town of Katane (Catania), the first step in his drive into Agyrian territory.
Battle[]
A panoramic view of the Battle of Katane.
Dionysius' army found that Katane was defended by a mere 1,560 troops under Amphion and Damianos; this garrison included militia from the town and a few commandeered merchant ships used to serve as Catania's garrison fleet. The Syracusan army deployed outside of the city, with its main body consisting of a mixture of hoplites and slingers; it held several bodies of hoplites in reserve, and missile and cavalry forces on the wings.
The Agyrian garrison decided to sortie against the Syracusans and spare their city the devastation of battle, but their attack proved to be suicidal, as their poorly-armored militia hoplites found themselves showered by stones and arrows. The Agyrian army's wings peeled off and routed after coming under heavy fire, enabling the Syracusan wings to close in on the Agyrian army from the flanks. The professionally-trained Syracusan hoplites and their mercenary allies overwhelmed the Catanian hoplites; rather than try to land further up the coast and outflank the Syracusans, Damianos instead landed his ships at the harbor and contributed his soldiers to the main garrison, which was routed and forced to flee into the city.
The Syracusans were victorious with only 222 losses, and Dionysius chose to peacefully occupy Katane, sparing it the ravages of war. Because of Katane's shared Hellenic culture with Syracuse, the people accepted Dionysius' rule and came to be loyal and happy subjects; the rest of eastern Sicily would soon fall in a similar manner, with the conquest of Agyrion being completed by 396 BC.
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