Ducetius facts for kids
Ducetius (Ancient Greek: Δουκέτιος) was an important leader of the Sicels, an ancient people who lived in Sicily. He died in 440 BCE. Ducetius was born in Sicily, possibly near the town of Mineo. Even though he was a native Sicilian, he learned a lot from Greek culture and ideas, which were very strong in Sicily at that time. He is sometimes called Douketios. Ducetius worked to unite the Sicel people and even founded several new cities. We know about his life from a Greek historian named Diodorus Siculus.
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Ducetius and the Sicel People
At this time, Sicily was controlled by powerful rulers, like Gelo and his brother Hiero, who ruled the city of Syracuse. After Hiero died in 467 BCE, Syracuse became a democracy, meaning the people had a say in how it was run.
Helping Syracuse
There were some problems after the old rulers were gone. A war started in 460 BCE between Syracuse and a city called Catana. Catana had taken land from the Sicels. Ducetius decided to help Syracuse because he wanted to protect Sicel land. Together, they defeated Catana. After this victory, Ducetius founded a new city called Menai, which is known today as Mineo. He also took control of another city called Morgantina.
Uniting Central Sicily
By 452 BCE, Ducetius had brought many Sicel cities in central Sicily together. He also founded a very important city called Palice. This city became the center of his power. Palice was built near two holy crater lakes, which were special places for the Sicel gods called the Palici. The city of Palice grew quickly because it became a safe place for people who had run away from slavery. After this, Ducetius conquered Aetna, a city southwest of Mount Etna, and then moved towards Agrigentum.
Challenges and Exile
Syracuse had been Ducetius' ally, but they started to worry about how much power he was gaining. In 451 BCE, Ducetius captured Motyon, a strong fort held by Agrigentum. This made Syracuse decide to help Agrigentum, but they couldn't defeat Ducetius right away. This was the time when Ducetius' Sicel "empire" was at its strongest.
Defeat and Exile
However, just one year later, in 450 BCE, Ducetius' army suffered a big defeat at a place called Nomae. His remaining soldiers were scattered among the Sicel cities, and Ducetius was left with only a few followers. Agrigentum quickly took back Motyon. Ducetius then fled to Syracuse, where he was put on trial by the city's leaders. They decided to send him away to Corinth, which was the "mother-city" of Syracuse. The condition was that he could never return to Sicily.
Return and New Beginnings
Even though he was exiled, Ducetius did return to Sicily. According to the historian Diodorus, in 446 BCE, Ducetius founded a new city called Kale Akte (which is in the area of Messina). He supposedly did this because an oracle (a person who could tell the future) told him to. This new city had both Sicel people and settlers from Corinth.
The End of His Journey
Sadly, in 440 BCE, Ducetius died from an illness. There is some debate among historians about the exact date Kale Akte was founded, as Diodorus also mentions it being founded in 440 BCE, the same year Ducetius died. It's possible that Ducetius died before the new city could become fully established.
After Ducetius' death, the group of Sicel cities he had united quickly fell apart. His main city, Palice, was attacked and its people were sold into slavery. The peace that had existed between the Sicels and Syracuse after Ducetius' return also ended. Some experts believe Ducetius returned without Syracuse's permission, but it's more likely he had their agreement, especially since he brought Corinthian settlers for his new city. Syracuse might have wanted an allied city on the north coast of Sicily to help them control the area.
