Sikel Political Organization to the End of the Fifth Century

Abstract

This thesis investigates the evidence for Sikel culture in central Sicily from the Bronze Age to the end of the fifth century. Previous scholarship on this period of Sicilian history has focused on the Greeks and their presence on the island; this thesis aims to bring to light the role that the Sikels played in the events of the early Classical period. The present work considers the interdisciplinary body of evidence for the Sikels before, during and after Ducetius’ συντέλεια in the mid-fifth century. The first chapter examines the archaeological evidence for the Sikels before Ducetius’ rise to power in 466 BCE. Continuities in Sikel burial practice and communal dining can be traced from the Bronze Age into the fifth century, and are significant in identifying and understanding the nature of Sikel presence at specific sites in the Sicilian interior. The next chapter focuses on Ducetius’ συντέλεια (466-440 BCE) and investigates the historical accounts of Sicily in the fifth century in conjunction with the archaeological evidence for the Sikels. Ducetius is considered in the context of the rise and fall of the Greek tyrants on the island in the first half of the fifth century. In addition, archaeological evidence at the site of Palikè, an important Sikel religious sanctuary, is examined, in order to highlight the continuity in Sikel religious practices during Ducetius’ remodeling of the sanctuary. This chapter then culminates with a discussion on the geographical extent of the Sikel territory to the death of Ducetius. Finally, the last chapter examines the historical and epigraphic evidence for the Sikels from Ducetius’ death to the rise of Dionysius I in 405. The Sikels remained important actors in Sicilian history in this period, and were considered by the Greeks and Carthaginians to be critical allies, as different groups vied for control on the island.