Battle of Adranon – Wikipedia

In 344 BC Adroom He was the scene of the first battle between Corinthian Timoleonte and Leontinese Iceta. Adranòn was also the second city, after Tauromenion, who joined the alliance ( Symmachia ) with Timoleonte. This Symmachia It will play a fundamental role in the defeat of the tyranny of Dionisio II and the Carthaginians. Subsequently others will be part of it police Sicilian. After the battle of the Crimiso the Symmachia It will be dissolved and Timoleonte will proceed to the systematic elimination of all tyrants ^[2] from the police who had supported him.

The inhabitants of the small city of Adranòn, at the foot of Etna, knew that Timoleonte had arrived in Sicily and that he had been welcomed by Andromaco di Tauromenion they found themselves in a strong dilemma. In fact, one faction appealed to Timoleonte another in Iceta and the Carthaginians. It was for this reason that both strategists hurried, with their army, to arrive in the city and make it pass from their side.

Iceta was head of five thousand men and arrived first in Adranòn, while Timoleonte, who had only one thousand five hundred soldiers, arrived shortly after. In fact, Timoleonte had started from Tauromenion, 350 stadiums away (about 70 ÷ 80 km) from Adrano, took more than a day to arrive. During the night he made a stop and the next day marked at the rhythm sustained.

At the end of the day I knew that the enemies were camping near Adranòn. It was already evening and the leaders had ordered the soldiers to camp to rest and refresh themselves. Timoleonte turned to his Corinthians praying to them that they do nothing of this, indeed to attack the enemies while they were in disorder and were about to camp, mounting the curtains and refreshing themselves. He took a shield and first incited his soldiers who followed him courageously following him on the enemy camp that was no more than 30 stages (6 ÷ 7 km). Iceta’s soldiers were caught by surprise, three hundred were killed, at least the double were taken prisoners and the field conquered.

In the meantime, a miraculous event happened in the temple of the god Adranòs. The tip of the spear of the divinity moved, his face is rigorously rigorously opened and the doors of the temple opened independently. These signs were interpreted in favor of Timoleonte, so the Adranites opened the doors of the city and joined with him in the alliance.

Timoleonte took possession of the city which became its headquarters. During his stay Timoleonte miraculously broke out at an attack by some hiced hired assassins, so the belief that Timoleonte was protected from luck (τὺχη), a special divine providence, spread. Consequently, many cities, including Tindari and Mamerkos, the Kitana tyrant, supported him.

Dionisio II, the tyrant of Syracuse who had barricaded himself on the island of Ortigia, and besieged here by Iceta, as soon as he knew of this ignoble defeat of Iceta decided to surrender to the Corinthians and sent Ambassadors to Timoleonte, to treat the surrender, provided that Timoleonte promised him to have saved his life, leaving him to flee to Corinth. Timoleonte accepted and took possession of Ortigia.

• Plutarch – Parallel lives – Emilio Paolo – Timoleonte – Rizzoli – Necklace: BUR – Greek and Latin Classics – L1135 – Pages 398 – Format 10.9 x 17.8 – year 1996 – EAN13 978817171359
• Sicilian diadoro, Library historical .
• R. Hackforth, Sicily from 367 to 330 BC, in “History of the ancient world”, Milan, Garzanti, vol. V, 1999, pp. 248-278