ENTRANDO IN CITTÀ DOPO LA DISTRUZIONE: ERMOCRATE E I PROASTEIA DI HIMERA

Abstract

Taking a cue from the text of Diodorus, who mentions the proasteia of Himera, where Hermocrates camped after the destruction
of the city in 409 BC, we examine the “port district” across the river, analysing the settlement characteristics and the functions
of the buildings, as delineated by the excavators a few years ago. We come to the conclusion that the “neighbourhood” can be
interpreted as a proasteion ateichiston, a real projection of the town outside the walls, with more complex values than a simple
commercial district. The comparison with the proasteia of Syracuse allows us to outline the complexity of the reasons that justify
the projection of the cities beyond the walls and also the polyvalence of the term, which probably served to indicate other forms of
projection in the territory, such as the presence of ceramic workshops, dispersed farmhouses or peripheral sanctuaries.

Keywords: Himera, Proasteia, Port district.