After Motya, we went to Segesta, a site settled by the Elymi (their origins are obscure; either Trojans or Ligurians) in the second millenium BC. Segesta had a long standing conflict with Selinus, and it was Segesta who ultimately convinced Athens to get involved in Sicily (415 BC) during the Peloponnesian war. The city also enlisted the aid of Carthage several years later to have its rivals (Selinus and Agrigentum) destroyed. Later on, in the first Punic war, Segesta left the Carthaginians and joined Rome, which ultimately proved to be a wise choice since Rome won all three Punic Wars. They experienced limited prosperity under Rome but began to decline in the 1st century AD.
The theater at Segesta overlooking a valley. The view was gorgeous.
In this photo, Professor Smith, Dan, and Kirsten skip down the hill to get to the Doric Temple (pictured below).
This unfinished Doric Temple was possibly built to impress the Athenian ambassadors who came to the city. The Segestans wanted to appear wealthier than they actually were. The story goes that, when the Athenian legates arrived, they went from house to house and dined with their hosts. The Segestans collected all the silverware they had and passed it around so the Athenians would think that every house in the city was very wealthy.
After Motya, we went to Segesta, a site settled by the Elymi (their origins are obscure; either Trojans or Ligurians) in the second millenium BC. Segesta had a long standing conflict with Selinus, and it was Segesta who ultimately convinced Athens to get involved in Sicily (415 BC) during the Peloponnesian war. The city also enlisted the aid of Carthage several years later to have its rivals (Selinus and Agrigentum) destroyed. Later on, in the first Punic war, Segesta left the Carthaginians and joined Rome, which ultimately proved to be a wise choice since Rome won all three Punic Wars. They experienced limited prosperity under Rome but began to decline in the 1st century AD.
The theater at Segesta overlooking a valley. The view was gorgeous.
In this photo, Professor Smith, Dan, and Kirsten skip down the hill to get to the Doric Temple (pictured below). 
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