Battle of Capilium (Athenian Legacy)

The Batle of Capilium was a military engagment between forces of Himera and Syracuse in the First Syracusan War. The Battle of Capilium was the first battle in the war, and consequentially laid out possible successes and failures in the war to come. The Syracusan Army, led by Alextrus defeated a smaller Himerian army under a Greek Noble, Paenus.

Background
In 398 BCE, the city-state of Syracuse launched a invasion of Himera, provoked by the Athenian Allies expansion in the area. The Tyrant of Syracuse ordered the invasion in early spring, and positioned his far relative, Alextrus, the commander of the force. Alextrus initially divided his forces into two, a scouting force of 3,000 and the main force of 12,000. The smaller force marched westward, in a effort to make a defensive line against the Athenians while the main force marched on Himera.

The Himerans mobilized quickly as well, and assigned a local noble, Paenus, to lead their forces to battle against the invading armies. Paenus was well aware of his numerical inferiority, and chose his position near the Greek town of Capilium, on a large hill that provided Paenus with cover. When Alextrus arrived, he burned Capilium to the ground, and marched upon Paenus without hesitation, inciting fear within the Himeran lines.