Battle of Catana (397 BC) | |||||||
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Part of The Sicilian Wars | |||||||
Punic Victory at Catana 397 BC. Political boundaries and path of troop movement are inexact because of lack of primary source data. Source map created by Marco Prins-Jona Lendering | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Carthage |
Syracuse Sicilian Greeks | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Mago | Leptines of Syracuse | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
200 Triremes 300 Transports | 180 ships, mostly Quinqueremes | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Light |
100 ships sunk/captured 20,000 sailors drowned/captured |
The Battle of Catana took place in the summer of 397 BC. The Greek fleet under Leptines, the brother of Dionysius I of Syracuse, engaged the Carthaginian fleet under Mago near the city of Catana in Sicily. While the Greek army under Dionysius was present near the city of Catana during the battle, the Carthaginian army under Himilco was away in the interior of Sicily, making a detour around the erupting Mount Etna. The Carthaginian fleet crushed the Greek fleet in the battle, leading to the Carthaginian siege of Syracuse later in 397 BC.