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Eryx (Erice)
Unless otherwise indicated, pictures on this page © Marco Prins and Jona Lendering. Photos can be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes, but you have to acknowledge Livius.
The isolated Mount Eryx is about 750 meters high and dominates the western part of Sicily. From the top, you can see Africa. In Antiquity, there was a Phoenician sanctuary to the goddess Tanit, who was later identified with Aphrodite and Venus. There was also a shrine to Melqart (identified with Heracles). In 510, the Spartan prince Dorieus attempted to built a Greek city on Eryx, but he failed. It remained a stronghold of the Carthaginian until they lost Sicily to the Romans after the First Punic War. Eryx was among the last Carthaginian garrisons, commanded by Hamilcar Barca.
Ancient-Warfare.com, the online home of Ancient Warfare magazine
City gate of Motya. Photo Jona Lendering. The sanctuary was known for its temple prostitution. The mountain itself dominates the entire region. This is a picture from Motya, a Phoenician city built on an island in the lagoon west of Eryx. The photo shows a city gate, which is built in the direction of the mountain, even though it only gives access to the sea. The site of the settlement is now called San Giuliano (satellite photo).
In the Roman age, the temple was considered to be dedicated by the legendary hero Aeneas to his mother Venus. The Romans dedicated their first temple Venus Erycina in 217, after the battle of the Trasimene lake, in order to gain support from the Carthaginian deity.

Polybius of Megalopolis describes Eryx as follows:

Eryx is a mountain on the sea on that side of Sicily which looks towards Africa. It is situated between Drepana and Panormus, or rather it is adjacent to Drepana, on the borders, and is much the biggest mountain in Sicily after Etna. On its summit, which is flat, stands the temple of Venus Erycina, which is indisputably the first in wealth and general magnificence of all the Sicilian holy places. The city extends along the hill under the actual summit, the ascent to it being very long and steep on all sides.
[World history, 1.55]
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