Mylae
Mylae, located on the northeastern coast of Sicily, is a site rich in historical and mythological significance. This ancient city is situated at the isthmus of a narrow peninsula, leading into the sea at Capo di Milazzo. Mylae is notably linked to Greek mythology, where it is mentioned as the grazing grounds for the cattle of the sun-god Helios, a testament to its fertile lands praised by the philosopher Theophrastus. The area has been inhabited since the Bronze and Iron Ages, with archaeological findings revealing early habitation centers and tombs.
Historically, Mylae served as a colony of Zancle (modern-day Messina) around 717/16 BC. It played a strategic role during significant historical events, including the Peloponnesian War, when Athenian forces occupied it in 426 BC. Mylae is perhaps best known for two important naval battles. The first occurred during the First Punic War in 260 BC, where Roman forces, led by Consul Gaius Duilius, achieved a significant victory against the Carthaginian fleet. The second battle took place in 36 BC, during the civil war involving Octavian and Sextus Pompeius, marking a pivotal moment in Octavian's campaign for control of Sicily. Despite its rich history, remnants of the Greco-Roman city are limited, with notable finds including a Hellenistic cemetery and Roman mosaics.
Mylae
Mylai (Milazzo)
A city of northeastern Sicily, at the isthmus of a narrow peninsula extending four miles northward into the sea (terminating in the Capo di Milazzo). Bronze and Iron Age tombs have been uncovered, as well as traces of an early habitation center. According to Greek mythology, the oxen and flocks of the sun-god Helios, described by the Odyssey, grazed in the fields of Mylae, of which the fertility was praised by Theophrastus.
The place was colonized c 717/16 BC by Zancle (Messana, Messina) and remained one of its dependencies and strongholds. In 426, during the Peloponnesian War, the Athenian commander Laches occupied the place before launching an attack on Messana. In 403 Rhegium (Reggio di Calabria) made an abortive attempt to settle Mylae with refugees from Naxos and Catana (Catania), destroyed by Dionysius I of Syracuse. In 315 it was captured by one of his successors, Agathocles.
The waters off Mylae were the scene of two important naval battles. In the first, during the First Punic War (260), the consul Gaius Duilius grappled the ships of the Carthaginian fleet with iron corvi (crows), destroying or capturing some fifty vessels, more than one-third of the whole flotilla. Remarkably enough, this was Rome's first venture on the sea—and a successful one at that, against experienced seafarers. Duilius erected a column in the Roman forum, adorned with the bronze rams of the ships he had captured.
Then in 36 another sea battle off Mylae played a significant role in the civil war between Octavian (the future Augustus) and Sextus Pompeius (son of Pompey the Great), who had seized control of Sicily. For it was beside this coast that Octavian's admiral Agrippa defeated Sextus' officer Demochares, destroying thirty of his ships. Sextus came to Demochares' aid, leaving the Straits of Messana open, and thus enabling Octavian to land three legions on the island. This was not the end of the war, but now that his troops were on Sicilian soil, the conclusion of the campaign was only a matter of a few weeks (seeNaulochus).
In contrast to the extensive prehistoric remains, traces of the Greco-Roman city are sparse, though a Hellenistic cemetery and Roman mosaic have come to light.