History and etymology of Segesta
In Cannes, in 1790, an inscription was found, which tells us the name of “Segesta”, a protective deity of the harvest, whose cult was very rare among the Romans. According to T. Mommsen the inscription was a “forgery”: "[...] Castaldi, No 3, p. 6, CIL, IX, 100: ‘Segestae ... / ... Iulius ... / ex voto ...’. Segesta, to whom this inscription is dedicated, for a wow taken of a certain 'Iulius', (...) is a name of a deity known as 'Segetia' by St. Augustine [354-430 AD] ("De Civ. Dei ", 4, 8) and Macrobius [395-423 AD] (Sat. I, 16.8).
This name also returns on a some coins in the Age of Gallienus [218-268 AD] (...) which have on the obverse the image of Empress Julia Cornelia Salonina ( died 268 AD) and on the reverse a female deity in a temple with the legend "Deae Segetiae" ("Goddess Segesta "). Segesta is an old and poorly documented Roman patron goddess of the harvest (...) In the literature about the subject is conjectured that the name 'Segesta' derives from a popular etymology, or from 'seges' (“crop”)[.. .] "(See M. Silvestrini, “Epigrafi false”, in “Le epigrafi romane di Canosa”, edited by M. Chelotti, V. Morizio, M. Silvestrini, Edipuglia, 1990, vol. II: 42) .
Although the inscription is a forgery, it is nevertheless true that in ancient times Segesta was indeed honored as the goddess of the harvest and abundance. Nicola Leoni said: "[...] Among the Ancients Segesta was a name of a shepherd, like Flora, Matuta (...) Through S. Augustine, we know that the ancients called the wheat 'sata' (...) which was in charge of the Goddess 'Seia'. When they had seen the swaying grass and spikes, the Romans called them 'segetem', from which came the name of the Goddess ‘Segezia’, or ‘Segesta’ (...) Pliny [23-79 AD] wrote:' Seiamque a serendo. Segestiam a segetibus appellabant, quorum simulacra vidimus in circo.’ (Pliny lib. VIII. Chapter II) […].” [They [the Romans] called 'Seia' from ‘seed’ ('serere' ) and 'Segesta' from the crops, of which we can see the images in the circus"] (See Nicola Leoni, "Della Magna Grecia e delle Tre Calabrie”, Naples, 1845: 40 footnote 3).
Segesta was therefore a goddess that make the ears, the "rich" crops, and her name was a “good-omen,” because it implied the idea of an “abundant and rich” harvest. However, it would seem that the name "Segesta" was really a forgerly. Indeed, the old name of "Segesta" seems to have been "Egesta", but because the Latin word "egestas" means "poverty", the Romans, who were very superstitious, changed the name of the town, transforming it from "Egestas" (“poverty”) in "Segestas" ("rich" implied " of crops"). According to Sextus Pompeius Festus [later 2nd century AD], the Romans always acted like that with the names of cities. For example, they changed the name of "Maleventum" ('bad event') with "Benevento" ('good event'). A. Tedeschi in this regard stresses that "[...] prudently, the Romans tended to avoid the unlucky names (...) There were some real taboo words carefully observed; for example, (…) Segesta, of which the original name was 'Egesta', was changed because the term referred to the idea of 'egestas' ('poverty') [ ...] "(See A. Tedeschi“Lo storico in parola”, "Edipuglia, 1998: 73, note 93).
In essence, according to some scholars, the Romans "modified" the Greek name of the city, which was “Aighestos”, “Aighéstes”, “Eghéstes”, “Eghesta” and “Aighesta.” M. Paschalis stressed that “[...] 'Egestus' and 'Egesta' later changed to 'Segesta', because the former evoked 'egestas' ('need', 'shortage'), and the latter 'seges' ('crop'). The Greek forms for the hero's name are 'Aighestos', 'Aighéstes', 'Eghéstes', and for the town 'Eghesta' and 'Aighesta'” ( See M. Paschalis, “Virgil's Aeneid”. Semantic Relations and Proper Names”, Clarendon Press Oxford, 1997: 182 footnote 5). Therefore, the Romans appear "responsible" for a real word forgery. In reality, according to other scholars, things stand differently. E. A. Freeman, for example, after observing that "Segesta" was a city of the Elymians [Latin “Elymi”], stresses that the ancient name of the city was not "Egesta", but "Segesta" and that the Greek name "Eghesta" is a Greek “corruption” of the ancient name: “[...] We have seen that the chief town of the Elymians is called on its own coins 'Segesta'; the Greek form 'Egesta' comes in only gradually in late times (...) But the Greek corruption is one which has a philological interest (...)
On the the name 'Segesta', as used by the Latins, Festus (340) has a strange remark; ' Segesta quae nunc appellatur oppidum in Sicilia est, quae videtur Aeneas condidisse praeposito ibi Egesto, qui eam Egestam nominavit, sed preposita est ei 'S' littera, ne obsceno nomine appellaretur.' ["Segesta, which is now called “oppidum” [“walled city”] is located in Sicily, and it seems to have been founded by Aeneas through ‘Egesto’, who called it ‘Egesta’. But bifore the name was placed the letter "S" because it was not called with an unfortunate and ominous name.”]. He mentions 'Beneventum' and 'Durrachium' as other cases of a name being changed to avoid an unlucky sound, an explanation seemingly true in the case of 'Beneventum'. He doubtless means that 'Egestas' suggested 'egestas'. But 'Segestas' was the real name from the beginning. The Latins simply called the place by its true name, not by its high-polite Greek name [...]” (See E. A. Freeman, “History Of Sicily”, Oxford, 1891: 551).
More recently, also G. Nenci believes that “the city's original name was 'Segesta', early Graecised in 'Egesta’” (See G. Nenci, " Segesta e Calatafimi", Napoli, 1996: 479-488). Also with regard to the etymology there is an intricate problem area. For some scholars, we must consider the fact that the name "Segesta" was widespread in Italy, from north to south; so it goes back to an ancient root "-sego" ("strong" and in the broad sense "a fortified high place "); the compound nouns in “-sego” also included the area of Liguria;" Segusium " (Susa) is a name of Liguria, not to mention 'Segesta', which takes us from Spain to Pannonia on the one hand and to extreme Sicily on the other hand. With regard to the relationship between Liguria and Sicily, already Hellenic of Mytilene, in the sixth century BC, observed that the Elymians, an ancient Mediterranean Ibero-Ligurian people, came from Liguria to Sicily.
G. Semeraro, in an etymological annotation about the city, observed that "[...] Segesta in Sicily, in fact, recalls ' Segesta Tigulliorum', or 'Sestri Levante' and how this it is related to the settment on a high place (... ) Segesta and Erice have similar meanings. Erice corresponds to Akkadian term ‘arktu’ (...) in Latin 'arx', ('fortified place' [p. 592]), Segesta also has the original value of ‘Acropolis' such as the Akkadian 'Saqua asitu', i.e. 'high' [...]"( See G. Semeraro, “The origins of European culture”, Olsckhi, 1984: 607-611). But things are not so simple. G. Alessio, for example, returned to the ancient etymology, for which Segesta is derived from "seges": "[...] How is it possible to speake about the 'Illyrian' character of the place names in '-este', if a name like 'Segesta' is documented not only in Pannonia, but even in Sicily and Liguria? For the anti-historical 'Pan-Illyrians' we can now contrast the likely connection of 'Segesta' with the Latin term 'seges', a word which for its isolation and its meaning can be considered a remnant of the Mediterranean substratum [...] "(See G. Alessio, “Appunti sulla toponomastica pugliese”, in “Japigia”, Organo della Regia Deputazione di storia patria, New Series, Year XIII (1935), fasc. III: 169-170).
Other contemporary scholars agree with G. Alessio; in fact, M. Perfigli observes: "We know that in reality Goddess Seia and Segesta derived their name from 'seges', which had the meaning of ‘land to be sown’ or ‘land that has already been sown’ or "rich in harvest" (See M. Perfigli, “Indigitamenta. Divinità funzionali... nella religione romana”, ETS, 2004: 140). Of the same opinion is also I. Scaturro, who notes that "the Romans changed the name of the city from the Greek Egesta (Latin 'poverty') in Segesta (from 'seges') " (See I. Scaturro, “Storia della Sicilia”, Raggio, 1951, Vol. II: 16).
Segesta was a city founded by the Elymians; according to the traditional legend about the foundation, the Elymians would have a "Trojan" origin. In fact, the legend tells that Segesta, or Egesta, one of the most famous cities of the Elymians, was formerly located on an isolated hill now called "Barbaro", which is washed by the river "Crimiso" (now called "Fiume freddo"), located less than two miles from Calatafimi. With regard to the river Crimiso, the Elymians-Trojans founded their city on the banks of it. Segesta was founded by Egesto, also called Acestes, who sailed from Troy a bit before Aeneas, with his consent.
Egesto founded the new city in the land of the Sicans. The Elymians-Trojans, in memory of their origin, called the branches of the river Crimiso with the names of the rivers of Troy, or "Scamander" the branch of the river closer to Segesta, and they gave the name of "Simois" to other that flowed at a site further away. So this is the legend about the foundation of Segesta. About the question of the Elymians "Trojan" origin, the studies are extremely complex and still evolving; it seems in any case established that the Trojan legend about the origin of the Elymians had been "imported" by the Phocidian merchants, who had excellent business relations with the Elymians. The Phocidians merged with the Elymians, giving life to a "mixed" community and the Phocidians "involved" the Elymians in their Greek legends (About the old question of the " Trojan origins” of the Elymians, See especially L. Antonelli, “Traffici Focei di età arcaica”, Roma, 2008: 37 ff.).
Thucydides (460-395 BC) told that “[…] after the fall of Troy (1183 BC) some Trojans arrived to Sicily from the sea with their ships, and they began to live close to the Sicans. The latter called them 'Elymians', and their towns were Segesta and Erice […].” However, we know little about the Elimians. While historical sources provide much informations about the Elymians, the archaeological evidences show slight marks of their existence (See AA. VV AA. VV. “Il territorio di Segesta fra l'età arcaica e il Medioevo”, in “Terze Giornate”: 91 ff.). According to Thucydides then alongside them, in a moment immediately after, also some Phocidians would come from Troy, driven by a storm first to Libya and then to Sicily.
The following history of Segesta was marked by many conflicts and massacres of populations. For example, Segesta had continual wars against Selinunte, then was destroyed by Agathocles [361-289 BC], tyrant of Syracuse, at the end of the fourth century BC; it was refounded by the Romans and finally destroyed by the Vandals. After the destruction of Agathocles, Tyrant of Syracuse, who wanted to punish the city for the lack of support given to him in the conflict with the Carthaginians; it also changed the name, and it was called "Dikaiopolis" (meaning "The right city "). This change of name was ordered by Agathocles, and about the reasons that encouraged the Tyrant to change the name there are many hypothesis. A very interesting theory is that of B. Sunseri, who believes that Agathocles changed the name of Segesta perhaps with intention in creating an "ideal city".
Agathocles, after the conquest of the city, made a real massacre of the inhabitants, but then he gave way to a series of "reforms" that involved the "[...] restruction of the city, which also planned for the liberation of slaves , with the intention to concretize, such as an authentic Hellenistic ruler, also in Sicily, the project of an 'ideal city' (...) Agathocles would thus appear as a worthy heir of Alexander the Great [356-323 BC], diffusing in that manner in Sicily some of the key components of the Hellenistic ideology, or a new function of the Royalty and an egalitarian propensity […]" (For the assumptions about Agathocles and Segesta-“Dikaiopolis”, See G. Bruno Sunseri, “Agatocle e la trasformazione di Segesta in Dikaiopolis”, in “Terze Giornate Internazionali di Studi sull'area Elima”, (Gibellina - Erice - Contessa Entellina, 23-26 ottobre 1997), Atti, I, Pisa - Gibellina 2000, 181 ff.).
The First Punic War [264 to 241 BC] saw Segesta as a faithful ally of Rome, and with its seaport it became an important strategic base for the Romans, who, in the name of the legendary Trojan origin that united the two cities, rewarded it with some taxation privileges. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city suffered serious devastations and carnages with the arrival of the Arabs, and it seems that it had been too badly damaged by the Vandals in the fifth century. After the expulsion of the Arabs, the Normans built a castle here, later enlarged by the Swabians, which formed the nucleus of a new medieval village, or “Calatafimi”. Under the rule of the Swabians "[...] the settlement of the population was between Segesta and Calatafimi, both equipped with strongholds in the higher areas.
Around the middle of the thirteenth century Segesta suffered a violent end and only a small area on the top north continued to be inhabited for some years. The end of Segesta seems to mark the definitive cancellation of the Arabs even in this part of Sicily, and the only town that continued to thrive until our times was Calatafimi [...]" (About the birth of Calatafimi, See A. Molinari, in “Terze Giornate …”: 124). Calatafimi, called by the Arabs "Qal'at [“Kalat” ('fortress')] Fimi," follows the name of a Roman owner of the first century BC, "Diocles," also called "Phimes" (in the Byzantine age the fortress was called "Castrum Phimes" [See G. Nenci, “I toponimi Segesta e Calatafimi …”]. It was also known as “Eufemio Castle”, from Eufemio from Messina, who led the Arabs to the conquest of Sicily. So, at the foot of the fortress, Calatafimi was born and developed, belonging to the royal property until the Aragonese age.
In 1336 the city was a stronghold of William of Aragon (1360-1380), and subsequently passed to the Peralta, De Prades, Cabrera, Enriquez, and finally to the Dukes of Alba. Calatafimi is famous in the history of the Italian “Risorgimento” , because in it there was a battle between troops led by Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) and the Bourbon soldiers (1860); a battle that would brought the city in the Kingdom of Italy (1861).