Elymi

The Elymi were an ancient people who inhabited the western part of Sicily during much of the first millennium BCE. The ethnonym Elymi is attested in Greek and Latin sources; their precise origins remain uncertain, and scholars have proposed various theories about their relationship to other pre-Greek populations on the island. The Elymian territory centered on the hinterland around Segesta and extended to the western coast, including sites such as Eryx (modern Erice) and nearby communities. Segesta, a leading city, is often associated with the Elymi in ancient accounts, along with other urban centers mentioned by Greek historians.

The Elymian language is poorly attested, known from a small body of inscriptions and onomastic material. Its linguistic classification is unresolved; it is generally treated as a pre-Greek, non-Greek language of western Sicily, with uncertain affinities.

Historically, the Elymi interacted with Greek colonists and Carthage. In the 5th century BCE, Segesta sought aid from Athens during the Peloponnesian War, provoking hostilities with Syracuse. Carthaginian influence grew later, and over time Elymian polities were absorbed into larger Sicilian powers under Hellenistic and then Roman rule, after which they ceased to exist as a distinct community.

Our information about the Elymi comes from ancient authors such as Thucydides and Diodorus Siculus, supplemented by inscriptions and archaeological remains at Segesta and other sites. The Elymi are part of the broader set of pre-Greek populations of Sicily, whose origins and connections remain debated.