HIMERA, a city on the north coast of Sicily. It was founded in 648 b.c. by the Chalcidian inhabitants of Zancle, but with them were many Syracusan exiles who gave to the language of the city a Doric character. Early in the 5th century the tyrant Terillus, being expelled by Theron of Agrigentum, invoked the aid of the Carthaginians. They gladly availed themselves of the pretext, but their general Hamilcar was defeated at Himera by the Greeks under Gelon of Syracuse (480 b.c. ). Thrasydaeus, son of Theron, brought a large body of Doric immigrants to the city in 47 6; but was not long after expelled by Hiero. It seems to have enjoyed great prosperity during the rest of the 5th century. In 415 it refused to admit the Athenian fleet, and was a zealous ally of Syracuse. In 408 the Carthaginians sent another great army under Hannibal, grandson of Hamilcar, who razed the city to the ground. A new city called Thermae Himerenses was founded in 407 close to the former site. This name was derived from the famous hot springs, in which Hercules was said to have bathed. The new city was in Carthaginian hands till it was annexed by the Romans in the Second Punic War. It was treated with peculiar favour by them, and was left a free city under its own laws. In the time of Cicero it was a flourishing town, though not very large. Under Augustus it became a “colonia.” We hear little of it from that time, though the site was never deserted, and the town still exists under the name of Termini. Ergotetes, an Olympian victor celebrated by Pindar (Oh xii.), was a citizen of Himera. Stesichorus the poet was a native of the city; and his statue was preserved at Thermae in the time of Cicero. Agathocles also was a native of Thermae.