Camarina (Kamarina)
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Camarina (Kamarina): An ancient city situated on the southern coast of Sicily, beside the mouth of the river Hipparis. Founded by Syracuse in 599 BC, it became hostile towards its mother-city, resulting in several destructive attacks by the Syracusans. It was destroyed in 552 BC and remained deserted until being refounded by Hippocrates in 495 BC. In 485 BC, it was again destroyed by Gelon I, who deported its population to Syracuse. In 461 BC, Camarina was again refounded, this time by colonists from Gela. In 427 BC, it became an ally of Athens but chose to remain neutral during the disastrous Athenian attack on Syracuse (415-413 BC). Its dependence on Gela was so great that when that city was destroyed in 405 BC, the Camarinians abandoned their own homes as well. The city was later occupied by the Carthaginians, who were eventually ousted by Timoleon. He planted a new colony there and the city again flourished. Camarina’s wealth made it a tempting target and it suffered attacks from Agathocles and from the Mamertines. During the First Punic War, Camarina initially sided with the Romans. Near Camarina’s shore, the Romans lost one of its fleets to a storm. When the city later changed its loyalty, the Romans attacked and captured it, selling the majority of its population into slavery. Camarina survived the war but was never able to regain its prosperity. By Strabo’s time, late in the 1st century BC, Camarina was deserted. Little remains of the city today.
Camarina’s best defense came from a nearby marsh, also called Camarina. Because it was the source of pestilence, the local citizens wished to drain it. An oracle from Apollo, however, warned them against the plan. Disregarding the oracle, the Camarinians drained the marsh. As a result, during the 1st Punic War, the Romans were able to capture the city and sell most of the inhabitants into slavery. From this incident arose the ancient proverb Ne moveas Camarinam (= “Don’t meddle with Camarina”), meaning that if you solve one problem, you might create a greater one as a result.