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The glorious ancient Greek battle of Himera. While modern historians often focus on mainland Greece and the Persian Wars, ancient historians viewed the Sicilian conflict against the Carthaginians as equally significant. Credit: Giuseppe Sciuti / Public Domain For ancient Greek history, the battle of Himera (480 BC) was a pivotal conflict that occurred in Sicily during the Greco-Persian Wars. While events such as the Battle of Thermopylae and the naval Battle of Salamis are often remembered as turning points that shaped the Golden Age of Greece, the Greeks of Italy faced their own significant challenges during this period. Strategic alliances and the prelude to battle The Battle of Himera was fought between the Greeks of Syracuse and Akragas on one side and the Carthaginians on the other near Himera in ancient Greek Sicily. According to Herodotus and Aristotle, the battle coincided with the naval Battle of Salamis. On the other hand, Timaeus and Diodorus Siculus claim it took place during the Battle of Thermopylae. The poet Pindar also echoed these claims in his odes. The Greeks achieved a decisive victory, halting Carthaginian offensives in Sicily for the next 71 years. As the Greco-Persian Wars raged, the Carthaginians reportedly aligned with the Persians to create a diversion and weaken the Greeks of Greater Greece (also know as Magna Graecia), according to Diodorus Siculus: “The Carthaginians, we recall, had agreed with the Persians to subdue the Greeks of Sicily at the same time and had made preparations on a large scale of such materials as would be useful in carrying on a war. And when they had made everything ready, they chose for general Hamilcar, having selected him as the man who was held by them in the highest esteem.” Herodotus provides further context, explaining that Theron, the tyrant of Akragas, expelled the tyrant of Himera, Teryllus. Teryllus then sought help from the Carthaginians. They seized the opportunity to intervene and prevent the unification of Sicily under Gelon, the tyrant of Gela and Syracuse. Interestingly, Herodotus also notes that Gelon sent three ships to monitor the Persian invasion of Greece. He intended, if the Persians were victorious, to offer them “land and water” (a token of submission) and a large sum of money to Xerxes. Ancient ruins at Himera. Credit: wikimedia commons Bjs CC BY 4.0 Hamilcar’s campaign and Gelon’s strategic counterattack The leader of the Carthaginians was Hamilcar, who, according to historians of the time, commanded a force of approximately 300,000 men and 200 ships. The Carthaginian fleet primarily consisted of mercenaries from various regions across the Western Mediterranean. The Carthaginians landed in what is now Palermo, where Hamilcar decided to allow his men three days of rest, as many ships had been lost during a storm in the Libyan Sea. From there, they advanced toward Himera, causing panic among the locals, who sought help from Gelon, the tyrant of Syracuse. Gelon assembled an army of 50,000 men and 5,000 horsemen, primarily composed of mercenaries. He employed a “scorched earth” strategy, instructing his cavalry to devastate the surrounding countryside to hinder the enemy’s resupply efforts. During this time, Gelon’s forces intercepted a messenger carrying a letter to Hamilcar from the Greek colony of Selinus. The letter revealed that the Selinuntians had agreed to send horsemen to aid the Carthaginians on a specified date. Seizing the opportunity, Gelon devised a plan to take the Carthaginians by surprise. Instead of allowing the reinforcements to arrive, he sent his own horsemen disguised as the Selinuntians. This enabled him to launch an unopposed attack on the Carthaginian camp. The battle of Himera Herodotus focused primarily on the two commanders, Gelon and Hamilcar, portraying both as noble men. Regarding Hamilcar’s self-immolation following his defeat in battle, the Carthaginians honored his act by establishing ruler cults in his name. Diodorus…

Right now, the biggest name floating around New York baseball talk has to be Paul Skenes. Why? Because ever since that leaked conversation where he hinted he’d be open to joining the Yankees, fans have been losing their minds. The buzz makes sense as New York was already linked to Skenes, and there was even talk of a failed trade attempt at the last deadline. Now, fans are convinced this is the perfect moment to bring him in. And it seems like Skenes knows exactly what’s trending in New York. His recent interaction with a Yankees fan had all the classic Skenes charm, only making the fanbase want him more. As for how to actually make it happen? Yankees fans think they might have an inside track through his girlfriend, Olivia Dunne. Jomboy Media shares snapshots of a Yankees fan meeting Skenes and his girlfriend at the airport. What followed was nothing less than hilarious. The fan asked for a click, and Skenes agrees. Result? The photo came with Skenes’ head out of the frame. Paul Skenes is hilarious for this pic.twitter.com/qqoIZF3m4H — Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) November 13, 2025 Meaning? Skenes is still not associated with the Yankees. But that’s enough subtle hint for the Yankees fans to slide into Dunne’s X account with a request… Reportedly, Skenes was just crowned the NL Cy Young Award winner on Wednesday after an incredible season with an MLB-best 1.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 216 SOs. And wth numbers like that, and given how shaky the Yankees’ rotation looked this year, it’s no surprise fans are dreaming about seeing him in pinstripes. But on the same night he became the second-youngest unanimous Cy Young winner in history, the Pirates ace pushed back on rumors that he specifically wanted to join the Yankees. “I got shown the tweet and got some texts about it. Didn’t think much about it,” Skenes said. Still, that subtle hint he dropped at the airport has kept Yankees fans buzzing. Even when Olivia Dunne posted a sweet congratulations to him for winning the Cy Young, the comment section quickly turned into a Yankees recruitment thread instead of a celebration. Yankees fans can’t let go of Skenes “Cy Young Skenes has a nice ring to it,” Dunner posted via X after Skenes’ Cy Young award. Replies came with a Yankees point attached. One fan said, “Skenes to the Yankees has a nice ring to it as well.” “Pinstripe Skenes has a nice ring to it,” added another. Now, the question despite having many other starters available as free agents and Gerritt Cole returning, what’s with Skenes? Well, behind Cole, there’s been too much uncertainty. For instance, Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes are pitching, but not what Skenes could offer. Moreover, Cole isn’t getting younger, and Skenes could be the ace to carry the franchise into the next era. Pairing them for a few seasons before handing Skenes the torch makes perfect sense for the Yankees’ future. “Livvy, are you gonna tell Paul to request a trade to NY now?” A request from a Yankees fan. “New York Yankee Paul Skenes sounds so much better.” Fans can’t stop manifesting Paul Skenes here in New York. For reference, it’s not easy to survive in the Yankees’ dugout. Check Devin Williams. After such dominant stats all these years, he took a hard hit with the Yankees. Here, Skenes has the mentality, poise, and personality that fit perfectly in the pressure cooker that is Yankee Stadium. He doesn’t shy away from attention or big moments; in fact, he seems to thrive on them. That matters in a city where every pitch is magnified. “So does Pinstripe Paul (let him know),” another request by a user. Well, we don’t know if Dunner could persuade Skenes to a change of mind. However, for the Yankees fans, Dunne is the one who could connect the dots between New York and Skenes. Let’s see if that works… The post Paul Skenes Hilariously Trolls Fan as Yankees Trade Speculation Puts Olivia Dunne in Spotlight appeared first on EssentiallySports.

A.J. McKee is known as “The Mercenary,” and it seems he’s secured a payday to remain under contract with the PFL. Professional Fighters League CEO John Martin announced on Wednesday that McKee (23-2), a former Bellator MMA featherweight champion, had signed a new contract to remain with the promotion. McKee was one of the big names to come over from Bellator when the PFL absorbed the rival MMA promotion after acquiring it over a year ago. In 25 fights, McKee has just two losses, to former Bellator double-champ Patricio Pitbull, and PFL lightweight contender Paul Hughes. He’s never been finished, with both fights going to the judges. The 30-year old, son of lightweight pioneer Antonio McKee, claimed featherweight gold under the Bellator banner with a win over Pitbull, capping off an 18-0 start to his professional mixed martial arts career. He’d lose the title back to the Brazilian in his next fight, and eventually make the move up to lightweight. McKee holds notable wins over Pitbull, RIZIN champ Roberto “Satoshi” de Silva, UFC vet and PFL finalist Clay Collard, and former Bellator champs Darrion Caldwell and Pat Curran, among others. A.J. McKee was most recently seen earning a unanimous decision victory over Akhmed Magomedov at the PFL Champions Series 2 card in July. The post Former Bellator Champ A.J. McKee Re-Signs with PFL appeared first on Cageside Press.

New York, NY — Women’s flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko shut down her emotions coming into Fight Week, she clarified during Wednesday’s UFC 322 media day. The two-time women’s 125lb champion had been asked about blocking out emotions during training camp, but admitted that would be too tall of an order. “No, it’s like emotion, do not have emotions during the fight week. Because it’s impossible to not have any emotions during training camp,” Shevchenko (25-4-1) told media outlets including Cageside Press on hand in New York City. “Training camp, it’s a long time. And you have roller coasters where you cannot sleep during the night, you think about the fight, you’re analyzing all the fights of your opponent— it’s work. It’s hard work.” Rather than emotion, during Fight Week, Shevchenko is channeling “steady energy,” she added. “This is the most important [thing] for me. Steady energy.” When it comes to her opponents, it’s a “cold study” that Shevchenko tries to carry out. The study this time around has been on former strawweight champ Weili Zhang, who vacated her 115lb title to pursue another belt against “Bullet.” Shevchenko knows how good Zhang is, by virtue of being a UFC champion. She was not willing to discredit any of her former title challengers and declare Zhang her biggest threat, however, noting they were all fighting in the best organization in the world. UFC 322 marks the first time Valentina Shevchenko will fight in New York’s famed Madison Square Garden. On her hopes for her first fight at the famed venue, the 37-year old lifelong martial artist said that “I don’t want to leave anything that I will regret after. And I want to show the beauty of martial arts, as I said. To show not only who has stronger head or something like that, but the beauty of martial arts.” On the city itself, it’s a return of sorts for Shevchenko. Despite not having fought in the city, Shevchenko does have history with it. “New York for me is a very special place. I spent here, many different occasions, many times in this beautiful city. Especially I spent here, a few years ago, filming with Halle Berry, her directorial debut, Bruised.” Shevchenko spent two months filming in the city, she added. Watch the full UFC 322 media day appearance by Valentina Shevchenko above. The post Valentina Shevchenko Looking to Maintain “Steady Energy” Ahead of UFC 322 appeared first on Cageside Press.