Founded in the 7C BC and for a long time allied to Carthage against Segesta, the city was finally destroyed by Hannibal, a Carthaginian, who led fierce fighting here in 409 BC, during which 16 000 inhabitants of the town were slaughtered. Against the odds, the city lived to fight another day, but was razed to the ground during the Second Punic War. Today, the once powerful Selinunte is in ruins, but what does remain of the city is grandiose and offers the advantage of being a little less crowded with tourists than other sites.