Amestratus

Ămestrătus, i, f.,

• a town on the north coast of Sicily, mentioned only by Cic. and Steph. B., now Mistretta, is prob. the same place as the Amastra of Sil. 14, 267; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 43, 101; Steph. B. s. v.
• —Hence, Ămestrătīni, ōrum, m., the inhabitants of Amestratus, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 39, 88.

Amestratus — Amestratus (Sicily), Pleiades 462093

Amēstratus, ī, f. (Ἀμήστρατος), Stadt an der Nordküste Siziliens am Haläsus, j. Mistretta, Cic. Verr. 3, 101. – auch gen. Amāstra, ae, f. b. Sil. 14, 267. – Dav. Amēstratīnus, a, um, aus Amestratus, amestratinisch, legati, Cic. Verr. 3, 88: u. subst., Amēstratīnī, ōrum, m., die Einw. von Am., die Amestratiner, Cic. Verr. 3, 88 u. 89.

Ămestrătus, (16) ī, f. , ville de Sicile : Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 101 || -tīnī, ōrum, m. , habitants dʼAmestratus : Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 89.

AMESTRATUS

AME´STRATUS (Ἀμήστρατος, Steph. B.; Amestratinus: Mistretta), a city of Sicily, noticed only by Cicero and Steph. Byz. From the circumstance mentioned by the former, that Verres compelled the inhabitants of Calacte to deliver their tithes of corn at Amestratus instead of at Calacte itself, it is clear that it was not very far from that city: and this fact, coupled with the resemblance of the name, enables us to fix its site at Mistretta, now a considerable town, situated on a hill about 5 miles from the N. coast of Sicily near Sto. Stefano, and 10 from Caronia (Calacte). According to Fazello, considerable remains of antiquity were still visible there in his time; but the place is not described by any recent traveller. We learn from Cicero that it was a small and poor town, though enjoying municipal privileges. (Cic. in Verr. 3.3. 9, 43, 74; Steph. B. s. v.; Fazell. de Reb. Sicul. 10. p. 415; Cluver. Sicil. p. 383.)

It is probably the same place as the Amastra of Silius Italicus (Sil. Ital. 14.267), but there is no foundation for identifying it (as has been done by Cluverius and most subsequent geographers) with the Mytistratus of Polybius and Pliny: both names being perfectly well authenticated. [MYTISTRATUS] That of Amestratus, in addition to the testimony of Cicero and Stephanus, is fully supported by the evidence of its coins, which have the name at full, ΑΜΗΣΤΠΑΤΙΝΩΝ. (Castell. Sicil. Vet. Num. pl. 15; Eckhel, vol. 1. p. 197.)

[E.H.B]

Amestrătus

A town of Sicily, near the Halesus. The Romans besieged it for seven months when in the hands of the Carthaginians, but without success. It was taken, however, after a third siege, and razed to the ground, the surviving inhabitants being sold as slaves. Byz. Steph. calls the place Amestratus; Diodorus Siculus, Mystratum; and Polybius, Myttistratum. (Diod. Sic.xxiii. ecl. 9; Polyb. i. 24.)