SICULI

English Sicels, Greek Sikeloi ancient Sicilian tribe that occupied the eastern part of Sicily. Old tales related that the Siculi once lived in central Italy but were driven out and finally crossed to Sicily, leaving remnants behinde.g., at Locri. They are hard to identify archaeologically, although some words of their Indo-European language are known. The Siculi lived in independent towns; thus, they were easily displaced by the Greek colonists who migrated to Sicily, and they did not react en masse until the 450s BC under Ducetius. Their most important gods were the Palici, protectors of agriculture and sailors; Adranus, perhaps the father of the Palici; and the goddess Hybla, or Hyblaea. See also Sicani.