About Erice`s foundation scholars disagree: some of them think it was founded by the Elymians, some others by the Troians. Erice is supposed not to be the first name of the city, this name refers to the Greek word "έρινος", meaning fortress. Its very first name is thought to be "Iruca" afterwards changed into "Eruca" comparable to a Roman coin inscription "Eruc" and with "Erech" in a Punic-sicilian coin. The Romans, at first called the city "Erucus" witnessed by a tombstone, found on top of the mountain, where this name is abbreviated into "Eruc".
After the Islamic conquest of Sicily names of rivers and mountains were changed. The city was called Diebel-Hamed or Gebel-Hamed (or Hamid) names used by the Arab geographer Idrisi. Gebel in Arabic indicates a high place, a hill or a mountain; Hamed is the name of a Sicilian Emir.
After 1077, at the time of the Norman conquest, the city was re-named Mount Saint Julian. According to a legend, this saint appeared to Count Ruggero D`Altavilla while he was fighting to take possession of the town. As the Great Count and his soldiers received new courage from the Saint, he decided to call it Mount St.Julian. The city`s name was maintained until 1934 when Mussolini changed it into Erice.
