SYRACUSE in SICILY 343BC Rare Nymph Arethusa Pegasus Ancient Greek

Description: Syracuse(/srkjus,-kjuz/SIRR--kewss, -kewz;Italian:Siracusa[sirakuza](listen);Sicilian:Sarausa[saausa])[a]is a historic city on theItalianisland ofSicily, the capital of the Italianprovince of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek and Roman history,culture,amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the pre-eminent mathematician and engineerArchimedes.This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when it was one of the major powers of theMediterraneanworld. Syracuse is located in the southeast corner of the island of Sicily, next to the Gulf of Syracuse beside theIonian Sea. It is situated in a drastic rise of land with 2,000 metres (6,600ft) depths being close to the city offshore although the city itself is generally not so hilly in comparison.The city was founded byAncient GreekCorinthiansandTeneansand became a very powerfulcity-state. Syracuse was allied withSpartaandCorinthand exerted influence over the entirety ofMagna Graecia, of which it was the most important city. Described byCiceroas "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all", it equaledAthensin size during the fifth century BC.It later became part of theRoman Republicand theByzantine Empire. Under EmperorConstans II, it served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire (663669).Palermolater overtook it in importance, as the capital of theKingdom of Sicily. Eventually the kingdom would be united with theKingdom of Naplesto form theTwo Siciliesuntil theItalian unificationof 1860. In the modern day, the city is listed byUNESCOas aWorld Heritage Sitealong with theNecropolis of Pantalica. In the central area, the city itself has a population of around 125,000 people. Syracuse is mentioned in the Bible in theActs of the Apostlesbook at 28:12 asPaulstayed there.Thepatron saintof the city isSaint Lucy; she was born in Syracuse and her feast day,Saint Lucy's Day, is celebrated on 13 December. History Archaic period Syracuse and its surrounding area have been inhabited since ancient times, as shown by the findings in the villages of Stentinello, Ognina, Plemmirio, Matrensa, Cozzo Pantano andThapsos, which already had a relationship withMycenaean Greece. Syracuse was founded in 734 or 733BC by Greek settlers fromCorinthandTenea, led by theoecist(colonizer)Archias. There are many attested variants of the name of the city includingSyrakousai,SyrakosaiandSyrak. The most acceptable theory is that thePhoenicianscalled it Sour-ha-Koussim, which means "Stone of the seagulls" from which would come the name of Syracuse.A possible origin of the city's name was given byVibius Sequesterciting firstStephanus Byzantiusin that there was a Syracusian marsh () calledSyrakoand secondlyMarcian'sPeriegesiswherein Archias gave the city the name of a nearby marsh; hence one getsSyrako(and therebySyrakousaiand other variants) for the name of Syracuse, a name also attested byEpicharmus.The settlement of Syracuse was aplanned event, as a strong central leader, Arkhias the aristocrat, laid out how property would be divided up for the settlers, as well as plans for how the streets of the settlement should be arranged, and how wide they should be. The nucleus of the ancient city was the small island ofOrtygia. The settlers found the land fertile and thenative tribesto be reasonably well-disposed to their presence. The city grew and prospered, and for some time stood as the most powerful Greek city anywhere in theMediterranean. Colonies were founded atAkrai(664BC),Kasmenai(643BC),Akrillai(7th centuryBC),Helorus(7th centuryBC) andKamarina(598BC). Classical period Map of ancient Syracuse. The descendants of the first colonists, calledGamoroi, held power until they were expelled by the lower class of the city assisted by Cyllyrians, identified as enslaved natives similar in status to thehelotsof Sparta.The former, however, returned to power in 485BC, thanks to the help ofGelo, ruler ofGela. Gelo himself became the despot of the city, and moved many inhabitants of Gela, Kamarina andMegarato Syracuse, building the new quarters of Tyche and Neapolis outside the walls. His program of new constructions included a new theatre, designed byDamocopos, which gave the city a flourishing cultural life: this in turn attracted personalities asAeschylus, Ario ofMethymnaand Eumelos of Corinth. The enlarged power of Syracuse made unavoidable the clash against theCarthaginians, who ruled western Sicily. In theBattle of Himera, Gelo, who had allied with Theron ofAgrigento, decisively defeated the African force led byHamilcar. A temple dedicated toAthena(on the site of today's Cathedral), was erected in the city to commemorate the event. Syracuse grew considerably during this time. Its walls encircled 120 hectares (300 acres) in the fifth century, but as early as the 470sBC the inhabitants started building outside the walls. The complete population of its territory approximately numbered 250,000 in 415BC and the population size of the city itself was probably similar to Athens. Gelo was succeeded by his brotherHiero, whofoughtagainst theEtruscansatCumaein 474BC. His rule was eulogized by poets likeSimonides of Ceos,BacchylidesandPindar, who visited his court. A democratic regime was introduced byThrasybulos(467BC).The city continued to expand inSicily,fightingagainst the rebelliousSiculi, and on theTyrrhenian Sea, making expeditions up toCorsicaandElba. In the late 5th centuryBC, Syracuse found itself at war withAthens, which sought more resources to fight thePeloponnesian War. The Syracusans enlisted the aid of a general fromSparta, Athens' foe in the war, to defeat the Athenians, destroy their ships, and leave them to starve on the island (seeSicilian Expedition). In 401BC, Syracuse contributed a force of 300hoplitesand a general toCyrus the Younger'sArmy of the Ten Thousand. Then in the early 4th centuryBC, thetyrantDionysius the Elderwas again at war againstCarthageand, although losing Gela and Camarina, kept that power from capturing the whole of Sicily. After the end of the conflict Dionysius built a massive fortress on Ortygia and 22km-long walls around all of Syracuse. Another period of expansion saw the destruction ofNaxos,CataniaandLentini; then Syracuse entered again in war against Carthage (397BC). After various changes of fortune, the Carthaginians managed tobesiege Syracuseitself, but were eventually pushed back by a pestilence. A treaty in 392BC allowed Syracuse to enlarge further its possessions, founding the cities ofAdranon,TyndarionandTauromenos, and conqueringRhegionon the continent. In theAdriatic, to facilitate trade,Dionysius the ElderfoundedAncona,AdriaandIssa. Apart from his battle deeds, Dionysius was famous as a patron of art, andPlatohimself visited Syracuse several times, where Dionysius, offended by Plato's daring to disagree with the king, imprisoned the philosopher and sold him into slavery. His successor wasDionysius the Younger, who was however expelled byDionin 356BC. But the latter's despotic rule led in turn to his expulsion, and Dionysius reclaimed his throne in 347BC. Dionysius wasbesieged in Syracuseby the Syracusan generalHicetasin 344BC. The following year the CorinthianTimoleoninstalled a democratic regime in the city after he exiled Dionysius and defeated Hicetas. The long series of internal struggles had weakened Syracuse's power on the island, and Timoleon tried to remedy this, defeating the Carthaginians in theBattle of the Crimissus(339BC). Hellenistic period The siege of Syracuse in a 17th-century engraving. After Timoleon's death the struggle among the city's parties restarted and ended with the rise of another tyrant,Agathocles, who seized power with a coup in 317BC. He resumed the war against Carthage, with alternate fortunes. He wasbesieged in Syracuseby the Carthaginians in 311BC, but he escaped from the city with a small fleet. He scored a moral success, bringing the war to the Carthaginians' native African soil, inflicting heavy losses to the enemy. The defenders of Syracuse destroyed the Carthaginian army which besieged them. However, Agathocles was eventually defeated in Africa as well. The war ended with another treaty of peace which did not prevent the Carthaginians from interfering in the politics of Syracuse after the death of Agathocles (289BC). Theylaid siege to Syracusefor the fourth and last time in 278BC. They retreated at the arrival of kingPyrrhus of Epirus, whom Syracuse had asked for help. After a brief period under the rule of Epirus,Hiero IIseized power in 275BC. Hiero inaugurated a period of 50 years of peace and prosperity, in which Syracuse became one of the most renowned capitals of Antiquity. He issued the so-calledLex Hieronica, which was later adopted by the Romans for their administration of Sicily; he also had the theatre enlarged and a new immensealtar, the "Hiero's Ara", built. Under his rule lived the most famous Syracusan, the mathematician andnatural philosopherArchimedes. Among his many inventions were various military engines including theclaw of Archimedes, later used to resist theRoman siegeof 214212BC. Literary figures includedTheocritusand others. Hiero's successor, the youngHieronymus(ruled from 215BC), broke the alliance with the Romans after their defeat at theBattle of Cannaeand acceptedCarthage's support. The Romans, led by consulMarcus Claudius Marcellus,besieged the cityin 214BC. The city held out for three years, but fell in 212BC. The successes of the Syracusians in repelling the Roman siege had made them overconfident. In 212BC, the Romans received information that the city's inhabitants were to participate in the annual festival to their goddessArtemis. A small party of Roman soldiers approached the city under the cover of night and managed to scale the walls to get into the outer city and with reinforcements soon took control, killing Archimedes in the process, but the main fortress remained firm. After an eight-month siege and with parleys in progress, an Iberian captain named Moeriscus is believed to have let the Romans in near the Fountains of Arethusa. On the agreed signal, during a diversionary attack, he opened the gate. After setting guards on the houses of the pro-Roman faction, Marcellus gave Syracuse to plunder. Imperial Roman and Byzantine periodEdit The Roman amphitheatre TheTemple of Apollo Piazza Duomo The Cathedral Though declining slowly through the years, Syracuse maintained the status of capital of the Roman government of Sicily and seat of thepraetor. It remained an important port for trade between the Eastern and the Western parts of the Empire. Christianity spread in the city through the efforts ofPaul of Tarsusand Saint Marziano, the first bishop of the city, who made it one of the main centres ofproselytismin the West. In the age of Christian persecutions massivecatacombswere carved, whose size is second only to those of Rome. After a period ofVandalrule, 469477, Syracuse and the island was recovered for Roman rule under Odoacer, 476491 and Theodoric the Great, 491526, byBelisariusfor theByzantine Empire(31 December 535).[22]From 663 to 668 Syracuse was the seat of the Greek-speaking EmperorConstans II, as well as a capital of theByzantine (Eastern Roman) Empireand metropolis of the whole Sicilian Church. Constans II was assassinated when his plans to permanently replace the Byzantine capital of Constantinople with Syracuse became suspected. Emirate of Sicily The city wasbesiegedby theAghlabidsfor almost a year in 827828, but Byzantine reinforcements prevented its fall. It remained the center of Byzantine resistance to the gradualMuslim conquest of Sicilyuntil it fell to the Aghlabids afteranother siegeon 20/21 May 878. During the two centuries ofMuslimrule, the capital of theEmirate of Sicilywas moved from Syracuse toPalermo. The cathedral was converted into a mosque and the quarter on theOrtygiaisland was gradually rebuilt along Islamic styles. The city, nevertheless, maintained important trade relationships, and housed a relatively flourishing cultural and artistic life: several Arab poets, includingIbn Hamdis, the most importantSicilian Arabpoet of the 12th century, flourished in the city. Norman kingdom of Sicily In 1038, the Byzantine generalGeorge Maniakesreconquered the city, sending the relics of St. Lucy toConstantinople. The eponymous castle on the cape of Ortygia bears his name, although it was built under theHohenstaufenrule. In 1085 theNormansentered Syracuse, one of the lastArabstrongholds, after a summer-long siege byRoger I of Sicilyand his sonJordan of Hauteville, who was given the city as count. New quarters were built, and the cathedral was restored, as well as other churches. High medieval period In 1194,Emperor Henry VIoccupied the Sicilian kingdom, including Syracuse. After a short period ofGenoeserule (12051220) under the notorious admiral and pirateAlamanno da Costa, which favoured a rise of trades, royal authority was re-asserted in the city byFrederick II. He began the construction of theCastello Maniace, the Bishops' Palace and the Bellomo Palace. Frederick's death brought a period of unrest and feudal anarchy. In theWar of the Sicilian Vespersbetween theAngevinandAragonesedynasties for control of Sicily, Syracuse sided with the Aragonese and expelled the Angevins in 1298, receiving from the Spanish sovereigns great privileges in reward. The preeminence of baronial families is also shown by the construction of the palaces ofAbela,Chiaramonte, Nava, Montalto. 16th20th centuries The city was struck by two ruinous earthquakes in 1542 and1693, and a plague in 1729. The 17th century destruction changed the appearance of Syracuse forever, as well as the entireVal di Noto, whose cities were rebuilt along the typical lines ofSicilian Baroque, considered one of the most typical expressions of the architecture of Southern Italy. The spread ofcholerain 1837 led to a revolt against theBourbongovernment. The punishment was the move of the province capital seat toNoto, but the unrest had not been totally choked, as the Siracusani took part in theSicilian revolution of 1848. After theUnification of Italyof 1865, Syracuse regained its status of provincial capital. In the late 19th century, the walls (includingPorta Ligny) were demolished and a bridge connecting the mainland to Ortygia island was built. In the following year a railway link was constructed. Modern history BothAlliedandGermanbombings in 1943 caused heavy destruction duringWorld War II.Operation Husky, the codename for theAllied invasion of Sicily, was launched on the night between 910 July 1943 with British forces attacking the southeast of the island. The plan was for theBritish 5th Infantry Division, part ofGeneralSir Bernard Montgomery'sEighth Army, to capture Syracuse on the first day of the invasion. This part of the operation went completely according to plan, and British forces captured Syracuse on the first night of the operation.The port was then used as a base for the BritishRoyal Navy.To the west of the city is aCommonwealth War Graves cemeterywhere about 1,000 men are buried. After the end of the war the northern quarters of Syracuse experienced a heavy, often chaotic, expansion, favoured by the quick process of industrialization. Syracuse today has about 125,000 inhabitants and numerous attractions for the visitor interested in historical sites (such as theEar of Dionysius). A process of recovering and restoring the historical centre has been ongoing since the 1990s. Nearby places of note includeCatania,Noto,ModicaandRagusa

Price: 225 USD

Location: Reading, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2024-02-27T21:16:11.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4 USD