Syracuse or Syracusa is a historic city in Sicily and one of the two capitals
of the island in history. It can be found in the southern east corner of
Trinatria which is the old name of Sicily and has a population of approximately 125k.
It was founded approximately 733 bc by Greek settlers. The city boasts both Roman and Greek
influences, historic architecture. It is a very old city-state and used to be one of the dominant
forces in the Mediterranean. The Roman statesman Cicero described
Syracuse as the most beautiful of them all. Malena is a movie starring Monica Bellucci and
Giuseppe Sulfaro, this was filmed in Syracuse
The settlement was established by Corinthian Greeks. Syracuse was originally populated by the
Gamoroi who were later ejected by the Kilichiroi. The Gamoroi allied with Gelo
from nearby Gela to retake Syracuse. After which Syracuse was under the ferocious rule of Gelo. The
city flourished culturally and a new theater was built in the 6th century bc. This spectacular rise
caused an inevitable clash with Carthage who ruled the west of Sicily. Gelo joined with Theron of Agrigento
to defeat the African army of Hamilcar at the critical battle of Himera.
This seriously impacted the influence of Carthage in Sicily for a long time to come
a temple was built in tribute to Athena to record the notable victory. Syracuse now
expanded considerably. Hierro succeeded his brother Gelo, defeated the Etruscans
in a naval battle at Cumae in the bay of Naples in 474 bc. His court was populated by notable
poets of the time and began fighting the Siculi while embarking on maritime campaigns to Corsica
and Elba in the 5th century bc. Syracuse allied with Sparta to fight Athens. Its population
rose to 250 000 in 415 bc and it became the equivalent of Athens in terms of importance
between 415 and 413 bc. Syracuse was besieged by Greek forces. In 401 bc, Syracuse provided 300
Hoplite troops to the army of Cyrus the Younger, the army of the 10 thousand. In 4th century bc.
Dionysius the Elder lost Gela and Camarina but ensured the island was not dominated by Carthage.
Dionysus then built fortifications at Ortigia and walled the entire city in 397 bc.
The skirmishes with Carthage continued and saw the destruction of Naxos Catania and Lentini. A later
siege of Syracuse failed due to disease. Syracuse built Adranon near Catania Tindarion now Tindari
and Taormenos Taormina. In 392 bc Dionysus the Elder also founded Ancona Adria which is Rovigo
on the mainland and Issa. Other than fighting, Dionysus famously appreciated art. The philosopher
Plato visited Syracuse and was sold into slavery for daring to disagree with Dionysius.
Dionysus the Younger was ejected in 356 bc only to return in 347 bc.
Dionysus suffered a siege by the Syracusan general Hicetas in 344 bc. Timoleon from Corinth expelled
Dionysus and defeated Hicetas and introduced democracy. While these skirmishes damaged
the influence of Syracuse, Timoleon did beat Carthage at the battle of Crimissus in 339 bc.
On Timoleon's death Agathocles planned a coup and seized power in 317 bc. Syracuse
suffered a siege by Carthage in 311 bc but Agathocles fled with a small group of ships
In his time the Agathocles waged campaigns against Carthaginians in Sicily and Africa.
After the death of Agathocles in 289 bc the Carthaginians besieged
Syracuse one final time in 278 bc King Pyrrhus of Epirus arrived to assist Syracuse and the siege
ended. After the brief rule of Epirus, Hiero ii came to power in 275 bc. Hierro oversaw a 50-year
reign of peace and affluence. Syracuse was one of the most highly regarded cities of the era
Hiero ii issued the Lex Hieronica, a form of taxation which would survive into the Roman era.
The theater was extended and Hierro's Ara built. The famed mathematician and philosopher Archimedes
lived in Syracuse during this time his famed inventions included the claw of Archimedes
which was used to great effect during the Roman siege of 214 to 212 bc.
Hieronymus succeeded Hiero in 215 bc and allied with Carthage against the Romans.
The Romans began a siege of Syracuse in 214 bc which lasted for three years. Eventually the
city surrendered to the Romans in 212 bc. A group of Roman soldiers scaled the city walls at night
and let in reinforcements. Sadly Archimedes was killed during this attack.
The population of Syracuse and more broadly Sicily became Roman citizens in 44 bc.
Syracuse was the roman capital of Sicily but during this time was a period of slow decline.
Its vital role on the trade routes between the east and west empire however was undiminished.
Paul of Tarsus the disciple and Saint Marziano brought Christianity to the city.
Christians were persecuted at this time and sizable catacombs were carved
Syracuse was sacked by the Franks in 278 to 280 a.d Saint Lucia of Syracuse the Christian
martyr was killed in 304 a.d. She had rejected a suitor who accused her of being a christian
her eyes were apparently gouged out prior to her execution. 469-477 saw the Vandals in Syracuse.
Roman rule resumed under Odoacer between 476-491 a.d. Theodoric the Great Germanic legend
an Ostrogoth ruled between 491 and 526 a.d. Belisarius ruled for the Byzantine empire.
Emperor Constance ii ruled from to 668. Constance ii was assassinated.
The emirate of Sicily was when Sicily was ruled as part of the Islamic kingdom from 831 to 1091 a.d.
The capital of Sicily was Palermo formerly called Panormus. Syracuse resisted a siege
by the Aghlabids from North Africa between 827 and 828 a.d and was greatly supported
by the Byzantine empire during this time. It was key to the Byzantine resistance to the Muslim
invasion of Sicily until its final collapse during another siege in 878 a.d. The cathedral
became a mosque and the Ortigia island was redesigned using Islamic styles. The city
retained its key role in trading relationships but it also profited culturally and artistically
famous Arab poet Ibn Hamdis lived in the city. George Maniakes
(Byzantine) retook the city in 1038 and recovered relics of St Lucia to Constantinople.
Normans under Roger I of Sicily took Syracuse in 1085 as Arabs made their final stand,
Roger the first's son Jordan of Hauteville became count of the city of Syracuse.
In this time, parts of the city were rebuilt and the cathedral restored. By 1194, Emperor Henry vi
ruled all of Sicily. The notorious pirate, Alamanno da Costa, the prince of pirates
and count of Syracuse on behalf of the Genoese, ruled between 1205 and 1220 a.d and during this
time both trade and piracy flourished from the city(!) Frederick ii retook the city and was King
of Sicily from 1198 he built Castello Maniace, the Bishop's Palace and the Bellomo Palace.
After Frederick's death, organized society fell into disrepair. The famous war of the Sicilian
Vespers was between the Angevin French and the Aragonese Spanish for the control of Sicily.
Syracuse supported the Aragonese and threw out the Angevins in 1298 and was great rewarded for this
In this period, the city suffered from a number of natural disasters. An earthquake in 1542
the earthquake in 1693 fundamentally altered Syracuse including Val di Noto. Rebuilding of
the city proceeded in the Sicilian Baroque style which is found across southern Italy. Cholera
arrived in 1837 and was used as a catalyst for a public uprising against the Bourbon government.
Noto was briefly made the provincial capital instead of Syracuse. The people of Syracuse
took part in the Sicilian revolution of 1848 which originated in Palermo
against the Bourbon rule. After the unification of Italy, Syracuse regained its status
of provincial capital. Syracuse was heavily bombarded by both the Allies and the Germans
in 1943. The Allied invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky began on the 9th of July 1943.
The 8th army under General Montgomery captured Syracuse and the port was subsequently used as
a naval base by the British Royal Navy. Post-war Syracuse expanded rapidly and enjoyed sizable
industrial investment the city of Syracuse is listed as a World Heritage Site by Unesco,
quote "monuments and archaeological sites situated in Syracuse are the finest example
of outstanding architectural creation spanning several cultural aspects Greek Roman and Baroque"