|
|
|
|
SICILY
Syracuse
Seaboard town of approximately 126 000 inhabitants, which extends on the sea with the Ortigia island. |
|
|||
|
|
Ortigia
|
Cathedral |
Seaport |
||
| Colonized
at the VIIIth century b-JC by Greeks of
Corinth which are
established on the island of Ortigia,
Syracuse falls quickly under the power of tyrants. It was opposed a long time to Athens and Carthage. With its apogee under the tyrant Denys the Old (V - VI b-JC), it counted approximately 300 000 inhabitants and dominated Sicily. Its cultural influence was major, having accomodated Plato, Archimedes, Ciceron, Eschyle, it generated the comic Greek theater. The city passed later in 212 b-JC under the domination of Rome where it was largely plundered of its treasures, starting a long period of decline. It passed then under the power of the barbarians, the Byzantines, Arabic and the Norman ones. |
|||||
