Siracusa.
The city of Syracuse, in a splendid position in the
E part of the Sici1ian coast, stretches out over the
sea with the island of Ortygia, where the major testimonies
of its glorious past are to be found. Ortygia is connected
by a bridge to the mainland, where the modem city
extends. According to the 5th c. BC historian Thucydides
the ancient city was founded in 734-733 BC by a group
of Corinthian settlers led by the oecist Archias.
It took its name from a near. by marsh called Syraka.
Very soon Syracuse became one of the most powerful
cities in Sicily. Its expansionist policy began between
the 7th and 6th c. BC and led to the foundation of
the colonies of Akrai (663 BC), Kasmenai (643) and
Kamarina (598), which were to assume a role of primary
importance in the defence of the surrounding territory
. At first, power was wielded in Syracuse by the Gamoroi
(aristocrats and landowners); subsequently, at the
beginning of the 5th c. BC, it was exercised more
democratically. In the mid-th c. the retum of the
aristocrats and the establishment of the tyranny of
the Deinomenids of Gela coincided with a period of
expansion of the city, which set itself at the head
of the Hellenist settlements of Magna Graecia in the
struggle against the Carthaginians, defeating them
at the famous Battle of Himera (480 BC), with the
city of Agrigento as an ally. In the second phase
of the Peloponnesian War Athens, jealous of Syracuse's
econornic and military expansion, launched against
it a powerful offensive with a naval expedition led
by Nicias Lamachos and Alcibiades. Syracuse succeeded
in defeating the Athenians, who were annihilated on
the banks of the Assinaros., near Eloro (Helorus).
The architect of the victory was the democratic faction,
which took control of the town. But the Carthaginians
retumed to the attack and destroyed Selinunte (409
BC), compelling Syracuse to an agreed surrender .
When Dionysius I came to power (405 BC), the Carthaginian
offensive started again but was held back by a pestilence
which proved to be a prelude to peace. Clashes continued
in the following years until a new pact was agreed
upon in 392: Dionysius obtained control of the Sicel
toWns, which previously had been independent; Carthage
kept its domination of W Sicily. This was the moment
of Syracuse's greatest splendour, and it extended
the sphere of its influence as far as S and Central
Italy. On Dionysius' death he was succeeded by his
son Dionysius II. New intemal conflicts broke out
and the Syracusans tumed for help against the tyrant
to their mother-city Corinth, which in 344 despatched
to Sicily an expedition under Timoleon. The Corinthian
leader defeated Dionysius and peace terms were agreed.
In 339 Timoleon had to face an offensive by the Carthaginians
which ended in their debacle near the River Krimisos
(341 BC). Timoleon now devoted himself to the restoration
of order in Sicily, the recolonization of the countryside,
and the strengthening of the Greek element, while
maintaining a moderate political stance. He was succeeded
on his death by Agathocles, the leader of the radical
democratic party, who got rid of the oligarchs and
in 307, during yet another war with the Carthaginians,
adopted the title of King. One year lat er, having
won the war, he became master of the whole island.
Following his death he was succeeded by Hieron II,
who remained in power for over 50 years (269-215 BC).
This was the period of the appearance of the Romans
on the stage of history. They strove to limit Syracuse's
independence to such a next enxtent that Hieron, realizing
their superior strength, eventually declared himself
their ally. His successor Hieronymus entered instead
into an alliance with the Carthaginians but in the
end had to yield to the Romans who conquered and sacked
Syracuse in 213 BC and made it part of the Province
of Sicily, permitting it however to maintain the role
of capital city. After the fall of Rome Syracuse followed
the alternating vicissitudes of Sicily; it was occupied
by the Vandals, Goths and Byzantines, until in 878
it fell into the hands of the Muslims. Under the Normans
and Swabians Syracuse, though ceding the role of capital
city to Palermo, continued to be of considerable importance.
It also benefited from an ample restructuring of the
town. Maniàce Castle is an admirable example
of architecture of the epoch of Frederick II and is
at the same time a symbol of his military power and
of the centralization of the state ef fected by this
sovereign. Under the Angevin domination Syracuse became
the capital of an extensive territory with nine communes.
In this period a number of elegant baronial residences,
churches and convents were built, including the convents
of Santa Lucia, San Benedetto and L 'Annunziata. Between
the 16th and 17th c., the Spanish age, the presence
of the Carmelite Jesuits led to further transformations
of the city skyline, according to the dictates of
the new baroque style, which in Syracuse however took
on specific and characteristic connotations, and imposing
bastions were built all around the city, mainly because
of the pressing Turkish threat. After the earthquake
in 1693 Syracuse was partially reconstructed, the
work proceeding throughout the 18th c. Between the
18th and 19th c. there were considerable urbanistic
and cultural transformations; many religious buildings
were confiscated and destined to public use. This
process was accentuated even more after the unificatjon
of Italy, when it was decided to demolish the Spanish
walls, and the city began to expand in land. New quarters
arose which increasingly underlined the great divide
between the ancjent city and the modern city. A prograrnme
of recovery is now being followed which by means of
conservati ve restoration procedures is saving and
reviving the most significant testimonies of the city'
s ancient past.
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