Map of central Mediterranean Sea, showing location of Syracuse on the island of Sicily. Map also shows mainland Italy, Tunisia, and the islands Sardinia and Corsica.

Syracuse (Italian Siracusa; ancient Syracusa; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a city on the eastern coast of Sicily and the capital of the province of Syracuse, Italy. Once described by Cicero as "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all", the ancient core of Syracuse is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. Image File history File links Map of central Mediterranean, showing location of Syracuse, Sicily (37 03 N, 15 17 E) This image is an original work by Robert Dodier (User:Wile E. Heresiarch). ... Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Alanic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... Sardinia (Sardigna, Sardinna or Sardinnia in the Sardinian language, Sardegna in Italian, Sardenya in Catalan), is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (Sicily is the largest), between Italy, Spain and Tunisia, south of Corsica. ... Capital Ajaccio Area 8,680 km² Regional President Ange Santini (UMP) (since 2004) Population  - 2004 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density (Ranked 25th) 272,000 260,196 31/km² (2004) Arrondissements 5 Cantons 52 Communes 360 Départements Corse-du-Sud Haute-Corse Note: The Regional Presidents title is President of... This is a list of traditional Greek place names. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... Syracuse (It. ... Marcus Tullius Cicero (January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC) was an orator and statesman of Ancient Rome, and is generally considered the greatest Latin prose stylist. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1946. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ...

History

Syracuse was founded in 734 BC by Greek settlers from Corinth, who called it Sirako ("swamp"). The settlers found the land to be fertile and the native tribes to 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 the Mediterranean. Centuries: 9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC Decades: 780s BC 770s BC 760s BC 750s BC 740s BC - 730s BC - 720s BC 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC Events and Trends 739 BC - Hiram II becomes king of Tyre 738 BC - King Tiglath-Pileser III... Temple of Apollo at Corinth Corinth, or Korinth (Κόρινθος) is a Greek city, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the original isthmus, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ...

In the 5th century BC Syracuse came to be ruled by tyrants, who ruled until 211 BC, with some interruptions. In the late 5th century, Syracuse found itself at war with Athens, which sought more resources to fight the Peloponnesian War. The Syracusans enlisted the aid of a general from Sparta, Athens' foe in the war, to defeat the Athenians, destroy their ships, and leave them to starve on the island (see Sicilian Expedition). In 401 BC, Syracuse contributed a force of 3000 hoplites and a general to Cyrus the Younger's Army of the Ten Thousand. (6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) The 5th and 6th centuries BC are a period of philosophical brilliance among advanced civilizations. ... A tyrant (from Greek τύραννος týrannos) is a usurper of rightful power, possessing absolute power and ruling by tyranny. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC - 210s BC - 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC Years: 216 BC 215 BC 214 BC 213 BC 212 BC - 211 BC - 210 BC 209 BC... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... Map of the Greek world at the start of the Peloponnesian War Temple of Apollo at Corinth The Peloponnesian War began in 431 BC between the Athenian Empire (or The Delian League) and the Peloponnesian League which included Sparta and Corinth. ... Sparta (Greek Σπάρτη) was a city in ancient Greece, whose territory included, in Classical times, all Laconia and Messenia, and which was the most powerful state of the Peloponnesus. ... The Sicilian Expedition was an Athenian expedition to Sicily from 415 BC to 413 BC, during the Peloponnesian War. ... Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC Decades: 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC - 400s BC - 390s BC 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC Years: 406 BC 405 BC 404 BC 403 BC 402 BC - 401 BC - 400 BC 399 BC... Warfare in Hellenic Greece centered mainly around heavy infantrymen called hoplites. ... Cyrus the Younger, son of Darius II and Parysatis, was a Persian prince and general. ... The Ten Thousand were a group of mercenary units, mainly Greek, drawn up by Cyrus the Younger to attempt to wrest the throne of the Persian Empire from his brother, Artaxerxes II. Their march to the Battle of Cunaxa and back to Greece (401 BC-399 BC) was recorded by...

Not long after, in the early 4th century BC, the tyrant Dionysius managed to fight a war against Carthage and keep that power from capturing the whole of Sicily. (5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Invasion of the Celts into Ireland Gauls sack Rome Kingdom of Macedon conquers Persian empire The Scythians are beginning to be absorbed into the Sarmatian people. ... A tyrant (from Greek τύραννος týrannos) is a usurper of rightful power, possessing absolute power and ruling by tyranny. ... This page is about Dionysius the tyrant of Syracuse. ... A map of the central Mediterranean Sea, showing the location of Carthage (near modern Tunis). ...

Cathedral in Syracuse.

Perhaps the most famous Syracusan was the natural philosopher Archimedes. Among his many inventions were various military engines including the claw of Archimedes, used to resist a Roman siege. The city held out for three years, but fell in 212 BC. Image File history File links Cathedral in Syracuse, Italy. ... Image File history File links Cathedral in Syracuse, Italy. ... Natural philosophy is a term applied to the objective study of nature and the physical universe before the development of modern science. ... Archimedes of Syracuse. ... The Claw of Archimedes was a war machine devised by Archimedes to defend the seaward portion of Syracuses city wall against amphibious assault. ... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus). ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC - 210s BC - 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC Years: 217 BC 216 BC 215 BC 214 BC 213 BC - 212 BC - 211 BC 210 BC...

Another siege in AD 878 inaugurated two centuries of Muslim rule. In 1085 the Normans followed and in 1194 Henry VI of Swabia occupied Syracuse. Under Frederick II the city and the whole of Sicily flourished again. In the struggle between the Anjou and Aragonese monarchies, Syracuse sided with the Aragonese and defeated the Anjou in 1298, receiving from the Spanish sovereigns great privileges in reward. Events The Danes force king Alfred the Great of Wessex to retreat to a fort in Athelney, Somerset. ...   Islam? (Arabic: الإسلام al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ... See: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (1194-1250, king 1211/12-1250, emperor since 1220) Frederick II of Austria (?-1246, duke of Austria 1230-1246) Frederick II of Sicily (1272-1337) - who called himself Frederick III - see the article for details. ... For other uses, see Anjou (disambiguation). ... Categories: Pages containing IPA | Language stubs | Romance languages | Languages of Spain ...

The city in the following centuries was struck by two ruinous earthquakes in 1542 and 1693, and in 1729 by a plague. More destruction was caused by the Allied and the German bombings in 1943.

Syracuse today has about 125,000 inhabitants and numerous attractions for the visitor interested in historical sites (such as the Ear of Dionysius). Nearby places of note include Catania, Noto, Modica and Ragusa. The Ear of Dionysius (Italian: Orecchio di Dionisio) is an artificial limestone cave carved out of the Temenites hill in the city of Syracuse, on the island of Sicily in Italy. ... Location within Italy Catania is the second largest city of Sicily with 306,464 inhabitants, has the second highest population density on the island and is the capital of the province which bears its name. ... Noto, a city of Sicily, in the province of Syracuse, and 20 miles southwest of it, 520 feet above sea-level. ... Ragusa is a city in southern Italy. ...

See also

List of Tyrants of Syracuse This is the List of Tyrants of Syracuse, Italy: Gelo (491-478) Hiero I (478-466) Thrasybulus (466-465) democracy (465-405) Dionysius the Elder (405-367) Dionysius the Younger (367-356) Dion (356-347) Calippus (rival, 354-352) and then. ...

Namesakes

One city and six small municipalities in the United States have been named after Syracuse: A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ...

Syracuse, New York | Syracuse, Indiana | Syracuse, Kansas | Syracuse, Missouri | Syracuse, Nebraska | Syracuse, Ohio | Syracuse, Utah Clinton Square in Downtown Syracuse Syracuse is an American city in Central New York. ... Syracuse is a town located in Kosciusko County, Indiana. ... Syracuse is a city located in Hamilton County, Kansas. ... Syracuse is a city located in Morgan County, Missouri. ... Syracuse is a city located in Otoe County, Nebraska. ... Syracuse is a village located in Meigs County, Ohio. ... Location of Syracuse in Utah. ...

External Links

• ItalianVisits.com