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83-529: The largest towns are Ermoupoli , Ano Syros , and Vari  [ el ] . Ermoupoli is the capital of the island, the Cyclades , and the South Aegean . It has always been a significant port town, and during the 19th century it was even more significant than Piraeus . Other villages are Galissas, Foinikas, Pagos, Manna, Kini, Azolimnos and Poseidonia . Ermoupoli ( Greek : Ερμούπολη ) stands on

166-604: A coup in 317 BC. He resumed the war against Carthage, with alternate fortunes. He was besieged in Syracuse by the Carthaginians in 311 BC, 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

249-622: A diversionary attack, he opened the gate. After setting guards on the houses of the pro-Roman faction, Marcellus gave Syracuse to plunder. Though declining slowly through the years, Syracuse maintained the status of capital of the Roman government of Sicily and seat of the praetor . It remained an important port for trade between the Eastern and the Western parts of the Empire. Christianity spread in

332-477: 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 the Ear of Dionysius ). A process of recovering and restoring the historical centre has been ongoing since the 1990s. Nearby places of note include Catania , Noto , Modica and Ragusa . Syracuse experiences

415-457: A hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification : Csa ) with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Snow is infrequent; the last measurable snowfall in the city occurred in December 2014. Frosts are very rare, with the last one also happening in December 2014 when the temperature dropped to the all-time record low of 0 °C. A temperature of 48.8 °C (119.8 °F)

498-606: A naturally amphitheatrical site, with neo-classical buildings, old mansions, and white houses cascading down to the harbour. It was built during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s. The city hall is in the center of the town, in Miaoulis Square, ringed with cafés, seating areas, and palm trees. Dubbed the "City of Hermes ", Syros has numerous churches, such as Metamorphosis, Koimisis, St. Demetrius , Three Hierarchs, Anastasis, Evangelistria, and St. Nicolas. There

581-587: A pestilence. A treaty in 392 BC allowed Syracuse to enlarge further its possessions, founding the cities of Adranon , Tyndarion and Tauromenos , and conquering Rhegion on the continent. In the Adriatic , to facilitate trade, Dionysius the Elder founded Ancona , Adria and Issa . Apart from his battle deeds, Dionysius was famous as a patron of art, and Plato himself visited Syracuse several times, where Dionysius, offended by Plato's daring to disagree with

664-462: A prominent role in the elaboration of the new Greek Constitution . Under Ioannis Kapodistrias (Giovanni Capo D'Istria), the first Governor of the new state, the population of Ermoupolis had reached 13,805 residents and the city had evolved into a seat of government. It had a Commercial Court of Law, a post office (one of the first in Greece), insurance brokerages, the first public school, a branch of

747-416: A rather quiet island into a vigorous centre of crafts, industry and production. Also, due to its large port of Ermoupoli , it turned into a major centre for ship building and refitting. Neorion was the first shipyard of Greece. To this very day, it remains a place where many ships are serviced and refitted. Since 1830 the commerce of fabrics, silk, ship building, leather and iron developed on Syros and at

830-610: A resident priest, 3 without a priest, and 57 chapels . The Capuchins and Jesuits each have an establishment; the Sisters of Charity , 2 houses, one of which is a hospital; the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition have a boarding school and St George, a De La Salle Public School. There is also a single church of the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church which is not part of the diocese but subject to

913-523: A result of the imperial ambitions and fascist ideology of Benito Mussolini's Italy, which invaded and occupied Syros during World War II, the island's inhabitants experienced a devastating famine causing thousands of deaths. (See Sheila Lecoeur: Mussolini's Greek Island: Fascism and the Occupation of Syros in World War II (2009/ 2015)) The Second World War reduced Syros' economic development, as

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996-645: A revolt against the Bourbon government. The punishment was the move of the province capital seat to Noto , but the unrest had not been totally choked, as the Siracusani took part in the Sicilian revolution of 1848 . After the Unification of Italy of 1865, Syracuse regained its status of provincial capital. In the late 19th century, the walls (including Porta Ligny ) were demolished and a bridge connecting

1079-605: Is a historic city on the Italian island of Sicily , the capital of the Italian province of Syracuse . The city is notable for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture , amphitheatres , architecture, and as the birthplace and home of the pre-eminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes . This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world. Syracuse

1162-599: Is also an equal number of Catholic Church buildings on the island and some entirely Catholic villages; thus, it is one of the most significant places for Catholic Church in Greece. Syros is one of a few places where Catholics and Orthodox share a common date for Easter , which in Syros' case, is the Orthodox date. The Catholic diocese numbers 9000 worshippers, 21 secular priests and 8 regulars, 7 parishes , 7 churches with

1245-550: Is an archaeological museum and a municipal library. The quarter of Vaporia is where sea captains traditionally lived. There are numerous neo-classical mansions along the quarter's narrow streets. Ano Syros is the second town of Syros and was built by the Venetians at the beginning of the 13th century on the hill of San Giorgio, north-west of Ermoupoli . Ano Syros maintains a medieval atmosphere. Innumerable steps between narrow streets and houses with coloured doors lead to

1328-524: Is located in the southeast corner of the island of Sicily, next to the Gulf of Syracuse beside the Ionian Sea . It is situated in a drastic rise of land with 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) depths being close to the city offshore although the city itself is generally not so hilly in comparison. The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians and Teneans and became a very powerful city-state . Syracuse

1411-627: Is part of the municipality Syros-Ermoupoli , of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It is also the capital of the South Aegean region. The municipal unit has an area of 11.181 km . Ermoupoli was founded during the Greek Revolution in the 1820s, as an extension to the existing Ano Syros township, by refugees from other Greek islands because of the War. It soon became the leading commercial and industrial center of Greece, as well as its main port. The renowned Greek Steamship Company

1494-668: The Aegean University with a department of Fine Arts and system design, with a proposed future addition in Applied Arts and Visual Arts . The Syros Island National Airport , the Aegean casino , the frequent passenger boat transportation system and all other modern amenities help to attract many domestic and foreign tourists to the island all year round. Syros also has a British cemetery where various people are buried, including many seamen and servicemen who died in

1577-654: The Battle of Cannae and accepted Carthage 's support. The Romans, led by consul Marcus Claudius Marcellus , besieged the city in 214 BC. The city held out for three years, but fell in 212 BC. The successes of the Syracusians in repelling the Roman siege had made them overconfident. In 212 BC, the Romans received information that the city's inhabitants were to participate in the annual festival to their goddess Artemis . A small party of Roman soldiers approached

1660-490: The Battle of Himera , Gelo, who had allied with Theron of Agrigento , decisively defeated the African force led by Hamilcar . A temple dedicated to Athena (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 470s BC the inhabitants started building outside

1743-883: The Byzantine years Syros constituted part of the Theme of the Aegean Sea , along with the rest of the Cycladic islands. After the overthrow of Byzantium in the Fourth Crusade by the Venetians and Franks in 1204, the island was definitively conquered by the Venetians under the leadership of Marco Sanudo . As part of the Duchy of the Archipelago , Syros would remain under Venetian rule until 1566 although after 1540 this

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1826-723: The Early Bronze Age of the Cycladic civilization . This is when the hill-top settlement of Kastri  [ el ; la ] began. Archaeologists describe Early Cycladic III (ECIII) culture as Kastri culture . It had links with the Anatolian Trade Network, connected with Limantepe in Asia Minor. Kastri, dated by archaeologists to 2800-2300 BC, was one of the earliest settlements in Greece that were protected by stone walls with rounded bastions. Also

1909-463: The National Bank of Greece , art gallery, museum, library, a social club for the elite society etc. However, in 1854 cholera and a series of other epidemics plunged Syros into mourning. A number of charitable institutions for public health and social services were established during this period: orphanages, poorhouses and a mental hospital. Newcomers, mainly mariners and tradesmen, gave

1992-641: The Aegean and the Duchy fell apart. In 1522 the corsair Barbarossa took possession of the island, which would be known as "Sire" during Ottoman rule. However, negotiations of the local authorities with the Ottomans gave the Cyclades substantial privileges, such as the reduction of taxes and religious freedom . At the same time, following an agreement of France and the Holy See with the Ottoman authorities,

2075-802: The Bellomo Palace. Frederick's death brought a period of unrest and feudal anarchy. In the War of the Sicilian Vespers between the Angevin and Aragonese dynasties 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

2158-473: The Byzantine Exarchate of Greece. Local specialities of the island include: Ermoupoli Ermoupoli ( Greek : Ερμούπολη ), also known by the formal older name Ermoupolis or Hermoupolis ( Greek : Ἑρμούπολις < Ἑρμοῦ πόλις "Town of Hermes "), is a town and former municipality on the island of Syros , in the Cyclades , Greece . Since the 2011 local government reform, it

2241-640: The Catholics of the island came under the protection of France and Rome and so Syros sometimes was called "the Pope's island". The Roman Catholic diocese of Syros was a Latin diocese, suffragan of Naxos . The Venetians had established there a Latin bishopric which was subject to the Latin Archbishopric of Athens until 1525. From the time of the island's occupation by the Turks in the 16th century,

2324-802: The City Hall (designed by the German architect Ernst Ziller ), the Apollo Theatre by the Italian architect Pietro Campo (a miniature version of the La Scala in Milan ), the main Library, the General Hospital of Syros (Vardakeio-Proio), Miaoulis square and other buildings were built during that period of time. Passing through on 6 April 1864, the effect of all the sugary marble is such that

2407-590: The Corinthian Timoleon installed 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 the Battle of the Crimissus (339 BC). 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

2490-618: The Cyclades region, particularly during the Second World War. The numerous consulates of countries such as France, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries bear witness to the connection of Syros with the wider European scene. Syros is a separate regional unit of the South Aegean region. The only municipality of the regional unit is Syros-Ermoupoli. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform ,

2573-533: The English artist Edward Lear , refers to the town fondly in his diary as "the old sparkly pile". The European architects (mainly Germans and Italians ) and also Greeks who participated in the design and planning of Ermoupolis respected the classical and ancient Greek architecture and harmonized it with the romanticism of the West. Ermoupoli has a high density of neoclassical architecture. The prosperity of Syros

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2656-699: The Great (491–526), and then by Belisarius for the Byzantine Empire (31 December 535). From 663 to 668 Syracuse was the seat of the Greek-speaking Emperor Constans II , as well as a capital of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire and 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. The city

2739-575: The Greeks established an Orthodox metropolitan on Syros: Joseph is the earliest known, along with Symeon who died in 1594 and Ignatius in 1596. The island became for the most part Catholic. The list of titular bishops may be found in Le Quien and in Eubel . The most celebrated among them is Ioannis Andreas Kargas , whom the Turks strangled in 1617 because he refused to convert to Islam and because he

2822-714: The United Kingdom): 0.6%, North Africa (mostly Tunisian ): 0.5%, and South Asia: 0.4%. Since 2005, the entire city of Syracuse, along with the Necropolis of Pantalica which falls within the province of Syracuse , has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This programme aims to catalogue, name, and conserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity . The deciding committee which evaluates potential candidates described their reasons for choosing Syracuse because "monuments and archeological sites situated in Syracuse are

2905-470: The ancient city was the small island of Ortygia . The settlers found the land 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 . Colonies were founded at Akrai (664 BC), Kasmenai (643 BC), Akrillai (7th century BC), Helorus (7th century BC) and Kamarina (598 BC). The descendants of

2988-513: The capital of Syros was situated in the area of contemporary Ermoupoli . At the end of ancient times, barbarian raids and piracy , which affected the Aegean for many centuries, led Syros to decline. The island, along with the other Cyclades, was devastated several times during the Middle Ages by raiders from different directions including Sicilians , Arabs , Turks and Venetians . In

3071-591: The capital of the Byzantine Empire (663–669). Palermo later overtook it in importance, as the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily . Eventually the kingdom would be united with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification of 1860. In the modern day, the city is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with the Necropolis of Pantalica . In the central area,

3154-402: The cemetery of Chalandriani is associated with Kastri. Inside the fortification, the houses shared party walls and were packed close together. It is estimated that the fortified town was home to up to 300 people. The site was first discovered and excavated in 1898 by Christos Tsountas , the "father of Cycladic research". Kastri had some of the earliest metalwork in the region, and also some of

3237-412: The city itself has a population of around 125,000 people. Syracuse is mentioned in the Bible in the Acts of the Apostles book at 28:12 as Paul stayed there. The patron saint of the city is Saint Lucy ; she was born in Syracuse and her feast day, Saint Lucy's Day , is celebrated on 13 December. Syracuse and its surrounding area have been inhabited since ancient times, as shown by the findings in

3320-454: The city the name of a nearby marsh; hence one gets Syrako (and thereby Syrakousai and other variants) for the name of Syracuse, a name also attested by Epicharmus . The settlement of Syracuse was a planned 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

3403-415: The city through the efforts of Paul of Tarsus and Saint Marziano, the first bishop of the city, who made it one of the main centres of proselytism in the West. In the age of Christian persecutions massive catacombs were carved, whose size is second only to those of Rome. After a period of Vandal rule, 469–477, Syracuse and the island was recovered for Italian rule under Odoacer (476–491) and Theodoric

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3486-399: 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

3569-412: The city, sending the relics of St. Lucy to Constantinople . The eponymous castle on the cape of Ortygia bears his name, although it was built under the Hohenstaufen rule. In 1085, the Normans entered Syracuse, one of the last Arab strongholds, after a summer-long siege by Roger I of Sicily and his son Jordan of Hauteville , who was given the city as count. New quarters were built, and the cathedral

3652-430: The earliest use of potter's wheel . Throughout history, the island was known as Syra ( Ancient Greek : Σύρα ), then Syros or Siros (Σῦρος). In later times, it appears to have been inhabited by the Phoenicians . In the Odyssey , Syros was the country of the swineherd Eumaeus who described it at length (Odyssey, XV, 403 sq.), although it has also been suggested that Eumaeus referred to Syracuse, Sicily . The island

3735-415: The finest example of outstanding architectural creation spanning several cultural aspects; Greek , Roman and Baroque ", following on that Ancient Syracuse was "directly linked to events, ideas and literary works of outstanding universal significance". Syracuse is home to association football club A.S.D. Città di Siracusa , the latest reincarnation of several clubs dating back to 1924. The common feature

3818-433: The first colonists, called Gamoroi , held power until they were expelled by the lower class of the city assisted by Cyllyrians, identified as enslaved natives similar in status to the helots of Sparta. The former, however, returned to power in 485 BC, thanks to the help of Gelo , ruler of Gela . Gelo himself became the despot of the city, and moved many inhabitants of Gela, Kamarina and Megara to Syracuse, building

3901-401: 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 British Royal Navy . To the west of the city is a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery where about 1,000 men are buried. After the end of the war the northern quarters of Syracuse experienced

3984-426: The heatwave was 44.4 °C (111.9 °F), at Naval Air Station Sigonella . Guidi underlines that the reported data by SAIS "is produced directly by the stations and is not subject to any control and validation procedure, neither automatic nor manual. It can therefore report errors due to sensor malfunctions as well as maintenance interventions". In 2016, there were 122,051 people residing in Syracuse, located in

4067-432: The importance of the geographical situation of the island was reduced and Piraeus harbour finally took the predominant position in Greece - with the competition of Patras also reducing Syros' commercial importance. Beginning at the end of the 19th century and for several decades, a temporary economic recovery took place, due to the development of the textile industry ("Foustanos-Karellas-Velissaropoulos & Co"). As

4150-414: The island a new dynamic, which along with its demographic and economic development, turned it into an administrative and cultural centre. Newcomers flocked to the island and founded the town of Ermoupoli, which rapidly became the leading port of Greece. Between 1822 and 1865, Ermoupoli was rebuilt in a Neoclassical style, merging Greek Classicism with elements of the Renaissance . Many landmarks such as

4233-408: The king, imprisoned the philosopher and sold him into slavery (according to some sources). His successor was Dionysius the Younger , who was however expelled by Dion in 356 BC. But the latter's despotic rule led in turn to his expulsion, and Dionysius reclaimed his throne in 347 BC. Dionysius was besieged in Syracuse by the Syracusan general Hicetas in 344 BC. The following year

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4316-485: The mainland to Ortygia island was built. In the following year a railway link was constructed. Allied bombings in 1943 caused heavy destruction during World War II . Operation Husky , the codename for the Allied invasion of Sicily , was launched on the night between 9–10 July 1943 with British forces attacking the southeast of the island. The plan was for the British 5th Infantry Division , part of General Sir Bernard Montgomery 's Eighth Army , to capture Syracuse on

4399-413: The most famous Syracusan, the mathematician and natural philosopher Archimedes . Among his many inventions were various military engines including the claw of Archimedes , later used to resist the Roman siege of 214–212 BC. Literary figures included Theocritus and others. Hiero's successor, the young Hieronymus (ruled from 215 BC), broke the alliance with the Romans after their defeat at

4482-401: The new quarters of Tyche and Neapolis outside the walls. His program of new constructions included a new theatre, designed by Damocopos , which gave the city a flourishing cultural life: this in turn attracted personalities as Aeschylus , Ario of Methymna and Eumelos of Corinth. The enlarged power of Syracuse made unavoidable the clash against the Carthaginians , who ruled western Sicily. In

4565-423: The newly founded First Hellenic Republic and later (1834) the Greek Kingdom. The island returned to peace and tranquility, Syros became known as a cross-road in the Aegean and as an international commercial center linking Western Europe and the Mediterranean sea to the East. The construction of the first buildings began in 1822, and in 1824 the first Orthodox Church Metamorphosis and the largest Greek sanatorium

4648-474: The origin of the name is that the Phoenicians called it Sour-ha-Koussim, which means "Stone of the seagulls" from which would come the name of Syracuse. However, this etymology does not account for the name variant Συρακώ Syrakō . Another possible origin of the city's name was given by Vibius Sequester citing first Stephanus Byzantius in that there was a Syracusian marsh ( λίμνη ) called Syrako and secondly Marcian's Periegesis wherein Archias gave

4731-453: The palaces of Abela , Chiaramonte , Nava, Montalto. The city was struck by two ruinous earthquakes in 1542 and 1693 , and a plague in 1729. The 17th century destruction changed the appearance of Syracuse forever, as well as the entire Val di Noto , whose cities were rebuilt along the typical lines of Sicilian Baroque , considered one of the most typical expressions of the architecture of Southern Italy. The spread of cholera in 1837 led to

4814-462: The population of Syracuse declined by 0.5 percent, while Italy as a whole grew by 3.6 percent. The reason for decline is a population flight to the suburbs, and northern Italy . The current birth rate of Syracuse is 9.75 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births. As of 2006 , 97.9% of the population was of Italian descent. The largest immigrant group came from other European nations (particularly those from Poland, and

4897-426: The province of Syracuse, Sicily , of whom 48.7% were male and 51.3% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 18.9 percent of the population compared to pensioners who number 16.9 percent. This compares with the Italian average of 18.1 percent (minors) and 19.9 percent (pensioners). The average age of Syracuse resident is 40 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007,

4980-402: The regional unit Syros was created out of part of the former Cyclades Prefecture . At the same reform, the municipality Syros-Ermoupoli was created out of the 3 former municipalities: The municipality also includes the uninhabited island Gyaros and several other islets. The total area of the municipality is 101.90 km (39 sq mi). The province of Syros ( Greek : Επαρχία Σύρου )

5063-422: The rule of Epirus, Hiero II seized power in 275 BC. 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-called Lex Hieronica , which was later adopted by the Romans for their administration of Sicily; he also had the theatre enlarged and a new immense altar , the "Hiero's Ara", built. Under his rule lived

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5146-399: The same time a powerful banking system was created. The tremendous growth and development of Ermoupolis continued and until 1860 Syros was the most important commercial harbour in Greece. Together with commerce and ship building, construction and public works were also developed. The Greek Steamship Company was founded in 1856. A period of decline then followed, as sailing gave way to steam,

5229-571: The sea routes of the Eastern Mediterranean. Due to its crucial geographical position, Syros became known as a maritime way-point. Moreover, the special social, religious and institutional conditions prevailing on the island, led Syriots to neutrality at the beginning of the Greek Revolution in 1821 . As a result, Syros became a secure shelter during the Revolution, attracting many Greek refugees from Asia Minor , Chios , Spetses , Psara , Aivali , Smyrna , Kydonia , Kassos and other places. These refugees built Ermoupoli. In 1827 Syros became part of

5312-558: The top of the town. The medieval settlement of Ano Syros is accessible by car; the town is served mostly by marble steps. The distance from the harbour up to the main entry point of the town is about 1000 metres. The Catholic cathedral of Saint George dominates Ano Syros. The cathedral church was constructed during the 13th century. From the cathedral visitors have a panoramic view of the neighbouring islands of Tinos , Delos , Mykonos , Paros , Andros and Naxos . The history of settlement on Syros goes back at least 5,000 years, to

5395-461: The villages of Stentinello, Ognina, Plemmirio, Matrensa, Cozzo Pantano and Thapsos , which already had a relationship with Mycenaean Greece . Syracuse was founded in 734 or 733 BC in Sicily by Greek settlers from Corinth and Tenea , led by the oecist (colonizer) Archias . There are many attested variants of the name of the city including Συράκουσαι Syrakousai , Συράκοσαι Syrakosai and Συρακώ Syrakō . One observation cited for

5478-411: The walls. The complete population of its territory approximately numbered 250,000 in 415 BC and the population size of the city itself was probably similar to Athens. Gelo was succeeded by his brother Hiero , who fought against the Etruscans at Cumae in 474 BC. His rule was eulogized by poets like Simonides of Ceos , Bacchylides and Pindar , who visited his court. A democratic regime

5561-436: 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 300 hoplites and a general to Cyrus the Younger 's Army of the Ten Thousand . Then in the early 4th century BC, the tyrant Dionysius the Elder was again at war against Carthage and, although losing Gela and Camarina, kept that power from capturing

5644-425: The whole of Sicily. After the end of the conflict Dionysius built a massive fortress on Ortygia and 22 km-long walls around all of Syracuse. Another period of expansion saw the destruction of Naxos , Catania and Lentini ; then Syracuse entered again in war against Carthage (397 BC). After various changes of fortune, the Carthaginians managed to besiege Syracuse itself, but were eventually pushed back by

5727-407: Was besieged by the Aghlabids for almost a year in 827–828, but Byzantine reinforcements prevented its fall. It remained the center of Byzantine resistance to the gradual Muslim conquest of Sicily until it fell to the Aghlabids after another siege on 20/21 May 878. During the two centuries of Muslim rule, the capital of the Emirate of Sicily was moved from Syracuse to Palermo . The cathedral

5810-400: Was allied with Sparta and Corinth and exerted influence over the entirety of Magna Graecia , of which it was the most important city. Described by Cicero as "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all", it equaled Athens in size during the fifth century BC. It later became part of the Roman Republic and the Byzantine Empire . Under Emperor Constans II , it served as

5893-436: Was also the home of the philosopher Pherecydes , the teacher of Pythagoras . It possessed two leading cities, Syros (now the modern Ermoupoli ) and another city ( Galessus ) on the western coast where Galissas now stands. The island did not play an important role during antiquity or the early Christian years. It was not even a diocese at a time when even the smallest island possessed its bishop. During Roman times,

5976-426: Was connected with the development of social and cultural life. The evolutionary cycle was completed with the creation of the first industrial units during the decade of 1860–70. Most public buildings, churches, schools, stadiums and many mansions were built in the same elegant and neoclassical style, making Ermoupoli at the time a very modern city with a unique character. As a result, Syros changed almost overnight from

6059-644: Was constructed. Because of the Venetian domination from the Middle Ages onwards, the islanders had a Roman Catholic majority. However, due to immigration from other islands, Catholics now constitute some 47% of the population. The majority of the population are Greek Orthodox . Intermarriage between Churches is very common in Syros. There is also a single parish of the Byzantine Greek Catholic Church. During 1831 Syros played

6142-487: Was converted into a mosque and the quarter on the Ortygia island 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, including Ibn Hamdis , the most important Sicilian Arab poet of the 12th century, flourished in the city. In 1038, the Byzantine general George Maniakes reconquered

6225-463: 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 (289 BC). They laid siege to Syracuse for the fourth and last time in 278 BC. They retreated at the arrival of king Pyrrhus of Epirus , whom Syracuse had asked for help. After a brief period under

6308-688: Was founded in the city in 1856. Thousands of ships were built in the various Syros shipyards . Eventually Ermoupoli was eclipsed by Piraeus in the late 19th century. In the following decades the city declined, remaining the administrative center of the Cyclades islands. In the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, its economy has significantly improved, based on the sectrors of services, industry, education and tourism. Syracuse, Sicily Syracuse ( / ˈ s aɪ r ə k juː s , - k juː z / SY -rə-kewss, -⁠kewz ; Italian : Siracusa [siraˈkuːza] ; Sicilian : Saragusa [saɾaˈuːsa] )

6391-399: Was helping Greek revolutionaries hiding on the island. After the second half of the 17th century, a period of economic recovery of the Aegean began, climaxing during the transition from the 18th to the 19th century. The special regime of the islands allowed the development of local self-government. The decline of piracy since the beginning of the 19th century led to the gradual liberation of

6474-605: Was introduced by Thrasybulos (467 BC). The city continued to expand in Sicily , fighting against the rebellious Siculi , and on the Tyrrhenian Sea , making expeditions up to Corsica and Elba . In the late 5th century BC, 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

6557-499: Was one of the provinces of the Cyclades Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current regional units Syros and Mykonos . It was abolished in 2006. As in the rest of Greece, Syros has Eastern Orthodox churches. Metamorphosis is the most important Orthodox church on the island, Kimisis tis Theotokou is also significant and noted for the fact that it hosts a masterpiece by painter El Greco . There

6640-647: Was only maintained by payment of tribute to the Ottoman Sultan. It was at this time that Ano Syros was founded. During the Latin period , the majority of the local community were Roman Catholics , but maintained the Greek language . During the reign of almost three and a half centuries of the Duchy of the Archipelago, Syros had a singular feudal regime. By the 16th century, the Ottoman fleet became dominant in

6723-797: Was registered in Floridia , near Syracuse by the Sicilian Agrometeorological Information Service (SAIS) on 11 August 2021, and is recognized by the World Meteorological Organization as the official record highest temperature in Europe . Guido Guidi, lieutenant colonel of the Italian Meteorological Service , however, had stated the highest temperature registered in the organizations' stations during

6806-582: Was restored, as well as other churches. In 1194, Emperor Henry VI occupied the Sicilian kingdom, including Syracuse. After a short period of Genoese rule (1205–1220) under the notorious admiral and pirate Alamanno da Costa , which favoured a rise of trades, royal authority was re-asserted in the city by Frederick II . He began the construction of the Castello Maniace , the Bishops' Palace and

6889-555: Was the case for every economic centre in Greece. However, already since the 1980s, along with the generalized economic recovery and the rise of the living standards in Greece, elements of improvement appeared with tourism as its central axis. At the same time, the re-opening of the Neorion shipyards , as well as a number of other activities, indicate that Syros is on an upward trend. Ermoupoli today has 7 elementary schools, 2 junior high schools, 2 high schools, 2 technical schools and

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