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91-539: Excavations by Sapienza University of Rome since 1957 have focussed on the large sacred district, including the Monumental Sanctuary of Uni (Phoenician Astarte ) and a Demetriac cult area, the most ancient so far known in Etruria, dedicated to the pair of deities Sur/Suri and Cavatha . In 2009 a block of ceremonial buildings north of Temple A was found. The foundation of the settlement was ascribed to

182-604: 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

273-622: 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

364-411: A form of “pseudo-boustrophedon”, and potentially have up to 200 letters. Around 120 of these are legible. Etruscan archaeologist Adriano Maggiani has dated the inscription as being from 525 to 510 BCE., right before the building of the foundations in which it was placed Translation of the stele is incomplete, but from preliminary readings, scholars have tentatively linked a reference to Uni, based on

455-505: A goatskin cloak and sandals whilst holding a shield, similarly to Juno Sospita , wearing a bridal veil, or completely nude. Livy states (Book V, Ab Urbe Condita ) that Juno was an Etruscan goddess of the Veientes , who was adopted ceremonially into the Roman pantheon when Veii was sacked in 396 BC. This seems to refer to Uni. She also appears on the Liver of Piacenza . The name Uni

546-477: 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

637-457: 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)

728-432: A large Tuscan style temple, the north-located shrine at Pyrgi dedicated to Uni was built in approximately 500 BC, and neighboured a smaller Greek temple . Compared to other locations, the cult of worship dedicated to Uni at Pyrgi held close resemblance to traditional Greek worship sanctuaries; at least 300 votive objects were dedicated there, alongside animal bones suggestive of sacrifice. Additionally, two bowls made by

819-400: A large villa. Pyrgi extended along the shore with two urban districts separated a pebbled road and each facing one of the two ports. The northern district was the arx built on the rocky promontory which was later occupied by the Roman colony. The southern district included buildings and possibly an agora bordered to the south by another wide pebbled road. Nearby, to the south of the town,

910-453: A part of Etrusca disciplina . Further, it was suggested by Vitruvius that these such temples should have been located on the most elevated sites of the town, and spread apart from one another. Uni was worshipped both individually at dedicated shrines, and alongside other deities as part of large public sanctuaries throughout Etruria. Established cults to Uni worshipped her status as a supreme goddess of family and reproduction. As part of

1001-587: 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

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1092-471: A pomegranate branch with three pieces of fruit, which has generally not been interpreted as the offering of political power from the Greek myth. Instead rather while there is no clear assertion of her offering, it has been argued that these depictions demonstrate her unique Etruscan characteristics where she is more greatly associated with the fruits of fertility. Uni, alongside Tinia and Menrva, acts as one of

1183-537: A publication now in the public domain :  Ashby, Thomas (1911). " Pyrgi ". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 689. 42°00′54.81″N 11°57′48.29″E  /  42.0152250°N 11.9634139°E  / 42.0152250; 11.9634139 Uni (mythology) Uni is the ancient goddess of marriage, fertility, family, and women in Etruscan religion and myth, and

1274-645: 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

1365-415: A temple on site, and recovered as one of the longest recorded sacred Etruscan texts thus far. The date extrapolated from letter-forms and punctuation, and the place in which it was found link the stele to have being presented at the sanctuary in its “phase 0” of architectural history; this phase predated stone architecture, and was characterised by huts. Inscriptions on the edges of the stele were written in

1456-482: A triple- cella arrangement and with exceptional terracotta statues. The temple was later found to be within the (northern) sanctuary dedicated to Ilithyia and Cavatha (Greek Leucothea ) in an area of 6,000 m bounded by a side wall and with two monumental temples, the oldest of which is “B”. Temple B was commissioned around 510 BC by the king of Caere, Thefarie Velianas and consisted of a single cella of Greek inspiration surrounded by columns on all sides. According to

1547-457: A wreath are often depicted, as representative of offered glory in battle. Turan is often depicted holding branches of flowers and displaying her body, representative of her offering to Elcsntre the most beautiful women in the world as his wife. Uniquely, Uni is depicted in a different manner which does not entirely correspond to the Greek origin of the myth. Amongst different mirrors, she has been depicted as being nude, or fully clothed but holding

1638-605: 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

1729-547: Is clear that the placements of deities in the Liver of Piacenza held influence over orientation and places of worship, however there has been some debate towards interpretation of the plate. Two predominant schools of thought have largely dominated readings of the regions of the Liver, however a third theory which somewhat reconciles the two mutually exclusive views has emerged as suggested by Stevens. This theory demonstrates Uni's placement in heavenly region number four as flexible with

1820-524: 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

1911-462: Is of uncertain etymology, however may be related to an Indo-European root iuni meaning "young", connecting to her association with fertility, love, and marriage. In relation, it has also been suggested that the Latin Iuno ( Juno ) originated from Etruscan, changed from a feminine -i Etruscan ending. As most of Etruscan literature has not survived through time, mythological stories involving

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2002-525: Is widely acknowledged as having developed entirely in Etruria. Most scholars view this interpretation of the myth as the Hercle's welcome initiation to godhood; it has also been suggested that the scene represents Uni and Hercle's reconciliation, where the Etruscan recount accurately represents the meaning of Hercle's Greek name "Glory of Hera". The Judgement of Elcsntre (equivalently known in Greek terms as

2093-654: 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

2184-490: 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

2275-463: The Judgement of Paris ) is secondarily notable as a myth often represented on Etruscan terms through bronze mirrors. The major themes of the Greek myth remain intact; Elcsntre ( Paris or Alexander = Elcsntre), as guided by Turms ( Hermes ), must choose who is ‘the fairest’ between Menrva, Uni, and Turan ( Aphrodite ) to be the recipient of a gifted egg ( golden apple ) which had been presented at

2366-546: The Pelasgi and dates from the end of the 7th century BC. The connection between the great Etruscan city of Caere and the coast was ensured by the Caere-Pyrgi road, an impressive work of engineering, 10 m wide and 12 km long, comparable to that between Athens and Piraeus . Caere had three important ports: Punicum ( Santa Marinella ), Pyrgi and Alsium . Pyrgi's development was closely linked to its favourable position along

2457-499: The Syracusans at Cumae in 474 BC. It was dedicated to Thesan , the Etruscan goddess of dawn, associated with Leucothea, goddess of the sea and sailors. It had an Etruscan plan with cella and alae at the back, three rows of columns at the front, and was decorated with the magnificent mythological high relief of the " Seven against Thebes " in which Tydeus devours the skull of his opponent Melanippus . The terracotta pediment at

2548-523: The 74 recovered from Turan's. Additionally, 22 swaddled babies were found dedicated to Uni, where two were found dedicated to Turan. Both sanctuaries featured two votive breasts. It has been suggested that this difference could represent specialisation of offerings. An Etruscan sanctuary at Poggio Colla , located near the town of Vicchio in the Mugello region of northern Tuscany , was part of an ongoing archaeological project run from 1995 until 2015 by

2639-802: 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

2730-590: 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

2821-637: The Etruscan Spurinas designated vota to Uni alongside Tinia and Thesan . Three gold plaques were excavated from the site in 1964, two written in Etruscan, and one in Phoenecian . The two longer Etruscan and Phoenecian inscriptions clarify the dedication of the temple was to unialastres as the genitive form of uni-astre , an amalgamated goddess of the Etruscan Uni as uni and Phoenecian Astarte as astre. The dedication came from

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2912-635: The Etruscan gods have been largely interpreted through engraved scenes in bronze mirrors, and other mixed media artworks. A notable mirror from Volterra depicts Uni nursing an adult demigod Hercle (the Greek Heracles or Roman Hercules ). Tinia , amongst other gods present at the scene, points to a tablet with the inscription indicating the significance of the event: "eca: sren: tva: iχnac hercle:unial clan: θra:sce" meaning "this picture shows how Hercle became Uni's son". In other depictions of this myth, deities such as Menrva, Turan , and Mean -

3003-755: 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

3094-569: The Heavens into sixteen different cosmological regions. Reflected in the Piacenza Liver , deities were assigned respective ‘houses’ where labels were inscribed into the sixteen sections of the bronze work. Etruscan temples held no unified orientation; temples dedicated to Uni have commonly been found to be oriented southwest, and dedications to Tinia oriented south, unlike Greek temples which have been found to all be usually directed east. It

3185-558: The Mugello Valley Archaeological Project and Poggio Colla Field School (PCFS). Excavations over the 21-season project potentially suggested Uni as the nominal deity of the area, with the uncovering of a bucchero vase depicting a, potentially sacred, birth scene, ritual behaviour at west of the sanctuary's network, and other dedications made by women. In 2015, the Vicchio Stele was excavated from

3276-467: The Tyrrhenian shipping routes, and it became the main port of Caere and hosted its naval fleet. The abundance of imported objects in the votive deposits highlights the role of Pyrgi as a gateway to the sea under the control of Caere and its openness to international contacts with the frequentation of the area by foreign merchants. The city was raided by Dionysius in 384 BC who, landing his troops in

3367-714: 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

3458-470: 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

3549-422: The back of the temple faced the entrance to the sanctuary. It portrayed the two most dramatic episodes in the Greek myth "The Seven against Thebes". The high relief dates to the years 470-460 BC. The standard of its composition and style is particularly high and it is considered one of the masterpieces of all time. Firstly the overlapping of the two scenes has no equivalent in archaic relief tradition, and secondly

3640-644: The background the Theban Polyphontes is held down by the god. In the foreground, below and all along the picture, is the ”grim repast”: Tydeus, fallen to the ground and dying, catches by the shoulders the Theban Melanippus, also dying, and is about to devour his skull. On the left Athena backs away, queasy because of the scene, and holds in her right hand the cruet containing the potion of eternal life that Zeus had made for Tydeas. There are no known iconographical sources to serve as models by

3731-591: 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,

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3822-570: 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

3913-454: 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

4004-466: 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

4095-456: 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

4186-526: 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

4277-600: The commissioning party reveals a deep knowledge of the Greek myth. Their message is thus explicit: with the help of the gods, the Thebans who had been unfairly assaulted triumphed over the ferocity and arrogance ( hybris ) of the Argive antagonists. The relief bears evidence of the condemnation of tyrannical hybris and exaltation of divine justice ( dike ) by the City of Caere, to which the sanctuary belonged. Its use as propaganda by

4368-851: The cult of the divine couple, Cavatha (similar to the Greek Kore-Persephone) and Sur/Suri (identifiable with an underworld Apollo). Following the Dionysian looting, the southern sanctuary was abandoned and ritually sealed and the activity moved to the northern sector, with the creation of a new square, at the ends of which are located the quadrangular building Alpha (a) and the aedicula Pi (p) originally adorned with votive statues. The gold Pyrgi Tablets of Thefarie Velianas , “king of Caere”, containing rare texts in Phoenician and Etruscan languages, were found here in 1964. [REDACTED]   This article incorporates text from

4459-415: 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

4550-433: 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

4641-470: 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

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4732-426: The goddess of victory - are present as part of an animated crowd bearing witness to the adoption. The motif of Hercle suckling Uni is understood as holding Greek origins, where counterpart Hera was unknowingly deceived by Zeus (Tinia) into nursing, and by that process adopting, an infant Heracles against her will. Depiction of this myth in which the adoption process features an adult Hercle, and an obliging Uni

4823-426: 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

4914-480: The inscriptions of the gold tablets, the temple was dedicated to the Phoenician goddess Astarte (or Uni in Etruscan according to the tablets), warrior goddess and dispenser of love associated with the Greek Ilithyia . Connected with the temple was a wide building with twenty cells where the deitys' priestesses lived. The poet Lucilius referred to them as the "prostitutes of Pyrgi" (scorta Pyrgensia). On

5005-520: 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

5096-444: The left of the temple a small precinct "C" with cylindrical altar contained a pit consecrated to the underworld cult of Tinia (the Etruscan version of Jupiter) who is mentioned along with Uni in one of the bronze inscriptions found in the same enclosure together with the gold sheets. Temple A, more imposing than "B", was built around 470-460 BC also on the initiative of the City of Caere to reaffirm its dominion after being defeated by

5187-591: 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

5278-464: 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

5369-516: The new political regime in Caere is also clear from its clearly visible location to those arriving at the coast along the road from Caere. A second sanctuary was discovered in 1983 to the south of the monumental one. It is characterised by the absence of large religious buildings, but by different types of altars and chapels without an overall plan and using building techniques and construction materials similar to local houses. The layout and finds suggest

5460-463: 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

5551-462: The night, plundered the temple of Ilithyia from which he is said to have carried off an enormous sum of 1000 talents in gold and silver. In about 273 Caere was threatened by the Romans with war and to ensure peace it surrendered half its territory. The Romans then established a colonia maritima at Pyrgi around that time against Etruscan pirates and against potential Punic invasion. The colonia

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5642-512: The orientation of a temple belonging to Uni is southeast. This positioning places it in fixed terrestrial regions 10 and 11 where opposite to the entrance, Uni's heavenly region number 4 is still evident in the terrestrial region number 2 to allow for seasonal fluctuation. Syracuse, Sicily Syracuse ( / ˈ s aɪ r ə k juː s , - k juː z / SY -rə-kewss, -⁠kewz ; Italian : Siracusa [siraˈkuːza] ; Sicilian : Saragusa [saɾaˈuːsa] )

5733-588: 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

5824-453: 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

5915-462: 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

6006-512: The practice of mysterious and Demetrical cults of which it is the oldest and most elaborate example in Etruria. The most ancient structure, the sacellum "Beta" (530-520 BC), has a roof adorned with acroteria of busts of Achelous , a river divinity with a human head and bull's horns, ears and body, and female-headed antefixes perhaps representing the Nymphs. Votive deposits of Greek vases with Etruscan inscriptions attested to their dedication to

6097-426: 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,

6188-422: 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

6279-409: The ruler of Caere , in gratitude for her support of his reign. The shorter of the Etruscan inscriptions outlines distinct annual rituals which took place to ensure the ongoing purity of the temple. At the port of Gravisca in the 6th century BC, Uni was worshipped amongst other Etruscan and pan-Hellenic deities in a large network of sanctuaries. Dedication to Uni was aggregated in a singular room at

6370-478: The sanctuary in the southern area of the complex. Nearby, a similar room was dedicated individually to Turan . Both rooms featured statuettes of swaddled babies, and a myriad of votive anatomical dedications such as breasts and uteri. There is little difference between type of votive offering presented to Uni and Turan, however the numbers of these votives differentiate the rooms comparatively; 145 votive uteri were excavated from Uni's dedicated sanctuary, compared to

6461-476: The seasons and in alignment with the difference in sunset and sunrise positions throughout the year. Where the temple of Fontanile di Legnisina dedicated to Uni found in Vulci, is located in the fixed terrestrial region number 10, and its entrance is opposite to region number 2 rather than 4, the non-corresponding position by two regions is explained by this theory of a “rotating Etruscan heaven”. Similarly, at Pyrgi,

6552-543: The style of its specific ”tuscanic” tradition is still of late-archaic inspiration which is a precious testimony of the diffusion of the Greek myth in Etruria. The reproduction of drapery, hair and beards already denotes the manneristic style . In the mid-upper section, Zeus attacks Capaneus who has climbed one of the gates of Thebes. Struck by divine thunder, the Argive hero clumsily backs away, his right hand raised in vain to strike, while shouting his anger and pain. In

6643-589: The three deities which make up the Etruscan Trinity, equivalent to the Roman Capitoline Triad . Most scholars agree that this triad was imported by the Romans from original Etruscan custom, where Uni and Menrva traditionally played larger roles than their counterparts Juno and Minerva. Ancient sources have described the expectation of towns to dedicate temples to Tinia, Uni, and Menrva at the end of three roads, leading to three gates, as

6734-481: The unknown master who designed and moulded the clay for the relief by hand. The version of the saga which inspired the artist is not the one contained in the works of the great tragedians who related the stories of the Theban cycle in the fifth century BC; it is more likely the one recently attributed to Stesichorus of Himera , the poet who lived between Sicily and Magna Graecia in the archaic period. The theme chosen by

6825-514: 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

6916-467: 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

7007-554: 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

7098-473: The way the stele was placed in the foundations of the temple, and where it may mention a goddess presiding over birth, potentially connecting her as the patron divinity of the cult at Poggio Colla, along with brief mention of her consort Tinia. Part of the text which has been deciphered seems to display requirements of practice for the cult, demanding two objects of something for Tinia, “in the place of Uni”. Archeologists have stated that "The centre of worship

7189-445: The wedding of Peleus and Thetis . Where Elcsntre could not easily choose between the three goddesses, they then resorted to bribing him. Etruscan interpretation of the specific offerings presented is not clear due to the lack of written sources, and various different representations on a number of mirrors, however there are common representations of Menrva's and Turan's gifts in alignment with their Greek counterparts. Menrva's spear and

7280-425: 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

7371-574: 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

7462-463: 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

7553-471: Was an underground fissure that was ritually treated after the destruction of the temple," and that. "Underground cults of this type were often associated with female divinities." The university of Florence is currently undertaking the process of 3D documentation of the Vicchio Stele in order to create a more complete reconstruction of the entire text. In a practice that has been argued by scholars as having originated in Etruria, Etrusca disciplina divided

7644-462: Was built as a rectangular fort. At the same time the temple buildings were ritually dismantled and worship continued outdoors. Later the town supplied fish to Rome, and became a favourite summer resort for rich patricians as did also Punicum to the north-west, where are many remains of large ancient villas. Both were stations on the Via Aurelia coast road. In 416 AD its site was occupied only by

7735-487: 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

7826-463: 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

7917-605: 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

8008-797: 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

8099-582: 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

8190-405: Was the religious sanctuary, one of the most important in Etruria visited by Greeks and Phoenicians . Remains exist of its Etruscan defensive town walls in polygonal blocks of limestone and sandstone, neatly jointed. They enclosed a rectangular area of some 200 x 220 m. The south-west extremity has been destroyed by the sea. The 1957 excavations found the remains of a large temple (temple A) with

8281-531: Was the patron goddess of Perugia . She is identified as the Etruscan equivalent of Juno in Roman mythology , and Hera in Greek mythology . As the supreme goddess of the Etruscan pantheon , she is part of the Etruscan trinity, an original precursor to the Capitoline Triad , made up of her husband Tinia , the god of the sky, and daughter Menrva , the goddess of wisdom. She is often depicted with

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