My Top Syracuse Travel Tips
Founded in 733 BC by Corinthian settlers, Syracuse (Siracusa) became one of the first Greek colonies on the island, the first was Giardini Naxos. Syracuse quickly attained wealth and power, commissioned important buildings, works of art, and founded sub-colonies, extending its territory through warfare to become the strongest city in the Mediterranean. The ancient city was up to three times the size of the Syracuse that we know today and was divided into five zones, the sparsely populated Epipolae, the necropolis zone of Akradina, residential Tyche, Neapolis (where the theatre is located) and the island of Ortigia (Ortygia) which was the original settlement. It was once known as the most beautiful city in the ancient world and it is still beautiful today. Under the tyrant Gelon, Syracuse formed a mighty alliance with other Greeks at Akragas (Agrigento) and Gela and defeated the Carthaginian’s at Himera in 489 BC. Subsequent tyrants such as Hieron (478-466 BC) and Dionysius (405-367 B