The city of Syracuse in Sicily has a history steeped in antiquity. With its key strategic position as a port in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, The Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantium, and many others have all laid claim to the settlement throughout the millennia. The island of Ortigia is a palimpsest consisting of centuries of reconstruction and architecture, yet some vestiges of its ancient past are still visible amongst the narrow streets. For example, the Doric columns that are incorporated into the Duomo di Siracusa from the 6th century BC (some of the oldest examples in Italy). They originally formed part of the Temple of Athena, built by the tyrant Gelon after his city’s famous victory at the Battle of Himera against Carthage. Indeed, it belies the fact that Syracuse was, for a time, amongst the most powerful city states in the Mediterranean.

In 415 BC, the formidable city of Athens led a military expedition against Syracuse and its ruler Dionysius. A campaign that was part of the larger Peloponnesian War with Sparta. The Athenians had underestimated the prowess of Syracuse and were defeated, the loss of their fleet leading in no small part to the end of the age of ‘Classical Athens’. The prisoners, perhaps some seven thousand, were led to the caves and quarries of Neapolis outside of the city. It is said that here, inside a huge cave with unique acoustic qualities, the helpless Athenians were put to torture. Due to the snaking shape of the rocky cavity, the sounds would be projected to the terrified remaining prisoners outside. The renaissance painter Caravaggio would later name this feature “Dionysius’ Ear”. The Neapolis archaeological park today is interspersed with fascinating modern sculptures influenced by the classical world that draw visitors into the site’s sometimes dark history.

Perhaps the most famous ancient resident of the city was the inventor and polymath Archimedes, whose contraptions were used in an attempt to thwart a siege of Syracuse by the Romans in 213 BC. A supposed mechanical weapon of his invention was a giant crane and hook that would lift Roman ships in the harbour and dash them against the city’s walls. Tragically however, the defenders were ultimately overrun by the Roman forces, leading to Archimedes’ demise. Working scale models of Archimedes’ marvellous contraptions (including his famous screw) can be found today in the Archimedes & Leonardo da Vinci Museum on Via Vincenzo Mirabella. The small but intriguing museum compares the two great inventors’ works and concepts as well as detailing the ancient history of Syracuse. The people of Syracuse quite rightly promote the genius of one of their most famous patrons to this day.