Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/1085

 SYEACUSAE. Hieron was undoubtedly a powerful prince, and Sy- racuse seems to huve risen, during this long period of peace and tranquillity, to a liicli state of wealth and prosperity. Its commercial relations with fo- reign countries, especially with Egypt, were assidu- ously cultivated and extended, while the natural resources of its fertile territory were developed to the utmost by the wise and judicious regulations of Hieron, which, under the name of the Lex Hieronica, were subsequently introduced into all parts of Sicily, and continued to be observed by the Romans, in their administration of that province. At the same time the monarch adorned the city with many public works and buildings, including temples, gym- nasia, &c., while he displayed his wealth and magnificence by splendid offerings, both at Rome and the most noted sanctuaries of Greece. On the whole it may probably be assumed that the reign of Hieron II. was the period when Syracuse attained its highest degree of splendour and magnificence, as well as of wealth and population. But this state of things was abruptly changed after the death of Hieron. His grandson, Hierony- mus, who succeeded him, deserted the alliance of Rome for that of Carthage, and though the young king was shortly after assassinated, the Carthagi- nian party continued to maintain its ascendency at Syracuse under two leaders named Hippocrates and Epicydes, who were appointed generals with su- preme power. They shut the gates against Mar- cellus, who was in command of the Roman armies in Sicily, and having refused all terms of accommo- dation, compelled that general to form the siege of Syracuse, b. c. 214. (Liv. xxiv. 21 — 33.) The enterprise proved far more arduous than the Roman General seems to have anticipated. He established his camp, as the Carthaginians had repeatedly done, on the height of the Olympieum ; but his principal attacks vuere directed against the northern walls, in the neighbourhood of Hexapylum (the outlet of the city towards Leontini and Jlegara), as well as against the defences of Achratlina from the sea. His powerful fleet gave Jlarcellus the complete command of the sea, and he availed himself of this to bring up his ships with powerful battering en- gines under the very walls which bordered the rocks of Achradina ; but all his efforts were baffled by the superior skill and science of Archimedes; his engines and ships were destroyed or sunk, and after repeated attempts, both by sea and land, he found himself compelled to abandon all active assaults and con- vert the siege into a blockade. (Liv. xxiv. 33, 34.) During the winter he left the camp and ariuy at the Olympieum, under the command of T. Quinctius Cris- pinus, while he himself took up his winter-quarters and established a fortified camp at Leon, on the N. side of the city. But he was unable to maintain a strict blockade by sea, and the Carthaginians succeeded in frequently throwing in supplies, so that the blockade was prolonged for more than two years; and Marcellus began to entertain little prospect of success, when in the spring of b. c. 212 an accident threw in his way the opportunity of scaling the walls by night, at a place called by Livy the Rortus Tro- giliorum (evidently the little cove called Scala Greca) ; and having thus surprised the walls he made himself master of the gate at Hexapylum, as well as of a great part of the slope of Kpipolae. But the strong f( rt of Enryalus, at the angle of Epipolae, defied his efforts, and the walls of Achradina, which still retained its separate fortificatioiis, enabled the SYRACUSAE, 1061 Syracusans to hold possession of that important part of the city, as well as of the island and fortress of Ortygia. The two quarters of Tycha and Nea- polis were, however, surrendered to him, and given up to plunder, the citizens having stipulated only for their lives ; and shortly after Philodemus, who commanded the garrison of Euryalus, having no hopes of relief, surrendered that important post also into the hands of Marcellus. (Liv. xxv. 23 — 25.) The Roman general was now in possession of the whole heights of Epipolae, and being secured from attacks in the rear by the possession of Euryalus, he divided his forces into three camps, and endeavoured wholly to blockade Achradina. At the same time Crispinus still held the old camp on the hill of the Olympieum. (lb. 26.) In this state of things a vigorous effort was made by the Carthaginians to raise the siege: they advanced with a large army under Himilco and Hippocrates, and attacked the camp of Crispinus; while Bomilcar, with a fleet of 1 50 ships, occupied the Great Harbour, and took possession of the shore between the city and the mouth of the Anapus, at the same tiiue that Epi- cydes made a vigorous sally from Achradina against the lines of Marcellus. But they were repulsed at all points, and though they continued for some time to maintain their army in the immediate neighbour- hood of the city, it was soon attacked by a pestilence, arising from the marshy nature of the low grounds in which they were encamped, to which both Hip- pocrates and Himilco fell victims, with a great jart of their troops. Bomilcar, also, who had quitted the port with the view of obtaining reinforcements from Carthage, never returned, and Epicydes, who had gone out to meet him, abandoned the city to its fate, and withdrew to Agrigentum. The defence of Syracuse was now entrasted to the leaders uf the mercenary troops, and one of these, a Spaniard named Mericus, betrayed his post to Marcellus. A body of Roman troops was landed in the night at the extremity of the island, near the fountain of Arethusa, and quickly made theinselves masters of the whole of Ortygia; while Marcellus, having at the same time made a gener^il assault on Achradina, succeeded in carrying a portion of that quarter also. The remaining part of the city was now voluntarily surrendered by the inhabitants; and Marcellus, after taking precautions to secure the royal treasures, and the houses of those citizens who had been favourable to the Romans, gave up the whole city to be pillaged by his soldiers. Archimedes, who had contributed so much to the defence of the city, was accidentally slain in the confusion. The plunder was said to be enormous ; and the magnificent statues, pictures, and other works of art which were carried by Mar- cellus to Rome, to adorn his own triumph, are said to have given the first impulse to that love of Greek art which afterwards became so prevalent among the Romans. (Liv. xxv. 26—31, 40; I'lut. Jllarc. 14 —19 ; Diod. xxvi. Fr. 18—20.) From this time Syracuse sank into the ordinary condition of a Roman provincial town; but it con- tinued to be the unquestionable capital of Sicily, and was the customary residence of the Roman praetors who were sent to govern the island, as well as of one of the two quaestors who were charged with its financial adininistratinn. Even in the days of Cicero it is spoken of by that orator as '' the greatest of Greek cities, and the most beautiful of all cities." (Cic. Ve7T. iv. 52.) Its puldic buildings had ap- parently suffered little, if at all, from its capture by 3 Y 3