Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/1092

 106S SYRACUSAE. is the OLYirpiEUJr, or Temple of Jupiter Olympius, ■which stood, as ah-eady mentioned, on a height, fticing the southern front of Epipolae and Neapolis, from which it was about a mile and a half distant (Liv. xsiv. 33), the interval being occupied by the marshy plain on the banks of the Anapus. The sanctuary seems to have early attained great cele- brity : even at the time of the Athenian expe- dition there had already grown up around it a small town, which was known as Policiise (i? noix'^7], Diod.), or the Little City. The military importance of the post, as commanding the bridge over the Anapus and the road to Helorus, as well as over- looking the marshes, the Great Harbour, and the lower part of the city, caused the Syracusans to fortify and secure it with a garrison before the ar- rival of the Athenians. (Thuc. vi. 75.) For the same reason it was occupied by all subsequent in- vaders who threatened Syracuse; by Himilco in b.c, 396, by Hamilcar in B. c. 309, and by Marcellus in B.C. 214. The remains of the teinple are still visible: in the days of Cluverius, indeed, seven co- lumns were still standing, with a considerable part of the substructure (Cluver. Sicil. p. 179), but now only two remain, and those have lost their capitals. They are of an ancient style, and belong probably to the original temple, which appears to have been built by the Geomori as early as the 6th century B. C. The adjoining promontory of Plemmyrium does not appear to have been ever inhabited, though it presents a table-land of considerable height, nor was it ever permanently fortified. It is evident also, from the account of the operations of successive Carthaginian fleets, as well as that of the Athenians, that the Syracusans had not attempted to occupy, or even to guard with forts, the more distant parts of the Great Harbour, though the docks or arsenal, which were situated in the inner bight or recess of the bay, between Ortygia and the lower part of Achradina, were strongly fortified. The southern bight of the bay, which forms an inner bay or gulf, now known as the bay of Sta Maddalena, is evidently that noticed both during the Athenian siege and that by the Carthaginians as the gulf of Dascon. (Ado-reojv, Thuc. vi. 66; Diod. xiii. 13, xiv. 72.) The fort erected by the Athenians for the protection of their fleet apparently stood on the adjacent height, which is connected with that of the Olympieum. Almost immediately at the foot of the Olympieum was the ancient bridge across the Anapus, some re- mains of which may still be seen, as well as of the ancient road which led from it towards Helorus, memorable on account of the disastrous retreat of the Athenians. They did not, however, on that occasion cross the bridge, but after a fruitless at- tempt to penetrate into the interior by following the valley of the Anapus, struck across into the He- lorine Way, which they rejoined some distance be- yond the Olympieum. Not far from the bridge over the Anapus stood the monument of Gelon and his wife Demarete, a sumptuous structure, where the Syracusans were in the habit of paying heroic honours to their great ruler. It was adorned with nine towers of a very massive construction; but the monument itself was destroyed by Himilco, when he encamped at the adjacent Olympieum, and the towers were afterwards demohshed by Agathocles. (Diod. xi. 38, xiv. 63.) About a mile and a half SW. of the Olympieum is the fountain of Cyane, a copious and clear stream SYEACUSAE. rising in the midst of a marsh : the sanctuary of the nymph to whom it was consecrated (jh ttjs Kvavr^s Up6v, Diod.), inust have stood on the heights above, as we are told that Dionysius led his troops round to this spot with a view to attack the Carthaginian camp at the Olympieum (Diod. xiv. 72); and the marsh itself must always have been impassable for troops. Some ruins on the slope of the hill to the W. of the source are probably those of the temple in question. [Cyane.] The fountain of Cyane is now called La Pisma: near it is another smaller source called Pismotta, and a third, known as // Cefalino, rises between the Cyane and the Anapus. The number of these fountains of clear water, pro- ceeding no doubt from distant som-ces among the limestone hills, is characteristic of the neighbour- hood of Syracuse, and is noticed by Pliny, who mentions the names of four other noted sources be- sides the Cyane and the more celebrated Arethusa. These he calls Temenitis, Archidemia, Magaea, and Milichia, but they cannot be now identified. (Plin. iii. 8. s. 14.) None of the.se springs, however, was well adapted to supply the city itself with water, and hence an aqueduct was in early times carried along the heights from the interior. The existence of this is already noticed at the time of the Athe- nian siege (Thuc. vi. 100); and the channel, which is in great part subterraneous, is still 'isible at the present day, and conveys a stream sufBcient to turn a mill situated on the steps of the great theatre. A few localities remain to be noticed to the N. of Syracuse, which, though not included in the city, are repeatedly alluded to in its history. Leon, the spot where the Athenians first landed at the com- mencement of the siege (Thuc. vi. 97), and where Marcellus established his winter quarters when he found himself unable to carry the city by assault (Liv. xxiv. 39), is probably the Httle cove or bay about 2 miles N. of the Scala Greca: this is not more than a mile from the nearest point of Epipolae, which would agree with the statement of Tliucy- dides, who calls it 6 or 7 stadia from thence; Livy, on the contrary, says it was 5 miles from Hexapy- lum, but this must certainly be a mistake. About 3 miles further N. is the promontory of Thapsus (ji Qd^os, now called Magnisi), a low but rocky peninsula, united to the mainland by a sandy isth- mus, so that it formed a tolei-ably secure port on its S. side. On this account it was selected, in the first instance, by the Athenians for their naval camp and the station of their fleet, previous to their taking possession of the Great Harbour. (Thuc. vi. 97.) It had been one of the first points on the Sicilian coast occupied by Greek colonists, but these speedily removed to Jlegara (Thuc. vi. 4); and the site seems to have subsequently always remained unin- habited, at least there was never a town upon it. It was a low promontory, whence Virgil appro- priately calls it ' Thapsus jacens." (Virg. Aen. iii. 689; Ovid, Fast. iv. 477.) About a mile in- land, and directly opposite to the entrance of the isthmus, are the remains of an ancient monument of large size, built of massive blocks of stone, and of a quadrangular form. The portion now remaining is above 20 feet high, but it was formerly surmounted by a column, whence the name by which it is still known of L'Agiiglia, or " the Needle." This monu- ment is popularly believed to have been erected by Marcellus to commemorate the capture of Syracuse ; but this is a mere conjecture, for which there is no foundation. It is probably in reality a sepulchral