Greek & Roman Sites in Sicily

Temple C, with ruins of Temple D in the foreground, Selinous

Introduction

Magna Graecia was the name used by the Romans to refer to the coastal regions of the southern parts of the Italian Peninsula and Sicily. These areas were extensively populated by the Greeks, who had lived there since the middle of the 8th century BC. The Hellenic civilization that they had brought with them had a huge impact on the culture of the indigenous peoples of Sicily as well as later the Romans.

Some of the Greek cities in Magna Graecia were very rich and powerful. In Sicily, the most important of them was Syracuse, which, in the Classical period, equaled Athens in many respects. Other powerful Greek poleis on the island included Akragas and Selinous.

For most of the Greek period Sicily was divided into two. Syracuse controlled the eastern parts, while the west was under the influence of the Carthaginian Empire. The conflict between the Greeks and the Carthaginians goes back to the first half of the 6th century BC, and it defined the outline of the history of the island in the subsequent centuries. It all changed in the First Punic War (264-241 BC), in which the Roman Republic conquered the territories of Carthage in Sicily and made the island its first province outside the Italian Peninsula. Only Syracuse remained nominally independent for a while, until it, too, was conquered by Rome in 212 BC during the Second Punic War.

There are many archaeological sites from the Greek period in Sicily. Even though the Sicilian Greeks generally followed the architectural trends of the mainland Greece, they were also persistent to keep their own traditions, especially when it comes to their temples. That gives the Doric temples of Sicily a more archaic look than their counterparts in other parts of the Greek world.

The Sicilian temples were generally bigger and taller and often had an elongated form that goes beyond the canonical 2n + 1 rule. Especially in the early period the intercolumnations on the long and narrow sides of the temples here were different, and the Doric corner conflict was more often solved by the double contraction (by narrowing two intercolumnations at the sides) rather than by the single contraction, which was more accepted elsewhere. Other typically Sicilian features include the use of local stones instead of marble, the heightened emphasis of the east side of the temple, and the continuation of the use of the adyton (a separate room containing the sacred image of the deity) well into the Classical period.

In the Roman Republic, Sicily was an important province. Its expanses of arable land, which made it the main source of grain for the city of Rome, granted it long periods of prosperity. Especially in the later periods it benefited a lot from the trade between various parts of the empire, largely thanks to its position in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. By that time, many older cities had been destroyed or had lost their importance, while others, such as Panormus (Palermo) or Catana (Catania), had came to their place. Some of the Greek structures were still used, others (most notably theatres) were renovated, and a number of new buildings were constructed.

Sites

My portfolios contain photos of nine Greek and/or Roman settlements in Sicily: Syracuse, Akrai (Palazzolo Acreide), Selinous (Selinunte), Akragas (Agrigento), Segesta, Tauromenium (Taormina), Soluntum (Solunto), Catania, and Piazza Armerina.

These sites are far from all. Notable cities that are missing in my portfolios include Naxos, Tyndaris, Himera, Morgantina and many others. I will also not present natural sites related to Greco-Roman mythology, such as the Fountain of Arethusa in Syracuse or the Stones of Polyphemus in Acitrezza. The portfolios do, however, contain some photos of sculptural works from the described sites, presented in two of the most important archaeological museums on the island: the Regional Archaeological Museum Antonio Salinas in Palermo and the Regional Archaeological Museum Paolo Orsi in Syracuse.

Syracuse

Temple of Apollo | first quarter of 6th century BC
Temple of Artemis | second half of 6th century BC
Temple of Athena | after 480 BC
Ridge of Achradina
Quarry of Paradise | 5th century BC
Theatre | original – early 5th century BC; current – between 238 and 215 BC, renovated in late 1st century BC
Altar of Hiero II | after 235 BC
Amphitheatre | 1st century AD, modified in 3rd century AD
Latomia del Casale

Akrai

Theatre | 3rd or 2nd century BC
Bouleuterion | 2nd century BC
Quarries | mid-4th century BC
Walls | 4th to second half of 2nd century BC

Selinous

Acropolis: Fortifications | mostly late 5th and late 4th centuries
Acropolis: City | retaining wall – mid-6th century BC; plan – 4th century BC
Acropolis: Temple R | 580-570 BC
Acropolis: Temple Y | 570-550 BC
Acropolis: Temple C | 560-550 BC
Acropolis: Temple D | 550-540 BC
Acropolis: Temple A | 450 BC
East: Temple F | 550-540 BC
East: Temple G | 530-409 BC; unfinished
East: Temple E | 470-450 BC

Akragas

Valley of the Temples: Temple of Heracles | around 510 BC or before 480 BC
Valley of the Temples: Temple of the Olympian Zeus | after 480 BC, until 406 BC
Valley of the Temples: Temple of Hera Lacinia | 450-440 BC
Valley of the Temples: Temple of Concordia | around 430 BC
Valley of the Temples: Temple of the Dioscuri | mid- or late 5th century BC
Valley of the Temples: Garden of Kolymbethra | after 480 BC

Segesta

Temple | from 420s or 417 until 409 BC
Theatre | original – late 4th or early 3rd century; current – second half of 2nd century
Agora | last quarter of 2nd century BC

Tauromenium

Theatre | original – 3rd century BC; reconstruction – 1st century BC or 1st century AD; extension – first half of 2nd century AD; modification – beginning of 3rd century AD
Naumachia | wall – 2nd century BC; front – 2nd century AD
Pavement mosaic on Salita del Carmine | 2nd century BC

Soluntum