SYRACUSE, an ancient city and republic in Sicily, celebrated for its splendour, its wealth, and its military prowess; but now most illustrious as having been the birth place and residence of Ar chimedes, whose genius and labours have survived the memory of all its other greatness.
The ancient city of Syracuse was surrounded by a treble and almost impregnable wall 18 miles long, and contained four considerable cities, dina, Tyche, Neapolis, and the Island of Ortygia.
Acradina, (See ACRADINA; Vol. I.) situated on the shore, was separated from Neapolis and Tyche by a wall of extraordinary thickness and altitude. Tyche was built between Acradina and the steep and rugged hill called Epipolze, and contained the great gymnasium and several beautiful temples, particularly that of Fortune. Ortygia was united to the other cities by a bridge, and contained the palace of Hiero and the magnificent temple of Diana and Minerva. Neapolis, or the New City, formed the western extremity of Syracuse, and was defended by high ground. The principal or naments were the temples of Ceres and Proserpine, a theatre and amphitheatre, and the statue of Apollo Temnites, afterwards carried to Rome.
Syracuse had also four fine harbours, separated by the island; the greatest, which was 5000 paces in circuit, and about two miles long and one wide, was formed by a point of the island Ortygia on one side, and on the other by the little Island and Cape Plemmyrium. Its entrance was 590 paces wide. It ran into the very heart of the city, and was called Marmoreo from its being encompassed with marble edifices. The lesser harbour is on the North East of Ortygia, and near it is still shown the site of Archimedes's house, and the tower from which he burned the Roman galleys.
Modern Syracuse occupies the south-east corner of the ancient city, and contains Ortygia, and part of Acradina. It is surrounded by a wall, and is defended by draw-bridges. Though the streets are narrow, yet they are tolerably regular, and the houses are upon the whole pretty well built. The an cient temple of Minerva has been converted into the cathedral of the city, and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The ancient amphitheatre still ex ists and attests its former grandeur. It is 300 feet long by 200 wide, and the arena, the sides and pas sages, were all cut out of the solid rock. A part
of the long wall built on the north side of the city by Dionysius still remains. It is seven feet high, and 10 feet thick. The catacombs of Acradina still exist. They are about a mile long and eight feet high, containing many tombs and sepulchral ca verns. The Ear of Dionysius is a gulf or cave 170 feet long by 60 high, and from 20 to 35 wide, pos sessing a powerful echo. The fountain of Arethusa still discharges the contents of a river, and that of Cyane, a few miles from the town, sends out a copious stream. In the year 1810, a beautiful sta tue of Venus, without the head, was dug out of a heap of ruins under a tree, and by a little expense other objects of antiquity might easily be obtained. An hospital, with a number of churches and con vents are the only other objects in the city. The exports from the town are wax, wheat, oil, hemp, and slates. Population 14,000. East long. N. lat. 3'. See our articles Anemmx DES, Vol. II. p. 307. ATHENS, VOL III, p. 27. BURNING INSTRUMENTS, Vol. V. p. 51.
seat of justice, Onondago county, New York, situa ted on the Erie canal at the point where the Salina side canal leaves the main trunk, 25 minutes north of west from Albany; 47 miles W. from Utica, and by post road 342 miles a little E. of N from Wash ington city.
The village of Syracuse stands at the foot of a range of hills, out of which and flowing to the north issues Onondago creek, which about two miles below enters the lake of the same name at the village of Salina. In a state of nature the space between the hills of Syracuse and the Onon dago an alluvial flat, liable to annual in undation, but the side canal which connects the Erie trunk with Lake Ontario by way of the Oswe go river, has been extended from Syracuse and in to Lake Onondago by a series of locks at Salina.
The side canal assists to drain the flats which are also desiccated by other drains, and by an operation at its outlet, which has lowered the level of Ononda go lake. The salines or salt flats are at the village of the same name. When the writer of this arti cle visited these places in 1823, the operations of draining the flats, those on the Onondago canal, and the erection of extensive pans to make salt by solar heat, were all in a state of forwardness.