ADMINISTRATION. Sicily forms, together with the Lipari and rEgadian groups and a few other islands. a compartimento of the Kingdom of Italy, and is divided into the seven provinces of Mes sina, Catania, Syracuse, Caltanissetta, Palermo. Girgenti, and Trapani. The elementary schools of the island are still inadequate. Secondary education is better provided for, and there are universities at Palermo, Messina, and Catania. The population was 2.927.901 in 1881. and 3.529, 266 in 1901. Palermo is the capital. Emigra tion is constantly increasing. The number of emigrants in 1901 was nearly 37.000. of whom over 13,000 were temporary. The condition of large numbers of the laboring class, especially those engaged in the sulphur industry, is deplora ble. The secret organization known as the Mafia (q.v.) frequently interferes with the execution of the law.
IdisTonY. Sicily was inhabited at the dawn of history by a people who bore the name of Sicidi or and who, according to tradition, crossed over into the island from the southern ex tremity of the mainland. They were members of the great Latino-ltalian family. The recorded his tory of Sicily only begins with the establishment of Greek and Phoenician colonies. The earliest Greek colony, that of Naxos, was founded B.C. 735; the latest, that of Agrigentum, about P.C.. 580. During the intervening century and a half, numerous important colonies were established, in cluding Syracuse, Leontini, Catana. Megara Gela, Zancle (the later Messana ), Aerie, Hi mera, Mylze. Casmeme, Selinus, and Camarina. We read that these cities attained great commer cial prosperity. and that their governments were at first oligarchies, and latterly democracies or 'tyrannies:' but it is not till the period of the 'despots' that we have detailed .accounts. Agrigentum and Gela early acquired promi nence—the former, under the rule of Phalaris (q.v.) , becoming. for a short time, probably the most powerful State in Sicily. and the lat ter, under a succession of able tyrants, Clean der, Hippocrates, and Gelon (q.v.), forcing into subjection most of the other Greek cities. Gelon, however. transferred his government to Syracuse (one of his conquests), which now became the principal Greek city of Sicily—a dignity it ever after retained throughout ancient times. Meanwhile, the Carthaginians had ob tained possession of the Phoenician settlements in Sicily. The first appearance of the Cartha ginians in the island dates from n.c. 536; hut the steady growth of the Greek cities in wealth and power long confined their rivals to the north western part, where their principal colonies were Panornms, Motya, and Solois. The first open trial
of strength took place in the great battle of Hi mera in B.C. 4S0, where the Carthaginian army was utterly routed by Gelon, and its leader. Ham ilear, slain. The Gelonian dynasty at Syracuse fell in B.C. 466, after experiencing various for tunes. During the next fifty years Sicily had peace. In n.c. 410. however, the war between the Carthaginians and Greeks for the possession of the island was renewed. The successes of the former were great and permanent. Selinus. Hime ra. Agrigentum, /Ma. and Camarina, fell into their hands in less than five years: and it was not till Syracuse had a new 'tyrant,' the famous Dionysius the Elder (q.v.) , that fortune began to change. Even he, however, could not wrest from the Carthaginians what they had already won ; and after the war of n.c. 383 a peace was con cluded which left Dionysius in possession of the eastern and the Carthaginians of the western half of the island. Timoleon won a splendid victory over the Carthaginian generals. Hasdrn Wd and Hamilcar, at the river Crimisus. about n.c. 340. Once more Greek influence was in the ascendent, but the rule of the hold and am hitions tyrant Agathoeles (n.c. 317-289) proved in the main disastrous to Greek supremacy. After his death Syracuse lost her hold over many of the Greek cities, which established a weak and perilous independence. that only rendered the preponderance of the Carthaginians more certain, Finally, Pyrrhus (q.v.), King of Epirus, was invited over to help his countrymen, and in B.c. 27S he landed in the island. The brilliant adventurer for a time swept everything before him. Panormus, Ercte, and Eryx were captured; and though he failed to make himself master of Lilybawm, he might probably have forced the Carthaginians to surrender it, had he not been thwarted in his designs by the miserable dis cords and jealousies of the people whom he came to save. As it was, Pyrrhus left Sicily in about two years; and in all likelihood the island would have sunk into a Carthaginian possession, had not a new power, Rome, appeared to engage the Carthaginians. In B.C. 241. at the close of the First Punic War, Carthaginian Sicily was given up to the Romans. and in B.C. 210. in the course of the Second Punic War, the whole island be came a Roman province—the first Rome ever held. Tn B.C. 135-132, and again in B.C. 103-100, it was the scene of formidable slave insurrections. Its fertility and the wealth of its citizens and landholders were powerful temptations to greedy and unscrupulous Governors.