Page 486 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

484  SOUTHERN IT AL Y

The Ancient Greeks in Southern Italy

Some of the best ruins of the
ancient Greek world are
in southern Italy.
Syracuse, Selinunte,
Segesta and Gela are among KYME
the better-known Sicilian sites, while Cuma NEAPOLIS
•
those on the mainland include Crotone, Napoli
Locri and Paestum. Magna Graecia is • •
the collective name given to these Ancient Herakleia HERAKLEIA
Ercolano
scattered colonies of ancient Greece, (Herculaneum) was Sele
the earliest of which were founded named after its patron POSEIDONIA •
in the Naples area between the 8th deity, the mighty Hercules. Paestum
and 6th centuries BC. Many great figures It was buried by the eruption ELEA
•
of Mount Vesuvius in
of the age – including Pythagoras, AD 79 (see p499). Velia
Archimedes and Aeschylus – lived
in these settlements, and it was here that wine-
making flourished. Artifacts from this age are
exhibited in the excellent archaeological
museums of Naples, Syracuse and Taranto.
Poseidonia (today’s Paestum) was
the city of Poseidon, God of the
Sea. Its ruins, dating from the
6th century BC, include the hulks
of two of the finest Doric temples
in Europe (see pp502–3).
Mount Etna was believed to be Tyndaris was one LIPARA •
the forge of Hephaistos (Vulcan) – of the last Greek cities Lipari
founded on Sicily.
God of Fire – and the Cyclops, TYNDARIS
the one-eyed giant (see p543). PANORMOS • Tindari •
Palermo •
• SOLUS Monte
ERYX • Solunto HIMERA Etna
•
Erice EGESTA Himera • NAXOS
Segesta Giardini Naxos
Eryx, founder of the Belice • HENNA Simeto
town, was the son of • Valley Enna KATANE
Aphrodite and SELINUS of the Gela Gatania •
Poseidon. Selinunte Temples MEGARA HYBLAEA
The legendary
Megara •
founder of AKRAGAS • GELA SYRAKOUSAI
Agrigento was Agrigento • Gela • Siracusa
Daedalus, who
created wings
for himself and
his son, Icarus, Museo
so they Archeologico
could fly. Gela was prosperous Regionale
under the rule of Paolo Orsi
Hippocrates in the
5th century BC.
Egesta (built 426–416 BC) was colonized by
the Elymians, who may have originated at Troy.
Among the ruins of this town are a half- Aeschylus, the dramatist,
completed temple and a theatre (see p538). died in Gela in 456.
Ancient Greeks used theatres for plays and Considered the father of
cultural entertainment rather than combat. Greek tragedy, his plays
include Seven Against
0 kilometres 100 Thebes, Women of Aetna
0 miles 50 and Prometheus Bound.
484-485_EW_Italy.indd 484 4/5/17 9:31 AM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Feature template “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.3)
Date 18th October 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm