Syracuse founded
734 BCE.
Shown on the map at 37.083°, 15.283°.
This article details the history of Syracuse from its origins to the present day. Located in Sicily, the city was founded in the 8th century BC by a group of Greek colonists from Corinth. It became a prominent polis of significant importance, ranked among the greatest metropolises of the ancient world, and was the birthplace of notable figures such as Epicharmus, Archimedes, and many others. It also hosted influential personalities such as Aeschylus and Plato. Conquered by the Romans in 212 BC, Syracuse served as the capital of Roman Sicily. It remained important under the Byzantine rule, even briefly becoming the empire's capital from 663 to 669 until the assassination of Emperor Constans II, which led to a drastic shift in its fortunes. The city was then captured by the Arabs in 878, initiating a prolonged decline and loss of its former primacy in Sicily. In the 11th century, Syracuse was briefly reconquered by the Byzantines before passing to the Normans a few decades later. After a short period of Genoese control in the 13th century, it followed the fortunes of the Kingdom of Sicily.
Text from the Wikipedia article History of Syracuse, Sicily, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.