Chap. III.
GRECIAN.
57
Cailita, or Health-office, on one side, and the mole terminated with its lighthouse on theother : here stands Palermo amidst its plains covered with convents, villas, and palaces,forming one of the most splendid prospects in the world.
The Marina, a raised public walk, more than a mile in length, and 240 feet in breadth,is defended by a parapet wall.
Syracuse . This ancient maritime city, built upon a roek, may, at the present day, betraced in many places, as may the excavations in the natural stone, where the walls of bothpublic and private buildings were raised. The direction of the principal and transversestreets may be followed by the channels cut to the depth of six inches in the rock by thecarriage wheels.
WM
Fig. 63.
The boundary walls, constructed of stones of large dimensions, worked perfectly square,and laid without either cramps, cement, or mortar, in many situations remain perfect, tothe height of 6 or 7 feet.
Syracuse was one of the most populous as well as powerful cities of antiquity. Whenit was besieged by Marcellus, about 213 years before Christ, it contained 1,800,000 inhabit-ants. It was divided into four quarters, separated from each other by lofty walls. Cicero ,in one of his orations, observes, that Syracuse was the largest and most magnificent city inGreece , that its two ports were almost enclosed by nature, and that at their junction anisland was formed, which was united to the city by means of a bridge thrown across thestrait. The first part of the city called Ortygia, was on the island above mentioned.This, advancing into the sea, covers the entrance to both ports; and on it was situated thepalace of Hiero.
The second part of Syracuse was called Acridina , containing a spacious square, porticoes,a prytaneum, or building in which the council assembled, a temple dedicated to Jupiter,and a wide street running from one end to the other, with others at right angles, in whichwere the private houses.
The third division was Tyca, which had a temple to Fortune, a gymnasium, and severalpublic buildings. This quarter was the most populous.
The fourth division was the last built, and called Neapolis : here are the remains of alarge theatre, two temples, one dedicated to Ceres, the other to Proserpine.
The boundary of the ancient walls, according to Strabo , was 180 stadia, or 22J miles,including the Epipola*, one of the suburbs, which commanded the whole city.
The Great Port is about 5 miles in circumference, and to render it more secure againstan enemy, a strong chain was stretched across it from the island to the opposite rock,Plemmvrium, a distance of about half a mile.