Syracuse

Syracuse was the greatest city of Magna Graecia, and today is a modern city and UNESCO site encompassing the ruins of its past generations. The Greek theater of Syracuse was initially built in the 400s B.C. and renovated later by both Greek and Roman subjects.

The theater is on the outskirts of modern Syracuse and encompasses a large, overgrown area.

The Ear of Dionysius is a cave nearby with strange acoustic features. Legend has it Greek tyrants used it as a prison to listen in on captives conversations.

The Romans built an amphitheater adjacent to the Greek theater.

A modern church next to the Syracuse Archeology Museum.

The Syracuse Archeology Museum has a variety of local finds, including these tiny ancient animal skeletons.

Pre-Greek inhabitants of Syracuse liked ducks.

Strange copper storage balls.

A fourth century B.C. depiction of Artemis with some paint still present.

A popular horse symbol of Syracuse.

Tiny detailed vases found in a boy's tomb.

A vase depicting the myth of Hades and Persephone.

A Corinthian perfume vase based on an Assyrian aesthetic.

So many horse legs!

A Gorgon

A statue of Priapus

A statue of Bes, an Egyptian god

A statue of a fisherman

The sarcophagus of Adefia is from the 4th century A.D., of Roman origin, with scenes from the Old and New Testament.

The ruins of the Temple of Apollo is the first ancient landmark on Ortygia, a small island off the mainland of Sicily that is the heart of Syracuse.

The Cathedral of Syracuse

The ancient Temple of Athena was used in the construction of the cathedral.

The Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia

The Fountain of Arethusa, a freshwater source on Ortygia linked to the eponymous Greek myth.

Locals play Kayak polo between Ortygia and the mainland.