Syracuse

Syracuse was an ancient Greek city on Sicily’s southeastern coast. Under Archimedes, it became a major center of mechanical engineering and resisted Roman conquest for years.

Archimedes: Archimedes was a Greek mathematician, engineer, and inventor from Syracuse in the third century BCE. His machines and mathematical work made Syracuse a center of Hellenistic engineering.
Greek colonization: Greek colonization established settlements around the Mediterranean and Black Sea from the eighth century BCE onward. Syracuse began as a Greek settlement founded during this expansion.
Battle of Himera (480 BCE): The Battle of Himera in 480 BCE was a Greek victory over Carthaginian forces in Sicily. Syracusan forces under Gelon helped secure this decisive Sicilian victory.
Roman conquest of Syracuse: Roman conquest of Syracuse in 212 BCE brought the city under Roman control during the Second Punic War. Its capture ended Syracuse’s independence and secured Roman control of eastern Sicily.
Siege of Syracuse: The Roman siege of Syracuse from 214 to 212 BCE ended with the city’s capture. Roman forces confronted the city’s defenses during this prolonged siege.
Corinth: Corinth was a Greek city-state on the Isthmus of Corinth, known for trade and overseas colonies. Settlers from Corinth founded Syracuse in the eighth century BCE.
Battle of the Eurymedon: The Battle of the Eurymedon was a fifth-century BCE Athenian victory over Persian forces by land and sea. Thucydides compared its date with Syracuse’s victory over Carthage at Himera.
Roman Sicily: Roman Sicily was the island of Sicily under Roman rule, beginning with its first province in 241 BCE. Syracuse became part of Roman Sicily after its conquest.
Claw of Archimedes: The Claw of Archimedes was a reported siege-defense device that lifted or overturned attacking ships. Ancient accounts associate this machine with Syracuse’s defense against Roman ships.
Siceliots: Siceliots were Greek inhabitants of Sicily and their descendants in antiquity. They formed the Greek-speaking population among whom Syracuse grew.

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