Magna Graecia — The Greeks in Sicily
From the 8th century BC, Greek colonists founded some of the most powerful and wealthy cities of the ancient world in Sicily — so significant that Sicily became known as Magna Graecia (Greater Greece). The colonies surpassed their mother cities in wealth, culture, and power.
The Great Greek Cities
- Syracuse (Siracusa) — Founded in 734 BC by Corinthians, Syracuse became the most powerful city in the western Mediterranean. Under the tyrant Dionysius I (405–367 BC), Syracuse controlled all of Sicily and parts of southern Italy. Archimedes lived here, and Syracuse defeated the Athenian fleet (413 BC) in a disaster that marked the beginning of Athens' decline.
- Akragas (Agrigento) — "The most beautiful city of mortals" (Pindar). In the 5th century BC, a metropolis with 200,000 inhabitants, whose temples still stand today.
- Selinunte — The westernmost Greek colony, with the most massive temple ruins in Sicily. Destroyed by Carthage in 409 BC.
- Gela, Naxos, Catania, Messina — Other Greek foundations that spanned Sicily's coasts from east to west.
Cultural Heritage
The Greeks brought not only their architecture but also theater, philosophy, science, and democracy to Sicily. Aeschylus staged his dramas in the theater of Syracuse, Plato visited Sicily three times (and was once sold as a slave!), and Empedocles from Akragas is considered the founder of the theory of the four elements. The Greek influence on Sicily was so profound that it outlasted all later conquerors — in architecture, place names, and city layouts.
