Sicily, Which Immediately After The Conclusion Of The Punic War, Was Made A
Roman Province, And Sardinia, Were The First Territories Which The Romans
Possessed Out Of Italy.
In conformity with our plan, we shall enquire into
the advantages they brought to the commerce of the Romans, before we
proceed to the naval occurrences of the second Punic war.
Sicily was anciently called Sicania, Trinacria, and Triquetra; its three
promontories are particularly celebrated in the classic authors; viz.
Lilibaeum on the side of Africa; Pachynum on the side of Greece, and Pelorum
towards Italy. Its vicinity to the continent of Italy, and the resemblance
of their opposite shores, gave rise to an opinion among the ancients that
it was originally joined to Italy. Pliny particularly mentions their
separation, as a circumstance beyond all doubt. The dangers which were
supposed to beset mariners in their passage through the narrow strait which
divides it from Italy, on one side of which was Sylla, and on the other
Charybdis, sufficiently point out the ignorance and inexperience of the
ancients in the construction and management of their ships.
The principal town on the eastern coast of Sicily, opposite Greece, was
Messana, now called Messina: it was the first which the Romans possessed in
the island: it was one of the most wealthy and powerful cities in ancient
Sicily. Taurominium stood near Mount Taurus, on the river Taurominius; the
coast in its vicinity was anciently called Coproea, because the sea was
supposed to throw up there the wrecks of such vessels as were swallowed up
by Charybdis. The hills near this city were famous for the excellent grapes
they produced. On a gulph in the Ionian Sea, called Catana, stood a city of
the same name; it was one of the richest and most powerful cities in the
island.
But by far the most celebrated city in this island for its advantageous
situation, the magnificence of its buildings, its commerce, and the wealth
of its inhabitants, was Syracuse. According to Thucydides, in his time it
might justly be compared to Athens, even when that city was at the height
of its glory; and Cicero describes it as the greatest and most wealthy of
all the cities possessed by the Greeks. Its walls were eighteen miles in
circumference, and within them were in fact four cities united into one. It
seems also to have possessed three harbours: the great harbour was nearly
five thousand yards in circumference, and the entrance to it five hundred
yards across; it was formed on one side by a point of the island Ortygia,
and on the other by another small island, on each of which were forts. The
second harbour was divided from the greater by an island of inconsiderable
extent; both these were surrounded with warehouses, arsenals, and other
buildings of great magnificence. The river Anapis emptied itself into the
great harbour; at the mouth of this river was the castle of Olympia. The
third harbour stood a little above the division of the city called
Acradina. The island of Ortygia, which formed one of the divisions, was
joined to the others by a bridge.
The other maritime towns of consequence were Agrigentum, Lilibaeum, and
Drepanum; though the first stood at a short distance from the sea, yet
being situated between and near two rivers, it conveniently imported all
sorts of provisions and merchandize. Lilibaeum was famous for its port,
which was deemed a safe retreat for ships, either in case of a storm, or to
escape from an enemy. During the wars between the Romans and Carthaginians,
the former repeatedly attempted to render it inaccessible and useless by
throwing large stones into it, but they were always washed away by the
violence of the sea, and the rapidity of the current. Drepanum, which had
an excellent harbour, was much resorted to by foreign ships, and possessed
a very considerable commerce.
The Greeks were the first who colonized Sicily; and they founded Syracuse
and other towns. About the same period the Phoenicians settled on the coast
for the purposes of commerce; but they seem to have retired soon after the
Greek colonies began to flourish and extend themselves. The Carthaginians,
who generally pushed their commerce into all the countries with which their
parent state had traded, seem to have visited Italy as merchants or
conquerors at a very early period; but when their first visit took place in
either character is not known. The treaty between them and the Romans, (to
which we have had occasion to refer more than once,) which was formed in
the year after the expulsion of the Tarquins, expressly stipulated that the
Romans, who should touch at Sardinia, or that part of Sicily which belonged
to the Carthaginians, should be received there in the same manner as the
Carthaginians themselves. They must, however, soon afterwards have been
driven out of the island; for at the time of the invasion of Greece by
Xerxes, (which happened about thirty years after the expulsion of the
Tarquins,) Gelon, the king of Syracuse, expressly states that they no
longer possessed any territory there, in a speech which he made to the
ambassadors of Athens and Sparta, the Cathaginians having united with
Xerxes, and he having offered to ally himself with the Greeks. The
circumstances and even the very nature of the victory which Gelon gained
over the Carthaginians, which ended in their expulsion from Sicily, cannot
accurately be ascertained: but from a comparison of the principal
authorities on this point, it would, appear that it was a naval victory; or
at least that the Carthaginian fleet was defeated as well as their army.
Their loss by sea was enormous, amounting to nearly the whole of their
ships of war and transports, the former consisting of 2000 and the latter
of 3000.
Such is a short sketch of the island of Sicily, so far as its commercial
facilities and its history are concerned previously to its conquest by the
Romans.
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