Editing Syracuse, Sicily (section)

=== Archaic period ===
{{See also|Magna Graecia|List of tyrants of Syracuse}}
[[File:SNGANS 259.jpg|thumb|A Syracusan [[tetradrachm]] (c. 415–405&nbsp;BC), sporting [[Arethusa (mythology)|Arethusa]] and a [[quadriga]].]]
[[File:Decadrachme de Sicile sous Denys l'Ancien.jpg|thumb|Decadrachm struck at Syracuse, by the die-master Euainetos]]
[[File:Athena portrait by Eukleidas on Syracuse tetradrachm c. 400 BC.jpg|thumb|Syracusian tetradrachm with the portrait of Athena by Eukleidas, c. 400 BC]]
[[File:Sicily Syracuse Arethusa Tetradrachm.jpg|alt=syracuse tetradrachm, arethusa|thumb|Tetradrachm, circa 485–479 BC, with Arethusa on the obverse, and a quadriga driven by a male charioteer on the reverse.]]

Syracuse and its surrounding area have been inhabited since ancient times, as shown by the findings in the villages of Stentinello, Ognina, Plemmirio, Matrensa, Cozzo Pantano and ''Thapsos'', which already had a relationship with [[Mycenaean Greece]].

Syracuse was founded in 734 or 733&nbsp;BC in Sicily by Greek settlers from [[Ancient Corinth|Corinth]] and [[Tenea]], led by the ''[[oecist]]'' (colonizer) [[Archias of Corinth|Archias]]. There are many attested variants of the name of the city including {{lang|grc|Συράκουσαι}} ''Syrakousai'', {{lang|grc|Συράκοσαι}} ''Syrakosai'' and {{lang|grc|Συρακώ}} ''Syrakō''.<ref name=SyrakousaiLSJ /> One observation cited for the origin of the name is that the [[Phoenicians]] called it Sour-ha-Koussim, which means "Stone of the seagulls" from which would come the name of Syracuse.<ref>[[Victor Bérard]], ''Les phéniciens et l'Odyssée'', Paris: Armand Colin, tome 2, [https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5774174h/f529.item p.515]</ref> However, this etymology does not account for the name variant {{lang|grc|Συρακώ}} ''Syrakō''. Another possible origin of the city's name was given by [[Vibius Sequester]] citing<ref name=VibiusS>{{cite book|title=De Fluminibus Fontibus Lacubus Nemoribus Paludibus Montibus Gentibus quorum apud poeta mentio fit|author=Vibius Sequester|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/vibiussequester00sequgoog#page/n313/mode/2up|page=287|chapter=Tyraca|year=1778 |publisher=apud Amandum König}}</ref> first [[Stephanus Byzantius]]<ref name=SyrakousaiLSJ /><ref name=SBEthnika>''Ethnika'' 592.18–21,593.1–8, i.e. [[Stephanus of Byzantium|Stephanus Byzantinus]]' ''Ethnika'' (kat'epitomen), lemma {{lang|grc|Συράκουσαι}} {{cite book|title=Stephani Byzantii Ethnicorvm quae svpersvnt|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MMZiAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA592|editor-last=Meineke|editor-first=Augustus|editor-link=Augustus Meineke|pages=592–593|publisher=Impensis G. Reimeri|volume=Prior|year=1849}}</ref> in that there was a Syracusian marsh ({{lang|grc|λίμνη}}) called ''Syrako'' and secondly [[Marcian of Heraclea|Marcian]]'s ''Periegesis'' wherein Archias gave the city the name of a nearby marsh; hence one gets ''Syrako'' (and thereby ''Syrakousai'' and other variants) for the name of Syracuse, a name also attested by [[Epicharmus]].<ref name=SyrakousaiLSJ /><ref name=EpicharmusFr>{{cite book|title=Epicharmi Fragmenta|year=1834 |url=https://archive.org/details/fragmenta00epic|page=[https://archive.org/details/fragmenta00epic/page/111 111]|publisher=apud Vincentium Loosjes}}</ref> The settlement of Syracuse was a [[Planned city|planned event]], as a strong central leader, Arkhias the aristocrat, laid out how property would be divided up for the settlers, as well as plans for how the streets of the settlement should be arranged, and how wide they should be.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Greek Art and Archaeology|last=Neer|first=Richard|publisher=Thames and Hudson|year=2012|isbn=978-0-500-28877-1|location=New York City|page=96}}</ref> The nucleus of the ancient city was the small island of [[Ortygia]]. The settlers found the land fertile and the [[Sicels|native tribes]] to be reasonably well-disposed to their presence. The city grew and prospered, and for some time stood as the most powerful Greek city anywhere in the [[Mediterranean]]. Colonies were founded at [[Akrai]] (664&nbsp;BC), [[Kasmenai]] (643&nbsp;BC), [[Akrillai]] (7th century&nbsp;BC), [[Helorus]] (7th century&nbsp;BC) and [[Kamarina, Sicily|Kamarina]] (598&nbsp;BC).