Our next stop on our trip to Sicily was Syracuse, the most important Greek colony on the island. Founded in 733, the colony went through various phases of democracy and tyranny over the course of its history. Finally, at the end of the 3rd century BC, the city fell to the Romans. Marcellus, the Roman general, reportedly wept as watched the fallen city burn.
Due to its important location along the coast of Sicily, holding Syracuse was key to holding Sicily, just as Sicily was the key to holding the Mediterranean. A common joke among us students is that, unless you hold Sicily, you're not a real empire. I guess Athens was aware of this fact, and, in 415, during a brief respite from the Peloponnesian war, they sent an expedition over to Sicily.
The campaign ended in disaster. Above you can see the Great Harbor of Syracuse. Just off to the left, some 50,000 Athenians were killed or captured and sold into slavery.
We had a "Franco Surprise," a welcome break from a morning of lectures. Franco, the large Italian man in the black hat, led us through a Sicilian market. I bought some cherry tomatoes from one vendor.
We then went to see a number of sites in another part of the city. This theater could seat 15,000 spectators and would have been the site of Greek dramatic performances and, possibly later on in the Roman period, gladiatorial spectacles.
This geological feature, possibly the result of quarrying activity, is where thousands of captured Athenians perished from disease or starvation. It also had some interesting acoustics.
We ended our day with a trip to the Euryalus fort, part of the defensive works guarding the approach to the city. We got to climb all over the walls, which was fun. The fort never was taken by force, though, because some Syracusans betrayed the city to the Romans, and the city fell without much of a fight.
The campaign ended in disaster. Above you can see the Great Harbor of Syracuse. Just off to the left, some 50,000 Athenians were killed or captured and sold into slavery. 
We had a "Franco Surprise," a welcome break from a morning of lectures. Franco, the large Italian man in the black hat, led us through a Sicilian market. I bought some cherry tomatoes from one vendor. 
We then went to see a number of sites in another part of the city. This theater could seat 15,000 spectators and would have been the site of Greek dramatic performances and, possibly later on in the Roman period, gladiatorial spectacles. 
This geological feature, possibly the result of quarrying activity, is where thousands of captured Athenians perished from disease or starvation. It also had some interesting acoustics. 
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