Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-09
SCENERY OF SICILY.
Beauties of the Pearl of the Mediter-
ranean-Ancient Battlefelds.

From the New York Tribune
1t is important part of the education
of an intelligent man to visit Italy Greece
and the Holy Land A German writer says.
1t IS impossible to understand Greek and
Roman history without a knowledge of
Sicilian history" Goethe wrote. Sicily is
the key to all and Goethe studied its his
tory on the spot.
Sicily. that Pearl of the Mediterranean"
until recently was known to the average
English-speaking traveller as the land of
earthquakes. volcanoes and brigands 1t
was thought to be safe to visit Palermo and
Messina, but to penetrate into the interior
was believed to be foolhardy and danger
Gus. Today it is as safe as to visit Maya
ra 1t Is surprising that until recent years
so little has been published in English re-
Sarding Sicilian epoch-making events from
prehistoric down to GaribaldfS time. whose
name is revered in Italy as warmly as
Lincoln's is with us. An old Scilian. who
fought with Garbaldi for the overthrow of
the miserable Bourbon dynasty said with
great emphasis that Lincoln and Garibaldi
were the two greatest benefactors of the
people that ever lived. A street in Palermo
has been named after Lincoln, and all the
towns in Italy have Via Garibaldi and
his monument is conspicuous in all the
cities. A colossal equestrian monument of
Garibaldf looks down from the Janiculum
upon the dome of St Peters, at Rome. and
The history of Sicily. founded by the
Phoenicians, is contemporary with the
earliest records and legends of Greece and
Rome 1t has been the key to the Mediter-
raneaE All the powerful nations of an
uquity contiguous to this sea have con-
tended for the possession of its territory
1t has been the battle-ground of the Cartha-
ginians. Greeks. Romans Saracens Nor p
mans, French. SpaniarGs and Bourbons
and is now, thanks to Garibaldi a part OF
united Italy. All these races chiefly the
Greek, Roman and Norman, have left cir
impress upon the manners, customs nd
habits of the Sicilians The people seem
more like Spanish than Italian. and traces
of oriental life may be seen. GeographicaI-
~, this small island has no superior in Eu-
rope for exquisitely beautiful and grand
scenery. All the hiIl-set cities and villages
are surrounded by olive trees which climb
the rocky heights and seem to have eternal
NE. Inc valleys have numberless orange
ana lemon groves. and Towering shrubs and
blossoms at this season are everywhere in
view.
Whenever discovers the site of a
Greek temple or Roman theater il is sllrs
to be on the most commanding hill In its
vicinity, and always looking out upon sea
and mountain Sicily has more Greek tenn
pies, either IN good preservation or in COM
handing ruin than in all Greece Her tenn
pies, theaterS and other monuments are nor
in marble. like those of Athens which have
resisted the storms of centuries but arr.
In natve SOFT stone, which was preserved
i
Greek theater of Syracuse, built probably
five centuries before Christ and acconmo-
dating 10000 spectators in the open air is
sufficiently preserved to show what it was
In the days of the power of the old historic
city.
The view from this imposing monument
as We sat upon its seats, hewn out of the
solid rock, at sunset and looked out upon
the sea ana mountain can never be forgot
ten. In the harbor of Syracuse one of the
decisive battles of the world occurred Az
t. e., which changed the course of empires
The Athenian fleet, which invaded Sicily
was totally destroyed. with a loss of 9Ofsl
10 Iooo Killed and taken prisoners The
rate OF the captves-. which included the
mower OF Athenian manhood. was worse
than death, as death came to them by star
walton and disease in its most hideous form.
This battle caused the fall of Atheniau
power. to which Sparta succeeded. and
finally the inevitable march of Roman con- -
quest You may visit the ruins of the old
tort, which overlooks the entire scene of the
battle IN the harbor, and readily trace the
details or the struggle, as described by
Ineocrltus. who was supposed to have been
an eyewitness. The theater at Taormina
originally Greek and transformed by the
Romans after their occupation is majestic
One may stand among the old ruins and
through its broken. arches have a full view
or Etna smoking crater towering I'D near
~ 11,OOO feet and seemingly near enough to
be reached by the shot of a modern gun
The theater Is 200 feet above the sea
mountains of various heights are all around
the old town, excepting in the opening sea-
ward. Towers and old ruined castles con-
vents and monasteries give variety to the
enchanting view