Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-09
SCENES IN SICILY.
Ancient Battlefields- Towers and Old
 Ruined Castles.


 Ruined Castles.
 It is an important part of the edu- cation of an intelligent man to visit Italy, Greece and the Holy Land. A German writer says: "It is impossible to understand Greek and Roman his tory without a knowledge of Sicilian history Goethe wrote Sicily is the key to all," and Goethe studied it's his tory on the spot.
 Sicily, that Pearl of the Mediterra- nean," until recently was known to the average English speaking traveller as the land of earthquakes, volcanoes and brigands. It was thought to be safe to visit Palermo and Messina, but to penetrate into the interior was be- lieved to be foolhardy and dangerous To-day it is as safe as to visit Mag ara. It is surprising that until recent years so little has been published ln English regarding Sicilian epoch mak- ing events from prehistoric down to Garibaldi's time, whose name is re vered in Italy as warmly us Lincolns is with us. An old Sicilian, who fought with Garibaldi for the over throw of (th miserable Bourbon dynas- ty, 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 Garfbaldi, and his monument is conspicuous in all the cities. A colossal equestrian monument of Garibaldi looks down fran the Janiculum upon the dome of St Peters, at Rome, and domi- mates that part of the city.
 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 Mediterranean. All the powerful nations of antiquity contiguous to this sea have contended for the posy session of it's territory. It has been the battle-ground of the Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Normans. French, Spaniards and Bourbons, and is now, thanks to Garibaldi, a part of united Italy. All these races, chiefly the Greek, Roman and Norman, have left their impress upon the manners. customs and habits of the Sicilians. The people seem more like Spaniards than Italian, and traces of oriental life may be seen. Geographically, this small island has no superior 'n Europe for exquisitely beautiful and grand scenery All the hill2set cities and villages are surrounded by olive trees, which climb the rock heights and seem to have eternal life. The valleys have numberless orange and lemon groves, and towering shrubs and blossoms at this season are every- where in view
 Whenver one discovers the site of q Greek temple or a Roman theater 1t is< sure to be on the most commanding hill in it's vicinity, and always look ing out upon sea and mountains. Sicily has more Greek temples, either in good preservation or in command ing ruin, than in all Greece. Her temples, theaters and. other monuments are not in marble, like those of Ath- ems, which have resisted the storms of centuries, but are in native soft stone, which was preserved by an outward covering of stucco. The old Greek theater of Syracuse, built probably five centuries before Christ, and acco- modating 10000 spectators in the open air, is sutaciently preserved to show what it was in the days of the power of the old historic city.
 The view from this imposing monu- ment as we sat upon it's seats, hewn out of the solid rock, at sunset, and looked out upon the sea and mountain, can never be, forgotten. In the harbor of Syracuse one of the decisive bat ties of the world occurred, 415 B. C., which changed the course of empires. The Athenian fleet, which invaded Sic : Jae s,3 JACS of 5000 to 10000 killed and tal1en~pris- oners, The fate of the captives, which included the flower of Athenian manhood, was worse than death, as death came to them by starvation and disease in its most hideous form This battle caused the fall of Atbenian pow CT, to which Sparta succeeded, and finally the inevitable marcn of Roman conquest. You may visit the ruins of the old fort, which overlooks the entire scene of the battle in the har- bor, and readily trace the details of the struggle, as described by Theocri tus, who was supposed to have been an eyewitness. The theater at Taor- nina, originally Greek, and trans formed by the Romans after their oc- cupation, is majestic. One may stand among the old ruins, and through its broken arches have a full view of Et- mas smoking crater towering up near | ly .11,O0O feet and seemingly near enough to be reached by the shot of q modern gun. The theater is TOO feet above the sea. Mountains of various heights are all around the old town, excepting in the opening seaward. Towers and old ruined / castles, con vents and monasteries give variety to the enchanting views.-New York Tribune.