The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-01-01
SICILY.

Sicily presents to historians and
psychologists field the more interest
ing that it has been so little titled,
and new world to travellers who de-
light in the romantic and the pictur-
esque. The discovery in all parts of
rhe island of great number of Greek
temples, theaters and other edifces
has been of deep interest to antiquar-
ians, while the mere sight of these
ruins challenges the admiration of all
behoIders. There are more ruins of
Greek temples in the island of Sicily
flan are to be found in Peloponnesus
or in all Greece besides
Not only in examples of Greek archi-
lecture, but also in the more or less
perfect architectural relics of other ma
tions that at one time or another have
held dominion in the island, is Sicily
surprisingly rich. Nowhere else in all
Europe are there to be seen so many
well preserved specimens of the work
of the master builders of ancient and
medieval times. 1t has been said
that "Sicily is the Archaeological Muse
nm of Europe" for in Sicily are to be
seen the caves of cliff. jewellers, frag-
ments of Cyclopean structures reared
by prehistoric builders, foundations of
walls laid by Phoenicians and Cartha-
ginians; temples, theaters and fortresses
of Greek construction; bridges, aque-
ducts and amphitheaters erected by
Roman engineers; remains of edifices
built by Byzantine architects; mosques
and towers of Saracenic origin; while
of Norman churches, castles, palaces,
their number is not altogether ascer-
tanned.
The nations that have dwelt around
the Mediterranean waged almost inces-
SAINT war for the possession of the is
land, and these wars were of paramount
Importance to mankind. For more than
fifteen hundred years it was the bat
tlefeld upon which men of European
blood for the dominion of the world.
In Sicily, no less than in old Greece,
vas waged the war of civilization
against barbarism, of philosophy
against mysticism, of science against
astrology, and it is no exaggeration to
say that upon the result of battles
IN I'd hn
her coast, oftentimes have hung the
fate and future history of Europe.
Sicily has not only been the battle
ground of race against race and nation
against nation, but of creed against
creed. In all these wars Europeans bat
lied with Asiatics, or Africans of Asia.
ran campaigns carried on in and for
the possession of Sicily, determined the
course of history far beyond the limits
Sf the island battle-ground. AS, for in
stance, on the day commonly said to
be the Day of Salamis when the men
of old Greece saved their country from
invading Persians, the Greeks of Sicily
won the battle of Himera, and so not
snly delivered their native land from
the yoke of the Carthaginians, but turn.
ed back tide of conquest that threat
rned to 0rientalize Europe. In Sicily
were fought many of the battles of the
Punic Wars. In Sicily the Moslems
temporarily established the domin
Son of the Khalifs of Africa. II
Sicily the Normans won for themselve
a kingdom and established a govern
nent which, for time, was the mos
liberal, most powerful the richest, an
most magnificent of the governments o
Europe.
The glory of the Normans soon d,
parted and Sicily became the footba
Of popes, emperors and kings. Sual
ans, Angevins, Aragonese, Catalan
Csstilians, Savoyards, Spaniards, Au
TRANS, ruled despotically, unwisel
unjustly. At last-blackest of all Il
curses that have fallen upon ill-fate
sicily-the Bourbons set up their desp
tism. Not until 1860 did Garibal
break the yoke of their bondage, al
then, for the first time in many ee
turtles, the sicilians were free to wo
out their political and social salyatio
Constantly in danger of foreign 1
yasion Sicily was EARNED to the "