The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-08-17

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington, ID. CO
Etna is an efficient If dangerous adj
vertising feature for Sicily. The great
volcano literally put the island on the
map, according to biologists, and 1t
continues by It's eruptions from time
to time to draw the eyes Of the world
to a land that quakes and Spews forth
lava o and then, to be sure, but
which has at all times some of the
most notable garden plots and beauty
spots Of the world.
Not only has nature made a EN-
p~estuous history for Sicily man has
wrought in a similar vein. Fifteen ma
tions have had a foothold there in its
historic span of nearly 5000 years-in
ancient times P~hoenecia, Greece, Car
thage, Rome, Byzantium, and then, sue
cessively, the GOths, Vandals, Sar-
acens, Normans, Germans, Anjouans,
Aragonese, Spanish, Bourbons, French
and English. Nor does that list include
the period since 1860 as q part of the
kingdom of Italy, or the original dwell
ers, the Sikans, Sikels and Elymians.
In the days when Greece was the
great factor in the world, Syracuse in
Sicily was the Grecian metropolis, as
Athens was its art and intellectual
center. A wonder city was Syracuse
with a population Of a million or more
and a commerce unrivaled in it's day.
The city began as a colony Of Corinth
more than 700 years before Christ
but 1t rose to prosperity and prOmi-
nence SO rapidly that by 664 B. c. it
was establishing colonies of it's own.
Ruled now by an oligarchy, now by
tyrantS and at times as q democracy,
the city went IN growing until in size
and power it outshone even Athens.
That city made war but got the worst
Of the struggle, and Syracuse con-
tinued, a world city, until sacked by
the Romans. 1t was during the long
Roman siege that, ArchimedeS, the
Edison of his age, and probably the
most famous son Sicily has had, kept
the enemy at bay with his ingenious
devices. The great city fell in 212 b.
G. and though it has continued to exist
to this day 1t is but a small reminder
Of It's past glories.
The Greeks had had to share the
control Of Sicily with the Carthagini-
ans, but after the fall Of Syracuse the
whole island quickly came under the
sway of Rome, the power Of Carthage
being crushed.
When the Saracens Held Il.
The most exotic influence in Sicilian
history was the occupation of the
island by the Arabs or Saracens who
took there, as they took to Spain, the
| sway Of an alien religion and an alien
stock. Sicily had been largely demon
allied since the breakup Of the RO-
man empire, and Byzantium held only
a light control In 1927 A. d. when the
S%aracens, coming rel from northern
Africa as the C%arthaginians had come
before them, gained their first foot
hold. Those vigorous people, at the
| height OF the remarkable boiling up"
| that they evidenced just after the es-
| Establishment Of Mohammedanism, were
really a valuable constructive force in
decadent Sicily. They were he fore
most opponents Of science and art at
| that period and they made Sicily a
beneficiary Of their knowledge and
| skill. i.
After q century or 80, when the
Arabs In turn had become effete, sturdy
| Norman adventures from France
came and took control Of Sicily, and
ushered In Its most romantic period.
The Norman rulers took the well-or-
| dered government machinery OF the
| Arabs for their own, increased lber-
ties, and ruled most wisely. Under
them art and letters flourished for a
brief period in a way to provision the
Renaissance that was to become gen.
| eral several centuries later.
With the loss of It's Norman rulers
Sicily slipped backward into turbu-
lence md was buffeted about from
| nation to nation and ruler to
ruler until Garibaldi and his red
! shirted revolutionists made II a
part Of the new Italy In 1850.
In gaining Sicily, Italy necessarily
took up the handicap OF a coun-
| try impoverished by hundreds Of years
| of misgovernment and lack Of develop
ment. Government has been bettered
and by degrees railroads have been
! constructed, harbors improved. and
other development carried out; but
wen so the economic lot Of the Sicilian
masses is none too good, a fact which
has been made obvious by the tire
mendous emigration from Sicily Ia
' America.