Castello Eurialo -- This boat-shaped structure is one of the most formidable Greek fortresses to have survived from ancient times, set 9km (5 1/2 miles) northwest of Syracuse along Via Epipoli, in the Belvedere district. The castle was adapted and fortified by Archimedes, the famous mathematician who was born in Syracuse in 287 B.C.
The castle was believed impregnable, but such was not the case. The Romans conquered it without a struggle. The approach road crosses the Wall of Dionysius, which once stretched for 27km (17 miles) across the Epipolae high plateau, enclosing the northern tier of Syracuse. Two parallel walls were built of limestone blocks, the center filled with rubble. The walls, launched by Dionysius the Elder in 401 B.C. after the Athenian siege, were finished in 385 B.C.
As you survey the ruins, know that they are the most complete of any Greek military work extant. Three ditches precede the west front of the fortress. The main castle consisted of a keep, barracks, and cisterns. A warren of underground passages was cut through the fortress. From the castle precincts, you can enjoy a panoramic view back to Syracuse.
Take bus no. 11, 25, or 26 from the Archaeological Park to reach the site, which is open daily from 9am to sunset. Admission is 2€ ($2.40). For information, call tel. 0931-711773.
Megara Hyblaea -- If you don't suffocate passing through the industrial horror, Zona industriale,with its polluting oil refineries, you'll reach ancient Megara Hyblaea, near the major port of Prilo along the coast of southeastern Sicily. The Greeks built the city to open onto the Gulf of Augusta, whose shoreline now contains the largest concentration of chemical plants in Europe. Pollution has killed nearly all marine life in the bay, and the air in this area is contaminated.
Should you be a serious-enough archaeologist, and if you have persisted this far, you'll come upon the ruin of what was Megara Hyblaea, 16km (10 miles) to the north of Syracuse and reached along SS114. Yellow signposts direct you to the excavations, which are open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 2pm and Sunday from 9am to 1pm. Admission is free.
The Megarians arriving in ships from Greece founded Megara Hyblaea in the 8th century B.C., making it one of the oldest of all Greek settlements in Sicily. It was leveled by the tyrant Gelon in 483 B.C. By 340 B.C., Timoleon had founded a second city, but it, too, fell to conquerors, this time the Romans in 214 B.C. Serious excavations of the site began in 1949 and continue to this day.
Outside the old town walls are the remains of a necropolis. After a look, you can walk into the heart of the ruins, exploring foundations of buildings from both the Archaic period (indicated by red iron posts) and the Hellenistic era (green posts). Of particular interest is a Hellenistic house from the 4th century B.C. (the entry is marked by iron steps). Nearly two dozen chambers were arranged around two patios.
To the left of the old agora, or marketplace, are the ruins of Hellenistic baths, with a boiler still discernible in the rubble. Nearby is a small Doric temple in bad shape, which dates from the 4th century B.C. You can also view the Hellenistic west gate with its two square towers.
Although Megara Hyblaea is the finest and most complete model of an Archaic city still extant, all the valuable artifacts dug up here have been transferred to the museums of Syracuse.
