Ortygia
Ortygia (/ɔːrˈtɪdʒiə/ or-TIJ-ee-ə; Italian: Ortigia [orˈtiːdʒa]; Ancient Greek: Ὀρτυγία, romanized: Ortygía) is a small island which is the historical centre of the city of Syracuse, Sicily. The island, also known as the Città Vecchia (Old City), contains many historical landmarks.
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The name originates from the Ancient Greek órtyx (ὄρτυξ), which means "quail".[1]
Overview
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The Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo has it that the goddess Leto stopped at Ortygia to give birth to Artemis,[2] the firstborn of her twins. Artemis then helped Leto across the sea to the island of Delos, where Leto gave birth to Apollo.[3] Other ancient sources state that the twins were born in the same place – which was either Delos or Ortygia[4] – but Ortygia, according to Strabo[5] was an old name of Delos. Further, there were perhaps a half-dozen other places called Ortygia, so that the identification is uncertain.[6]
It was also said that Asteria, the sister of Leto, metamorphosed into a quail (Ortyx), threw herself into the sea, and was metamorphosed into the island of Ortygia. Another myth suggested that it was Delos, rather than Ortygia.[7]
Eos, the goddess of the dawn, fell in love with the mortal hunter Orion and abducted him to Ortygia, where he met Artemis and joined her retinue.[8] He was slain by the goddess either because the gods did not approve of goddesses taking mortal men to lovers,[8] or for challenging her in an archery contest, or trying to force himself upon one of her maids.[9]
Ortygia was the mythological home of Arethusa, a chaste nymph who, while fleeing a river god, was transformed by Artemis into a spring, traversed underground and appeared here as the Fountain of Arethusa, thus providing water for the city.[10] Arethusa and her pursuer, the river god Alpheus, came from Arcadia in Greece.
History
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Ortygia, being an island just off the coast, was easily transformed into a natural fortress with harbors and was big enough that it could hold a significant population in ancient times. Therefore, the history of Ortygia is synonymous with the early history of Syracuse.
Location
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Ortygia is located at the eastern end of Syracuse and is separated from it by a narrow channel. Two bridges connect the island to mainland Sicily. The island is a popular location for tourists, shopping, entertainment and is also a residential area.
Subdistricts
Landmarks
- Cathedral of Syracuse
- Piazza del Duomo, Syracuse
- Piazza Archimede
- Fountain of Arethusa
See also
References
- W. Walter Merry, James Riddell, D. B. Monro, Commentary on the Odyssey (1886), 5.123
- Children of the Gods by Kenneth McLeish, pages 33 and 34.
- Homeric Hymn 3 to Delian Apollo
- theoi.com
- Book 14, 1.20,
- Hammond and Scullard (editors). The Oxford Classical Dictionary (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1970), 760.
- ASTERIA on Theoi.com
- Homer, Odyssey 5.121–124
- Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1.4.4
- Cord, David (2023). The Spring of Arethusa. p. 7-9.
External links
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- Google Satellite Imagery
- Ortigia Island Website
- Ortigia Island Photos Archived 2014-10-15 at the Wayback Machine