Carthaginians, who poffeffed this town, Polyb. i. 58. and Drepanum, being hard preffed by the Romans after the battle of Agates, was obliged to evacuate both, Liv. xxi. 41. xxviii. 41. and fubmit to the terms prefcribed by the victors.

North-east from Eryx flood AGESTA or SEGESTA, faid to have been founded by Aneas, Cic. Verr. iv. 33. and the work conducted by Egefius, who gave his name to the city, Fefius; or by a body of men fent from Italy by Philocletes under Ageftus, a Trojan, Strab. vi. 272. It lay upon a ridge of hills gently floping towards the north, sheltered on the fouthern and eaftern quarters by high rocky eminences, at the foot of which two roaring brooks winded their courfe and embraced the city, called by Aneas Scamander and Simois, Strabo, xiii. 608. to which Virgil is fuppofed to allude, En. v. 634. & 756.; for his Acefla is the fame with Ægefta, Ib. 718. & 750. The emporium, or port of Segefta, was at the mouth of the river, near the spot where Caflelamare now ftands. Segefta had the advantage of hot mineral waters within its district, which are ftill used for medical purpofes. Of the ruins of Segefta, the chief is a Doric temple of thirty-fix columns, all perfectly entire, except one, which has been damaged by a ftroke of lightning. This edifice is a parallelogram of one hundred and fixty-two fect by fixty-fix.

PANORMUS, now Palermo, the prefent capital of Sicily, was fo named from the excellence of its harbour, Diodor. xxii. 14. It is faid to have been founded by the Phoenicians, afterwards poffeffed by the Greeks, I hucydid. vi. 2. for fome time the chief place of the Carthaginians; and taken by the Romans in the first Punic war, Polyb. i. 38. who afterwards retained poffeffion of it, Liv. xxiv. 36. xxix. 1. It always continued faithful to the Roman republic and empire, till it fell under the power of the Saracens, a. 821, who made it their metropolis. The Normans took it from the Infidels, and made it the feat of empire, a. 1071.

About a mile weft of Palermo is mount ERCTA or Eireta, now Pellegrino, which Hamilcar Barcas ftrongly fortified towards the end of the firft Punic war, Polyb. i. 56.; Diodor. xxii. 14. and preferving a free communication with the fea, maintained the poft for five years, against all the efforts of the Romans to take it, Ib. xxiii. fin. till he was obliged, by the neceffities of his country, to give it up, with the reft of the ifland. On this mount now flands the fhrine of Saint Rofalia, the prote&refs of Palermo.――On the east of the city is the

little river Orēthus, now Ammiraglio, on the banks of which Cæcilius Metellus defeated the Carthaginians, Polyb. i. 40.

A few miles east from Panormus ftood HIMERA, on a river of the fame name, Plin. iii. 8. founded by the people of Zancle or Mefsāna, Strab. vi. 272. taken and deftroyed by Hannibal, a general of the Carthaginians, in the first Punic war, Diodor. xiii. 59.; Cic. Verr. iv. 33. Such of the citizens as furvived built Therma on the eaft fide of the river, Cic. Verr. ii. 35

The next town on the east was Cephaledum, -dium, v. -dis, Cic. Verr. ii. 52. now Cephaludi, Sil. xiv. 253.; then the river Monălus and the town HALESA, Cic. ib. 7.; Sil. ib. 219. CALACTA, Cic. Verr. iii. 43, (naan duтn bonum littus,) Sil. xiv. 252.; Diodor. xii. 8.— HALUNTIUM, Cic. Verr. iv. 23.Agathyrna, Liv. xxvi. 40. Tyndăris on the river Helicon.MYLE, near the river Longanus, twenty-five miles from Peloris, Strab. vi. 66. — Then NAULŎCHUS, and between thefe, a temple of Diana Fafcelina, Sil. xiv. 261. on the river Melas or Melan, Ovid. Faft. iv. 486. where the oxen of the fun were fuppofed to be kept, Ib. and on this fhore fomething like their ordure was imagined to be thrown out by the fea, Plin. ii. 98. - On the bay between Mylee and Naulochus, Sextus Pompeius was defeated by Agrippa in a fea-fight, Suet. Aug. 16.; Vell. ii. 79.

A confiderable space of the interior part of Sicily is covered by mount TNA, now Gibello, an infulated mountain, or detached from all others; the largest volcano in`the world. It is about two miles in perpendicular height, and above one hundred miles in circumference at the bafe; fome make it confiderably more, but it has never been measured with geometrical accuracy. It is divided into three circles or Zones, the largest and loweft of which is called Piemontese, and occupies a breadth of eighteen miles of rich cultivation: the fe cond, Regione Sylvefa, or Nemorofa, the woody region, fix miles and the third, Regione deferta, Netta or Scopetra, the barren region, alfo fix miles, always covered with fnow, but the lower part of it only in winter. Thus the whole afcent is about thirty miles. It appears at a distance like a vast regular tapering cone or fugar-loaf terminating in a point. The prefent crater of this immenfe volcano is a circle of about three miles and a half in circumference, as it was in the time of Pliny, iii. 8. It goes fhelving down on each fide, and forms a regular hol

łow,

low, like a vast amphitheatre. Near the center of the crater is the great mouth of the volcano, whence iffue volumes of fmoke, and fometimes fire.

The appearance of the rifing fun from the top of Ætna is esteemed one of the grandeft objects in nature. The extent of the profpect is immenfe. Several smaller mountains of confiderable bulk rife on the fides of Ætna in different parts, and from some one of these the great eruptions have burst forth, and not from the opening at the top.

The firft ancient author who mentions an eruption of mount Etna is Pindar. From the filence of Homer concerning it, it is supposed that either there had never been an eruption before his time, or at least not for many ages. The firft eruption is faid to have happened in the time of Pythagoras. From that time till the battle of Pharfalia were reckoned one hundred eruptions.

Thucydides, after mentioning an eruption in the Peloponnefian war, about the year of Rome 329, fays it happened the fiftieth year after the firft eruption, and that there had been three eruptions from the time that Sicily was inhabited by the Greeks, iii. 116. The ancients imagined that Etna was diminished by its eruptions, Ælian. viii. 11. but of this Seneca fpeaks doubtfully *, Ep. 79.

On the north of Etna was the town TISSA, Sil. xiv. 268. near the river Onabala; the inhabitants, TISSENSES, Cic. Verr. iii. 38. On the fouth, Ineffa, called alfo TNA, Strab. vi. 268.; Diodor. xi. 49. & 76.-Weft of it, Centuripa, -pa, or -pe, on the river Cyamosōrus, Polyb. i. 9.; Thucydid. vi. 94.; Cic. Verr. iv. 29. between them, Adranum or Hadranum, built by Dionyfius, Diodor. xiv. 38.; Sil. xiv. 251. South of it, Hybla Major. - There were two other towns in Sicily called Hybla, befides this; Hybla Parva, called alfo Megara, See p. 259. and Hybla Minor, or Hera v. Heræa, Cic. Att. ii. 1. near Camarina.

Weft from Etna were Galeria, Diodor. xvi. 68. - Herbita, Cic. Verr. iii. 32. Symathum, on the river Symæthus, and above it Agyrium, Cic. Verr. iii. 27. the birth-place of Diodorus Siculus, Diodor. i. 4.- Afsīrus, near the river Chryfas, Cic. Verr. iv. 44. South of it, ENNA, almost in the centre, of the island, fituate on an eminence, furrounded by flowery

Ætna is termed Tyruōrs, -idis, because the giant Ty/bon or Typhæus was fuppofed to be placed under it, Ovid. ep. xv. 11. alfo TRINACRIA ÆTNA, i. e. Sicula, as being the most remarkable thing in the island, Virg. Æn. iii. 554. which is hence called TELLUS ETNEA, Ovid. Met. viii. 260.

meadows,

meadows, whence Proferpine was carried off by Pluto, Cic. Verr. iii. 48.; Diodor. v. 3. Near it were feveral lakes, Ib. the chief of which was called PERGUS, Ovid. Met. v. 385. At Enna Ceres was worshipped with particular devotion, hence fhe was called Ennenfis Ceres, Cic. Verr. iii. 49.

Eaft from this was the town Palica, near the temple of the Palici, certain indigenous divinities, built on the fide of a lake, called lacus Palicorum, the waters of which, in fome places, boiled up as if by the force of fire. This temple was an inviolable asylum, and oaths made in it were held most facred, Diodor. xi. 89. A perfon convicted of having fworn falfely was drowned in the lake, Macrob. Sat. v. 19.; Sil. xiv. 220. Near this lake was Mena, the native place of DUCETIUS, a brave general of the Sicilians, Diodor. xi. 76. xii. 29. whofe chief city was called TRINACRIA, which Diodorus fays was very populous, and held the first rank among the Sicilian towns. But no other author mentions it. After the death of Ducetius it

was deftroyed by the Syracufans, Ib.

There were feveral other interior towns in Sicily, mentioned by the claffics, as, Bidis, near Syracufe, Cic. Verr. ii. 22.; Herbeffus, Liv. xxiv. 30.; Tricšla, or Triocula, now Calatabolletta, on the top of a very lofty mountain, of difficult accefs, where Trypho and Athenio established the head quarters of the republic of flaves, whom they refcued from bondage, a. u. 649, and defended themfelves against the Romans for four years, till they were reduced by Aquilius, Diodor. fragment. xxxvi.; Flor. iii 19.; Liv. epit. 67. 68. & 69.; Freinfhem. Supplem.; Entella, near the river Crimiffus; Iěta, on mount Tetas, Sil. xiv. 272.; Halyca, towards Lilybaum, or Halycia, now Salemi, from the faltnefs of its waters and foil; Petrina or Petrau, Callipolis, Engyon, Ib. 249.; Amaftra, Apollonia, Arabela, Eubea, &c. But feveral of thefe were places of fmall importance, and the fituation of fome of them is not afcertained.

Sicily is now divided into three parts; Val di Noto, fo called from the principal town of that divifion; Val di Mazara, named from one of its cities; and Val Demona, of uncertain etymology.

Hiftory of SICILY.

THE first inhabitants of Sicily were the Cyclops and Lefrigones, a favage race of men. It was afterwards people! from different nations, chiefly by the Greeks. It was governed by

M m

a number of petty princes, called Tyrants; who being expelled, the different states enjoyed intervals of freedom. The reft of Sicily generally followed the fortune of Syracufe, its capital.

The Carthaginians made many attempts to become masters of the island. Having formed an alliance with Xerxes, king of Perfia, they invaded it with a great army under Hamilcar, but were defeated by GELON, tyrant of Syracufe, b. C. 481. The merits of Gelon enabled him to tranfmit the fovereignty to his brother Hero; but Thrafybulus, the fon of Hiero, on account of his tyrannical behaviour, was expelled. After which Syracufe enjoyed liberty for fixty years. During this period it was attacked by the Athenians.

DIONYSIUS having, with wonderful address and much cruelty, made himself master of the government, after surprifing turns of fortune, held it for thirty-eight years. For most part of that time he carried on war against the Carthaginians with various fuccefs. He was fucceeded by his fon Dionyfius, called the Younger, who equalled him in cruelty, but not in abilities. He was first expelled by his relation DION, the scholar of Plato, at whofe defire he had formerly invited that philofopher to his court, but profited little by his inftructions.

Dion being affaffinated by Calippus, an Athenian, the tyrant again obtained the government; but was finally expelled by TIMOLEON of Corinth, one of the most virtuous of the Greeks, who reftored liberty to Syracufe, and to the rest of Sicily, b. C. 347. Dionyfius retiring to Corinth, is faid to have been forced by extreme poverty to open a school for teaching children.

The Syracufans tafted the fweets of liberty but for a fhort time. AGATHOCLES, the fon of a potter, obtained the fovereignty, and exercised it with the most horrid cruelty. Being befieged by the Carthaginians, he boldly carried the war into Africa, where at firft he met with the greatest fuccefs; but fuffering a reverfe of fortune, he bafely abandoned his troops, and returned to Syracufe. He at laft perished by poison, after a reign of twenty-eight years, b. C. 289.

The Syracufans, being hard preffed by the Carthaginians, requested aid from Pyrrhus, at that time in Italy. His rapid fuccefs at firft gave them great hopes; but having, by his infolence and imprudence, alienated the affections of the Syracufans, he fuddenly left them expofed to new calamities, b C. 275.

They never regained tranquillity till HIERO, a defcendant of Gelon, was created King. He having relinquifhed the alliance of the Carthaginians, in the first Punic war joined the Ro