Ortygia

For the town of ancient Ionia, seeOrtygia (Ionia).

Ortygia (/ɔːrˈtɪdʒiə/or-TIJ-ee-ə;Italian:Ortigia[orˈtiːdʒa];Ancient Greek:Ὀρτυγία,romanized: Ortygía) is a smallisland which is the historical centre of the city ofSyracuse,Sicily. The island, also known as theCittà Vecchia (Old City), contains many historical landmarks.

The name originates from the Ancient Greekórtyx (ὄρτυξ), which means "quail".^[1]

Overview

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Arethusa on a coin ofSyracuse, Sicily, 415-400 BC

TheHomeric Hymn toDelian Apollo has it that the goddessLeto stopped at Ortygia to give birth toArtemis,^[2] the firstborn of her twins. Artemis then helped Leto across the sea to the island ofDelos, where Leto gave birth toApollo.^[3] Other ancient sources state that the twins were born in the same place – which was eitherDelos 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 thatAsteria, 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, thegoddess of the dawn, fell in love with the mortal hunterOrion 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 ofArethusa, a chastenymph who, while fleeing a river god, was transformed byArtemis into a spring, traversed underground and appeared here as theFountain of Arethusa, thus providing water for the city.^[10] Arethusa and her pursuer, the river godAlpheus, came fromArcadia in Greece.

History

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Main article:Syracuse, Sicily

A Harbor at Ortygia

Lungomare di Ortigia

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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Via Saverio Landolina

The Market at Ortygia

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.