Sicily, which immediately after the conclusion of the Punic war, was made a Roman province, and Sardinia, were the first territories which the Romans possessed out of Italy.  In conformity with our plan, we shall enquire into the advantages they brought to the commerce of the Romans, before we proceed to the naval occurrences of the second Punic war.

Sicily was anciently called Sicania, Trinacria, and Triquetra; its three promontories are particularly celebrated in the classic authors; viz.  Lilibaeum on the side of Africa; Pachynum on the side of Greece, and Pelorum towards Italy.  Its vicinity to the continent of Italy, and the resemblance of their opposite shores, gave rise to an opinion among the ancients that it was originally joined to Italy.  Pliny particularly mentions their separation, as a circumstance beyond all doubt.  The dangers which were supposed to beset mariners in their passage through the narrow strait which divides it from Italy, on one side of which was Sylla, and on the other Charybdis, sufficiently point out the ignorance and inexperience of the ancients in the construction and management of their ships.

The principal town on the eastern coast of Sicily, opposite Greece, was Messana, now called Messina:  it was the first which the Romans possessed in the island:  it was one of the most wealthy and powerful cities in ancient Sicily.  Taurominium stood near Mount Taurus, on the river Taurominius; the coast in its vicinity was anciently called Coproea, because the sea was supposed to throw up there the wrecks of such vessels as were swallowed up by Charybdis.  The hills near this city were famous for the excellent grapes they produced.  On a gulph in the Ionian Sea, called Catana, stood a city of the same name; it was one of the richest and most powerful cities in the island.

But by far the most celebrated city in this island for its advantageous situation, the magnificence of its buildings, its commerce, and the wealth of its inhabitants, was Syracuse.  According to Thucydides, in his time it might justly be compared to Athens, even when that city was at the height of its glory; and Cicero describes it as the greatest and most wealthy of all the cities possessed by the Greeks.  Its walls were eighteen miles in circumference, and within them were in fact four cities united into one.  It seems also to have possessed three harbours:  the great harbour was nearly five thousand yards in circumference, and the entrance to it five hundred yards across; it was formed on one side by a point of the island Ortygia, and on the other by another small island, on each of which were forts.  The second harbour was divided from the greater by an island of inconsiderable extent; both these were surrounded with warehouses, arsenals, and other buildings of great magnificence.  The river Anapis emptied itself into the great harbour; at the mouth of this river was the castle of Olympia.  The third harbour stood a little above the division of the city called Acradina.  The island of Ortygia, which formed one of the divisions, was joined to the others by a bridge.