Acts 28:12 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Syracuse,— Was the metropolis of Sicily, situated on the east side of the island, and had a beautiful prospect from every entrance both by sea and land. The port, which had the sea on both sides of it, was almost wholly surrounded with elegant buildings; all the suburbs being on both sides banked up and supported with walls of marble. While in its splendor, this city was the largest and richest belonging to the Greeks; it was twenty-two miles in circuit, and perhaps equalled Carthage in its wealth. It was called Quadruplex, because it was divided into four parts; the first of which contained the famous temple of Jupiter; the second, the temple of Fortune; the third, a large amphitheatre, and a surprising statue of Apollo; and the fourth which was the island of Ortygia, the two temples of Diana and Minerva, and the celebrated fountain of Arethusa. It was not far from mount AEtna. About 210 years before the birth of Christ, this city was taken and sacked by Marcellus the Roman general, and in storming the place the famous Archimedes was slain by a common soldier, while he was intent upon his studies. It was afterwards rebuilt by Augustus, and had at this time so recovered itself as to answer its former splendour. It had at length three castles, three walls, and a marble gate, and was able to send out 12,000 heroes, and 400 ships; but it received such a blow from the Saracens in the year 884, when they rased it, that it has never since recovered its former splendour.