Ortygia
Encyclopedia
Ortygia is a little island and it is the historical centre of the city of Syracuse, Sicily. The island, also known as Città Vecchia (Old City), contains many historical landmarks. The name originates from the Ancient Greek
ortyx (ὄρτυξ) which means "Quail".
The Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo has it that the goddess Leto
stopped at Ortygia to give birth to Artemis
, the firstborn of her twins. Artemis then helped Leto across the sea to the island of Delos
, where Leto gave birth to Apollo
. Other ancient sources state that the twins were born in the same place—which was either Delos
or Ortygia— but Ortygia was an old name of Delos. Further, there were perhaps a half-dozen other places called Ortygia, so that the identification is uncertain.
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
ortyx (ὄρτυξ) which means "Quail".
The Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo has it that the goddess Leto
Leto
In Greek mythology, Leto is a daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe. The island of Kos is claimed as her birthplace. In the Olympian scheme, Zeus is the father of her twins, Apollo and Artemis, the Letoides, which Leto conceived after her hidden beauty accidentally caught the eyes of Zeus...
stopped at Ortygia to give birth to Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
, the firstborn of her twins. Artemis then helped Leto across the sea to the island of Delos
Delos
The island of Delos , isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece...
, where Leto gave birth to Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
. Other ancient sources state that the twins were born in the same place—which was either Delos
Delos
The island of Delos , isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece...
or Ortygia— but Ortygia was an old name of Delos. Further, there were perhaps a half-dozen other places called Ortygia, so that the identification is uncertain.
Location
Ortygia is located at the eastern end of Syracuse and is separated from it by a narrow channel. Three bridges connect the island to mainland Sicily. The island is an extremely popular place for tourism, shopping, entertainment and also a residential area.Subdistricts
- Graziella
- Bottari
- Mastrarua
- Spirduta
- Maestranza
- Duomo
- Giudecca
- Turba
- Castello Maniace