Yesterday we went to Erice, which is a walled city on a mountain above Trapani. It was founded by Elymians, who supposedly descended from the Trojans. Genetic studies indicate this group was in Sicily as early as 4,000 BC and in Erice as early as 1000 BC.
We walked around the city, including this tower and what is now a church. Had lunch which cost $50. This was the fixed price lunch with a shrimp salad, traditional sardine/raisin pasta dish and a grilled fish main course. This was followed by a wonderful ice cream with chocolate sauce and choice of wine/water. We had the water. I would love to try various wines but we rented the car in my name and I am doing all the driving. This road had very many hair pin turns!
The city was known to the ancient world as Eryx. It is said there was a huge temple big enough to be a landmark to sailors. According to legend, it was here that Daedalus landed, unlike his son, Icarus who flew too near the sun, after fleeing from Minos.
While the fortress was considered impregnable, over the centuries it was defeated by Carthaginian, Roman, Arab and Norman armies.
Wikipedia:
The most familiar literary telling explaining Daedalus' wings is a late one, that of Ovid: in his Metamorphoses (VIII:183-235) Daedalus was shut up in a tower to prevent his knowledge of his Labyrinth from spreading to the public. He could not leave Crete by sea, as the king kept strict watch on all vessels, permitting none to sail without being carefully searched. Since Minos controlled the land and sea routes, Daedalus set to work to fabricate wings for himself and his young son Icarus. He tied feathers together, from smallest to largest so as to form an increasing surface. He secured the feathers at their midpoints with string and at their bases with wax, and gave the whole a gentle curvature like the wings of a bird. When the work was done, the artist, waving his wings, found himself buoyed upward and hung suspended, poising himself on the beaten air. He next equipped his son in the same manner, and taught him how to fly. When both were prepared for flight, Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too high, because the heat of the sun would melt the wax, nor too low, because the sea foam would soak the feathers.
There's so much history where you have been exploring. How very exciting. And some mythology tied in also. Erice looks very enticing.
ReplyDeleteI went on line to do a history of Sicily so I could create a timeline. That helps me when I read about works of art and construction of buildings, etc. Who was where and when and then what happened to them. Puts it in perspective.
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