Archimedes, the famous physicist, mathematician, and inventor who lived in the 3rd century BC, was Greek but a Greek born in the most powerful of the Western colonies, Syracuse. Many tourists participating at Hermes Sicily's guided tours, ask us information about the life of this universally recognized genius, who became famous thanks to stories and legends about him. Who doesn't know his exclamation "Eureka" when he discovered that what is now called "Archimede's principle"? And who hasn't heard the story of the burning mirrors that Archimedes invented to burn out the Roman ships which where attacking the town of Syracuse? After hearing the tales from our guides about Archimedes' studies and achievements, many of the participants in our guided tours also ask us where the tomb of the famous Syracusan inventor is located. The answer to this question is not simple. Various tourist guide books and signs in the city indicate the "Tomb of Archimedes." The indicated location is inside the Neapolis Park, the most important and visited archaeological area in the city. Here, on the edge of the park, in an area that is not always open to visitors (only seasonally), there is a monumental tomb carved into the rock and decorated with a triangular roof and the remains of two columns. Altough this part of the Neapolis Park is not always accessible, this archaeological monument can also be seen from the outside fence, on the side of Viale Teracati. This tomb surely captures the imagination of those visiting Syracuse in the footsteps of Archimedes but actually that it is a "false tomb of Archimedes" related to the famous inventor only by the local tradition. The legenday name of this tomb is probably due to its geometric decorations which meet the stories of the ancient historians recounted, stating that a triangle and a sphere were built on Archimedes' tomb to honor his studies of geometry. Actually archaeological digs carried out in the 20th century have dated this tomb to a later period, identifying it instead as a Roman columbarium.
Cicero in Search of Archimedes' Tomb
Archimedes died during the Roman siege of Syracuse in 212 BC, and the task of finding his tomb, eighteen centuries later, seems truly daunting, especially when you consider that the orator Cicero, in Roman age, while visiting Syracuse, asked to visit the 
tomb of the illustrious mathematician, only to discover that its location was unknown to most people. It is Cicero himself who, in the Tusculanae Disputationes (V, 23, 64-66), recounts that with great effort, he managed to locate it, covered with vegetation, and at his own expense, had it cleaned to give it dignity.
"When I was quaestor, I discovered the tomb of Archimedes, unknown to the Syracusans, enclosed on all sides by a hedge and covered with brambles and thorns, although they completely denied its existence. I had, in fact, some small denarii that I had heard were inscribed in his tomb, which declared that a sphere with a cylinder was placed on top of the tomb. Then, observing with my own eyes all the things - for there is, indeed, a great abundance of tombs at the Agrigentine gates - I turned my attention to a little column not protruding much from the bushes, on which there was the figure of a sphere and a cylinder on top."
A few decades ago, archaeological excavations identified a tomb of an important figure in the northern area of the town, within the area of the modern Hotel Panorama. Among the items found were valuable rings, now exhibited at the Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum in Syracuse. This has led some scholars to put forward the intriguing hypothesis that it could be the tomb of the Syracusan mathematician. However, most historians disagree with this identification proposal and, given the location and characteristics, lean more toward the hypothesis that it is the tomb of a member of the Syracusan royal family.
Unless new sensational archaeological discoveries, it is not currently possible to visit the real tomb of Archimedes in Syracuse. However, the traditional place called "tomb of Archimedes" still evokes a sense of wonder, and while strolling through the city, there are many monuments and places that remember the famous mathematician. Not far from the Neapolis Archaeological Park, there is the "Tecnoparco Archimede," where visitors can admire reconstructions of some of the inventions of the Syracusan genius that will also delight younger visitors.
In all our tours of Syracuse, our guides will mention the studies and achievements of Archimedes. Especially in private guided tours, it is possible to personalize the itinerary by requesting more information about the Syracusan genius.
Photo credits: S.Leggio - D.Barucco
