La géographie de la Sicile dans les Verrines

Cicero’s Verrines offer a great deal of information on the Romans’ geographical knowledge of the island in the first century BC. This paper aims to trace the characteristics of Sicily’s insularity, to identify which Sicilian cities were mentioned, ‘forgotten’ or visited by the author and to recognise the roads and elements of the natural landscape referred to in the works. The contrast between the summary description of many cities and the particular attention reserved for two of them (Syracusae and Henna) is carefully examined. A new reconstruction of the route followed by Cicero on his tour of the island in 70 BC is also offered.