Gaius Verres was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His extortion of local farmers and plundering of temples led to his prosecution by Cicero, whose accusations were so devastating that his defence advocate could only recommend that Verres should leave the country. Cicero's prosecution speeches were later published as the Verrines.
Hellenistic bronze of Sleeping Eros, the type of work that Verres extorted from Sicilian collectors
Commemorative plaque in Enna denouncing Verre's misdeeds
Sicily is the largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 20 regions of Italy. It is one of the five Italian autonomous regions and is officially referred to as Regione Siciliana. The island has 4.8 million inhabitants. Its capital city is Palermo. It is named after the Sicels, who inhabited the eastern part of the island during the Iron Age. Sicily has a rich and unique culture in arts, music, literature, cuisine, and architecture.
The Monti Sicani in western Sicily
Mount Etna rising over suburbs of Catania
View of the Ciane river
Inner Sicily