octrine
defended by Melanchthon when he ascribes to the will the "power of
seeking grace," the term "synergy" meaning co-operation.

SYNESIUS, BISHOP PTOLEMAIS, born at Cyrene; became a pupil of
HYPATIA (q. v.) and was to the last a disciple, "a father of the
Church without having been her son," and is styled by Kingsley "the
squire bishop," from his love of the chase; "books and the chase," on one
occasion he writes, "make up my life"; wrote one or two curious books,
and several hymns expressive of a longing after divine things (375-414).

SYNOD, name given to any assembly of bishops in council, and in the
Presbyterian Church to an assembly of a district or a general assembly.

SYNOPTIC GOSPELS, the first three Gospels, so called because they
are summaries of the chief events in the story, and all go over the same
ground, while the author of the fourth follows lines of his own.

SYRA (31), an island of the Cyclades group, in the AEgean Sea, 10 m,
by 5 m., with a capital called also Hermoupolis; on the E. coast is the
seat of the government of the islands, and the chief port.

SYRACUSE, 1, one of the great cities of antiquity (19), occupied a
wide triangular tableland on the SE. coast of Sicily, 80 m. SW. of
Messina, and also the small island Ortygia, lying close to the shore;
founded by Corinthian settlers about 733 B.C.; amongst its rulers were
the tyrants DIONYSIUS THE ELDER and DIONYSIUS THE YOUNGER
(q. v.) and Hiero, the patron of AEschylus, Pindar, &c.; successfully
resisted the long siege of the Athenians in 414 B.C., and rose to a
great pitch of renown after its struggle with the Carthaginians in 397
B.C., but siding with Hannibal in the Punic Wars, was taken after a two
years' siege by the Romans (212 B.C.), in whose hands it slowly
declined, and finally was sacked and destroyed by the Saracens in 878 A.D.
Only the portion on Ortygia was rebuilt, and this constitutes the
modern city, which has interesting relics of its former greatness, but is
otherwise a crowded and dirty place, surrounded by walls, and fortified;
exports fruit, olive-oil, and wine. 2, A city (108) of New York State,
United States, 148 m. W. of Albany, in the beautiful valley of Onondaga;
is a spacious and handsomely laid-out city, with university, &c.; has
flourishing steel-works, foundries, rolling-mills, &c., and enormous salt
manufactures.

SYRIA (2,000), one of three divisions of Asiatic Turkey, slightly
larger than Ital