What was the 'Sicilian Vespers'?
The 'Sicilian Vespers' was the massacre of the French in Sicily that began at the hour of vespers on Easter Monday in 1282. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), human-proofread transcription on English Wikisource records: “Sicil′ian Vespers. The massacre of the French in Sicily, which began at the hour of vespers on Easter Monday in 1282.”
Origin
- Verbatim from Brewer's (1898): Sicil′ian Vespers. The massacre of the French in Sicily, which began at the hour of vespers on Easter Monday in 1282.
How to use it
- Modern usage: The 'Sicilian Vespers' was the massacre of the French in Sicily that began at the hour of vespers on Easter Monday in 1282.
- When quoting the origin, cite Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — this is a 19th-century record, not a modern etymology.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.