Great Greece

Pithesses

The first Greek settlement in Italy arose in Pithekuss (other names are Inarima, Enaria, now Ischia ) on an island 11 km off the coast of Campania . Archaeological excavations have discovered Greek ceramics here around 1400 BC. e. Not later than 775-770. BC e. Greek emporium (trading post) arose here, the founders of which were immigrants from Euboea : from Chalkida and Eretria , as well as Kim (a small town on Euboea). Euboea was one of the main metallurgical regions of Greece, and the purpose of trade in this area was the rich ores of Etruria. A goblet dating back to 750 is found in Pithecussi. BC e., with the earliest text of recorded verses written in the Chalkidic variety of the Greek alphabet. This trading post was created to establish trade relations with Etruria , in which the Greeks needed iron and copper. Etruscan cities in Campania also contributed to these trade ties, with Capua standing out among them. On the other hand, the connections of the Chalkidic merchants reached Syria and Phenicia , from where gold was received in exchange for metal products. Pithecusses were destroyed around 500 BC. e. Montagnone volcano eruption, but before that they had lost their significance, giving way to the Kumas .

Kumas

The Qums were located north of the Gulf of Naples. The settlement on the site of Kum, created by the local tribes of the Oscans, existed already around 1000 BC. e. Around 575 BC e. Greeks from Pithekuss moved here, somehow displacing the oskens. They headed the colonization of Megasphen from Chalkida and Hippocleid from Kim on Euboea, which gave the name to this city. Around 730–725 Emporium received the status of a city, becoming independent. This city played an important role in trade with Etruria. There were fertile lands around him and he became a supplier of grain. It is possible that viticulture and olive culture spread throughout Italy. Kumas were known by Sibyl - one of the most revered soothsayers in antiquity. The Coumars tried to control the Strait of Messina . First, pirates from Qum settled in Zankle , later immigrants from Euboea joined them and a full-fledged colony was created there. Of the politicians of the city, the dictator Aristodem Pampered is known who led successful wars against the Etruscans. The Kumas and Etruscan cities were destroyed by the Samnites , who came here from central Italy.

Regius

Regius (now Reggio Calabria ) was founded around 730–720. BC e. Chalkidians at the southern tip of the peninsula. The writer and philosopher Theagen was born there.

Sibaris

The city was founded by the Achaeans around 720 BC. e. in the Gulf of Tarents. The oikist (the founder of the settlement) was Is from Gelika . The Achaeans were very much in need of land and had limited trading opportunities in their homeland. According to Aristotle, the inhabitants of Tresen in Argolis also settled with them. Immigrants have established peaceful relations with local tribes of hearts . In addition to agriculture, they also caught scarlet snails on the coast. Over time, the city grew and soon subjugated local tribes. According to Strabo, 25 settlements were under his rule. From the VI century BC e. here they minted their own coins. Ancient authors mention Sybaris as a very rich city, the word “sybarite” even became a household word over time. However, archaeological data do not confirm this. Another colony was founded in the bay - Metapont . On the western coast of Calabria, the cities of Lauda and Skidr emerged, as well as Poseidonia (Paestum). Poseidonia was founded around 625-600. BC e. It is known for the ruins of Doric temples that have reached us.

Paestum

Paestum ( lat. Paestum ), originally Posidonia ( dr. Greek Ποσειδωνία , lat. Posidonia ) - Greek ( Sybaria ) colony , founded at the end of the 7th century BC. e ^[1] in the western part of the region of Lucania (35 km southeast of present Salerno ).

Posidonia experienced its heyday in the 540s BC. e. and the decades that followed. About 400 g. Posidonia was conquered by lucans , which led to a mixture of Greek and local (proto-Italian) cultural traditions. In 274 BC e . the city was colonized by the Romans, who named it Paestum. At the end of the 9th century, Paestum was ravaged by the Saracens , in the 11th century. - the Normans. Ruin Paestum contributed to the swampiness of the area; The residents who remained here, fearing malaria , went to a nearby hill, having founded the new city of Capaccio .

In present-day Paestum, three Doric temples of the first half of the 6th century are well preserved. BC. One of them is dedicated to Athena (and not Ceres , as previously thought). The other two are built in honor of Hera and are called the temple of Hera I (the so-called "Basilica") and the temple of Hera II (and not Neptune or Apollo , as previously thought). The Temple of Peace at the forum is part of the Corinthian and belongs to the II century BC. e. City walls are up to six meters wide and five kilometers around. There is not much left of the Roman amphitheater . All these ruins are included in the list of World Heritage sites .

In 1968, a tomb was discovered in Paestum (the so-called Italian. Tomba del tuffatore , “Tomb of the Diver” ) with amazingly preserved frescoes (c. 470 BC ). This is the only ensemble of Greek fresco paintings of the classical period that has completely survived to our days. Five murals, along with other ancient finds, are now in the National Archaeological Museum of Paestum.

Croton

Croton, (now Crotone ), was located south of Sybaris , south of the estuary of the Esar ( Esaro ) river on a cape, on both sides of which were sheltered harbors. The colony was founded around 710 BC. e. Achaeans led by Miskel of Rip . The prosperous development of the colony was determined both by its advantageous position and by the extraction of silver. The city also introduced new colonies: between 675 and 600. BC e. Cavlonia was founded, later Terina - from the western edge of the peninsula. Around 540 BC e. Croton was defeated in a battle on the Sagra River with the Lycras of Episephyria and Regius . Soon the city became the center of activity of the philosopher Pythagoras and his followers. Around 531 BC e. he left his homeland, the island of Samos , and settled in southern Italy. His followers made up a semblance of a sect or order, seizing power in the city. Later, the leader of the aristocratic party, Kilon, forced Pythagoras to leave the city and he moved to Metapont (a colony founded by Sybaris). However, the Pythagoreans apparently played a significant role in other cities, which thus became dependent on Croton. In alliance with Sybaris and Metapont, Croton destroyed Syris , the colophonian colony located between Sybaris and Metapont. And about 510 BC. e., attracting as a commander of the Spartan Dorei , Croton destroyed Sybaris. The famous athlete Milon distinguished himself in this war, having won the maximum number of victories in the fight in the Olympics: 6 times in a row, of which the first victory was in competitions for boys. Croton was also famous as a city where the foundations of scientific medicine were laid. Doctor Alkmeon about 500 BC. e. wrote a medical treatise (not preserved). Later, class feuds broke out in the city, greatly weakening it.

Naxos

Naxos (now Giardini-Naxos ) is the first Greek colony on the east coast of Sicily , founded in 734 BC. e. at the foot of the volcano Etna . Settlers came from Chalkida from Euboea , as well as from Naxos , an island in the Aegean .

Syracuse

The colony, which was destined to become the most significant city in Great Greece, was founded in 733 BC. e. south of Naxos by the Corinthians under the leadership of Archius . At the same time, another group of Corinthians colonized Kerkyra , an island on its way from Greece to Italy, expelling the Eretrians and Illyrians from there. Given the key position of Corinth itself on the Isthmus of Isthmus, through which the shortest route from the Aegean Sea to the West lay, Corinth secured a leading role in Greek trade. Corinth, in contrast to common practice, sought to maintain administrative control over its colonies, but Syracuse gained independence without spoiling friendly relations with the metropolis. Originally, the city was built on the island of Ortigia , located near the coast, where there was previously a village of Sikuls. On this island there was a powerful source dedicated to the nymph Arethus . In Greece, there was a strange opinion that the river Alpheus from the Peloponnese flows underground and reaches the surface here. The colony grew rapidly, and soon there were areas of the city on the mainland: Ahradina, Neapolis, Tiche, Epipola. At the mouth of the Anapa River there were fertile lands that the city nobility (Gomor) disposed of, which constituted the People’s Assembly. The Siculs partially left their lands, partially turned into dependent helots or tributaries. Syracuse led several of its own colonies Gelor , south along the coast, Acre and Kasmena - inland, which played the role of outposts in the fight against the Sycules. Kamarina , a coastal settlement west of Kasmen, was able to establish better relations with the Sikuls and around 550 BC. e., raising a rebellion, defended its independence. The rest of the cities around Syracuse remained dependent on them, which made the city a strong state. Around 575 BC e. In Ortigia, the Apollo Temple, the largest in the Greek world at the moment, was erected. Around the same time, coin minting began here, and the Attic-Euboean, rather than the Corinthian weight system was taken as the basis. At the beginning of the V century BC. e. Syracuse temporarily ceded leadership on the island to another city - Gele , which at that moment was led by the energetic dictator Hippocrates , who came to power around 498 BC. e. Around 492 BC e. he defeated Syracuse at the Battle of the Gelor River. The diplomatic efforts of Corinth and Kerkyra kept him from capturing the city. The young heirs of Hippocrates were removed from power in Gel by Gelon , the son of Dynamo. Around 485 BC e. Gelon with the help of the aristocrats expelled from the city captured Syracuse, where he moved his court, and Gela passed under the rule of his brother Hieron . Gelon turned Syracuse into the largest city, resettling there half of the inhabitants of Gela, half of the Camarines and the entire top of Megara of the Giblean and Sicilian Euboea. The city was greatly fortified. Gelon had a strong army. In 480 BC e. Carthage sent a strong army to Sicily under the command of Hamilcar , they besieged the tyrant Feron in Gimer . Gelon came to his aid and defeated the Carthaginians under Gimer. After this victory, the authority of Gelon in the Greek world became especially great. He died in 478 BC. e., transferring power to brother Hieron. Hieron emerged victorious from the wars with Carthage. He was married to the daughter of a tyrant Regia Anaxila . He founded the city of Etna . In 474, at the call of Qom and Locker, he opposed the Etruscans and won a major victory over them in the Gulf of Naples. At his court, famous poets lived, for example, Simonides of Keos , Pindar , Aeschylus . Trotter of Hieron nicknamed Ferenik (Winner) brought Hieron victory in the Olympic Games in 476 BC. e., which is dedicated to the I Olympic Ode to Pindar. Hieron died in 467 BC. e.

Around 315 BC e. Agathocles , a successful commander of noble birth, came to power in Syracuse. He flirted with the masses, applying repression and confiscation to the nobility. Relying on a hired army, he captured the richest cities of Sicily: Gelu, Messana , Akragant . Then he captured the cities of Carthage on the island, after which the war with Carthage became inevitable. In 310 BC e. he landed in Africa and led Carthage to recognize his supremacy over Sicily. In 305 BC e. he captured cities in southern Italy and assumed the title "king of Sicily." Thus, Agathocles managed to unite the cities of Great Greece into a single power , which did not last long. After his death (289 BC), the offensive of Rome against the cities of southern Italy began. Under the dictator Hieron the Second , who came to power in 275 BC. e., a new rise of Syracuse began. He defended the city of Sicily from the attack of the ruler Epirus Pyrrhus . During the Punic Wars, he becomes an ally of Rome. After the death of Hieron in 215, the authorities of Syracuse again went to rapprochement with Carthage, which led to a clash with Rome. In 212 BC e. Syracuse was captured and plundered by the Roman general Mark Claudius Marcellus .

Gela

Gela, (now Jela ), is located on the southern coast of Sicily at the mouth of the Gela river of the same name, on a sandy hill. Before the arrival of the Greeks, the Sicans lived here. The colony was founded in 690/688 BC. e. immigrants from Rhodes and Crete, led by Antithiphem and Entim , respectively. The auspicious oracle they received from Delphi has been preserved. The immigrants waged a long struggle with the Sicans for possession of a fertile valley, after which they conquered the indigenous settlements of Mactorius (now Monte Bubbon ) and Omfaku (now Buter ) located in the depths of the island. In the western direction about 580 BC. e. they founded Acragantus (now Agrigento ), which later became an independent policy. At first the city had aristocratic rule. In 505 BC e. power was seized by dictator Cleander , who reigned for about 7 years and was killed by enemies. After that, power passed to his brother Hippocrates , who turned Gel into a strong power. Hippocrates established control over the Chalkidian colonies in Sicily: Naxos , Zankla , Leontins . Then he attacked Syracuse and defeated their army in a battle near the Gelor River, but did not take the city, but made peace, according to which he began to control the local tribes. Battles with the Sikuls followed, and in the battle of Dying around 491/490 BC. e. Hippocrates died. Gelon , leader of the cavalry, seized power after Hippocrates. After some time, he seized power in Syracuse, after which he began to intensively develop Syracuse as a more convenient center for a large state, for this half of the Gel population was resettled in Syracuse.

Selinunte

Selinunte (now Selinunte ) was located in the south-west of Sicily, on a cape between two rivers, in the mouths of which were convenient harbors. The city was founded around 650 or in 628 BC. e. immigrants from Megara Gibleyskaya , located north of Syracuse. The oikist was Pamill (Pammil), who came from Megar . This city was the westernmost Greek city in Sicily, it bordered on the Elymians and Phoenicians , maintaining peaceful relations with both peoples. From the east, he bordered the Acrogant along the Galika (Platani) river . Moreover, on the eastern bank of the river was built the post of Minoya , but about 500 BC. e. Minoya was captured by the Spartan colonist Euryleontes. Selinunte's wealth was based on successful trading with Carthage. Traces of this well-being are the numerous ruins of temples. The city was destroyed by the Carthaginians in 409 BC. e.

Zankla

The city of Zankla (modern Messina ) was founded by the Chalkids between 730–720 years BC. e. on the site of an older settlement of the Bronze Age. Located directly in the Strait of Messina, he could control the main path from the East to western Italy. At first, pirates of Euboean origin from Qom settled here, but soon real immigrants appeared. The oikists were Periklemen from Qom and Kratemen from Chalkida. The ruins of the primary settlement are surprisingly unusually large scale. Zankla did not have enough fertile land, so the townspeople around 717-710 BC. e. founded Mila on the northern coast of Sicily and further west along the northern coast about 648 BC. e. Gimeru (the extreme point of the Greek colonies on the north bank).

• Colonization (apoykiya): foundation of the great Greek cities of Kuma ( 750 BC ), Syracuse ( 735 BC ), Croton ( 708 BC )
• 532 BC e. - The institution in Croton of the Pythagorean Order .
• 510 BC e. : bloody feud between great Greek cities - Croton's army ruins Sybaris .
• 474 BC e. - The Battle of Kuma : the defeat of the Etruscans and the end of their power.
• 421 year BC e. - Samnites capture Kuma
• 413 BC e. - The collapse of the Sicilian expedition of the Athenians
• Pyrrhic War ( 280 - 275 BC ): an attempt by the Greeks to hinder Roman expansion.
• Punic wars : the final takeover of Great Greece by Ancient Rome. The hopes of the Greeks to maintain independence, relying on an alliance with Hannibal , did not materialize. In 212 BC e. fell of Syracuse , in 209 BC e. Tarent fell.

• Great idea (Greece)

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