At the same time, an ominous threat arrived with the founding of a new rival for resources in 433 BCE in the form of Herakleia to the west. According to Thucydides in his Peloponnesian War (7.33.5) they provided 300 darters and two triremes. Metapontum would eventually destroy Siris and go on to play an important role in the political and military events of the 5th century BCE, notably supporting the Athenian expeditions against Sicily and on the Italian mainland. 497 BCE) who spent the latter part of his life at Metapontum. One notable resident was the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras (c. The city was protected by an encircling fortification wall. The city proper covered around 150 hectares (370 acres) and had several main roads with the largest measuring 22 metres in width. The wealth and trade conducted by Metapontum are further evidenced by the minting of coinage, which was stamped with an ear of wheat in recognition of the city's debt to agriculture, the presence of dedicated areas of workshops, and the numerous dedications made at Panhellenic sites such as Olympia, where the city had a treasury building, and Delphi. A fully-Greek settlement seems to date from c. Archaeological evidence points to the presence on the site of an earlier Italian town which then displays evidence of Greek culture. 720 BCE as part of the wave of Greek colonization from the 8th century BCE onwards across the entire region of southern Italy. The city, situated at the mouths of the Bradano and Basento Rivers, was founded by the Achaeans of the Greek Peloponnese c. Metapontum ( Greek: Metapontion, modern name: Metaponto) is located on a fertile plain which stretches along the southern coastline of the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Today, the best surviving evidence of Metapontum's importance in antiquity is the 6th century BCE Temple of Hera with 15 of its Doric columns still standing. Thriving on agriculture and trade, the city became one of the most prosperous colonies in Magna Graecia. The antiquarium, the theater, the Roman castro, the agora and the necropolis, together with the temples of Apollo Licio, Demeter and Aphrodite, enrich the route full of charm and history.Metapontum, located on the southern coast of Basilicata, Italy, was an Achaean colony founded in the late 8th century BCE. The richness of the Greek colony, whose symbols are the monumental Tavole Palatine (twelve Doric columns, ruins of the Temple of Hera) is based on the extension and fertility of the territory bounded by the rivers Bradano and Basento. In the Park and in the Archaeological Museum of Metapontum are imprinted traces of a glorious past: this is the case of the mathematician Pythagoras, who founded his school in Metapontum and perhaps died there. by Greeks from Achaia, Metapontum became one of the most important colonies of Magna Graecia. It is a must for all lovers of history and archaeology because it is the best place to understand the historical evolution of the area in the Bronze Age until the advent of Roman domination.įounded in the mid-seventh century b.C. The archaeological area of Metaponto is an open-air museum. Not far from the town, in fact, there is the archaeological area that, together with the National Archaeological Museum, is one of the most popular sites for tourists. Metaponto is also proud of a long and ancient history that is worth discovering. METAPONTUM: BETWEEN HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY Its name comes from the Latin Metapontum, as city "between two rivers", the Bradano and the Basento, in the heart of Magna Grecia.īetween sea, nature and archaeology stands what is considered one of the most popular destinations of Basilicata, both for the crystal clear water of the Ionian Sea, and for the archaeological and naturalistic routes it offers. Metaponto is a fraction of the town of Bernalda.
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