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Magna Graecia

"Magna Grecia" redirects here. For the racehorse, see Magna Grecia (horse).

Magna Graecia
Μεγάλη Ἑλλάς (Ancient Greek)
Historical region
Clockwise from top left: Second Temple of Hera in Poseidonia, Campania; Doric-styled temple, Segesta, Sicily; Taras' sculpture of a young man wearing cucullus and leading his donkey, Louvre; depiction of Eos riding a two-horsed chariot, on a krater from Southern Italy, Staatliche Antikensammlungen.
Etymology: from Ancient Greek and Latin ("Great[er] Greece")
Ancient Greek colonies and their dialect groupings in Magna Graecia.
Ancient Greek colonies and their dialect groupings in Magna Graecia.
Present countryItaly
Present territorySouthern Italy
Founded8th century BC
Founded byGreeks
Largest citySybaris[1]
Government
 • Typecity-states administered by the aristocracy
Demonym(s)Italiote and Siceliote

Magna Graecia[a] refers to the Greek-speaking areas of southern Italy, encompassing the modern Italian regions of Calabria, Apulia, Basilicata, Campania, and Sicily. These regions were extensively settled by Greeks beginning in the 8th century BC.[2]

Initially founded by their metropoleis (mother cities), the settlements evolved into independent and powerful Greek city-states (poleis). The settlers brought with them Hellenic civilization, which over time developed distinct local forms due to both their distance from Greece and the influence of the indigenous peoples of southern Italy.[3] This interaction left a lasting imprint on Italy, including on Roman culture. The Greek settlers also influenced native groups such as the Sicels and the Oenotrians, many of whom adopted Greek culture and became Hellenized. In areas like architecture and urban planning, the colonies sometimes surpassed the achievements of the motherland.[4] The ancient inhabitants of Magna Graecia are referred to as Italiotes and Siceliotes.

Ruins of several cities from Magna Graecia remain visible today, including Neapolis ("New City," now Naples), Syrakousai (Syracuse), Akragas (Agrigento), Taras (Taranto), Rhegion (Reggio Calabria), and Kroton (Crotone). The most populous city was Sybaris (now Sibari), with an estimated population of between 300,000 and 500,000 from 600 to 510 BC.[1]

Governments in these city-states were typically aristocratic,[5] and the cities often engaged in warfare with one another.[6] Their independence came to an end during the Second Punic War, when they were annexed by the Roman Republic in 205 BC.[7]

Despite the political changes, cultural life in Magna Graecia flourished. Greek art, literature, and philosophy had a decisive influence on the region, especially in cities like Taras.[5] South Italian Greek pottery, particularly from the 4th century BC, is a notable cultural contribution. Settlers from Magna Graecia also achieved great success in the Ancient Olympic Games—athletes from Crotone alone won 18 titles over 25 Olympiads.[8]

Although most Greek inhabitants of Magna Graecia were fully Latinized during the Middle Ages,[9] traces of Greek language and culture persisted. The Griko people of Calabria (Bovesia) and Salento (Grecìa Salentina) still maintain aspects of their Greek heritage, including the Griko language.[10] This language is the last living trace of the once-vibrant Greek presence in Magna Graecia.[11]

  1. ^ a b "Sybaris: la storia della più ricca città della Magna Grecia" (in Italian). Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  2. ^ Henry Fanshawe Tozer (30 October 2014). A History of Ancient Geography. Cambridge University Press. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-108-07875-7.
  3. ^ "Magna Grecia", Dizionario enciclopedico italiano (in Italian), vol. VII, Treccani, 1970, p. 259
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference magnagrecia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b "Magna Grecia" (in Italian). Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  6. ^ Lazzarini, Mario (1995). La Magna Grecia (in Italian). Scorpione Editrice. p. 5. ISBN 88-8099-027-6.
  7. ^ "Le arti di Efesto. Capolavori in metallo" (in Italian). p. 11. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference olimpiadi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Multilinguismo in Sicilia ea Napoli nel primo Medioevo" (PDF) (in Italian). Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Per la difesa e la valorizzazione della Lingua e Cultura Greco-Calabra" (PDF) (in Italian). Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Una lingua, un'identità: alla scoperta del griko salentino" (in Italian). 25 May 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2023.


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