When the Achaians established a new city at Poseidonia on the Tyrhennian coast, major urban and sub-urban sanctuaries were established for Hera. Within the Achaian colonies she had temples at Metapontum (both urban and extraurban), literary evidence suggests she had a temple at Sybaris, and her most famous sanctuary, the temple of Hera Lacinia, was in the territory of Croton. Indeed Hera has been considered the preeminent goddess of southern Italy. Hera and Apollo are the deities most often associated with the Achaian colonies. One means of establishing cultural and ethnic affinity is through the foundation and development of cults. In response to the Achaian threat, however, both cities promote an association with Sparta.įigure 1: Map of Southern Italy showing the colonies established by the 7 The economic and military pressure that Taras and Locri Epizephyrii felt from the Achaian colonies led those two non-Achaian settlements to 'bond' with one another, despite their own distinct backgrounds: Taras was a Spartan foundation and Locri Epizephyrii was founded by colonists from mainland Locris. The Achaian alliance, however, did not last and Croton destroyed Sybaris in 510 BC. Indeed this policy of expansion resulted in the destruction of Siris, an Ionian colony. The shared identity of the Achaian colonies can be seen in both their cultural assemblages (the ceramics and architecture) and their foundation legends, which associate each of the western settlements with cities in Achaia.Ĭentury Metapontum, Sybaris, and Croton formed a monetary and commercial alliance that was designed to extend Achaian influence along the coast. These latter cities were settled by Croton and Sybaris in order to create a buffer with the non-Achaian settlements of Locri Epizephyrii (south), and Siris and Taras (north). Of the Achaian cities, Sybaris and Croton were founded first, towards the end of the 8Ĭentury BC, followed by Caulonia to the south and Metapontum to the north. Schindler, DePauw University, Greek colonial foundations along the Ionian Sea coast of southern Italy may generally be divided into Achaian and non-Achaian cities (fig. APHRODITE AND THE COLONIZATION OF LOCRI EPIZEPHYRII
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