CROTONA, CROTO or CROTON (Gr. Kporc.Wv, mod. Cotrone), a Greek town on the east coast of the territory of the Bruttii (mod. Calabria), on a promontory 7 m. N.W. of the Lacinian promontory. It was founded by a colony of Achaeans led by Myscellus in 710 B.C. Like Sybaris, it soon became a city of power and wealth. It was especially celebrated for its successes in the Olympic games from 588 B.C. onwards, Milo being the most famous of its athletes. Pythagoras established himself here between 54o and S3o B.C. and formed a society of 30o dis ciples (among whom was Milo). In 510 B.C. Crotona was strong enough to defeat the Sybarites, and raze their city to the ground. Shortly afterwards, however, the disciples of Pythagoras were driven out, and a democracy established. The victory of the Locrians and Phlegians over Crotona in 48o B.C. marked the be ginning of its decline. It suffered after this from the attacks of Dionysius I., who became its master for 12 years, of the Bruttii, and of Agathocles, and even more from the invasion of Pyrrhus, after which in 277 the Romans obtained possession of it. Livy states that the walls had a length of 12 m. and that about half the area within them had at that time ceased to be inhabited. After the battle of Cannae, Crotona revolted from Rome, and Hannibal made it his winter quarters for three years.
The importance of the city was mainly due to its harbour, which, though not a good one, was the only port between Tarentum and Rhegium. Remains of a ship loaded with a cargo of classical marbles were found in it. The original settlement occupied the hill above it (:43 ft.) and later became the acropolis. Its' healthy situation was famous in antiquity, and to this was ascribed its superiority in athletics; it was the seat also of a famous medical school. Of the exact site of the ancient city and its remains practically nothing is known. On the Lacinian promon tory was the famous temple of Hera Lacinia of which only one column is standing. It was approached by a processional way from Croton, which, in front of the gate into the enclosure wall, was some 20 yards wide.