MILE, an ancient city on the coast of Campania, founded conjointly by colonists from Chalcis in Eubaa, and from Cymte in Asia Minor. According to Strabo, it was the earliest of all the Greek settlements either in Italy or Sicily, but the precise date of its foundation is a matter of dispute. It soon attained to wealth and power, built Several harbors or port-towns of its own, kept a tolerably large fleet, extended its influence over the native tribes of the neighboring territories, planted a colony at Neapolis (Naples), and for 200 years (700-500 B. was indisputably the most important and civilized city in southern Italy. Subsequently, it was repeatedly but unsuccessfully attacked by the Etruscans and Umbrians. In 474 n.c., its ally, Hieron, king of Syracuse, defeated the combined fleets of the Etruscans and Carthaginians, who had attacked it by sea. Yet there can be no doubt that these conflicts both lessened its resources and weakened its influence, for in 420 n.c., the Samnites conquered the city, murdered or enslaved the most of the citizens, and forcibly married their wives and daughters. A Samnite colony was now established in C., which rapidly degenerated
Into a second-rate Campanian town. In 338 n.c., it was admitted to the Roman franchise, and from this period steadily adhered to the fortunes of Rome. In the second Punic war, IIannibal tried to capture it, but was repulsed by Sempronius Gracchus. Towards the close of the republic, it became the municipal capital of the district in which the Roman nobles had their villas and sea-coast residences. It continued to exist as a " quiet " place down to the close of the Roman empire, but reassumed a moment ary importance during the wars of Belisarius and Narses. Its strong fortress, garri soned by the Goths, was the last place in Italy that held out against the Byzantine army. Few remains of the ancient city exist.—C. is famous as the residence of the Sibyl (q.v.), whose cave—a vast subterranean grotto hewn out of the eastern side of the rock on which stood the citadel—is described by Justin Martyr, who visited it. It was destroyed by Narses in a vain attempt to undermine the fortress.