MAGNA GRECIA (Gr. He iffegaM Halla8), the name given in ancient times to that pact of southern Italy which was thickly planted with Greek colonies. When it first obtained this appellation is unknown, but it must have been at an early period. Polyb ius says it was so called in the time of Pythagoras. Some writers include under the term the Greek cities in Sicily; others restrict it to those situated on the gulf of Tarentum, but in geueral it is used to denote all the Greek cities iu the south of Italy, exclusive of those in Sicily. The oldest settlement is believed to have been Cunaw—though it is doubtful whether it and its colonies, Dictearchia and Neapolis, were really embmeed under the designation Magna Grwcia; while the period assigned to its foundatton—vm, soon after the Trojan war—is obviously fanciful. If we fix about the 81,ki or 9th c. before Christ, We will perhaps not be far wrong. Of the other Greek settlements in ltaly—most, if not all of which were later than those in Sicily—the earliest was Sybaris (founded by the Achteans, 720 n.c.); next, Croton (by the Achteans, 710 n.c.); then Tareutum (by the Spartans, 708 n.c.); Locri (by the Locrians, 708 n.c., according to others, 30 or 40 years later), Rhegium (by the Chalcidians; date of origin not known, but believed by sotne to be older than even Sybaris), Metapontum (by the Achmans, 700-680 B. c.), and Vella (by
the Phocteans, 540 B.c.). These cities became, in their turn, the parents of many others.
Of the earlier history of Magna Grwcia we know almost nothing. The settlements appear to have risen rapidly to power-and wealth, partly by the brisk commerce which they carried on with the mother-country, and partly also, it is conjectured, by an amal gamation with the Pelasgic (and therefore kindred) natives of the interior. This, we are told by Polybius, actually happened at Locri, and most probably elsewhere also. Abont the year 530 n.c. Pythagoras the philosopherarrived at Crotona, and soon acquired an influence in Magna Grxcia which was quite wonderful, though it did not last long. The quarrels between the different cities were often bitter and bloody; and finally, 272-271 B.C., the Romans conquered the whole of Lower Italy.—Long before tins several of the cities had disappeared. Sybaris, for example, was destroyed by the Croto nians as early as 510 B.C., and now the rest more or less rapidly sunk into decay, and were, in the time of Cicero, with a few exceptions, reduced to utter ruin.