SYB'ARIS (Lat., from Gk.s.L4larns). A cele brated Greek colony in Magna Gnecia (q.v.). It was situated in northeastern Bruttium, between the river Crathis (('rat;) and Sybaris (Cosci/c), about three miles from the Tarentine gulf. It was founded by Ach:cans and Trdezenians at an early period in the colonization of Magna Gneeia, and it soon acquired control of territory extending en tirely across the peninsula. Sybaris was a great mercantile city, with strong democratic ten dencies. The wealth and luxury of the inhabi tants became proverbial. Of the history of the city almost nothing is known, but during the sixth century B.C. it had attained a circumference of more than five miles, and ranked with Miletus as one of the most powerful and wealthy of Grecian cities. The party strife which disturbed so many of the Greek mercantile eommunities raged here also, and toward the end of the cen tury we find the city in the hands of a tyrant, Telys, supported by the popular party. A Cro
tonian noble who married daughter was exiled by his townsmen, and they also gave asylum to a large body of the banished nobles of Sybaris. The refusal of a demand for their surrender led to a war between the two cities, in which the Crotonians, in spite of inferior num bers, won a great victory, which was followed by internal strife in Sybaris, leading to the easy capture of the city (e.5111 is.c.). The victors razed it to the ground and turned the bed of the Crathis over the site. The few survivors with drew to their colonies. Scidros and Laos, on the west coast. Excavations in 1S79 and 1888 have determined the site of the ancient city, but yielded little else of interest.