Archeological remains and artifacts of ancient Metapontum at the National Archaeological Museum in Metaponto, Italy
Archeological remains and artifacts of ancient Metapontum at the National Archaeological Museum in Metaponto, Italy. Founded around the 8th century BCE, Metapontum was a Greek colony that became quite prosperous due to its fertile soil. During the Peloponnesian War, the Metapontines, after a short period of neutrality, eventually declared support for Athens and furnished a small auxiliary force that served under Demosthenes and E urymedon. It also supported Alexander, king of Epirus, when he crossed over to Italy to wage war against the Lucanians and Brutians in 332 BCE. But, they opposed Cleonymus of Sparta in 303 BCE and ended up paying a heavy tribute after he suborned the colony. During the Pyrrhic War they lent active support to Pyrrhus and during the Second Punic War they were among the first of the cities of Magna Graecia to declare in favor of Hannibal after the battle of Cannae. But the city was occupied by the Romans until 212 BCE. Then Hannibal occupied the city until th...