Greek colonies ("apoikiai")

Greek colonies "apoikiaiMegale HellasMagna Graecia

In the 8th and 7th centuries BC, for various reasons, including demographic crises, the search for new commercial outlets and ports, and expulsion from their homeland, Greeks began to settle in southern Italy. Also during this period, Greek colonies were established in places as widely separated as the eastern coast of the Black Sea, Eastern Libya and Massalia (Marseille). They included settlements in Sicily and the southern part of the Italian Peninsula. The Romans called the area of Sicily and the foot of Italy Magna Graecia (Latin, Great Greece), since it was so densely inhabited by the Greeks. With this colonization, Greek culture was exported to Italy, with its dialects of the Ancient Greek language, its religious rites and its traditions of the independent polis. An original Hellenic civilization soon developed, later interacting with the native Italic civilisations. Many of the new Hellenic cities became very rich and powerful, like Neapolis (, Naples, "New City"), Syracuse (), Acragas () and Sybaris (). Other cities in Magna Graecia included Tarentum (), Epizephyrian Locri ( ), Rhegium (), Croton (), Thurii (), Elea (), Nola (), Ancona (), Syessa (), Bari () and others.Following the Pyrrhic War in the 3rd century BC, Magna Graecia was absorbed into the Roman Republic.INTRODUCTION

The Greeks built many temples in Sicily . They were places of worship: the god lived there, every temple housed a deity statue and only the priest had the permission to enter the temple. The Greeks created 3 classical orders: the Doric, the Ionic and the Corinthian. There are numerous well-preserved temples of the Doric order: the temple of Apollo in Syracuse, the temple of Segesta, the temple of Selinunte, the valley of the temples in Agrigento (temple of Hera Lacinia , temple of Giunone , temple of Concord, temple of Heracles , temple of Asclepius, temple of Olympian Zeus, temple of Castor and Pollux, temple of Hephaestus, temple of Demeter). THE GREEK TEMPLE

GelaTemple of ConcordeSelinunteSegesta

The theatre was very important for the Greeks because they created two literary genres: tragedy with Aeschilus, Sophocles and Euripides and comedy with Aristophanes. In Sicily there are two Greek theatres: the theatre of Taormina and the theatre of Syracuse. Every year in late spring-summer (May/June), in Syracuse, takes place the season of the Greek theatre with many classical representations. THE GREEK THEATRE

TaorminaSiracusa

The mighty fortifications in Gela, the Greek walls of Caposoprano, discovered between 1948 and 1954, can be considered one of the most impressive and best preserved examples of ancient military architecture. The walls stretch for about 300 and they enclosed the Greek city. They were built in the third quarter of the fourth century BC to protect the city of Gela, refounded by Timoleon.FORTIFICATION WALLS

The close relationship between the colonies and the homeland is testified by the myth of Alpheus and Arethusa. In effect, one of the many legends about Syracuse's city is Arethusa myth.Arethusa was a nymph, one day the young Alpheus fell in love with her.But Arethusa not reciprocated this love and asked Artemis to help her.Artemis transformed her in a source, right in Ortigia. Alpheus asked the gods to be able to join Arethusa and turned it into a river that flows right in the spring of Arethusa. Since then, the waters of Arethusa and Alpheus come together for eternity.In fact, in the spring of Arethusa, in Ortygia, there is a statue of Arethusa and Alpheus. THE MYTH OF ALPHEUS AND ARETHUSASiracusa

Sculpture was extremely important for the Greeks. Today we can admire many well-preserved examples of Greek sculptures: The Riace Bronzes (two bronze sculptures 460-450 B.C.); the so-called Ephese of Mozia (marble sculpture 450-440 B.C., the quintessence of Greek beauty and elegance); The Medusa from the temple of Athena in Syracuse (terracotta sculpture 575-570 B.C.); The sculpture of the Dea Madre (marble sculpture 550 B.C.).SCULPTURES

RiaceMoziaSiracusa

The Greek colonists brought with them the attic tradition of red figure painting and continued the creation of pottery in this style. In southern Italy began to develop pottery painting and ceramic art. Nowadays these ancient artefacts are still well-preserved.VASE PRODUCTION

The history of ancient Greek coinage can be divided into four periods: the Archaic, the Classical, the Hellenistic and the Roman. The first coins were made of Electrum (an alloy of gold and silver). By the middle of 6th century B.C., technology advanced, making the production of pure gold and pure silver to be struck and traded in market place. Coins of Greek city states depicted a unique symbol or feature, an early form of emblem that represented their city and promoted the prestige of their state. Coins of Ephesus depicted the bee, sacred to Artemis; drachmas of Athens depicted the owl of Athena; drachmas of Aegina depicted a chelone (turtle), coins of Selinunte depicted a selinon leaf, coins of Heraclea depicted Heracles; coins of Gela depicted a man-headed bull, (the personification of the river Gela); coins of Knossos depicted the labyrinth or the minotaur. ANCIENT GREEK COINAGE

The Greeks brought with them the usage of some plants: the grapevine and the olive tree. The ancient Greeks introduced grapevine such as vitis vinifera and made wine in their numerous colonies in Sicily. The origins of wine-making in Greece go back 6.500 years. The spread of Greek civilization and their worship of Dionysus, the god of wine, spread Dionysian cults throughout the Mediterranean areas during the period of 1600 B.C. to the year 1. The olive tree has been revered by the Greeks since ancient times; the story tells that Athens got its name because of the olive tree. THE OLIVE TREE AND THE GRAPEVINE

Filetti AntonioGatto LorenzoLa Iacona GabrielePRODUCED BY: