Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Magna Graecia and Sicily's Wealth

While doing some summer research, I came across this very informative and beautifully executed video from the "Secrets of Archeology" series featured on YouTube.


It focuses the island of Sicily during the age of Magna Graecia (Great Greece) when the island represented great wealth and great building. The video explores ancient sites across the island and reproduces a number of the buildings that once graced the city streets.

Magna Graecia encompassed the coastal areas of Southern Italy on the Taranto Gulf – a gulf on the Ionian Sea that is surrounded by the Regions of Apulia, Basilicata and Calabria - that was colonized by Greek settlers. The main cities on the gulf are Taranto and Gallipoli. Also the Greek colonies (Magna Graecia) of Croton, Heraclea, Thurii, Sybaris were founded on the Gulf of Taranto. The colonists, who began arriving in the 8th century BC, brought with them their Hellenic civilization that left a fundamental imprint on Italy and most of all on the culture of Ancient Rome.

Enjoy!

Magna Graecia and Sicily's Wealth


Segesta is one of the best preserved and most beautiful of all the Greek archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. A Greek temple located in the ancient city of Segesta, in the area of Calatafimi (Trapani province), in the northwestern part of Sicily. This doric temple - although there are many influences and many historians who are still debating about its map - has been built in the last 30 years of the 5th Century BC. It is one of the most complete archeological ruins, which means that todays the monument presents a total of 36 columns preserved in their original structure. The beauty of this massive testimony of history is particularly stunning also due to its position on a hill just west to the city that makes it magical during sunset and sunrise.

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