Magna Graecia (Greater Greece) was the name given by the Romans to the coastal areas of Southern Italy, extensively populated by Greek settlers. The settlers who began arriving in the 8th century BC brought with them their Hellenic civilization which left a lasting imprint such as in the culture of ancient Rome. They also influenced the native peoples, especially the Oenotrians, who became Hellenised after they adopted the Greek culture as their own. The Greek settlers, especially the Achaeans, created colonies such as Tarentum, Crotone, and Sybaris but also the cities of Cumae and Neapolis in the north. One of the most important cultural outcomes was the Chalcedonian, Cumaean variety of the Greek alphabet. It was later adopted by the Etruscans. During the Middle age, a new wave of Greek emigrants came to Magna Graecia from Greece and Asia Minor.
Magna Graecia Ancient Cities
Griko sounds from Salento
Griko is the language spoken by the people still today. Its roots go as far back as the time of the ancient Greek colonization of Southern Italy. This language is considered to be the last living trace of the Greek elements of the Magna Graecia. There is an oral tradition and the Griko folklore is now limited to only a few thousand people.
Cumaean Sibyl
The Cumaean Sibyl was the priestess of Apollo’s oracle at Cumae, the Greek colony near Neapolis. Similar to the oracle of Delphi in the motherland. The Sybil was a guide to the underworld, whose entrance was in the near crater of Avernus.
