| June 19, 2013 |
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| Information about the place
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| Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities |
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Lucania
A district in Lower Italy, bounded on the north by Campania
and Samnium, on the east by Apulia and the Gulf of Tarentum, on the south by Bruttium,
and on the west by the Tyrrhene Sea. It was separated from Campania by the river
Silarus, and from Bruttium by the river Laus. Lucania was celebrated for its excellent
pastures; and its oxen were the finest and largest in Italy. Hence the elephant
was at first called by the Romans a Lucanian ox (Lucas bos). The coast of Lucania
was inhabited chiefly by Greeks, whose cities were numerous and flourishing. The
interior of the country was originally inhabited by the Chones and Oenotrians.
The Lucanians proper were Samnites, a brave and warlike race, who left their mother
country and settled both in Lucania and Bruttium. They not only expelled or subdued
the Oenotrians, but they gradually acquired possession of most of the Greek cities
on the coast. They were subdued by the Romans after Pyrrhus had left Italy. The
chief cities of Lucania were Heraclea, Metapontum, Thurii, Elea or Velia, Paestum
(Posidonia), and Buxentum.
| This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks |
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