Page:History of Greece Vol III.djvu/394

 378 HISTORY OF GREECE. possessed an extensive dominion across the Calabrian peninsula from sea to sea ; but the territorial range of Sybaris seems to have been greater and her colonies wider and more distant, a fact which may, perhaps, explain the smaller circuit of the city. The Sybarites were founders of Laus and Skidrus, on the Mediterranean sea in the gulf of Policastro, and even of the more distant Poseidonia, now known by its Latin name of Paes- tum, as well as by the temples which still remain to decorate its deserted site. They possessed twenty-five dependent towns, and ruled over four distinct native tribes or nations. What these nations were we are not told, 1 but they were probably differ- ent sections of the CEnotrian name. The Krotoniates also reached across to the Mediterranean sea, and founded (upon the gulf now called St. Euphemia) the town of Terina, and seemingly also that of Lametini. 2 The inhabitants of the Epizephvrhiu Lokri, which was situated in a more southern part of Calabria Ultra, near the modern town of Gerace, extended themselves in like manner across the peninsula, and founded upon the Medi- terranean coast the towns of Hipponium, Medma, and Mataurum, 3 as well as Melte and Itoneia, in localities not now exactly a-i ; er- tained. Myskellus of Rhypes in Achaia, the founder of Kroton under the express indication of the Delphian oracle, is said to have thought the site of Sybaris preferable, and to have solicited per- mission from the oracle to plant his colony there, but he was ad- monished to obey strictly the directions first given. 4 It is farther 1 Strabo, vi, p. 263, v, p. 251 ; Skymn. Chi. v, 244 ; Ilcrodot. vi, 21. 2 Stephan. Byz. v, Tepiva A.afirjrivot ; Skymn. Chi. 305. 3 Thucydid. v, 5 ; Strabo, vi, p. 256 ; Skymn. Chi. 307. Stcph. Byz. calls Mataurum TTO/UC t/ce/Uaf. 4 Herodot. viii, 47. KpoTuvij/rat, -yevof elalv 'A^aiot: the date of the foandation is given by Dionysius of Halikarnassus (A. R. ii, 59). The oracular commands delivered to Myskellus arc found at length in the Fragments of Diodorus, published by Mail (Scriptt Vet. Fragm. x, p. 8) : tompare Zcnob. Proverb. Centur. iii, 42. Though Myskellus is thus given as the cekist of Kroton, yet we find a Krotoniatic coin with the inscription 'Hpa/l^f Oiic'iara' (Eckhel, Doctrin. Nnmra. Vet. vol. i, p. 172) : the worship of IlOrakles at Kroton under this