Héraclée (Lucanie)

Héraclée de Lucanie (Latin Heraclea Lucania ) was a small ancient city of Italy on the gulf of Tarente, near the river Siris. Today the Italian city of Policoro.

Origin

This Greek colony was founded by Tarente towards -433. According to Pline Old the, it would initially have been called Siris then Héraclée. According to Strabon, after a long conflict between Tarente and Thurii, the territory of Siris would have been granted to Tarentins, and later towards 433 av. J.C, Tarente would have moved the inhabitants of Siris towards the interior of the country to found a new city which took the name of Héraclée. The archaeological excavations on the Site of Policoro, identified like that of Héraclée, showed that a Greek city existed on this site before the foundation tarentine. It would have been destroyed at the end of the VII E, according to the elements of dating collected in its necropolis.

History

In 374 av. J.C, Héraclée was the seat of the Ligue italiote, confederation of the Greek cities of Grande Greece, organized against the Lucaniens.

<-- The Greek painter Zeuxis would be originating in Héralée de Lucanie - to check -->

Héraclée is known for the Bataille of Héraclée, which saw the victory of Pyrrhus Ier over the Romans in 280 av. J.C

Temporarily passed under the control of Hannibal during the Second Punic War, Héraclée became a Roman Municipe thereafter. It is old évêché.

Archeology

The site of Héraclée is visible nowadays, in the archaeological park of Policoro. The remainders of the city show an orthogonal regular plan. It is in these ruins that one discovered into 1732 the Tables of Héraclée.

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