N/A BONIAS
THE NETHERLANDS
Greek colonization in Italy and its impact on Early Roman History
The first Greek colony on Italian soil was Pythecusae or Aenaria on the island of Ischia. It was created by Euboean settlers on this island off the northern tip of the Bay of Naples, around 770BC. The settlement prospered in trade with the peoples of the mainland and within one generation it had become an important, flourishing community. Thousands of graves belonging to the settlement have been unearthed providing enough information to sketch a detailed picture of the life of this community.
The motive behind the creation of the settlement was the search for metals. Tin, copper and iron ore are found in plenty in this area and clearly, metalworking was one of the most important activities in Pythecusae. Buildings and structures that have been discovered in Pythecusae testify to the importance of metalworking in the economic life of the settlement.
The Greek colonisation of Italy followed a phased but rapid development and within one generation from the creation of the settlement in Pythecusae, a colony [apoikia] had been created on the mainland opposite Pythecusae. Cumae as the colony was called developed and flourished leading to a great number of Greek colonies in southern Italy and Sicily.
Greek colonisation was so large-scale that around the 5th century southern Italy was called Megali Hellas or Magna Graecia to use the Latin term. The Greek colonies were an enormous economic success and had a profound impact on the further development of Italy. Etruria, Latium and Campania were openly subjected to the Greek influence leading to a gradual hellenisation of their cultural and social order. The exposing to Greek influence was clearly a leading factor in the development of the cultural and social identity of the Italian peninsula. It might not have been the cause of these developments but the contact with the Greek colonies at this particular historical point in time, opened the door to ideas and influence from the prosperous Greek world on the other side of the sea.
There are many common characteristics of life in the Greek world and the post 8th century Italian world that actively point to the existence of a common cultural and social tradition that transcended linguistic, ethnic and cultural boundaries.
The classes on the higher strata of society were open to the Greek influence and were profoundly changed as a result. The Greek aristocracy provided the aristocracy of the early Italian world with a model by which it could define itself. We can find a lot of evidence in the graves of Etruria that points to the shared tradition between the aristocracy of the Greek and early Italian world. The evidence shows that social standing was recognised internationally across linguistic, cultural and ethnic boundaries. There was at this period in time, a high mobility in the upper class of society and individuals could move freely across boundaries and expect to be received and treated according to the values of the commonly accepted tradition. Common practices such as guest-friendship and gift-exchange are the main characteristics of this mobility.
The aristoi of the Greek world competed for personal esteem (time) in an ever-challenging world. They were bound together through a widespread network of contacts and obligations. Mobility was widespread and common and was made possible by guest-friendship. It was a sacred obligation for the aristoi to offer hospitality [guest-friendship] to any class peer who came to visit. This network of contacts was further strengthened by the exchange of gifts [gift-exchange] that gave a physical expression to the relationship and the obligations included in it.
These have been common practices in the early Italian world as it is testified by the abundant artefacts in the graves of Italian aristocrats.
The hellenisation of the early Italian world proceeded with force and led to profound changes in the entire structure of society in the Italian peninsula. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Greek influence [hellenism] has been the most important factor of change and development in early Italian (and Roman) history. Art, architecture, religion, economy have all been affected by the pervasive Greek ideas.
However, the Greek Influence had its most profound influence on the political sphere that culminated in the creation of the city state in the second half of the 7th century.