The opulent city of Metapontum and the legacy of Pythagoras

Metapontium or Metapontum (Ancient Greek: Μεταπόντιον, romanized: Metapontion) was an ancient city of Magna Graecia, located in southern Italy. Founded by an Achaean colony around 700-690 BCE, Metapontium was built to prevent Tarentines and the Oenotrians from taking possession of the territory. The city rose to prosperity due to the extreme fertility of its territory, especially in the growth of grain. It is known that the Metapontines sent to the temple at Delphi an offering of a golden harvest, perhaps referring to a bundle of grain wrought in gold, and an ear of grain became a characteristic symbol on their coins.

Metapontum was one of the cities where the doctrines and sect of the philosopher Pythagoras obtained the firmest footing. When he retired there at the end of his life, the Metapontines paid the greatest respect to his memory. They consecrated the house in which he had lived as a temple to Ceres, and gave to the street in which it was situated the name of the Museum. His tomb was still shown there in the days of Cicero.

The ruins of Metapontium can now be found in the frazione of Metaponto, in the comune of Bernalda, Province of Matera, Basilicata region, southern Italy.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons