3.5 Taranto

When, towards the end of the fifth century, crotoniate power began to decline, primacy over other cities of Magna Grecia in Taranto passed, founded shortly after Crotone, and how this, Greeks from the Peloponnese. But while the settlers arrived in Crotone dall'Acaia, those of Taranto came from Laconia. Among the various ancient versions which have come on the colonization of Taranto, the most important are those of Antiochus and that of Ephorus reported by Strabo.

According to the version of Antiochus, after the war Messenian, those Spartans who had not participated in the expedition, were enslaved and took the name of Helots, while all those born in Sparta during the expedition were called feverfew and deprived of all rights. These Parteni, that there were many, not resigned themselves to their fate, and conspired. But this failed because the Spartans had an inkling of what was brewing, managing to insinuate spies among the conspirators. The revolt was to erupt on the day of the festivities giacinzie, nell'Amyclaeon, for you gare: Falanto, the head of feverfew, would give the signal covering his head with his cap; of what the spies informed the Spartans. Came on the appointed day, the herald forbade Falanto to put on his cap. Seeing that the conspiracy had been discovered, a part of Parteni fled, others begged pardon. Then Falanto was sent to Delphi to consult the oracle, and he answered him to go to colonize Satyrion and the rich region of Taranto, where he would become the scourge of Iapigi. So Parteni departed with Phalanthus at a time of that region, and there they were greeted by the barbarians and Cretans who already occupied the country.

A little 'different is the version of Ephorus. During the war of Messinia, broke out as a result of the assassination of the Spartan king in Messene Teleclo, the Spartans had vowed not to return home before they had destroyed Messene, or die, and had awarded custody of their city, Sparta, the very young and the old. But after ten years of war, their women warned them that the city was in danger of being left without men, and then they sent warriors younger and more vigorous, for their age were not bound to the oath, with orders to join all the virgins remained in Sparta. Hence the name of feverfew that was given to all children born from these unions. When, after nineteen years, Messene cadde, the Spartans returned home that refused to recognize the Parteni the same rights enjoyed by other citizens, because of their illegitimate birth. Then the Parteni, accordatisi with the Helots, hatched a conspiracy against the Spartans. The signal of the uprising would be given with the launch of a cap in the middle of the agora Lacone. But the betrayal of some Helots, the Spartans foiled the plot, enjoining him who would have to give the signal, to leave the agora; then convinced the Parteni going to found a colony, promising that if they had not found sufficient land in distant countries, would have given them a fifth of Messinia. The left Parteni, and found that the Achaeans were fighting with the barbarians. After fighting alongside them, founded Taranto.

Despite some small divergence, these two versions of the foundation of Taranto, complement each other on many points. Aristotle knew a tradition similar to the one passed by Ephorus, since in Policy alludes to feverfew and says it was the children of citizens. For its part,, Polybius says that the founders of Taranto were illegitimate children.

In addition to the steps of Antiochus and Ephorus, the most important texts on the foundation of Taranto are a fragment of a fragment of Diodorus and Theopompus, we will examine jointly. Theopompus says that the Spartans, to compensate for the heavy losses suffered during the war against Messene, admitted into their ranks of the Helots, which then granted it the right to citizenship. These Helots, not only took the place of the Spartans who fell in battle, but also married widows, and for this reason they were called Epeunacti. The fragment of Diodorus the precise relationship between them and Falanto and Parteni. The Epeunacti conspired together to Falanto, which should have given the signal for revolt covering his head with his cap; There was a denunciation resulting complaint to the ephors; Falanto and would be put to death if Agatiada, who loved him, had not been opposed and had advised simply to prohibit Falanto to put on his cap; so Parteni renounced to their designs and they went. The Epeunacti then sent some related to Delphi to know if they could colonize the region of Sicyon, but the oracle commanded them to renounce the project and go to colonize Taranto, near Satyrion. Other historians have argued that the feverfew to be identified with the Achaeans fled from Laconia, before the Dorian invasion. However, All ancient authors agree in declaring Taranto origins Lacone: especially when talking about the state aid that Tarantini asked in Sparta 346 to defend themselves from Lucania. And that was Taranto source Lacone is confirmed by the fact that at Taranto and Eraclea, colony of Taranto, they spoke the Doric dialect. Certainly, for this source Lacone, Taranto in the poem is often referred to with the epithet of Ebalia, by the name of Ebalo, legendary king of Laconia. All the indications provided by the historians lead us to ask the year of the foundation of Taranto shortly before the end of the eighth century BC. Eusebius places it in the 706-705 a.C., that is, two years after the founding of Croton and in the same year as that of Corcyra (the common tradition wanted Crotone and Corcyra were founded at the same time in Syracuse).

Legend has it that Falanto was shipwrecked in the Gulf of Crisa, while he went to consult the oracle of Delphi, and that he had been saved by a dolphin: fable that explains the well-known parasemon coins Tarentine, a man riding a dolphin. The many elements "wonderful" that exist in the history of the founding of Taranto, we must not exclude the possibility that the ecista of Taranto was a man who really existed. The presence of a family of Taranto "Falantiadi" is a clue not to be overlooked. According to tradition, Falanto was driven by his countrymen and took refuge in Brindisi, and there ended his days.

The site of Taranto, whose name has been preserved through the ages until today, is well-known complex, as it has never been explored in a systematic way. The area occupied by the oldest part of the city today corresponds to that of the ancient acropolis, where he initially settled by the Greeks: a beautiful location as the sea and the Mar Piccolo protect the three parts. The ancient city, like the modern, extended beyond that depression where in the last century a canal was built to allow access to the Mar Piccolo of the great vessels. The great basin formed by the Mar Piccolo helped to prosper the city, thanks to its fisheries, especially the fish ponds of shells from purple. Finally, campaign tarentina, Despite the aridity of the plateau Apulian, due to the calcareous nature of the soil, lent itself to the cultivation of wheat, of the screw and especially, as well as today, olive. Were the famous horse farms.