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In 706 BCE, a group of Spartan exiles and their descendants founded the city of Tarentum (Greek: Τάρᾱς, Taras; modern Taranto, Italy) on the southern coast of Italy. This event marked the only major Spartan colonial venture and became a significant Greek settlement in Magna Graecia (Greater Greece).
The founding of Tarentum is tied to political unrest in Sparta. According to tradition, the settlers were Partheniae (Greek: Παρθενίαι), a group of illegitimate sons born to Spartan women while their husbands were away during the First Messenian War (late 8th century BCE).
Upon arriving in Italy, the Partheniae conquered the local Iapygian (Messapian) population and established Tarentum near a natural harbor. The city's name derived from Taras, a mythical son of Poseidon associated with the local river.
Tarentum grew into one of the most powerful Greek cities in Italy:
- Naval Power: It became a major maritime force in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.
- Cultural Hub: A center of art, philosophy, and luxury (famous for its purple dye).
- Later Conflicts: It clashed with Rome in the Pyrrhic War (280-275 BCE), leading to its eventual absorption into the Roman Republic.
The founding of Tarentum was a rare Spartan colonial endeavor, driven by internal strife. Though far from Sparta, it thrived as a wealthy and influential Greek city, leaving a lasting mark on the history of southern Italy.
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