Magna Graecia

Magna Graecia (Latin for "Greater Greece," Megalê Hellas/Μεγάλη Ελλάς in Greek) is the name of the area in ancient southern Italy that was colonised by ancient Greek settlers in the 8th century BCE.

Originally, Colonies were established in places as widely separated as the eastern coast of the Black Sea and what is now Marseille, France, and included settlements in Sicily and the southern part of the Italian peninsula. The name Magna Graecia was first used by the Romans to describe the greater area around the ancient Greek colony of Graia (Γραία), The latter was so thickly inhabited by Greeks that the area became known as Magna Graecia (Latin, “Greater Greece”). The modern-day terms of "Greece" and "Greeks" in English and many other languages stem from the Roman "Magna Graecia"; the Greeks have always called themselves Hellenes and their country Hellas.

With this colonisation, the Greek culture was exported to Italy, and soon developed an original civilisation, later interacting with the native Italic and Latin civilisations.

Many of the new cities become very powerful and rich, like Kapuê (Capua), Neapolis (Νεάπολις, Naples), Subaris (Σύβαρις, Sybaris).

Other cities in Magna Graecia included Taras (Τάρας, Taranto), Lakroi or Locri (Λοκροί), Rhegion (Ρήγιον), Kroton (Κρότων, Crotone), Thurii (Θούριοι) and Elea (Ελαία).

Although most of the Greeks of southern Italy no longer speak Greek remarkably a small Griko-speaking minority still exists today in Calabria and mostly in Salento. Griko is the name of a language combining ancient Greek, Byzantine Greek and Italian elements, spoken by people in the Magna Graecia region. There is rich oral tradition and Griko folklore.