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Temesa (ancient city)

March 02, 2023

Temesa (Ancient Greek: Τεμέση or Τεμέσα [Doric]), later called Tempsa, was an ancient city of Magna Graecia, in Italy, on the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It was situated close to Terina,[1] but its precise location has not yet been found. It is thought to have been located near the Savuto river to the north of the Gulf of Sant'Euphemia.[2] More recently Campora San Giovanni, a town near the mouth of the Savuto, has been considered as a more precise location. The archeologist Gioacchino Francesco La Torre excavated a temple outside the town in the early 2000s, which was located within the territory of Temesa.[3]

History

According to Strabo it was founded by the Ausones, an Italic tribe, and was settled by Aetolian Greeks under Thoas later.[4] It came under the control of Sybaris at some later point, but passed to Croton after it defeated Sybaris in 510/09 BC.[5] Locri conquered Temesa[4] at some time in the first half of the fifth century BC, probably in the 480s or 470s. Croton was disadvantaged by the loss because Temesa had valuable copper mines and opportunities for trade with the north. It founded Terina close to Temesa at this time to compensate.[6]

Croton probably did not lose control of Temesa for long, because Temesan coins from the middle of the fifth century BC still carry Croton's tripod symbol. Based on the coins La Torre concludes that Locri's invasion did not result in the conquest of Temesa, but De Sensi Sestito disagrees with this conclusion. She thinks an unsuccessful invasion would not have explained the failure to rebuild the excavated temple or the larger decline of Temesa and its eclipse by Terina. The coins do not cover the precise period of 480 to 460 BC, and some coins from this period have Temesa's legend erased and replaced with a legend of Croton. This suggests that Croton continued to recognize and validate Temesa's coinage, but that it did not exercise control over the city itself. Nicholson thus concludes that Locri controlled Temesa possibly from around 480 to the late 460s BC.[3]

In 194 BC the city became a colonia of the Roman Republic after the Romans had driven out the Bruttians, who had taken the city from the Greeks.[7] Pausanias notes that the city was still inhabited in his own time, the second century AD.[8] Its copper mines had already been exhausted by the time Strabo was writing, around the end of the first century BC.[4]

The Hero of Temesa

Pausanias also relates a ghost story which took place in Temesa.[8] It was said that Odysseus was carried down to the shores of Italy and Sicily by storms after the sack of Troy. Temesa was one of the cities he visited. Here one of his sailors got drunk and raped a local woman, for which he was stoned to death by the inhabitants. Odysseus was indifferent to this and sailed away.

The stoned man returned as a daimôn called the 'Hero' to kill the inhabitants of Temesa at random. The inhabitants wanted to flee from their city, but the Pythian oracle forbade them to do so. The oracle ordered them to build a temple for the Hero and sacrifice the most beautiful maiden to him every year. This appeased the Hero and stopped the attacks.

Just when a maiden was sent to the temple to be sacrificed Euthymus of Locri, a boxer and Olympic victor, arrived at Temesa. He fell in love with the maiden, who swore to marry him if he saved her. Euthymus lay in wait for the Hero in the temple and won the fight. The Hero was driven out and sank in the depths of the sea, Euthymus got married and Temesa was freed from the ghost forever.

Strabo gives a shorter version of the same story. In his version, the Hero is Polites, one of the crewmembers of Odysseus. Furthermore, no drunkenness and rape is involved: instead he was "treacherously slain by the barbarians" and collected taxes rather than maidens.[4]

Nicholson argues that the story was invented during the time Locri controlled Temesa. Possibly the expulsion of the hero by the Locrian Euthymus served to express the conquest of the city by Locri.[9]

References

  1. ^ Strabo 1924, 6.1.5; Pliny the Elder, 3.10.
  2. ^ Cerchiai, Jannelli & Longo 2004, p. 114.
  3. ^ a b Nicholson 2013, p. 14.
  4. ^ a b c d Strabo 1924, 6.1.5.
  5. ^ Cerchiai, Jannelli & Longo 2004, pp. 106, 114.
  6. ^ Wonder 2012, pp. 139–140.
  7. ^ Livy 1935, 34.45.
  8. ^ a b Pausanias 1918, 6.6.10.
  9. ^ Nicholson 2013, p. 14–15.

Sources

Primary sources

  • Pausanias (1918). Jones, W. H. S. (ed.). Description of Greece. Vol. 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-99300-6.
  • Livy (1935). Sage, Evan T. (ed.). History of Rome. Vol. 9. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-99326-6.
  • Pliny the Elder (1855). Bostock, John; Riley, H. T. (eds.). Natural History. London: Taylor and Francis.
  • Strabo (1924). Jones, H. L. (ed.). Geography. Vol. 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-99201-6.

Secondary sources

  • Cerchiai, Luca; Jannelli, Lorena; Longo, Fausto, eds. (2004). The Greek Cities of Magna Graecia and Sicily. Translated from Italian by the J. Paul Getty Trust. Los Angeles, California: Getty Publications. ISBN 978-0-89236-751-1.
  • Nicholson, Nigel (2013). "Cultural Studies, Oral Tradition, and the Promise of Intertextuality". American Journal of Philology. 134 (1): 9–21. doi:10.1353/ajp.2013.0006.
  • Wonder, John W. (2012). "The Italiote League: South Italian Alliances of the Fifth and Fourth Centuries BC". Classical Antiquity. 31 (1): 128–151. doi:10.1525/CA.2012.31.1.128.

Further reading

  • Torre, Gioacchino Francesco la (2002). Un tempio arcaico nel territorio dell'antica Temesa: L'edificio sacro in località di Campora san Giovanni (in Italian). Rome: Giorgio Bretschneider Editore. ISBN 978-88-7689-206-6.
  • ———, ed. (2009). Dall’ Oliva al Savuto. Studi e ricerche sul territorio dell’ antica Temesa. Conference proceedings, Campora San Giovanni (Amantea, CS), 15–16 September 2007 (in Italian). Pisa: Fabrizio Serra Editore. ISBN 978-88-6227-117-2.

External links

  • More information provided by Italian sources
  • Coin of Temesa
  • Coin of Temesa

March 02, 2023
temesa, ancient, city, temesa, ancient, greek, Τεμέση, Τεμέσα, doric, later, called, tempsa, ancient, city, magna, graecia, italy, shore, tyrrhenian, situated, close, terina, precise, location, been, found, thought, have, been, located, near, savuto, river, no. Temesa Ancient Greek Temesh or Temesa Doric later called Tempsa was an ancient city of Magna Graecia in Italy on the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea It was situated close to Terina 1 but its precise location has not yet been found It is thought to have been located near the Savuto river to the north of the Gulf of Sant Euphemia 2 More recently Campora San Giovanni a town near the mouth of the Savuto has been considered as a more precise location The archeologist Gioacchino Francesco La Torre excavated a temple outside the town in the early 2000s which was located within the territory of Temesa 3 Contents 1 History 1 1 The Hero of Temesa 2 References 3 Sources 3 1 Primary sources 3 2 Secondary sources 4 Further reading 5 External linksHistory EditAccording to Strabo it was founded by the Ausones an Italic tribe and was settled by Aetolian Greeks under Thoas later 4 It came under the control of Sybaris at some later point but passed to Croton after it defeated Sybaris in 510 09 BC 5 Locri conquered Temesa 4 at some time in the first half of the fifth century BC probably in the 480s or 470s Croton was disadvantaged by the loss because Temesa had valuable copper mines and opportunities for trade with the north It founded Terina close to Temesa at this time to compensate 6 Croton probably did not lose control of Temesa for long because Temesan coins from the middle of the fifth century BC still carry Croton s tripod symbol Based on the coins La Torre concludes that Locri s invasion did not result in the conquest of Temesa but De Sensi Sestito disagrees with this conclusion She thinks an unsuccessful invasion would not have explained the failure to rebuild the excavated temple or the larger decline of Temesa and its eclipse by Terina The coins do not cover the precise period of 480 to 460 BC and some coins from this period have Temesa s legend erased and replaced with a legend of Croton This suggests that Croton continued to recognize and validate Temesa s coinage but that it did not exercise control over the city itself Nicholson thus concludes that Locri controlled Temesa possibly from around 480 to the late 460s BC 3 In 194 BC the city became a colonia of the Roman Republic after the Romans had driven out the Bruttians who had taken the city from the Greeks 7 Pausanias notes that the city was still inhabited in his own time the second century AD 8 Its copper mines had already been exhausted by the time Strabo was writing around the end of the first century BC 4 The Hero of Temesa Edit Pausanias also relates a ghost story which took place in Temesa 8 It was said that Odysseus was carried down to the shores of Italy and Sicily by storms after the sack of Troy Temesa was one of the cities he visited Here one of his sailors got drunk and raped a local woman for which he was stoned to death by the inhabitants Odysseus was indifferent to this and sailed away The stoned man returned as a daimon called the Hero to kill the inhabitants of Temesa at random The inhabitants wanted to flee from their city but the Pythian oracle forbade them to do so The oracle ordered them to build a temple for the Hero and sacrifice the most beautiful maiden to him every year This appeased the Hero and stopped the attacks Just when a maiden was sent to the temple to be sacrificed Euthymus of Locri a boxer and Olympic victor arrived at Temesa He fell in love with the maiden who swore to marry him if he saved her Euthymus lay in wait for the Hero in the temple and won the fight The Hero was driven out and sank in the depths of the sea Euthymus got married and Temesa was freed from the ghost forever Strabo gives a shorter version of the same story In his version the Hero is Polites one of the crewmembers of Odysseus Furthermore no drunkenness and rape is involved instead he was treacherously slain by the barbarians and collected taxes rather than maidens 4 Nicholson argues that the story was invented during the time Locri controlled Temesa Possibly the expulsion of the hero by the Locrian Euthymus served to express the conquest of the city by Locri 9 References Edit Strabo 1924 6 1 5 Pliny the Elder 3 10sfnm error no target CITEREFPliny the Elder help Cerchiai Jannelli amp Longo 2004 p 114 a b Nicholson 2013 p 14 a b c d Strabo 1924 6 1 5 Cerchiai Jannelli amp Longo 2004 pp 106 114 Wonder 2012 pp 139 140 Livy 1935 34 45 a b Pausanias 1918 6 6 10 Nicholson 2013 p 14 15 Sources EditPrimary sources Edit Pausanias 1918 Jones W H S ed Description of Greece Vol 3 Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0 674 99300 6 Livy 1935 Sage Evan T ed History of Rome Vol 9 Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0 674 99326 6 Pliny the Elder 1855 Bostock John Riley H T eds Natural History London Taylor and Francis Strabo 1924 Jones H L ed Geography Vol 3 Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0 674 99201 6 Secondary sources Edit Cerchiai Luca Jannelli Lorena Longo Fausto eds 2004 The Greek Cities of Magna Graecia and Sicily Translated from Italian by the J Paul Getty Trust Los Angeles California Getty Publications ISBN 978 0 89236 751 1 Nicholson Nigel 2013 Cultural Studies Oral Tradition and the Promise of Intertextuality American Journal of Philology 134 1 9 21 doi 10 1353 ajp 2013 0006 Wonder John W 2012 The Italiote League South Italian Alliances of the Fifth and Fourth Centuries BC Classical Antiquity 31 1 128 151 doi 10 1525 CA 2012 31 1 128 Further reading EditTorre Gioacchino Francesco la 2002 Un tempio arcaico nel territorio dell antica Temesa L edificio sacro in localita di Campora san Giovanni in Italian Rome Giorgio Bretschneider Editore ISBN 978 88 7689 206 6 ed 2009 Dall Oliva al Savuto Studi e ricerche sul territorio dell antica Temesa Conference proceedings Campora San Giovanni Amantea CS 15 16 September 2007 in Italian Pisa Fabrizio Serra Editore ISBN 978 88 6227 117 2 External links EditMore information provided by Italian sources Coin of Temesa Coin of Temesa Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Temesa ancient city amp oldid 1020709393, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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