Sybaris: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient City of Luxury

The ancient city of Sybaris, located in southern Italy on the Gulf of Taranto, was founded around 720 BC by Achaean and Troezenian settlers. These settlers brought with them advanced agricultural practices and trade skills, which contributed to the city's rapid growth and wealth. Known for its immense wealth and luxurious lifestyle, Sybaris quickly became one of the most prosperous cities in Magna Graecia, the term used to describe the coastal areas of southern Italy colonized by Greek settlers. The city’s fertile land, particularly the alluvial plains around the Crati River, combined with its strategic coastal position, facilitated extensive trade, contributing to its economic success.

Sybaris was renowned for its opulence, to the extent that the term “sybaritic” has come to describe indulgence in luxury and pleasure. The city's inhabitants, known as Sybarites, were famous for their hedonistic lifestyle, which included grand feasts featuring exotic delicacies, elaborate celebrations, and a love for the arts, particularly music and dance. Public spectacles and athletic contests were frequent, showcasing not only physical prowess but also the city’s wealth. These indulgences created a culture that prioritized comfort and pleasure, attracting visitors from across the Mediterranean.

However, Sybaris’s prosperity also sowed the seeds of its downfall. In 510 BC, the neighboring city of Croton, envious of Sybaris’s wealth and influence, launched a military campaign that resulted in the city's destruction and the expulsion of its inhabitants. The survivors attempted to rebuild Sybaris with Athenian support around 444 BC, but internal conflicts and power struggles undermined these efforts, leading to further decline. Ultimately, the city was abandoned, and its ruins were buried by sediment from the Crati River, a testament to its former glory.

Today, the archaeological remains of Sybaris, along with those of the later cities of Thurii and Copia, offer valuable insights into the rich history and culture of this once-great city. Excavations have revealed remnants of grand public buildings, luxurious homes, and intricate mosaics, allowing historians and archaeologists to piece together the lifestyle and social structures of the Sybarites. These findings not only highlight the city’s historical significance but also illustrate the broader cultural exchanges that occurred in ancient Mediterranean societies.
Sybaris: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient City of Luxury

Sybaris - ancient city in Southern Italy

The city was founded in 720 BC by Achaean and Troezenian settlers. Achaean, an inhabitant of Achaea, was a member of one of the four main divisions of prehistoric Greeks, believed to have occupied the Peloponnesus and to have produced the Mycenaean culture.

Troezenian came from the ancient city of Troezen. a city of southeastern Argolis, on the Saronic Gulf. According to the legend, the city was one of the first cult centers in honor of the sea god Poseidon (in Greek mythology Poseidon is a forebearer of the former king Troezen after whom the city was named).

Sybaris amassed great wealth due to its fertile land and busy port. Sybaris known for its wealth and the luxury of its inhabitants, which contributed to the modern meaning of “sybaritic.” Someone who has a sybaritic way of life spends a lot of time relaxing in a luxurious way.

The main trade goods were wine, olives, cattle and, last but not least, fishing. In the 6th century BC, Sybaris was one of the richest Greek states.

Twice razed by the Crotoniates (510 and c. 448 BC), Sybaris was rebuilt a third time with Athenian help. Athens allowed them to get back to Calabria to settle a new Athenian colony, in the same place where Sybaris once rise, and they called it Thurii (BC 444). But after a domestic struggle with Athens, Sybarites were expelled for good.

Later, there were attempts to rebuild the city, but despite the threat of Croton, these attempts were abandoned in 444 BC and the cities of Thuria and Sybaris of Triontium were created instead.
Sybaris - ancient city in Southern Italy