Place · region

Magna Graecia

from 8th century BCE · 8th century BCE · Also known as Great Greece

Magna Graecia, Latin for Great Greece, was the name given to the coastal areas of southern Italy settled by Greek colonists from the 8th century BCE. Cities such as Croton, Sybaris, Taras, Locri and Kaulonia grew rich from farming and trade, produced fine coinage and hosted philosophers such as Pythagoras. Rome absorbed the region in the 3rd century BCE.

Magna Graecia
Image: Bruno Rijsman · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

CrotonKaulonia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Magna Graecia. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magna-graecia
MLA
“Magna Graecia.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magna-graecia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Magna Graecia.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magna-graecia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Magna Graecia’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magna-graecia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻