| |
|
Taranto
Spartans founded Taranto (Taras in Greek) in about 706 BC. These colonists consisted of illegitimate children born to Spartan woman while their warrior husbands were fighting away from home. As the offspring grew older, they were denied full Spartan citizenship. On the advice of the oracle (or priestess) at Delphi, they decided to sail west, led by Phalanthus. They settled at a site with the finest harbor in South Italy, near good farmlands, on a peninsula forming a protected lagoon (marina piccola).
Taranto was a city of wealth and learning. It reached the peak of its prosperity in the 4th century BC. Famous for its wool, its wine, and other agricultural products, the city also produced a much-admired purple dye from the murex shellfish in its harbor. Taranto was also a center for the teaching of Pythagorean philosophy. During the 4th century BC, Archytas (about 430-365 BC), a follower of the mathematician, governed the city, and the philosopher Plato visited him, indicating Taranto's importance as a hub for learning in Magna Graecia.
This gallery displays works from the National Archeological Museum of Taranto. The selection of objects highlights two areas of art production in which the Tarantines excelled: gold jewelry [cat. nos. 13-21] and terracotta figurines [cat. nos. 22-26], whose painted garments suggest the splendor of Taranto's famous dyed woolen cloth.
Page 8 of 11 | On the next page:
Palermo
|
