Σκυλλήτιον Scolacium | |
 Remains of Amphithéâtres of Scolacium. | |
  Scylletium Shown within Italy | |
| Location | Borgia,Catanzaro,Calabria, Italy |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°48′33″N16°35′44″E / 38.80917°N 16.59556°E /38.80917; 16.59556 |
| Type | Settlement |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1982 |
| Management | Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Calabria |
| Website | ArcheoCalabriaVirtual(in Italian) |
Scylletium,[a] laterMinervium andColonia Minervia,[1] was an ancient seaside city in present-dayCalabria,southern Italy. Its ruins can be found at thefrazione (borough) of Roccelletta inBorgia, nearCatanzaro, facing theGulf of Squillace.
Skylletion may originally have been founded in the 7th c. BC on the Punta di Staletti promontory.[2]
In any case Scylletium was situated from the 6th c. BC on the east coast ofCalabria (ancient Bruttium), on the shores of an extensive bay, to which it gave the name of Scylleticus Sinus.[3]
According to a tradition generally received in ancient times, Scylletium (Σκυλλήτιον)[4] was founded by anAthenian colony ofMagna Graecia, a part of the followers who had accompaniedMenestheus to theTrojan War.[5]Solinus also mention that the Scylaceum was established by Athenians.[6]Another tradition was, however, extant, which ascribed its foundation toUlysses.[7] However, it did not display any friendship towards the Athenians.[8]
It appears during this period to have been a minor place and a mere dependency ofCrotona until it was wrested from its power by theelder Dionysius, who assigned it with its territory to theLocrians.[9]
It was still a small and unimportant place at the time of theSecond Punic War, as no mention is found of its name during the operations ofHannibal in Bruttium, though he appears to have had his headquarters for some time atCastra Hannibalis very near Scylletium.
In 124 BC theRomans, at the instigation ofC. Gracchus, sent acolony to Scylletium, which appears to have assumed the name ofMinervium orColonia Minervia.[10] The name is written byVelleiusScolatium; and the formScolacium is found also in an inscription of the reign ofAntoninus Pius, from which it appears that the place must have received a fresh colony underNerva.[11] Scylletium appears to have become a considerable town after it received the Roman colony, and continued such throughout theRoman Empire.[12]
Towards the close of this period it was distinguished as the birthplace of the Roman statesmanCassiodorus, founder of theVivarium, a monastery dedicated to the coexistence of coenobitic monks and hermits, who has left us a detailed but rhetorical description of the beauty of its situation dated to around 530 AD, and fertility of its territory.[13] Cassiodorus also mentioned production of highly pricedterra cotta. His villa was located at Punta di Staletti.[14]
In 2006 a sculpture with the titleTime Horizon was set up in the park by the English sculptorAntony Gormley.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857).Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
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