Editing Calabria (section)

===Romanisation===
[[File:Sybaris archeological park 6.jpg|thumb|Excavated mosaic floor with [[swastikas]], [[Sybaris]].]]
At the beginning of the 3rd century BC the cities of southern Italy, which had been allies of the Samnites, were still independent<ref>{{harvnb|Grant|1993|p=77}}</ref> but inevitably came into conflict as a result of Rome's continuous expansion<ref name="enemiesP14">{{harvnb|Matyszak|2004|p=14}}</ref><ref name="historyOrRomeP78">{{harvnb|Grant|1993|p=78}}</ref> as their expansion in central and northern Italy had not been sufficient to provide new arable lands they needed.<ref name="Musti_536">{{harvnb|Musti|1990|p=536}}</ref>

====Pyrrhic War====
{{Main|Pyrrhic War}}
Between 280 and 275 BC the Tarentine War was fought between [[Rome]] and [[Taranto]]. The latter sought help from [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhus]], king of [[Epirus (ancient state)|Epirus]], who in 280, together with his allies, the Bruttians and Lucanians, defeated the Romans at the [[Battle of Heraclea]], thanks to the use of elephants. But Pyrrhus was later defeated by the Romans at Maluentum (current [[Benevento]]) in 275 and retreated to Sicily, where [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]] needed help against the Carthaginians. Transiting through Calabria, Pyrrhus' army is said to have sacked the shrine of [[Persephone]] in Locri, running - it is said - into the wrath of the gods. This, combined with the fact that Rome had formed alliances with some of the last poleis of Magna Graecia, including Reggio, caused Pyrrhus to return home.<ref name=":24">{{Cite book |title=Storia della Calabria |publisher=Gangemi Editore |year=1988 |isbn=88-7448-158-6 |editor-last=Settis |editor-first=Salvatore |volume=I: La Calabria antica |location=Rome-Reggio Calabria |language=it |trans-title=History of Calabria}}</ref><ref name=":33">{{Cite book |last=Caligiuri |first=Mario |title=Breve storia della Calabria. Dalle origini ai giorni nostri |publisher=Newton & Compton |year=1996 |isbn=88-8183-479-0 |location=Rome |language=it |trans-title=Brief history of Calabria. From its origins to the present day}}</ref> 

After Pyrrhus was eventually defeated, to avoid Roman revenge the Bruttii submitted willingly and gave up half of the Sila, a mountainous plateau valuable for its pitch and timber.<ref>Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Histories, 20.5–6</ref> Rome subjugated southern Italy by means of treaties with the cities.<ref>{{harvnb|Lane Fox|2005|p=307}}</ref>

====Punic Wars====
{{Main|Second Punic War}}Between 264 and 251 BC the [[First Punic War]] was fought in Sicily, between Rome and Carthage, which would end with the creation of the [[Sicilia (Roman province)|Roman province of Sicily]]. Following the Carthaginian provocation with the [[siege of Saguntum]], [[Spain]], the [[Second Punic War]] broke out in 217 BC. The Carthaginian general [[Hannibal]], after taking Saguntum and [[Marseille]], crossed the [[Alps]] and defeated the Romans at the [[Trebbia]] River, the [[Ticino (river)|Ticino]] River, [[Lake Trasimeno]], and in 216 BC at [[Cannae]] in Apulia.<ref name=":25">{{Cite book |title=Storia della Calabria |publisher=Gangemi Editore |year=1988 |isbn=88-7448-158-6 |editor-last=Settis |editor-first=Salvatore |volume=I: La Calabria antica |location=Rome-Reggio Calabria |language=it |trans-title=History of Calabria}}</ref><ref name=":34">{{Cite book |last=Caligiuri |first=Mario |title=Breve storia della Calabria. Dalle origini ai giorni nostri |publisher=Newton & Compton |year=1996 |isbn=88-8183-479-0 |location=Rome |language=it |trans-title=Brief history of Calabria. From its origins to the present day}}</ref>

After the victory at Cannae, Hannibal achieved his first important political-strategic results. He then made a brief raid on the [[Ager Romanus|Roman Ager]] before retiring to [[Capua]] for his leisure. Hannibal sent his brother [[Mago Barca|Mago]] with part of his forces into Bruttium to accommodate the surrender of those cities that abandoned the Romans and to force out those that refused to do so. The people of Petelia, who remained loyal to the Romans, were attacked not only by the Carthaginians, who occupied their region, but also by the Bruttians who had instead allied themselves with Hannibal. After withstanding a long siege, which lasted 11 months, because the Romans were unable to help them, with their consent, they surrendered. The city was conquered and Hannibal led the army to Cosenza, which, after a less harsh defense, fell to the Carthaginians. At the same time an army of Bruttians, besieged and occupied another Greek city, Croton, except for the fortress alone, inhabited by less than 2,000 people. The Locrians also passed to the Bruttians and the Carthaginians. Only the Regginians preserved their loyalty to Rome and their independence to the last.<ref name=":25" /><ref name=":34" />

Hannibal also had a history of the Punic Wars written on the Carthaginian side, and ordered it to be kept in the [[Temple of Juno Lacinia (Crotone)|temple of Juno Lacinia]] in Crotone so that the Romans could not falsify the history of the war. [[Plutarch]], writing his work, also drew from that source. But in the summer of 204 B.C. they Romans arrived in Calabria and enslaved the Bruttians to punish them for their rebellion. Vast estates were requisitioned and assigned to members of the Roman aristocracy.<ref name=":25" /><ref name=":34" />[[File:Second Punic war (cropped).png|thumb|Allies of Hannibal (blue) in Second Punic War]]

During the Second Punic War (218–201 BC) the Bruttii allied with [[Hannibal]], who sent [[Hanno, son of Bomilcar|Hanno]], one of his commanders, to Calabria. Hanno marched toward [[Capua]] (in Campania) with Bruttian soldiers to take them to Hannibal's headquarters there twice, but he was defeated on both occasions. When his campaign in Italy came to a dead end, Hannibal took refuge in Calabria, whose steep mountains provided protection against the Roman legions. He set up his headquarters in Kroton and stayed there for four years until he was recalled to Carthage. The Romans fought a battle with him near Kroton, but its details are unknown. Many Calabrian cities surrendered to the Romans<ref>Livy, The History of Rome, 30.19</ref> and Calabria was put under a military commander.