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 SIBARI - CALABRIA - SOUTH ITALY 
Sibari is 
      shrouded in mystery as no other city of Magna Graecia. Its 
      history, fate, the interest which it aroused in students of Antiquity 
      during the course of the centuries have only helped to feed its myth. 
      Located between the Rivers Crati and Sibari, this town was Magna Graecia's 
      oldest and most famous colony and became Italy's largest and most 
      populated city of the time. Sibari had itself many colonies and various 
      resources such as the fertility of its countryside, vines and olives, the 
      resources of Sila and Pollino forests, the gifts of earth, it's rich 
      silver mines, that kept this town as one of the richest and well preserved 
      of the time. This uncommon wealth soon engendered dissension and envy in 
      Sibari's main rival Croton that made this town it's first objective for 
      destruction. Croton wanted Sibari to disappear for ever and had the waters 
      of the river Crati diverted flooding the town. Survivors of Sibari founded 
      other two colonies named Thurii and Copiae that however where not as 
      wealthy and famous as their original town. Remains of these two colonies 
      have been excavated in the Parco del Cavallo but nothing has arised of the 
      ancient Sybaris. 
 
 
  
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These excavations have brought to light yielded jewellery, small bronzes, fragments of 
statues, proof of Copiae's private houses, a theatre, it's square and the baths 
and can be seen in the Museum of Siritide where archaeological findings from a 
past that ranges from protohistory to Roman age can be admired. Another very 
interesting site is the "Punta Alice" where remains of the Temple of Apollo Aleo 
can be found. Sibari is known as Magna Grecia's oldest, 
largest, most famous and populated colony of the time.
  
Located between the rivers Crati and Sibari, 
it used to have, as it still has, many resources, such as very fertile 
countryside with vines and olives, the wealth of the Sila and Pollino forests 
and rich silver mines, which all took part to keep this town one of the richest. 
Crotone, who was Sybaris biggest rival at the time, diverted the waters of river 
Crati causing the flooding of the town so to obtain, as the inhabitants would 
escape, the wealth of the land. The survivors of the flood took shelter in two 
other colonies, Thurii and Copiae.
  
This is how the story goes; but 
            its history and fate which interested many students of Antiquity during 
            the course of the century only helped to feed its myth, as in the 
            Parco del Cavallo were excavated many remains from a past that ranges 
            from protohistory to roman age of the two colonies in which Sybaris 
            survivors, at the time, moved; remains that are still kept in the 
            museum of Siritide, but nothing was found relating to the ancient 
            Sybaris. Another very interesting site of the town in the "Punta 
            Alice", where are found remains of the Temple of Apollo Aleo.
                              
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