Locri

Locri is a seaside resort on the southeast coast of Calabria with 12,495 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012). It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Locri - Gerace.

The ancient city

History

Four kilometers southwest Locris lies the ancient Locri Epizephyrioi (Greek Λοκροί Ἐπιζεφύριοι, also Λοκρίς, Locris or Latin Locri Epizephyrii, " the Western Locri "). The city was founded in 680 BC on the coast of the Ionian Sea from Locrian colonists, probably from the city ostlokrischen Opos, with the support of Sparta and the westlokrischen Ozolae. Strabo believed that the Ozolae were the main founders. Even in the 7th century BC, the city was awarded by Zaleukos his laws, after a century he has been provided with an assembled from large blocks city wall.

In the first two centuries Locri was an ally of Sparta, from the 5th century BC, an ally of Syracuse. In the first half of the 4th century BC Locri was one of the most important cities in Magna Graecia. Locri is the home of the philosopher Timaeus.

From Locri itself two colony -ups went out Hipponium and Medma. During the Hellenistic period, the city was allied with Rome. Only the incursions of the Saracens at the beginning of the 10th century ushered in the downfall of the city.

From the city wall remains are preserved, as well as several temples and the out-of- town theater, and - also outside the city - necropolis of Siculi, Greeks and Romans, some of which have even greater extent. 1959 excavations financial Archive Temple of Zeus was found.

From Locri originate the " Locrian reliefs " said Pinakes. It is small, square, painted reliefs made of clay, were the votive offerings to Aphrodite and mainly had the myth of the goddess as a motive. The people hung these provided with two holes Tönblätter in the trees. Your creation and production time is dated to the late 6th century and the beginning of the 5th century BC. The excavations of the so-called 100 chambers probably housed the Tonwerkstätten Lokrois. The Pinakes are exhibited in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in Reggio Calabria.

The ionic temple

In the first half of the 5th century BC, the inhabitants Lokrois renewed their archaic Temple of Zeus in the Ionic style. The architects probably came from the friendly Syracuse, because they repeated at the 470 BC temple built solutions that have already been used at a temple in Syracuse under the tyrant Hieron I..

The new temple stood in the same place as the old one, but had a slightly different orientation. It was 45.5 meters long, 19.8 meters wide. He had six Ionic columns at the front and rear and 17 columns on the long sides. The column height was about 12 meters. Between the antenna of the pronaos stood two pillars. Three - fascia architrave, frieze and dentils formed the entablature. The cella was divided by a central row of columns in two ships. Inside the cella was a trimmed of limestone slabs Bothros, a big let into the bottom hole, which served cultic acts. The temple was destroyed in the 11th century.

By taking place from the mid-9th century, the inhabitants Lokrois Saracens were forced to abandon the city and take refuge in the shelter of the mountains, according to Gerace, which was still a Basilian monastery. Some columns of the Ionic Temple of Zeus were integrated into the erected there in 1084 and dedicated to the construction of the Norman- Romanesque cathedral. However, the old Locri fell into disrepair.

Only at the beginning of the 20th century Italian archaeologist Paolo Orsi set out to uncover the remains of the Temple of Zeus among others. Today you can see the foundations of two temples and an Ionic columns stump. Many finds are housed in the nearby collection, some in the Museum of Reggio Calabria.

The Theatre

Built in the 4th century BC theater is located not far from the ancient Locri away in today Contrada Pirettina. For its investment you used the surrounding hills by nick the cavea partly in the upcoming rock to avoid embankments. The theater offered more than 4500 visitors. Today, only the central region is visible.

Others

Locri is the seat of the private radio station Radio Studio 54 Network, which sends predominantly music.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Doris, wife of the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse
• Philistion of Locri, the famous Greek physician at the time of Plato
• Giuseppe Sculli ( born 1981 ), football player