Battle of the Sagra
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Sagra was fought in the 6th century BC between the Greek cities
of Locri Epizefiri and Crotone
. The battle took place along the Sagra River (which cannot be precisely identified, but may be the present-day River Torbido) and the River Allaro, in the Province of Reggio Calabria
, southern Italy
.
also offered aid. Locri requested help from Sparta
, but the Spartans replied that they should seek help from the Dioscuri, who according to legend had once fought at the Locrians' side and helped them defeat Croton.
The ancient sources write of 10,000 to 15,000 men in total, whilst some of them even hyperbolically write of 130,000 Croton troops in the battle. According to legend the river's waters were stained red with the blood of the dead. Historically, the Locrian cavalry first blocked the Crotonese army and then routed it. Much of the data we now have on the battle is from a shield found at Delphi
, inscribed by (among others) "the citizens of Hipponion and Medma and Locri dedicated [this] as booty from the Crotonese". It is reported news of the battle reached the Peloponnese
in a single day.
regime, which turned its eyes towards neighbouring Sybaris
, destroyed by Crotone's troops in 510 BC. For Locri it was instead the start of a more and more aggressive policy towards neighbouring cities, subsequently leading to a rupture in its alliance with Rhegion.
Polis
Polis , plural poleis , literally means city in Greek. It could also mean citizenship and body of citizens. In modern historiography "polis" is normally used to indicate the ancient Greek city-states, like Classical Athens and its contemporaries, so polis is often translated as "city-state."The...
of Locri Epizefiri and Crotone
Crotone
Crotone is a city and comune in Calabria, southern Italy, on the Ionian Sea. Founded circa 710 BC as the Achaean colony of Croton , it was known as Cotrone from the Middle Ages until 1928, when its name was changed to the current one. In 1994 it became the capital of the newly established...
. The battle took place along the Sagra River (which cannot be precisely identified, but may be the present-day River Torbido) and the River Allaro, in the Province of Reggio Calabria
Province of Reggio Calabria
The Province of Reggio Calabria is a province in the Calabria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Reggio., it has an area of 3,183 km², and a total population of 565,866. There are 97 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Reggio Calabria.- Economy :The region is...
, southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Course
Historians date the battle to sometime between 560 BC and 535 BC. Crotone opened hostilities and had the superior miitary force. Their Locrian opponents thus decided not to meet the enemy in open battle, but instead to wait at the ford of the River Sagra. Rhegion allied with Locri and sent a contingent to prevent the annexation by Crotone of Locrian territory, which bordered on that of Rhegion. The Locrian colonies of Hipponion and MedmaMedma
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also offered aid. Locri requested help from Sparta
History of Sparta
The History of Sparta describes the destiny of the ancient Dorian Greek state known as Sparta from its beginning in the legendary period to its forced incorporation into the Achaean League under the late Roman Republic, its conquerors, in 146 BCE, a period of roughly 1000 years...
, but the Spartans replied that they should seek help from the Dioscuri, who according to legend had once fought at the Locrians' side and helped them defeat Croton.
The ancient sources write of 10,000 to 15,000 men in total, whilst some of them even hyperbolically write of 130,000 Croton troops in the battle. According to legend the river's waters were stained red with the blood of the dead. Historically, the Locrian cavalry first blocked the Crotonese army and then routed it. Much of the data we now have on the battle is from a shield found at Delphi
Delphi
Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god...
, inscribed by (among others) "the citizens of Hipponion and Medma and Locri dedicated [this] as booty from the Crotonese". It is reported news of the battle reached the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
in a single day.
Results
The battle resulted in a profound internal crisis in Crotone, under an austere PythagoreanPythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos was an Ionian Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Most of the information about Pythagoras was written down centuries after he lived, so very little reliable information is known about him...
regime, which turned its eyes towards neighbouring Sybaris
Sybaris
Sybaris was an ancient city in Magna Graecia on the western shore of the Gulf of Taranto. The wealth of the city during the 6th century BC was so great that the Sybarites became synonymous with pleasure and luxury...
, destroyed by Crotone's troops in 510 BC. For Locri it was instead the start of a more and more aggressive policy towards neighbouring cities, subsequently leading to a rupture in its alliance with Rhegion.