The Oenotrians arrive in southern Italy at the beginning of the Iron Age (eleventh century BCE) from Greece through the Strait of Otranto together with other people of the same ethnic group.

According to Antoninus Liberalis, their arrival triggered the migration of the Elymians to Sicily.

Greek settlers from Sparta and Laconia conquer the Messapian village of Taras on the river of the same name (modern Tara) in the Apulia region of southeastern Italy in the eighth century BCE (the traditional date is 706, but it may have been earlier).

They establish a new Taras (present Taranto) on the peninsula between the Mare Piccolo and the Mare Grande.

Apparently, the Spartans have sent out these colonizers as a way of getting rid of an unwanted half-caste group.

Taranto, like Sparta, its mother city, had begun as an aristocratic republic, but becomes democratic when the ancient nobility dwindles.

In 466 BCE, Taranto is again defeated by the Iapyges; according to Aristotle, who praises its government, there were so many aristocrats killed that the democratic party was able to get the power, to remove the monarchy, inaugurate a democracy, and expel the Pythagoreans.

…Apulia.

Taras (modern Taranto, Italy), one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia (Greek colonies in southern Italy), had reached its zenith of military power and prosperity in the first half of the fourth century BCE under the great philosopher, scientist and major Pythagorean mathematician Archytas, who served for seven years as commander in chief of his city.

After his death, however, the city has suffered in a series of wars.

The Molossian king having gained these considerable successes, he arranges with the Romans, the leading power in central Italy, for a joint attack upon the Samnites, their primary enemy; but the Tarentines, suspecting him of the design of founding an independent kingdom, turn against him.

Although the advantage at first rests with Alexander, he gradually loses it, and his supporters dwindle away.

Alexander the Molossian, the Epirote king called to the aid of Taras, had claimed a victory over the Messapians between 333 BCE and 330 BCE.

The Messapians had joined forces with the Tarentines ater his death in 330 BCE to face an even greater force, that of Rome.

Taranto, attacked by the Lucanians in 304 BCE, asks for the help of Agathocles, who arrives in southern Italy and takes control of Bruttium (present-day Calabria), but is later called back to Syracuse.

Cleonymus of Sparta establishes an alliance with Taranto against the Lucanians in 303 BCE - 302 BCE, and fights against them.

To help Taranto against the Lucani, Cleonymus had gone as mercenary leader to southern Italy in 303 BCE with the backing of the Spartan administration..

There are two different accounts of his Italian expedition; one written by Diodorus Siculus and one by Livy, but the relations between the two sources are unclear.

The historian Thomas Lenschau supposes that they describe two different campaigns of Cleonymus: that one described by Diodorus Siculus would have taken place in 303 BCE and that one described by Livy in 302 BCE.

According to Diodorus Siculus, Cleonymus raises such a large army that the Lucani immediately conclude peace.

Then the Spartan prince takes the city of Metaponto and sails to Corcyra, which island he also quickly captures.

Learning that Taranto and other cities have broken with him, he sails back and is at first successful, but then he is defeated at a night attack.

As many of his ships are destroyed by a storm at the same time, he has to withdraw to Corcyra ion 303 or 302 BCE).

Probably in the next year (302 BCE) Cleonymus returns to Italy and—according to Livy—first conquers a city called Thuriae, location unknown, but Roman armies force him back to his ships.

The alliance with Taras and with Cleonymus of Sparta is essentially an anti-Roman campaign.

Thus, towards the end of the fourth century, Rome had become a common enemy for both the Iapygians and the Tarentines, even as far as ending the prolonged battles and causing them to make an alliance.

…the Greek city of Tarentum in Apulia.

Rome had violated a treaty by sending ships into the Gulf of Tarentum, only to have them sunk by the Tarantine fleet.

As in previous conflicts with Italian peoples, Tarentum summons military aid from mainland Greece, calling upon Pyrrhus of Epirus, an able general who has consolidated the Epirote monarchy and warred successfully with his eastern neighbor, Macedonia.

The Romans control Lucania (present Basilicata, a region in southern Italy comprising Matera and Potenza provinces and located on the Gulf of Taranto) by 272.

With the capture of Tarentum the same year, the Roman conquest of Italy is nearly complete.

The Romans have heavily garrisoned the city of Tarantum during the Second Punic War for fear that it might go over to Hannibal.

However, a group of Tarentine hostages held in Rome are caught trying to escape and thrown from the Tarpeian Rock as traitors; probably because of this, anti-Roman feeling in the city increases greatly.

Two members of the pro-Carthage faction in the city enable Hannibal to enter the city in 212 BCE, although he is not able to capture the citadel of the city, which is defended by Roman troops.

Because of Hannibal's failure to capture the citadel, he is not able to use Tarentum as a major port and staging area for the invasion of Italy.

The army is forced to portage boats across the city in order to sail from the bay.