Sybaris

720 BC     Achaean colony. Richest and most important in Italy until its destruction in 510/511 BC.

   -510 BC     Sybaris I
510/511 BC     Destruction by Kroton.
               Sybarite refugees to Laus (Sybarite colony) and Scidrus (unknown).

510-470 BC ca. Sybaris II (dependency of Kroton)
               Sybarite political refugees who had taken refuge at Kroton on the outbreak of war
               may have provided the nucleus of the inhabitants.
               'aliance' issue of Kroton and Sybaris
476 BC ca.     Sybaris more or less independent again.
               Diodorus reports that the Sybarites were besieged by Kroton and sought help from 
               Hiero of Syracuse.
470 BC ca.     second destruction of Sybaris by Kroton.
               Refugees to Laus (2nd group) and for the main part to Poseidonia (large influence).
               Coin of Laus influenced by these refugees (acorn)

453-448 BC     Sybaris III
               Apparent decline in the power of Croton. Thessalos assembled the surviving Sybarites 
               (mainly from Poseidonia, but supported by a contingent from Laus) and set out to 
               refound Sybaris again.
               PO                              from Poseidonia on Sybarite coins.
               LAS, bird1) and man-headed bull from Laus on Sybarite coins.
448 BC         destroyed once again by Kroton.

446-440 BC ca. Sybaris IV (later Thurium or Thourioi)
               Surviving body of Sybarites sought allies from outside Italy to found Sybaris IV.
               An appeal to Sparta achieved nothing, but at Athens Pericles saw an opportunity
               for extending Athenian influence in the west.
446 BC         Sybaris IV was foundd with Athenian aid.
444 BC         Settlement reinforced by Athens with colonists drawn from various parts of the
               Greek mainlamd.
               Quarrel between the original Sybarites and the larger contingent of new settlers.
               Expulsion of the Sybarites, who founded Sybaris V.
               Name of Sybaris IV became Thurium. It is not clear whether the name was changes before,
               after, or simultaneously with the expulsion of the Sybarites.
               
440-  BC ca.   Sybaris V (on the river Traeis to the south-east of Sybaris)
               Founded by the Sybarites expelled from Sybaris IV.




1) bird of Laus
According to Kraay laios, with reference to Laus and
its role in the foundation of Sybaris III (453-448 BC).
A laios is a kind of thrush.
It seems highly probable that the Laaus birds and
the Sybarite birds are the same.
The bird is probably the:
Blue Rock Thrush    Petrocichla cyanus
                    Monticola cyanus
                 or Monticola solitarius
Dr. George Miles has kindly supplied this identification.
SNG ANS 139-46 of Laus, represent excellent representations of the bird.


See also The Sybarite 'Empire'.

  

Lit: CM Kraay (Numismatic Chronicle 1958, pp 13-37. "The Coinage of Sybaris after 510 BC".