is a region in the south of
Italy , bordering on
Campania to the west,
Puglia to the east,
Calabria to the south, it has one short coastline on the
Tyrrhenian Sea and another of the
Gulf Of Taranto in the
Ionian Sea to the south-east. The region covers 9,992
Km² and in
2001 had a population of 597,768 (pop. density 60)
The regional capital is and
Matera .
The region is as a whole mountainous, the highest point of the southern
Apennines being
Monte Pollino (7325 ft).
Monte Vulture , in the northwest corner (
Vulture Area ), is an extinct volcano (4365 ft). The mountainous terrain made communications difficult until modern times, and Basilicata was one of the least developed provinces of Italy.
Basilicata is one of the poorest regions in Italy.
In Roman times the district was called
Lucania and was administered together with the district of
Bruttium (inhabited by the
Bruttii ), to the south. The district of Lucania was so called from the people bearing the name ''
Lucani '' (Lucanians), who invaded the country about the middle of the
5th Century BC , driving the indigenous tribes, known to the Greeks as
Oenotrians ,
Chones , and
Leuterni (or Leutarni), into the mountainous interior. The coasts on both sides were occupied by powerful
Greek Colonies , part of
Magna Graecia .
The Lucanians were engaged in hostilities with the Greek colony of
Taras/Tarentum , and with
Alexander, King Of Epirus , who was called in by the Tarentine people to their assistance, in
326 BC , thus providing a precedent for Epirote interference in the affairs of Magna Graecia.
In
298 ,
Livy records, they made alliance with Rome, and Roman influence was extended by the colonies of
Venusia (
291 ),
Paestum (Greek Posidonia, refounded in
273 ), and above all Roman Tarentum (refounded in
272 ). Subsequently, however, the Lucanians suffered by choosing the losing side in the various wars on the peninsula in which Rome took part. They were sometimes in alliance with Rome, but more frequently engaged in hostilities, during the
Samnite Wars . When
Pyrrhus Of Epirus landed in Italy,
281 they were among the first to declare in his favor, and after his abrupt departure they were reduced to subjection, in a ten year campaign (
272 ). Enmity continued to run deep; they espoused the cause of Hannibal during the
Second Punic War (
216 ), and Lucania was ravaged by both armies during several campaigns. The country never recovered from these disasters, and under the Roman government fell into decay, to which the
Social War , in which the Lucanians took part with the Samnites against Rome (
90 -
88 BC ), gave the finishing stroke. In the time of Strabo the Greek cities on the coast had fallen into insignificance, and owing to the decrease of population and cultivation malaria began to obtain the upper hand. The few towns of the interior were of no importance. A large part of the province was given up to pasture, and the mountains were covered with forests, which abounded in wild boars, bears and wolves.
