REGGIO
CALABRIA
Reggio Calabria
is officially called Reggio di Calabria, and can be found
on the Western banks of the straight of Messina. Reconstructed
after the terrible earthquakes of 1793 and 1908, it now has
a modern appearance, a regular layout with rectilinear roads,
which cross at right angles like a chessboard.
The old Reggio (from Greek Rhegion, in its time adaptation
of a local place-name) was founded around 720BC by the Calcidesi
dell’Eubea, to which can be added, at least after the
600’s, groups of Esuli Messeni. After a period of political
unrest, it was tyrannically governed by Anassila, established
in 494BC. Shortly after, Zancle took possession and transferred
numerous Esuli Messeni (from which came the name of Messana
or Messene), forming an alliance with Terillo of Imera and
invoking the help of the Carthaginians; but the defeated suffered
by the Carthaginians at Imera (480), constricted the them
to accept defeat at Siracusa. On his death, power passed to
the younger children, under the guidance of Micito (476-467),
who formed an alliance with Taranto, re-taking the northwards
political expansion, but then gravely defeated by the Iapigi.
A further alliance with Athens in 433, during the Archidamica
war, served as a base for the army of Athens, but during the
expedition of Sicily, it remained neutral, limiting itself
to providing supplies.
The traditional hostility with Siracusa, at the end, led to
its destruction in 387BC, work of Dionigi I. It was then successfully
reconstructed by Dionigi II, with the name of Febea, later
managing to regain its independence, but also having to fight
with the indigenous Bruzi population. Finally asking help
against them from the Romans (282), who sent mercenary garrison
troops from Campania, but who shortly afterwards in 280, during
the war against Pirro, took possession of the City, which
could only be liberated in 270. Therefore becoming a faithful
ally of Rome in 89BC, a Town Hall was erected, and later,
it received numerous columns from Augusto, yet still preserving
its characteristics of a Greek City.
In 410, Reggio was the final point of an invasion by the Visigoti
of Alarico. During the Gothic war, it was an important Byzantine
fortress, conquered by Totila in 549, regaining stability
through the Byzantine Artabano (551). Under the Western Empire,
the City knew notable economic posterity and in the 8th Century,
its old Episcopal seat of Latin Rites, was transformed into
Metropolia (that is, a metropolitan diocese) of Greek rites,
with dignity and given primate of Calabria for its title.
Conquered by the Longobards (916-918) and numerous times during
the same period by the Arabs of Sicily, Reggio finally fell
(1060) under the dominion of the Normans by the hand of Roberto
il Guiscardo and Ruggero d’Altavilla, who took it away,
definitively, from the Byzantines. Robert il Guiscardo, Duke
of Puglia and Calabria, later received from Pope Gregorio
VII, the restitution of the Latin Rites from the Reggina Episcopal
seat (1081).
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