Early Roman Republic, Roman Conquest of Italy, Conquest of Southern Italy: Introduction 

Conquest of Southern Italy (280-264 BC)

In 285/4 BC the people of the Greek colony of Thurii on the Gulf of Taranto appealed to Rome for protection against the attacks of Lucanians and Bruttians. In 282 BC the consul ⁰¹Fabricius Luscinus (fl.284-275 BC) defeated the Lucanians and Bruttians in battle, and left a garrison at Thurii.

Fabricius’ military operations on land were apparently backed up by a small fleet of warships, which by sailing them east of the Lacinian Promontory (=Capo Colonne) the Romans had broken an old treaty with Tarentum. The Tarentines responded by attacking the Roman ships: sinking four, capturing another and scattering the rest; then marched to Thurii, captured the town and drove out the Roman garrison. 

Rome sent Lucius ⁰⁵Postumius Megellus to Tarentum to demand the release of all Roman captives and the handing over of all those who had committed these aggressive acts against Rome, but his demands were rejected. The following year the consul Lucius ⁰⁵Aemilius Barbula was sent with an army to confront the Tarentines and their allies. Tarentum was wealthy but had no real army, so the Tarentines sent ambassadors across the Adriatic to seek military assistance from King Pyrrhus of Epirus (47; r.306-302, 297-272 BC).