Tarentum

The road bends to Tarentum, an important port city for people sailing towards points west. The city has a long history, founded in 708 BCE by the Spartans. It was famous for murex, the mollusk which provided purple dye. It was also known for wool, wine, figs and salt. In the third century BCE, threatened by Roman expansion of the peninsula, the city sent to Epirus for assistance. Pyrrhus came to its aid. It was from the ensuing battle that the term "pyrrhic victory" was coined (Pyrrhus won but at a great cost). By 270 BCE, the city had become a Roman ally.