The Calabrian Poleis and the Hellenic World. Conversation with the historian Pasquale Amato

For the Summer Nights at MArRC 2019, by the extraordinary evening openings on Thursday and Saturday from 8.00 pm to 11.00 pm, at the cost of only 3 euros, the appointment on Saturday September 7th, at 9.00 pm, on the spectacular terrace on the Straits, is going in company of the International Writers’ Center of Calabria and of the historian Pasquale Amato, professor at the University for Foreigners “Dante Alighieri” of Reggio Calabria, head of the History Section of CIS Calabria, who will hold a conversation on the theme: “The Calabrian Poleis and their contribution to the culture of the Hellenic world”.

“The Poleis which had been founded along the coasts of Calabria by Greek migrants made a valuable contribution to the culture and art of the varied Hellenic world”,Professor Amato says. “Some were protagonists of experiences of high civic value and social importance. In particular, Reggio and Crotone. Founded by the Calcidesi migrants in 730 BC, Rhegion was the site of important literary and artistic activities”. For example, ancient Reggio was the birthplace of the great choral lyric poet Ibico (6th century BC) and hosted the only school of historians in Magna Graecia. The Polis was also the place of greatest production of calcidese ceramics. He continues: “Crotone was the seat of the most advanced philosophical School in the entire Hellenic world: the School of Pythagoras. It distinguished itself above all in two aspects: the practice of communion of goods among the students and openness to women. The criteria for admission were intelligence and moral integrity”. Thus, Pythagoras could be called the “first feminist” in History.