Why Was Italy Called Great Greece (Magna Graecia)?

Why Was Italy Called Great Greece (Magna Graecia)?

Ancient Greek temple of Poseidon in Paestum, Italy. The city was founded as Poseidonia by the Greeks of Magna Greacia (Great Greece). To the ancient Greeks, their land was not just confined to Greece and the nearby islands as we know it today. Aside from Asia Minor, which had many Greek cities, a large portion of Italy was also their land. The ancient Romans referred to the southern part of Italy as Magna Graecia, literary meaning “Great Greece”…