Scylletium

Scylletium (later Scolacium) was an ancient Greek colony of Magna Graecia on the Ionian coast of Calabria, Italy, near modern Catanzaro. Founded by Athenian settlers, it was taken over by Rome in 120 BC and renamed Minerva Scolacium. The archaeological park preserves a 3,500-seat Greek theater, a Roman forum, and the only Roman amphitheater in Calabria. The site is also the birthplace of Cassiodorus, the 6th-century statesman and scholar. Today the ruins are set within a centuries-old olive grove covering 35 hectares, alongside the Norman Basilica of Santa Maria della Roccella.