Gnathia was famed for its glossy black slip pottery and for its polychromatic decoration – often using shades of white, ochre and red. A large number of Greek colonies populated Southern Italy from the 8th century BC onwards – so much so that the Romans referred to the area as Magna Graecia – ‘Great Greece’. These Greek colonies were essential in bringing the Ancient Greek culture and thought to Italy, deeply influencing Roman literature, philosophy, and material culture in turn.
To learn more about Greek pottery, please visit our relevant blog post: Styles and Uses of Greek Pottery.