The Ancients (History Hit)

Episode: Paestum: Ancient Greeks in Italy

Host: Dan Snow
Guests: Dr. Catherine Lomas (Durham University), Dr. Tiziana D'Angelo (Director, Archaeological Park of Paestum and Velia)
Release Date: December 18, 2025

Overview

This episode explores the ancient site of Paestum in southern Italy—a city founded by Greek settlers, later shaped by Lucanian and Roman cultures, and famed for its stunningly preserved Greek temples and remarkable painted tombs. Host Dan Snow is joined by Dr. Catherine Lomas and Dr. Tiziana D’Angelo to guide listeners through the history, art, architecture, and multicultural legacy of Paestum, revealing how this city became a crossroads of the ancient Mediterranean.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Founding and Location of Paestum

• Geographic Context

  • Paestum is located about 90 km southeast of Naples, on a fertile coastal plain close to the Tyrrhenian Sea ([06:20]).
  • The original city, Poseidonia, was named after Poseidon, reflecting its Greek maritime origins.

• Foundation by Greeks from Sybaris

  • Founded around the turn of the 6th century BC by Greeks fleeing civic discord in Sybaris ([09:39]).
  • The site was chosen for its fertile land, strategic maritime access, and potential trade routes.

“It's got really good resources and good connections with the wider world, both Greek and non Greek.”
—Dr. Catherine Lomas ([06:39])

2. The Cityscape and Society of Ancient Paestum

• Urban Features

  • Monumental stone walls, striking temples visible from the sea, and an extensive agora ([11:58]).
  • The agora included a “hero shrine” (heroon) and an ecclesiasterion for public assemblies, indicating a population of 10,000–12,000 ([11:58]).

• Temples as Landmarks

  • Three grand Greek temples dominate: the Basilica (Temple of Hera), the Temple of Neptune (possibly Hera or Apollo), and the Temple of Athena ([13:34]).
  • These structures exemplify the evolution and maturity of Doric architecture.

“It is one of the most spectacular surviving examples of ancient Greek temple architecture from anywhere in the world.”
—Dan Snow ([13:34])

3. Temples: Architecture and Worship

• Building Techniques & Uses

  • Temples were monumental expressions of civic pride and religious devotion, with most rites performed outside at the altar ([17:24]).
  • The Temple of Neptune was a mature Doric temple, completed in the mid-5th century BC, possibly after changes in design during construction ([19:04]).

• Dedication of Temples

  • Contrary to long-standing assumptions, the so-called Temple of Neptune was probably dedicated to Hera or Apollo, not Poseidon ([17:55]).

“The project must have changed along the way...and that's why they probably finished it a bit later. We see this change by looking at the base...and the upper part of it, which are different.”
—Dr. Tiziana D’Angelo ([20:07])

4. Greek Art in Italy: The Tomb of the Diver

• Discovery and Uniqueness

  • The Tomb of the Diver (discovered 1968) features a rare 5th-century BC fresco of a young man diving, symbolizing passage or ritual ([26:52]).
  • The tomb contained banquet (symposium) scenes, reflecting both Greek and Etruscan influences ([31:22]).

• Interpretations

  • The diving scene is mysterious, possibly representing transition from life to afterlife or a coming-of-age ritual ([30:40]).
  • Rich anatomical detail and mystery make it iconic of Paestum.

“This is a very special painting, and it's become…like an icon of the archaeological park of Paestum.”
—Dr. Tiziana D’Angelo ([27:52])

• Etruscan Connections
  • Similarities to Etruscan tomb paintings highlight cultural exchange and hybrid art styles in Magna Graecia ([32:25]).

5. Lucanian Takeover and Transformation

• Lucanian Rule

  • By 400 BC, Paestum came under Lucanian (Oscan-speaking people) control, but with no evidence of violent conquest—more an ethnographic shift ([34:48]).
  • Greek culture persisted and even flourished under Lucanian elites, despite ancient commentators’ prejudices.

• Lucanian Art

  • Lucanian tomb paintings (over 400 slabs) feature militaristic themes: warriors, “Return of the Rider,” chariot races, and funerary games ([40:37], [43:47]).
  • Paintings executed during funerary rites, reinforcing ideology and social values ([46:24]).

“These tombs, these paintings are sort of visual book and they offer us very important glimpses in the life and culture of the Lucanians.”
—Dr. Tiziana D’Angelo ([47:46])

• Multiculturalism
  • Paestum became a melting pot: Greeks, Lucanians, Etruscans, and later Romans, all contributed to its evolving identity ([48:10]).

6. Roman Conquest and Legacy

• Roman Incorporation

  • After Pyrrhus’ failed campaign (the origin of the phrase “Pyrrhic victory”), Paestum became a Roman colony in 273 BC ([49:10]).
  • Romans built over Greek heart of city, adding forum, baths, law courts, amphitheatre, and marketplaces ([50:06]).
  • Paestum remained important, famed for its roses, and retained a Greek population for centuries.

• Decline and Rediscovery

  • Environmental decline (malaria, flooding) led to abandonment in the Middle Ages.
  • Rediscovery in the 18th century ignited new interest and preservation ([55:02]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Paestum is one of the best surviving ancient Greek temples outside of Greece and so much more… the ancient Greeks who went west and settled in southern Italy and the interactions they had with various Italian peoples, including the Romans. Sometimes peaceful, sometimes not.”
  —Dan Snow ([01:37])

• “Magna Graecia, or Megale Hellas… is conventionally used to refer by scholars to the Greek settlements in Italy. These are… colonies, but that's actually really contentious… The reason why the Greeks were there in the first place is… a very long standing network of social and economic contacts between Greece and the western Mediterranean.”
  —Dr. Catherine Lomas ([07:55])

• “You must remember that the city in the 4th century BC did not just have a Lucanian population. The Greeks were there. And the connection, the interaction between the Greeks, the Lucanians and other populations, it was crucial to then define this new language, this new artistic language.”
  —Dr. Tiziana D’Angelo ([47:01])

• “It's part of funerary ceremony. It's part of funerary ideology.”
  —Dr. Tiziana D’Angelo about painted tombs ([46:24])

• “Too often we can think of ancient Italy as just being Roman. What coming to a place like Paestum makes you realise is just how many different cultures lived and interacted with each other on this peninsula throughout antiquity.”
  —Dan Snow ([48:10])

• “Peacedom is very much a special site today. I mean, the reason why is, I think partly its visual impact… you see this vast plain with these three absolutely magnificent Doric temples and it is really quite eye popping.”
  —Dr. Catherine Lomas ([55:02])

• Closing poem by Nicholas Michel, reflecting on Paestum's enduring grandeur ([55:36]).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Setting the Scene/Introduction: [01:37]
• Origins and Geography of Paestum: [06:20]
• Greek Colonization & Sybaris Legacy: [07:55]
• Urban Structure and Social Life: [11:58]
• The Temples of Paestum: [13:34]
• Ritual Use and Dedications (Temple of Neptune, etc.): [17:24], [19:04]
• Art & The Tomb of the Diver: [26:52]
• Interpretation of the Diver Painting: [30:40]
• Lucanian Takeover – Cultural Change: [34:48]
• Lucanian Art and Warrior Ideology: [41:02], [42:06]
• Chariot Race and Funerary Games: [44:43], [45:32]
• Greek-Lucanian Cultural Blending: [47:01]
• Broader Multicultural Italy: [48:10]
• Roman Conquest and Urban Transformation: [49:10], [50:06]
• Decline & Rediscovery: [55:02]
• Reflections on Paestum’s Visual Impact: [55:02]-[55:36]

Conclusion

This episode paints a vivid portrait of Paestum, from its Greek roots through Lucanian transformation to Roman integration—emphasizing how archaeological treasures, including grand temples and unique funerary art, reveal centuries of cultural mixing in southern Italy. The narrative underlines Paestum’s importance as a witness to the dynamic mosaic of ancient Italy, making it essential for any ancient history enthusiast’s bucket list.

Recommended for listeners fascinated by cross-cultural contact, ancient cities, and the enduring legacy of Greek civilization in Italy.