Magna Graecia, meaning “Great Greece” is a Roman term referring to the areas of southern Italy that were extensively populated by Greeks, such settlement occurring since the 8th century BC. These Greek colonies were largely responsible for the introduction of Greek culture to the Italic and later Roman cultures and as well as disseminating Greek culture, such regions were notable as areas of artistic production that includes some significant independence from the main Greek canon such as the Apulian pottery.
The kylix was the most common vessel used for drinking wine in ancient Greek culture. They are usually quite broad and shallow bowls, raised on a foot, with two handles. They tend to be decorated more intricately on the underside of the bowl, as this would be what others saw when it was being tilted to drink from. They are often decorated with light-hearted and humorous themes, sometimes alluding to the god of wine, Dionysus.
To discover more about Ancient Greek pottery, please visit our relevant blog post: Collecting Ancient Greek Vases.
