Heraclea

Name of several ancient Greek towns. Heraclea in Magna Graecia, between the rivers Aciris and Siris, on the Gulf of Tarentum, was probably founded about 432 BC and rapidly rose to prosperity. It was chosen as the meeting place of the general assembly of the Italiot Greeks. Heraclea was still a flourishing town in the time of the orator Cicero (106–43 BC), and existed until much later.

Heraclea Minoa lay on the south coast of Sicily, at the mouth of the River Halycus, between Agrigentum and Selinus. It appears to have been a colony of Selinus, at first called Minoa, but was seized about 500 BC by Euryleon, a Spartan, who named it Heraclea. It was occupied by the Carthaginian general Hanno 260 BC, and was the scene of the defeat of the Punic fleet 256. It appears to have been one of the principal naval stations of the Carthaginians in Sicily and was still flourishing in Cicero's time.

Heraclea on the boundaries of Caria and Ionia lay at the foot of Mount Latmus. In its neighbourhood was a cave supposed to contain the tomb of Endymion, the young man in mythology loved by the Moon goddess Selene.

Heraclea Pontica on the coast of Phrygia, a little to the north of the River Lycus, had two harbours and enjoyed great prosperity. Its decline dated from about 74 BC, when it was partly destroyed in the Roman wars against Mithridates VI, King of Pontus.

Heraclea Lyncestis, chief town of the province of Upper Macedonia, was situated at the foot of the Candavian Mountains.

Heraclea Trachinia, in the plain of Mount Oeta, a little west of Thermopylae, was founded about 426 BC by the Spartans. It was besieged by the Roman consul Glabrio 191 BC after the defeat of the Seleucid king Antiochus at Thermopylae.

Heraclea in Elis, near Olympia, was a spa with medicinal waters.