The term Magna Graecia is a Roman term meaning “Great Greece.” It refers to the ancient Greek settlements in southern Italy and on the island of Sicily. During the period of time before the rise of the Roman Republic, Greek settlements were dominant in southern Italy. This had a lasting impact on the development of Roman and Italian culture.

Syracuse was founded on the island of Sicily during the early years of the Archaic Era. Syracuse was probably the most powerful Greek colony in Magna Graecia (the Roman name for Greek Italy) for much of the history of the ancient Greeks. Notably, Syracuse was a reliable ally of Sparta and fought against Athens in the Peloponnesian War.

The Phrygian Kingdom was located in Anatolia, and was powerful in the eighth, seventh, and sixth centuries BCE. It’s most famous ruler was Midas, who is still somewhat famous today (everything he touches turns to gold). The Phrygian Kingdom was very famous in Greek society for its extraordinary wealth and reserves of gold.

Beginning during the Greek Dark Ages, and lasting through the Classical Era, ancient Greeks colonized the Mediterranean world in large numbers. They reached as far as Spain and North Africa in the west and Anatolia in the east. The impact of these colonizations would have far reaching consequences, including the spread of Hellenistic culture (accelerated by the conquests of Alexander the Great) across much of the known world.

The Lydian people were a small kingdom that thrived in the Middle East shortly before the rise of the Persian Empire (the Lydians were conquered by the Persians). The Lydians invented metal coinage, which they passed on to other societies in this part of the world, including the ancient Greeks and Romans.

The Etruscans were the pre-eminent power in northern and central Italy before the rise of the Roman Republic in the fifth century BCE. The Etruscans traded extensively with the ancient Greeks and Phoenicians.

The earliest Greek colonial efforts were directed to southern Italy and Sicily, Magna Graecia. According to literary sources, Pithekoussai (Ischia) was the first Greek colony after the Bronze Age. No until the later 6th c. BCE did Greek city-states seriously colonize other regions of the Mediterranean.

The ancient Greeks were an accomplished seafaring people. They traded widely throughout the Mediterranean and the rest of the known world. To facilitate trade, they established outposts and colonies across the Mediterranean coast and as far east as the coast of the Black Sea. Many of these colonies grew into substantial cities in their own right, such as Neapolis (now Naples), Tripoli (now the capital of Libya), Syracuse, and Byzantium (later Constantinople and then Istanbul).

The Parthenon is a temple to Athena considered one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World and still stands in Athens today, so that would be the best choice. The Pantheon is a temple in Rome built for the Roman gods, so that would not be the best choice. The Colossus was built in Rhodes and not Athens, so it would not be a good choice. Lastly, the temple at Delphi and its oracle were dedicated to Apollo, so that would not be a good answer either.

In ancient Athenian society, most notably during the Athenian Classical Era, Metics were free, foreign residents of the city. They came to Athens to benefit from the extraordinary wealth and opportunity available to the city. They were not citizens and could not participate in the Athenian political process.