390 (c) Syracusans found city of Ancona on the Adriatic coast of modern Marche. The name derives from the Greek word for “elbow”, referring to the shape of its harbor. Plato makes his first visit to Magna Graecia and Sicily. Enroute, he visits Taras/Tarentum, becoming friends with Archytas who introduced him to Pythagoreanism. It is possible that Plato may have secretly been initiated into the Pythagorean society at this time. Continuing on to Syracuse, he meets Dion of Syracuse (brother-in-law of Dionysius I) and with the young Dionysius II. He will remain at Syracuse until 388/7. The Greeks of Thurii are defeated by the Lucanians and appeal for help to Rome. The Romans send a force which saves the city.
389 Dionysius I defeats the Italiote League at the battle of Elleporus. Dionysius was able to now dominate much of Magna Graecia as well as Sicily. Dionysius I destroys the city of Kaulon (Caulonia). The survivors rebuild their city.
388 98th Olympiad (Summer) Plato is ordered to leave Syracuse by Dionysius I. Returning to Athens, he founds his famous Academy whose members will later play important roles in the history of Syracuse (alt. date 387 BC). Dionysius I defeats the Italiot League captures Hipponion (mod. Vibo Valentia) in Bruttium. He deports the entire population of the city to Syracuse where they are forced to remain for the next ten years. This victory creates a Syracusan hegemony over Magna Graecia, making Dionysius I the ruler over most of the Greeks in both Sicily and Italy.
387 Phyton becomes ruler of Rhegium, but the city is soon attacked and destroyed by Dionysius I. The city is soon rebuilt. Having returned to Athens from Syracuse, Plato founds his Academy there. (alt date 347 BC). (July) A large force of Gallic Senones (estimated between 30,000 and 70,000) under Brennus defeat a Roman army of 40,000 under Quintus Sulpicius on the River Allia. The Romans suffer a humiliating defeat and fled back to Rome. They are pursued by the Gauls who enter the city when the city gates are left open. Most the Romans flee to neighboring Veii, leaving a strong garrison on the Capitoline hill. Rome is sacked and occupied by the Gauls, although they are unable to break the Capitoline defenses. Eventually the Gauls, whose ranks were thinned by an epidemic, agreed to withdraw after the payment of a tribute of a thousand pounds of gold. The Romans later revised the story claiming that they eventually attacked and defeated the Gauls, thus recovering their city. The Gallic sack of Rome remained such a sore issue to the Romans that over 3 centuries later Julius Caesar was able to successfully use it as a justification for his invasion of Gaul. Gauls sack Rome. Gauls defeat the Romans at the battle of the river Allia. They then march south and sack Rome itself. (alt dates 390, 387 BC). 386 Dionysius I captures Rhegion.
385 Dionysius I plunders the Etruscan port of Pyrgi. Dionysius I establishes colonies on the Adriatic coast of Italy.
384 99th Olympiad. Aristotle born in Stagira, Macedonia.
383 Gela regains its independence from Syracuse. Heraclea Minoa, in Sicily, is captured by the Carthaginians.
380 100th Olympiad.
379 Dionysius I of Syracuse captures Croton. The city will remain in Syracusan control until 367 BC.
378 The former population of Hipponion in Bruttium is able to return home after a decade-long exile in Syracuse. Their return was facilitated by the Carthaginians. 376 101st Olympiad. 375 (c) Alexis of Thurii, Greek comic playwright, born. A composer of some 245 plays (including one dealing with the emancipation of women), he lived to the age of 106. (c) Archytas of Taras develops the science of mechanics. Aristoxenus of Taras, peripatetic philosopher, born (alt. date: 354 BC). He was a noted writer on music and rhythm. The son of Spintharus, a pupil of Socrates, he received an excellent education in philosophy and music from his father as well as the Pythagoreans Lamprus of Erythrae and Xenophilus. He later became a pupil of Aristotle whom he had unsuccessfully hoped to succeed as head of the Lyceum. He never forgave Aristotle and was said to have defiled his memory, as well as those of Socrates and Plato, claiming that the latter had plagiarized most of his greatest work, The Republic, from Protagoras. He was said to have written four hundred and fifty-three works on philosophy, ethics and music. Aristoxenus believed that the soul was related to the body as harmony to the parts of a musical instrument. He differed from the Pythagoreans in his belief that the notes of the musical scale should be judged by ear rather than by mathematical ratio. His theories remained important to the development of western music until the Byzantine era.