The
Oenotrians, (a Greek tribe led by
Oenotrus) were an
ancient Italic people who settled a territory of remarkably large dimensions, including the region of
Apulia,
Basilicata and the northern part of the region of
Calabria in southern
Italy.
The Oenotrians arrived there at the beginning of the Iron Age (11th century BC) from Greece[1][2] through the Strait of Otranto together with other people of the same ethnic group. According to Antoninus Liberalis, their arrival triggered the migration of the Elymians to Sicily. The settlement of the Greeks with the first stable colonies, such as Metapontum, founded on a native one (Metabon), pushed the Oenotrians inland. From these positions a "wear and tear war" was started off with the Greek colonies, which they plundered more than once. From the 5th century BC onwards, they disappeared under the pressure of the Sabellian people.
A possible derivation of the ethnonym "Oenotrian" would be the Greek "oinos" (wine), as the Oenotrians inhabited a territory rich in vinyards, with "Oenotria" being extended to refer to the entirety of Southern Italy.[3]
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