Massalia, or Massilia, the ancient name for the modern city, Marseille, now the 2nd largest city in France. The city is located on the coast of the Gulf of Lion, in the Provence region, or in Roman time, the region was called Provincia (which is where Provençal came from), and then later still as Gallia Narbonensis.

Massalia was found in the 7th century BC, by the Phocaean Greek from Asia Minor. During the classical period, Massalia resides in a region in what is called Liguria. It remained independent city until Julius Caesar captured Massalia.

According to Apollodorus, Heracles passed through Abderia and was near Massalia when he was attacked by Ialebion and Dercynos, both sons of Poseidon. They tried to rob the hero's cattle, which Heracles had captured after killing the owner Geryon, in his 10th labour.

An Etruscan city. Tarquinia was the birthplace of first Etruscan king in Rome, Lucius Priscus Tarquinius (Lucumo). Tarquinius was a son of a Corinthian named Demaratus, and an unnamed Etruscan woman. Tarquinius' wife, Tanaquil, who encouraged him to go to Rome, where he succeeded Ancus Marcius.

Rome (Roma) was a citystate on the banks of River Tiber, located in the region of ancient Latium. Though, Rome is now larger than it was back then, Rome in ancient time, occupied the seven hills: Palatine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, and Aventine.

Historically Rome would later conquered the entire of Italian peninsula and then beyond, its empire covered the entire coast of the Mediterranean, which included the Syrian and north African coasts, through centuries of military campaigns and occupations of conquered territories.

Rome (Roma) was a city said to be traditionally founded in 753 BC by Romulus. Romulus was a son of the Roman god of war, Mars (Ares), and Rhea Silvia daughter of Numitor, king of Alba Longa. He was twin brother of Remus. When they were young men, Romulus wanted to built a city, began piling rocks to build his wall. Remus mocked Romulus as leapt on to Romulus' waist wall. Romulus angrily murdered his brother for the mockery. Romulus would ruled, and then succeeded by 6 other kings, before the monarchy fell, and replaced by Republic in c. 510 BC.

Virgil, author of the epic Aeneid, alluded to Romulus and foundation of Rome. Romulus was to be descendant of Aeneas.

This was the official legend of Rome's foundation told by the Roman Livy and the Greek biographer Plutarch, but there were others told by Greek historians, like Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Diodorus Sicilus.

According to the Dionysius of Halicarnassus was not named after Romulus, but to a Trojan woman, Rhome, who journeyed to Italy in one of Aeneas' ships. Rhome had set fire to the Trojan ships, preventing them from travelling further. Two Greek writers, Hellanicus of Lesbos and Damastes of Sigeum, had actually named Aeneas himself as the founder of Rome.

The story of Aeneas can be found in Aeneid, and that of legends of Romulus and other kings in the Tales of Rome.

Alba Longa was on the Alban hills, Latium, on the shore of Lake Albanus.

The city was said to be founded by Ascanius, son of Aeneas and Creusa, who was a daughter of Priam and Hecuba. A succesion line of 13 kings were listed. Alba Longa was the birthplace of the twins, Romulus and Remus, sons of Mars (Ares) and Ilia (also known as Rea or Rhea Silvia), daughter of Numitor. Numitor's brother, Amulius, had imprisoned him and usurped the throne. Numitor regained his kingdom, when his grandsons rescued him and killed Amulius.

The city of Latinus, king of Latium. It is not certain if this city actually exist, or if this city was another name for Lavinium. It was probably located not far from Ardea, the Rutalian city.

According to the Aeneid, the temple of Janus has two gates. In order to declare war, both gates must be opened. Latinus refused to open them, but Juno the goddess who hate the Trojans, incited Amata, Latinus's wife, to open the gates. It is not certain if any such gates of Janus exist.

Lavinium was a city founded by Aeneas, who had named it after his wife, Lavinia, daughter of Latinus and Amata. It is possible that this city was Virgil's Laurentum, which doesn't exist historically, and Laurentum was its original name for Lavinium and Aeneas had possibly renamed it to Lavinium.

The town was seperated from Ardea, by small stream, Numicus.

The capital of the Rutali people or the Rutalians, and home of Turnus. Ardea was a city in Latin coast.

According to the Aeneid, Turnus led into Rutalians into war because Latinus favoured Aeneas as his son-in-law. Turnus was originally betrothed to Lavinia, Latinus' daughter, but Latinus changed his mind because of the prophecy. The goddess Juno (Hera) incited him and Amata, Latinus' wife, into war against the Trojans. The war led to Turnus' defeat, and eventually to his death in single combat against Aeneas.

Ardea was a cult centre of Juno.

Cumae was ancient major port city in Campania, some 20 km west of Naples. The city was found and colonised by the Greeks from the Chalc�s, city on the island of Euboea, in mid-8th century BC; perhaps the earliest to be colonised by the Greeks in Italy. Cumae became involved in the war against Etruscans, whom have founded a city on the river Voltuma - Capua. In 524 BC, Aristodemus led the army of Cumaeans to defeat the Etruscans. Their success didn't last long, because Cumae was captured by the Samnites around 425 BC. The Italic language of Oscan became dominant in the city replacing the Greek dialect. Almost a century later, Cumae was in Rome's hand.

According to Virgil in the Aeneid, Cumae was where Aeneas found the seeress, known as the Sibyl, who lived in a cave. She guided the Trojan hero into the Underworld, where the hero reunited with his father's shade and learned about his destiny and the future of his descendants. In order to enter the Underworld, Aeneas must find the Golden Bough in Diana's Woods, and then he must enter the Underworld through lake Avernus, near Cumae.

Capua was a city located on the bank of Voltumus, 26 km north of Naples, Campania. It was founded by the Etruscans at the height of their power, around 600 BC.

Naples is a major port in Campania, found by the Greeks around 600 BC, on the coast of the Bay of Naples. To the east is Mount Vesuvius. The city was called Neapolis, or "New City".

To the west, is Lake Avernus, and beyond that is Cumae, home of the Sibyl. Avernus was horrible smell that was said to be so toxic that it could kill birds; and it was known by Virgil as the entrance to the Underworld.

Argyripa is ancient name for Arpi, a city in Apulia. A city found by the Argive hero, Diomedes, who had fought against the Trojans at Troy. According to the Aeneid, Virgil says that Diomedes migrated to Apulia when his wife Aegialeia took a lover Cometes, who drove him out of Argos. Diomedes arrived with some Argives followers.

When emissary from Turnus of Ardea, arrived asking for aid in the war against Aeneas and the Trojans, Diomedes refused to fight another war; he had lost all desires for war against the Trojans. He advised Turnus should make peace with Aeneas. Diomedes had lost his wife and home due to Venus' (Aphrodite's) machination, because he had wounded the goddess and her son in Troy, so he didn't want to offend the goddess again.

Taras was a city founded by Spartan colonists; it was the only important colony of Sparta outside of Greece, during the great migration or colonisation period.

The city became a focal point of resistance against Rome's hegamony in Italy; Taras welcomed King Pyrrhus of Epeirus. In the end, Taras fell into Roman dominance after Pyrrhus' defeat and withdrawal from Italy, and the city was renamed Tarentum. Today, the city is called Taranto.

No important myth or legend is associated with Taras, though Virgil did mention it as being the town of Hercules (Heracles) in the Aeneid and Ovid mentioned Tarentum only in reference to the foundation of Croton, by Myscelus (Metamorphoses, book 15).

The ancient Roman name for Brindisi, a modern coastal city in the Adriatic Sea. Formerly, Brentesion in Greek, the city was renamed to Brindisium when the Romans took the city in 266 BCE, during the Pyrrhic war. Brentesion was one of the cities that took the side of Pyrrhus, king of Epeirus.

Though, the Argive hero Diomedes was named founder of Argyripa, he was also said to have found Brindisium or Brentesion too. Apart from this, Brindisium doesn't have much mythical importance.

Croton was a coastal city in Calabria, southern Italy. It was founded by Achaean Greeks around 710 BC.

There is no myth in regarding to Croton, but Philoctetes founded a town in Crimissa, near Croton, after the Trojan War. Philoctetes was the Greek leader of the contingents from Methone and Meliboea. Philoctetes was the owner of bow of Heracles, and he used to kill Paris. Philoctetes, at first, landed in Campania, fought a war against the Lucanians, before finding this Crimissa.

Rhegion, or in Latin Rhegium, was an ancient city at the "toe" of Italy in the region called Calabria, but the city is now called Reggio. The Strait of Messina separated this end of Italy from Sicily, and opposite to Rhegion is a city called Messina. The Stait of Messina was said to be the place of the monster Scylla and Charybdis.

Rhegion was the place where Heracles lost one of the bulls, trying to complete the 10th labour - to fetch the cattle of Geryon. In jumped into the water, and swam across the Strait of Messina to Sicily.

Syracuse was one of the Greek cities in Sicily. The city was found by the Corinthians in 734 BC, located on the east coast, partly on the island of Ortygia, flanked by the Lesser Harbour and Great Harbour.

Syracuse proper is on the island of Ortygia. It is the island itself, not the city that was a source of myth about Alpheius and Arethusa, in Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Alpheius a son of Oceanus and Tethys, hence he was the river-god and the name of river in the region of Elis. When one of Diana's nymph, Arethusa, bathed in his river after hunting in the forest of Stymphalus, the river-god saw and fell in love with her. When he failed to seduce her, he tried to ravished her while he was in human form. She fled naked from his advances. Although she could run as fast as Alpheius, he was immortal, so she began to tire. In desperation, Arethusa called upon her goddess, Diana (Artemis) to save her. The goddess sent a thick cloud to hide Arethusa. The nymph was being transformed into water. This didn't escape his notice, and he tried to transformed himself into water and mingled with Arethusa's watery form. But Diana foresaw this, split the river bed, so Arethusa drained into the earth. The water of Arethusa traveled underground, under the Ionian Sea, until it reached the island of Ortygia, where she resurfaced.

Historically, Syracuse was involved in a number of wars against Carthage, which occupied the western Sicily. Gelon, king of Gela, another Greek city, had captured Syracuse in 485 BC. Gelon moved into Syracuse, using its base as his capital. Gelon conquered other Greek cities. When Carthage invaded west Sicily, Gelon defeated the Carthaginians at Himera in 480 BC.

During the Peloponnesian War, Syracuse was a democracy, like Athens, but Athens sent a large fleet to take Syracuse in 415 BC. Because the city was a former colony of Corinth, Athens besieged the city. Syracuse called Sparta and Corinth for aid, and they sent small force under the leadership of the Spartan Gylippus. Gylippus managed to turn thing around so that the Athenians then became besieged. Gylippus led the Syracusans to a decisive victory, and reversed Athens' fortune in the Peloponnesian War.

Dionysius the Elder became the tyrant of Syracuse (405-367 BC). Dionysius was involved in 3 separate wars against Carthage. His first two wars were successful, which included the capture of Motya, a Carthaginian stronghold. He also invaded southern Italy.

Syracuse was also the home of Archimedes (c. 285-211 BC), the most famous of inventor and mathematician. Rome captured the city in 211 BC, and Syracuse lost its independence, but only after a long siege.

Messina is the Greek city in northeast Sicily, that was originally called Zankle and found in 730 BC, by colonists from Chalcis.

Its name was given to the strait that separate the toe of Italy from Sicily - the Strait of Messina. As far as I can tell there is no myth of the city itself, so the strait is more famous...at least mythical-wise.

The Strait of Messina was the location of the journey of Odysseus and Jason on his ship Argo, where they face two possible perils - the six-headed monster Scylla and the whirlpool Charybdis. Thetis and the Nereid aided the Argonauts to pass safely through the strait. Odysseus lost men to the Scylla, and then days later he lost his last ship and whole crew to Charybdis. Odysseus was the sole survivor.

A city in west Sicily, near Lilybaeum (modern Massala). Eryx was founded by Eryx, son of Butes and Aphrodite.

Eryx's father (Butes) was a former Argonaut, who would have died, lured to his death, by the Sirens' song. But the goddess of love saved his life, and she had child by Butes. A son was born in Lilybaeum, and they named him Eryx. When Eryx was older, he went east, inland, and founded his own city.

Heracles came by Eryx, during his 10th labour, with the cattle of Geryon. One of the bull in Geryon's cattle ran off at Rhegion, crossing the strait of Messina, into Sicily, and west to Eryx. Heracles pursued it to Eryx, and demands its return. Eryx challenged the hero to a boxing match, to see who would keep the bull. Heracles killed him in the boxing match.

Aeneas came to Eryx, in the Aeneid, and gave offering to Eryx as a hero.

A coastal city in west Sicily. Historically, Lilybaeum (now Massala), was founded by the Carthaginians during the early 4th century BC. Lilybaeum was said to be the cult centre of Aphrodite.

According to the Argonautica, Apollonius Rhodius wrote that Aphrodite saved the Argonaut, Butes, from the Sirens.

Butes was the only who could hear the Sirens' song, while the other Argonauts couldn't. Butes jumped overboard, and swam towards his death. Aphrodite, however, spirited him away to Lilybaeum, and he became the goddess' lover. She bored him a son named, Eryx, who would grow up and found his own city, which was named after himself, near Lilybaeum.

Sardinia is a large island west of Italy and south of the island of Corisca.

According Apollodorus, Iolaus, nephew of Heracles, aided the Heraclids in migrating to Sardinia. These Heraclids were sons of Thespius' 49 daughters. Thespius was a king of Thespiae, a Boeotian city.

Before Heracles began his labours for Eurystheus, when he was age 18, he was looking after his father's flock (Amphitryon's) at Mount Cithaeron, when had killed a lion (known as the Cithaeron Lion) without a weapon. This deed so impressed the king, that he wanted grandchildren from the young hero, and sent his 50 daughters to mate with young Heracles. One daughter refused to so, but two of Thespius' daughters had twins, so Heracles had 51 sons. It was these sons who went to Sardinia with Iolaus' help.

Corsica is a large island west of Italy, and north of the island Sardinia. The Ligurian Sea in the north and Tyrrhenian Sea in the west encompassed the island.

As far as I can tell, there are no myths in regarding to this island.

The island of Aeaea was the home of the sorceress Circe. Homer never disclosed the location of the island, but later writers put it in the Tyrrhenian Sea, north off Sicily and southeast off Italy, probably on one of the Aeolian islands.

Circe was a daughter of Helius and Perse, and sister of Aeetes and Pasiphae. She used her magic to turn men into animals of all sort, when they come into her home. Odysseus, with the help of moly plant, made him immune to her magic. She took the hero as her lover, and he lived for 3 years on the island. According to later myth, Odysseus had Latinus and Telegonus. When Telegonus became a young man, he sought his father, but accidentally killed him. Telegonus returned with Penelope and Telemachus, where he married his stepmother, and Circe married Telemachus.