HERACLEA, in Ancient Geography, a large and important city of Magna Græcia. It was situated in Lucania, between the small streams Siris and Aciris, a little way inland from the shore of the Tarentine Gulf. Its early history is obscure, but it seems to have been colonized from Thurii and Tarentum, B.C. 432. It soon attained to great prosperity, especially after having been fixed upon as the seat of the general assembly of the Greek cities in Italy. In the wars with Pyrrhus it sided with Tarentum against Rome; but it afterwards abandoned its parent state, and became an ally of the Roman people. It suffered severely during the social war, but still retained a considerable measure of importance and prosperity. When, or from what causes, it fell into decay is unknown; but nothing remains to mark its former greatness, or even its site, but mounds of stones and the upturned foundations of old buildings. Antiquities of great value are occasionally found among the ruins. Of these the most important are the Tabulae Heraclenses, two bronze tables on which is inscribed the Lex Municipalis of Julius Cæsar, and which constitutes our chief authority on the subject of the municipal law of Rome. This inscription has been published by Muratori, Haubold, and Mazocchi, and largely illustrated by Savigny in his miscellaneous works. Heraclea is said to have been the birthplace of the famous Zeuxis; but whether that be true or not, it is known that the arts found in the city a congenial home.