in Ancient Geography, a large and important city of Magna Graecia. 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 Caesar, 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.

surnamed Minoa, in Ancient Geography, a Greek city of Sicily, at the mouth of the Halysus (now the Platani), 20 miles N.W. from Agrigentum. The surname seems to have been originally the name of the town, which is first mentioned in history as a colony of Selinus. About the end of the sixth century B.C. it was recolonized by the Spartans, and had attained to great prosperity and power, when it was destroyed by the jealousy of the Carthaginians. After remaining in their power for about 200 years, it fell into the hands of Agathocles, and then of Pyrrhus. It was next recovered by the Carthaginians, who retained it till at the end of the first Punic War the whole of Sicily was made over to the Romans. In the second Punic War it reverted to the Carthaginian sway, but was finally attached to the Roman empire by Marcellus shortly after the fall of Syracuse. After the servile war, Heraclea was repeopled by the Romans, and continued to flourish till the time of Cicero, who alludes to it as a place of importance. Before the age of Ptolemy it seems to have sunk into decay, and at this day its very ruins can hardly be traced.