Metapontum was an ancient Greek city located in Magna Graecia (now southern Italy), on the Gulf of Taranto. It was founded in 773 BC by the Achaeans from the northern Peloponnese. They were probably attracted to the area for its fertile land and corn, a staple in their diet. The Greeks merged with the indigenous Lyki tribe and the town became an important cultural center.

After Pythagoras' school in Crotone was destroyed in a dispute with an influential Etruscan pupil, the philosopher accepted refuge here. His school then lasted for two hundred years thereafter.

Metapontum backed Hannibal during the Punic Wars, an act which led to the destruction of the city.

There are still remains of a Doric temple (called Tavole Paladine) and other ruins at the site.

Achaean colonies of Magna Graecia | Ancient Greek cities