European Kingdoms

Chones (Italics)

Indo-Europeans - Italic Tribes (Intro) Anatolian Tribes Balkans Tribes Baltic Tribes Celtic Tribes Germanic Tribes Italic Tribes Indo-Iranian/Aryan Tribes Slavic Tribes Tocharians (Intro)

What are generally known as West Indo-European tribes arrived at the eastern edge of Central Europe around 2500 BC. Their northern group later became the proto-Celts of the Urnfield culture while the southern group seemingly migrated westwards and southwards, reaching Iberia, Illyria, and northern Italy.

Already further divided into semi-isolated tribes, they became more civilised in their habits and available forms of technology due to contact with southern Greeks and Etruscans. In the period between the eleventh to eighth centuries BC some of those groups in Illyria crossed by sea into the Italian peninsula and settled along the south-eastern coast.

Those who had entered peninsular Italy via the north Italian piedmont gradually migrated southwards to occupy much of the rest of eastern and central Italy. These tribes all formed part of a general group which are known as Italics, seemingly part of the main population of West Indo-Europeans prior to the emergence of Celtic culture.

The Chones (or Chaones to Aristotle and Conii to others) were a group of Italics who settled during the Italian Iron Age. They were located at the top of the Gulf of Taranto, the 'arch' of Italy's 'boot'. They were neighboured to the north by the Oenotri, to the east by the Iapyges and the Greek colony of Metapontum, to the south by the Greek colony of Sybaris and by the Morgetes, and to the west by the Brutii.

The Chones were a division of the Oenetri, or at least an Oenetrian tribe (which is what Aristotle calls them), Oenetria being an earlier name for Calabria. The Oscan-Umbrian group of which the Chones were part are largely accepted as being Indo-European (perhaps proto-Celts) who were part of the migration into the peninsula from the north.

The Oenotri (and therefore the Chones) are also linked to the Illyrian Iapyges suggesting, perhaps, a degree of intermixing (see below for a theory regarding Chones roots in the Balkans). Ancient belief was that they had migrated into Italy under the command of a legendary son of Lycaon. This migration legend is also given to the Apulian tribes to the east, raising the possibility that the Oenotri were a branch of the Italian Iapyges.

Principal author(s): Page created: Page last updated:

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Edward Dawson, from Researches into the Physical History of Mankind, Vol 3, Issue 1, James Cowles Prichard, from An Historical Geography of Europe, Norman J G Pounds (Abridged Version), from The Roman History: From Romulus and the Foundation of Rome to the Reign of the Emperor Tiberius, Velleius Paterculus, J C Yardley, & Anthony A Barrett, from A Genetic Signal of Central European Celtic Ancestry, David K Faux, from The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, David W Anthony, from The History of Rome, Volume 1, Titus Livius (translated by Rev Canon Roberts), from The Histories, Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from Encyclopaedia Britannica (Eleventh Edition, Cambridge (England), 1910), from Encyclopaedia of the Roman Empire, Matthew Bunson (1994), and from External Links: The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe (Nature), and Massive migration from the steppe was a source for Indo-European languages in Europe (Nature.com), and Indo-European Chronology - Countries and Peoples, and Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, J Pokorny, and Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, William Smith (1854, Perseus Digital Library), and The Natural History, Pliny the Elder (John Bostock, Ed), and Geography, Strabo (H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London, 1903, Perseus Online Edition), and L'Arbre Celtique (The Celtic Tree, in French), and Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz or Dictionnaire Historique de la Suisse or Dizionario Storico dell Svizzera (in German, French, and Italian respectively), and Le Alpi (Università di Trento), and Pleiades (Ancient World Mapping Center and Institute for the Study of the Ancient World).)

c.700 BC

Shortly after the start of the Golasecca I B period the Oenotri are pushed inland by Greek settlers who found the colony of Metapontum, and it is probably at this time that they infringe upon the territory of the Lucani.

This map shows not only the greatest extent of Etruscan influence in Italy, during the seventh to fifth centuries BC, but also Gaulish intrusion to the north, which compressed Etruscan borders there (click or tap on map to view on a separate page)

The Chones, similarly pushed off the coast by the colony of Sybaris, would also appear to infringe on Lucani territory, as Strabo later writes that the land which is named after the Lucani (Lucania) contains none of their number. Instead it is entirely possessed by the Chones and Oenotri. The Lucani are pushed northwards, buffering against the Samnites.

325 - 304 BC

Rome fights the Second Samnite War in 325 BC, by which time the Oenotri and Chones would appear to be subjects of the Samnites. During this period the Marsi ally themselves to the Romans, while the Iapyges, Dauni, Messapii, and Peucetii side with the Samnites.

When the Samnites are defeated so are their allies, and all of them are subjugated by Rome. This period proves to be the end for the Golasecca culture within the Italian Iron Age.

Objects which have been found in tombs in the Como region of Italy testify to the progressive opening up by the Golasecca people to exchanges with the transalpine world to the north and the central-Italic Etruscan area to the south

218 - 202 BC

The Second Punic War is fought against Carthage. Rome is aided by its Etruscan, Picene, and Umbrian forces, but Italy is invaded by Hannibal Barca and a Roman army is massacred at the Battle of Cannae, killing sixty thousand.

Rome's resurgence at the successful conclusion of this war seals the fate of the Calabrian tribes which include the Brutii, Chones, Itali, Morgetes, and Oenotri. All of them fall permanently under Roman domination.

91 - 89 BC

The Marsi fight the Social War against Rome in which Rome's allies strive for, and are eventually granted, citizenship. The Frentani, Latins and Umbri are also granted citizenship, although they play a smaller role in the war, with the Umbri joining the rebels late and agreeing terms with Rome early on.

This oil on canvas depicts Lake Fucino, near San Benedetto dei Marsi, before it was drained, while above is a map showing the tribe's location in Iron Age Italy (click or tap on map to view full sized)

The Chones and Oenotri are seemingly not mentioned during this war, suggesting that they have already disappeared as individual entities by this time, absorbed within Roman Italy.