Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Elea
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Elea
Quizzes
Temple ruins of columns and statures at Karnak, Egypt (Egyptian architecture; Egyptian archaelogy; Egyptian history)
History Buff Quiz
Marble bust of Alexander the Great, in the British Museum, London, England. Hellenistic Greek, 2nd-1st century BC. Said to be from Alexandria, Egypt. Height: 37 cm.
Ancient Greece
Related Questions
Read Next
Union Jack flag of Great Britain, united kingdom
What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
Florence Baptistery of Saint John, Italy
9 Historic Buildings in Florence
Map view of Europe on a geographical globe.
Where Does the Name Europe Come From?
Discover
Mother tickling her daughter, sitting in a garden
Why Can’t You Tickle Yourself?
NBA Lakers Celtics Finals Kevin Garnett shooting.
10 Great Sports Rivalries
Bog body. Head of Tollund Man. Died at about age 30-40, Dated to about 280 BCE early Iron Age. Found Bjaeldskovdal bog Denmark in 1950 near Elling Woman. Most well preserved bog body to date. Human remains mummified in natural peat bogs. mummy, embalm
9 Noteworthy Bog Bodies (And What They Tell Us)
Nativity Scene, Adoration of the Magi, Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, Montenegro
Why Is Christmas in December?
Black widow spider
9 of the World’s Deadliest Spiders
Eye. Eyelash. Eyeball. Vision.
7 Vestigial Features of the Human Body
Ahura Mazda - relief of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda at the ancient ruins of Persepolis in Iran. Also known as Ormazd Zoroastrianism,
Which Religion Is the Oldest?
Elea
Elea Ancient ruins of Elea, Italy.

Elea

ancient city, Italy
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Elea
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Hyele, Velia
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Also spelled:
Hyele
Roman:
Velia

Elea, ancient city in Lucania, Italy, about 25 miles southeast of Paestum; home of the Eleatic school of philosophers, including Parmenides and Zeno. The city was founded about 535 bc by Phocaean Greek refugees on land seized from the native Oenotrians. Unlike other Greek cities in Italy, Elea was never captured by the Lucanians; it became a Roman ally around 275 and a municipium in 90–89 bc. Elea, finally deserted in medieval times because of Arab raids, has extensive ruins that include sanctuaries, houses, the outline of the complete wall circuit, and a medical centre.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.