The Geography of Strabo, Vol. III (Loeb)

and Neapolis, have all become "barbarized" Meaning they have lost their Greek identity., and the Lucanians and Brettians now hold some parts, while the Campanians hold others—though in name only, as in reality they are Romans, since they have become Romans themselves. Nevertheless, a geographer who describes the circuit of the earth must recount the current state of affairs and some of the past, especially when it is notable. The parts of the Lucanians touching the Tyrrhenian Sea have already been mentioned; those who hold the interior are those living above the Tarentine Gulf. These people, as well as the Brettians and the Samnites themselves (who were the original leaders of these tribes), are so completely devastated that it is difficult to define their settlements. The reason is that no common system remains for any of these nations; their customs, dialects, armor, clothing, and similar things have vanished, and their individual, local settlements are now entirely obscure.

3. We shall now state what we have received in a general way, including the inhabitants of the interior, the Lucanians, and the nearby Samnites. Petelia is considered the metropolis of the Chones and is still quite well-populated today. It was founded by Philoctetes, who fled Meliboea during a civil conflict. It is a naturally fortified place, so much so that the Samnites once used it as a garrisoned fortress against the Thurians.