The war against Taranto

Only ten year after the peace with the Samnites, the Romans were at war again, this time against a king of Greek origins, Pyrrhus King of Epirus, (todays Albania), called to Italy by the people of Taranto.
Taranto was one of the most important colonies of Magna Grecia (ancient Greek settlements in Southern Italy).
The increasing power of the Romans frightened Taranto especially concerning the mastery of the sea. Taranto hastened to come to an agreement with Rome which established that Roman ships should not pass the Lacinio promontory, and should not enter in the Taranto Gulf. Some ships, broke the agreement and the inhabitants of Taranto who wished to defeat Rome with the help of the mother country- and more precisely with the help of Pirro-took the opportunity to declare war, ignoring the apologies and the peace proposals of the Romans.
The war lasted five years (280 b. C.-275 b. C.) and ended with the war of Malevento (male = bad; vento= wind) won by the Romans.To remember that victory they changed the name to Benevento (bene = good).