According to the RAE dictionary, sybarite defines himself as a native of Sybaris , city of the Gulf of Taranto (Italy) founded by the Achaeans in 720 BC. and famous for the wealth and refinement of its inhabitants. Hence, this term has remained to designate people who love exquisite pleasures.
In the course of the 7th and 6th centuries BC, forming part of a coalition with Crotona and Metaponto, the Sybarites destroyed Siris and occupied the fertile territory between the Agri and Sinni valleys, a vast and fertile coastal plain in northern Calabria. . The sybarites prospered rapidly thanks to agriculture and commerce, and grew enormously in number thanks to their policy of admitting foreigners - an aberration for the rest of the cities. A sign of the great expansion of the Sybarite state in this period is the minting of the city's famous silver coins with the symbol of the bull and the legend "Sybaris". These coins have the peculiarity that they were minted according to the technique called incusa:with the effigy on both sides, on the obverse in relief and on the reverse in depth. That power was also reflected in abundance, luxury, comfort... and good food. In fact, its chefs were famous for their original and sophisticated recipes, so much so that even to protect their culinary art, a law was enacted that gave them exclusive exploitation of their new dishes for a year. What we could consider as the first law that referred to copyright.
And once they got down to business, in order not to waste a moment while they enjoyed their sumptuous and endless banquets, they invented the chamber pot. In this way, not even the call of nature forced them to absent themselves from their gastronomic chores. According to Diodorus of Sicily, Greek historian of the 1st century BC
the people of Sybaris were lovers of luxury and slaves to their womb
Likewise, in order not to disturb its tranquility, peace and quiet, roosters were prohibited and the noisiest trades, such as blacksmiths or carpenters, had to carry out their activity outside the walls. So full were they of themselves that the sybarites boasted of having grown old without crossing the bridges over their border rivers. It was said that a sybarite who had traveled to Sparta and witnessed a battle commented mocking his "Spartan" way of life...
It's no wonder the Spartans are the bravest men in the world, because anyone in their right mind would rather die a thousand times than live so austerely.
They were also famous for being excellent riders and expert horse tamers, not by whispering, but by music. His cavalry was worthy of the best school of equestrian art and could move perfectly together to the sound of music - as if the horses were dancing a dance they knew perfectly. In 510 BC the alliance with Croton was broken and the Sybarites decided to attack their former ally. The majestic Sybarite cavalry was arrayed and ready for the attack, but the Crotonas knew the military tactics of their former allies. When the cavalry was ordered to charge, a strange and arrhythmic melody began to intermingle with the music played by the Sybarites. The mix of tunes confused the horses and caused a complete chaos among the cavalry. Crotona took advantage of this moment to attack and annihilate the cavalry. Defeated the best of Sybaris' army, they entered the city and completely destroyed it. They even diverted the Cratis River to flood it and prevent the city from being rebuilt.
Many testimonies that reach us from Antiquity believe they see the destruction of Sybaris as divine revenge for their pride, arrogance and excessive luxury.