In this scientific narration about the Spartan colonization of Taras in 706 B.C. Giovanna Bonivento Pupino

analyses all the historical sources in order to answer to an important question concerning the settlement of

Parteni which established the Greek colony of Taras (today Taranto): who were the so called

Parteni/Parteniai forced to flee their mother country and conquer Satyrion on Ionian sea? Were they sons

of amoral women, defamed by some ancient source because they have been forced to join together several

young men, in order to reinforce the birth-rate at Sparta? Or rather were the Partenai sons of noble

Spartan girls or of war widows, both deprived of lawful marriage (gamos) when children were born without

rights, during the Messenian war? When warriors returned home, Partenai have been bereft of all hopes

to obtain a lot of land (kleros) conquered in Messenia by Spartiates and must accept to emigrate to Apulia

in order to defeat Messapians and take possession of the fertile land of Satyrion, above which was built

Taras. The purpose of the narration titled We Tarentine people sons of Partheni is to put the word end to

the negative opinion about the Tarantine Spartan ancestresses, due to some filo-Attic sources (particularly

Erodoto) written for a bad propaganda against Taras, colony of Sparta and enemy of Athens The scientific

essay was published in the Revue Ribalta of Puglia in order to be spread in the high schools and among the

Tarentin citizens; it became so popular that today it is told by scholars, teachers and touristic guides when

they want give account of the foundation of Taras in Great Greece. The right mention of We Tarentine

people sons of Parteni is: Giovanna Bonivento Pupino, Noi Tarantini figli di Parteni, in Ribalta di Puglia, 8-

9,Taranto, Anno 2003. (G.B.P.)