Heraclea (Lucania) in the context of Agri (river)

The Battle of Heraclea took place in 280 BC between the Romans under the command of consul Publius Valerius Laevinus, and the combined forces of Greeks from Epirus, Tarentum, Thurii, Metapontum, and Heraclea under the command of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus. Although the battle was a victory for the Greeks, they incurred severe losses.

Metapontum or Metapontium (Ancient Greek: Μεταπόντιον, romanized: Metapontion) was an ancient city of Magna Graecia, situated on the gulf of Tarentum, between the river Bradanus and the Casuentus (modern Basento). It was distant about 20 km from Heraclea and 40 from Tarentum. The ruins of Metapontum are located in the frazione of Metaponto, in the comune of Bernalda, in the Province of Matera, Basilicata region, southern Italy.

Dirce (/ˈdɜːrsiː/; Ancient Greek: Δίρκη, pronounced [dírkɛː], modern Greek [ˈðirci], meaning "double" or "cleft") was a queen of Thebes as the wife of Lycus in Greek mythology.