Dariusz caballeros: Lucanian horse and rider

Salvete Omnes,

city of Herakleia - Lucania - Herakles and the lions

in southern Italy, after the era of Greek colonization and establishment of the Magna Graecia towns along the Italian coast, there was an Italic tribe known as the Lucanians(of the southern Samnites) speaking a South Oscan language, who had hired themselves to the Greek city states, were traders, timber merchants and laborers to the Greeks and Romans in central Italy.

from a young male grave indicating a warrior ethos - Gaudo tomb

Eventually their tribal movement led them to conquer, dominate, inhabit and populate their new southern country known as Lucania - VI-V century BC, to the south of their cousins, the Samnites. Living in cities and town in a Greek fashion and within the spectrum of the dominant Hellenic culture, they were still very bellicose, often allied with or fighting against their neighbors. About 400 BC they took a Greek city called Poseidonia, later Paestum.

After the 2nd Punic War the Lucanians, allies of Hannibal, were defeated and incorporated into the Roman Republic.
They rose against the Rome rule during the Social War of 91-87 BC, but were defeated

The Lucanian tomb art from the Museum of Paestum is spectacular display of their martial arts and equestrian prowess.