The site of the old Medma was discovered by P.Orsi in 1910. It was situated nearby the modern town of Rosarno, on the western side of “Piano of the Vigne” on the left mouth of he Mesima river.

The colony was founded by the inhabitants of Locri around the second half of the VII century B.C., together with Ipponio.  This was to favour the inspection and the expansion of the territory on the Tyrrhenian side, strengthening the boundary with Reggio Calabria, marked by the Metauros river, and by the homonymous “Calcidese” colony. The deduction of this sub-colony, like in the case of Ipponio, further north, helped Locri to get round it’s greatest problem, the progressive demographic pressure.  In the poem of the “Pseudo-Scimno”, Medma, just like Ipponio is identified as one of Locri’s colonies; this information is proved in Strabone and in the “Etymologicum  Magnum”, the Pseudo-Scilace instead defines it generically as a Greek city. Ecaeo of Mileto and Strabone assert that the city’s name came from a nearby source, whose nymph is portrayed on some coins which represent a feminine head crowned with canes and barley.  Strabone recalls that his harbour was called Emporion, now called Marina of Nicotera.

In 422 B.C. Medma, together with Ipponio, attacked Locri, which according to Tucidide, had to face with the weapons the rebellion of the Tyrrhenian sub-colonies. As a mater of fact on the eve of the Peloponnesian war, Locri probably prepared its fleets and funds to help Sparta, making the financial charges and military commitment encumber on the sub-colonies, mobilizing human potential and causing moreover a violent reaction.  In 394 B.C. the Syracusan tyrant Dioniso I conquered Medma returning it to Locri’s control.  The aim of this mission was to obtain Locri’s uncontested support, necessary for the expansion of the Magna Grecia.  Four thousand Medmei were deported en mass in two cities of Messana, destroyed by the Carthaginians and rebuilt by the tyrant. The city outlived for the whole IV century B.C. under the domain of the Brettii, to mint coin. The centre was abandoned and this coincided with the events of the second Punic war.  It is sure that it hasn’t been occupied in Roman age. At a few kilometres, south of Medma, stood the city of Metauros, in the territory of the current Gioia Tauro, on the right bank of the Metauro river, today’s Petrace.  Stefano of Bisanzio considers it as one of Locri’s colonies, Solino instead asserts that it has been founded by the Zanclesi.  The city must have been indeed a foundation of Calcidese of the VII century, probably of Zancle, according to some studious or of Zancle and Reggio together according to others.  Regarding to this, it is important to say that the poet Stesicoro was believed to be native of Metauros and Himera, another important colony of Zancle in the northwest of Sicily.  Besides, from an archaeological point of view, the necropolis of today’s Gioia Tauro, points out some cultural aspects that are substantially identical to the one’s of Milazzo, another colony of Zancle.

During the VI century, Metauro entered the political orbit of Locri, and this is testified by some material which definitely came from Locri; it changed its name in Matauros and ended up being considered as one of Locri’s sub-colonies just like the nearby Medma and Ipponio.  The literary and archaeological documentation doesn’t consent the rebuilding of the history of this colony beyond the V century B.C.  It seems that in this period, Anassilao, tyrant of Reggio, with the attempt of extending Reggio’s narrow territory and damaging Locri’s nearby territories, had probably launched an attack on the northern Tyrrhenian boundary, right in the direction of Metauro.  The aim of this mission was to give the Reggini and access to a part of the fertile plain of today’s Gioia Tauro.  The discovery of a dedication to Eracle Reggino, of the first half of the V century B.C. found nearby the Petrace river testifies Reggio’s control over the Tyrrhenian boundary.