在罗马时代这个地方叫卢查尼尔（Lucania）并且与南方的Bruttii政区一起管理。这个政区之所以称为卢查尼尔，是因为公元前5世纪中叶的时候，''卢查尼尔人''（Lucani、Lucanians)曾侵入这个地区，控制当地部落，希腊的Oenotrians和Choni进入这个多山的区域。两侧的海岸线都被强大的希腊殖民地所拥有，成为Magna Graecia的一部分。

卢查尼尔人讲奥斯坎语。斯特雷波说他们有民主的宪法，在战争时期还保持从正式的行政长官中选一个当君主。少量幸存的前4世纪或前3世纪的奥斯坎语碑文和硬币使用希腊的字母表。

此后他们开始与塔朗多/塔仑它木的希腊殖民地对抗， 反抗前326年被塔仁坦人叫来帮忙的伊庇鲁斯国王亚历山大， 这样伊庇鲁斯人就开始干涉Magna Graecia的事务。

区内多山，约占全区面积的47%。多由亚平宁山脉南段的山系分支构成，其中：最高峰多尔切多梅峰（2,267米）、波里诺峰（2,248米）、帕帕峰（2,000米）、塞拉内塔峰（1,472米）；还有位于区内西北角的一座死火山—乌尔图雷峰—海拔1,836米。

因所覆土壤多为粘土，加之腐蚀作用，山体滑坡和泥石流现象时有发生。全区平原面积只占1.8%，最大的平原位于辖区南部的伊奥尼亚海沿岸。

该区气候分沿海地中海式气候和沿亚平宁山脉的大陆式气候两种类型。 In 298, Livy records, they made alliance with Rome, and Roman influence was extended by the colonies of Venusia (291), Paestum (Greek Posidonia, refounded in 273), and above all Roman Tarentum (refounded in 272). Subsequently, however, the Lucanians suffered by choosing the losing side in the various wars on the peninsula in which Rome took part. They were sometimes in alliance with Rome, but more frequently engaged in hostilities, during the Samnite wars. When Pyrrhus of Epirus landed in Italy, 281 they were among the first to declare in his favor, and after his abrupt departure they were reduced to subjection, in a ten year campaign (272). Enmity continued to run deep; they espoused the cause of Hannibal during the Second Punic War (216), and Lucania was ravaged by both armies during several campaigns. The country never recovered from these disasters, and under the Roman government fell into decay, to which the Social War, in which the Lucanians took part with the Samnites against Rome (90 - 88 BC), gave the finishing stroke. In the time of Strabo the Greek cities on the coast had fallen into insignificance, and owing to the decrease of population and cultivation malaria began to obtain the upper hand. The few towns of the interior were of no importance. A large part of the province was given up to pasture, and the mountains were covered with forests, which abounded in wild boars, bears and wolves.