Rhegium was an important harbor in southern Italy. The apostle Paul stopped there on his way to Rome (Acts 28:13).
Paul’s ship came from Malta and first stopped at Syracuse, the main city of Sicily. When the wind did not come from the south, the ship may have sailed carefully into the Strait of Messina. There, the sailors found a good harbor at Rhegium.
Later, a south wind began to blow. That wind helped carry the ship from Rhegium to Puteoli. Puteoli was a major port on the Bay of Naples. Many grain ships from Alexandria arrived there.
The Strait of Messina was well known to Roman sailors. Ships had to pass through it to reach the west coast of Italy. But this strait was narrow and dangerous. It had many shallow places and other obstacles. Because of this, ships often had to wait at Rhegium until a strong south wind blew.
The name Rhegium (now called Reggio or Reggio di Calabria) may come from a Greek word that means “to tear.” People said Sicily looked like it had been torn away from the mainland. Rhegium was the closest port on the Italian side.