This thread can be about the Diaspora (meaning dispersal in Greek) of the Hellenic people up to the age of Alexander the Great.
The most notable cities which founded colonies can be said to have been Megara, Athens and Corinth, although many notable colonies were created by other city-states.
The main reason for the creation of colonies seems to have been very similar to the later colonization of the Americas by western European nations, namely the lack of space in the original location where the states were, increasing trade and securing a more powerful position in the dynamics of the mainland.
Megara, which is a city located between Athens and Corinth, in a quite small strip of land between two bodies of water, was arguably one of the most prolific colonizing powers of the ancient Greek world. Among its most notable colonies were the Sicilian Megara Hyblaea and Selinos, the Bosporian (coastal eastern Thrace) Chalkydon and Byzantion (which later expanded and was renamed to Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire) the Asia Minor BlackSea coast colonies of Astacos and Bithenian Heraclea.
Corinth, somewhat similarly located to Megara but not quite as landlocked, also was an important naval and commercial power. Its earliest colony was Kerkyra, on the northermost island of the sea between Greece and Italy. It may be of interest to note that Kerkyra soon became independant, and in fact a great antagonist to Corinth. It is said that the first ever recorded naval battle between Greek powers was one between Corinth and Kerkyra. Moreover the rivalry was deemed as of importance to the start of the Peloponnesian war.
Other notable Corinthian colonies were in the eastern coast of the Adriatic, such as Epidamnos and Apollonia. However by far the most famous corinthian colony was the celebrated city of Syracuse, which played catalytic roles to both the outcome of the Peloponnesian war, and the defeat of Carthage's expansionism in Sicily.
Athens founded most notably the ancient city of Ephesos, on Ionia, the western coast of Asia Minor. Ephesos went on to become one of the most important Ionian states, home city of the philosopher Heraklitos, and where one of the seven wonders of the Greek world was built, the temple of Artemis. Ephesos would become part of Lydia for a short while under King Croesus, but then revolted along with the other Ionian cities against the following Persian rule. Athens gave help to that revolt, which was crucial to the start of the Greek and Persian conflicts. Although those conflicts would only be concluded with the victory of Alexander the Great's expedition, the Ionian states had been already freed from Persian rule before that, and entered the Delian League, an alliance heavily controlled by Athens.
Other colonies of note by Athens were Thurioi, in Italy, and Amphipolis in coastal Macedonia, which later on was one of the important Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine cities of the region.
Among the famous and notable colonies settled by other city-states were Taras (Tarentum in Latin) which was created by Sparta, Neapolis (today known as Napoli, in southern Italy), Massalia (in coastal southern France), Cyrene in northern Egypt (the whole region was called Cyrenaica after it), Emporion (now known as Ampurias) in southern Spain, Theodosia and Chersonesos in the southermost part of the Crimean coast, and Tomis (now known as Constanta, in coastal Romania).
Thank you for taking the time to read this short article. Any improvements to it are welcome. I hope it was not utterly apparent that i myself am not very familiar with this particular subject in a way which greatly exceeds a basic knowledge of it. Nevertheless i do hope that the article can be seen as somewhat of use
The most notable cities which founded colonies can be said to have been Megara, Athens and Corinth, although many notable colonies were created by other city-states.
The main reason for the creation of colonies seems to have been very similar to the later colonization of the Americas by western European nations, namely the lack of space in the original location where the states were, increasing trade and securing a more powerful position in the dynamics of the mainland.
Megara, which is a city located between Athens and Corinth, in a quite small strip of land between two bodies of water, was arguably one of the most prolific colonizing powers of the ancient Greek world. Among its most notable colonies were the Sicilian Megara Hyblaea and Selinos, the Bosporian (coastal eastern Thrace) Chalkydon and Byzantion (which later expanded and was renamed to Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire) the Asia Minor BlackSea coast colonies of Astacos and Bithenian Heraclea.
Corinth, somewhat similarly located to Megara but not quite as landlocked, also was an important naval and commercial power. Its earliest colony was Kerkyra, on the northermost island of the sea between Greece and Italy. It may be of interest to note that Kerkyra soon became independant, and in fact a great antagonist to Corinth. It is said that the first ever recorded naval battle between Greek powers was one between Corinth and Kerkyra. Moreover the rivalry was deemed as of importance to the start of the Peloponnesian war.
Other notable Corinthian colonies were in the eastern coast of the Adriatic, such as Epidamnos and Apollonia. However by far the most famous corinthian colony was the celebrated city of Syracuse, which played catalytic roles to both the outcome of the Peloponnesian war, and the defeat of Carthage's expansionism in Sicily.
Athens founded most notably the ancient city of Ephesos, on Ionia, the western coast of Asia Minor. Ephesos went on to become one of the most important Ionian states, home city of the philosopher Heraklitos, and where one of the seven wonders of the Greek world was built, the temple of Artemis. Ephesos would become part of Lydia for a short while under King Croesus, but then revolted along with the other Ionian cities against the following Persian rule. Athens gave help to that revolt, which was crucial to the start of the Greek and Persian conflicts. Although those conflicts would only be concluded with the victory of Alexander the Great's expedition, the Ionian states had been already freed from Persian rule before that, and entered the Delian League, an alliance heavily controlled by Athens.
Other colonies of note by Athens were Thurioi, in Italy, and Amphipolis in coastal Macedonia, which later on was one of the important Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine cities of the region.
Among the famous and notable colonies settled by other city-states were Taras (Tarentum in Latin) which was created by Sparta, Neapolis (today known as Napoli, in southern Italy), Massalia (in coastal southern France), Cyrene in northern Egypt (the whole region was called Cyrenaica after it), Emporion (now known as Ampurias) in southern Spain, Theodosia and Chersonesos in the southermost part of the Crimean coast, and Tomis (now known as Constanta, in coastal Romania).
Thank you for taking the time to read this short article. Any improvements to it are welcome. I hope it was not utterly apparent that i myself am not very familiar with this particular subject in a way which greatly exceeds a basic knowledge of it. Nevertheless i do hope that the article can be seen as somewhat of use
It was destroyed but per that page there is archeological evidence that a colony existed there before being destroyed by carthagian forces.
