Some of the Ancient Greek colonies by Bullbachka

Olynthus, Greece

majajhuk — 2024-12-10 21:14:09 UTC

Olynthus is a small town in the North of today's Greece. It's one of the most important settlements from when the region of Chalcidice was settled by Euboeans in collaboration with the Athenians back in roughly 340 BC.

Along with it, such cities as Acanthus, Torone, Mende and Cleonae were considered to be important settlement centres as well.

Epidamnos, Durrës, Albania

majajhuk — 2024-12-10 21:21:43 UTC

Epidamnos was founded by Greeks from Corinth and Corcyra(also known as Corfu nowadays) in 627 BC. It is located in Northern Albania - its Western shore - and life in it, frankly speaking, was quite depressing throughout the Greek period. It was run as a tight oligarchy, tradesmen and craftsmen being excluded from power. The exiled oligarchs who appealed to another city - Corcyra - and the democrats, who have brought help from Corinth have initiated an argument between the two cities that will later develop into the Peloponnesian War.

Other than that, its economic significance can be justified by its location. Close proximity to the sea - therefore there's trade, exchange, etc.

Chersonesus, Davnya Street, Sevastopol

majajhuk — 2024-12-10 21:34:44 UTC

Chersonesus was founded around 6th century BC and is located on the southwest of the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine. This colony was established by settlers from Heraclea Pontica.

Being located on the shore of the Black Sea, it was a site with great deep harbors that were located at the edge of the territory. For the most part, it was a democracy ruled by a group of elected archons and a council. It remained a small city until 4th century BC, until it expanded its lands further to northwest Crimea and incorporated the colony of Kerkinitida(now known as Yevpatoria), constructing several fortifications.

With a location as fine as of this colony, it was an important trading hub as well, and one of the only ones on the northern side of the Black Sea.

İstanbul, Türkiye

majajhuk — 2024-12-10 21:39:47 UTC

Known as Istanbul today, Byzantium(later Constantinople) was colonized by Greeks from Megara in the 7th century BC. It was mainly a trading city due to its location at the Black Sea's only entrance - it was not only a commercial, but also a diplomatic and cultural centre for centuries, which is why it has formed as a capital of the Byzantine Empire. Its strategic position controlled the major trade routes between Asia and Europe & the passage between the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It remains the most populated city in Turkey even to this day, despite the capital being moved to Ankara.

Syracuse, Italy

majajhuk — 2024-12-10 21:46:25 UTC

Syracuse is located in the southeast corner of Sicily, beside the Ionian Sea. It used to be one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world, being founded by Greek Corinthians and Teneans. It was allied with Sparta and Cornith, extending its influence onto the entirety of Southern Italy, where it was the city of the most importance.

What made it flourish culturally was the construction of a new, designed by Damocopos, theatre, according to Gelo's program of new constructions. What made it important was the cultural significance it held, contributing to numerous wars held by Sparta, and having rich cultural life.

Cyrene, Libya

majajhuk — 2024-12-10 22:28:09 UTC

Cyrene was another ancient Greek colony near the modern city of Shahhat in north Lybia, Northern Africa. It was a part of the Pentapolis(a group of five cities in its region of origin), and was founded around 631 BC. Archaeological evidence confirms that the initial area of habitation was a ridge, stretching from the Acropolis to the agora(central public space in the city), and yet the city has rapidly expanded eastwards. Its local export through most of its early history was the silphium herb that was pictured on most Cyrenian coins. It was in such demand that it was harvested to extinction by the end of the 1st century BC... There were also many clashes over the trans-Saharan trade routes that ended there.

In the Hellenistic Age it also played a role of an important Jewish hub.

Naucratis (Kom Gi’eif), An Nebeirah, Itay El Barud, Egypt

majajhuk — 2024-12-10 22:41:05 UTC

Naucratis was located in Lower Egypt, being both a city and a trading post in Ancient Egypt. It was the only permanent Greek settlement in Egypt for the most part of its early history.

The Egyptians supplied the Greeks mostly with grain, linen and papyrus, while the Greeks bartered silver, timber, olive oil and wine for the most part. Naucratis exposed Greeks to the wonders of the Egyptian culture and was unimaginably inspirational - Egyptian artifacts soon began to flow through the Greek trade routes... the finds of Naucratis have turned out to be fundamental.

Aléria, France

majajhuk — 2024-12-18 16:49:05 UTC

Aleria was built somewhere around 556 year BC. It was a beautiful large harbor and a trade rival to the city of Nicaea, also called Syracusium - according to Diodorus. He also stated that the cities of modern Corsica were once subject to the Phocaeans, who themselves took slaves, wax, resin and honey from them. Then it became an emporium(also known as "a market").

Marseille, France

majajhuk — 2024-12-18 16:59:52 UTC

Modern Marseille once beared the name of a Greek colony of Massalia, being founded in 600 BC. It was populated by Greek settlers from Phocaea, and became one of the preeminent Greek polis's in the southern Gaul. It sided with the Roman Republic against Carthage during the Second Punic War and managed to retain its independence this way, along with its status of a commercial empire even though Rome expanded its empire into Western Europe and North Africa, while Massalia retained its status throughout western Mediterranean.

Emporiae, Spain

majajhuk — 2024-12-18 17:10:41 UTC

Emporiae was founded in year 575 BC by Greeks from Phocaea. It is located on a small island, and became known as the "Palaiapolis"(the old city) when the residents have moved to the mainland somewhere around 550 BC, creating "Neapolis"(the new city). Population rise happened due to the influx of refugees a bit later.

Emporiae developed into a large economic & commercial centre and was the largest Greek colony in thee region for some time due to it being situated on the commercial route between Greek Massalia and Tartessos.

Sinop, Sinop Merkez/Sinop, Türkiye

majajhuk — 2024-12-18 18:01:00 UTC

Modern Sinope was called Sinope during its times of a Greek colony. It was founded by Ionians from Miletus. It was strategically located among the trade routes that were in the process of being developed on the southern coast of the Black Sea. Yet, it remained quite isolated from thee other communities until 4th century BC.