| |
Phocaea was an ancient Ionian
Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia. Greek colonists from Phocaea
founded the colony of Massalia. Phocaea was the northernmost of the Ionian
cities, on the boundary with Aeolis. It was located near the mouth of the river
Hermus (now Gediz), on the coast of the peninsula separating the Gulf of Cyme
to the north, named for the largest of the Aeolian cities, and the Gulf of
Smyrna (now Izmir) to the south. Phocaea had two natural harbours within close
range of the settlement, both containing a number of small islands. Phocaea's
harbours allowed it to develop a thriving seafaring economy, and to become a
great naval power, which greatly influenced its culture. Their sea travel was
extensive. To the south they probably conducted trade with the Greek colony of
Naucratis in Egypt, which was the colony of their fellow Ionian city Miletus.
To the north, they probably helped settle Amisos (Samsun) on the Black Sea, and
Lampsacus at the north end of the Hellespont (now the Dardanelles). However
Phocaea's major colonies were to the west. These included Alalia in Corsica,
Emporiae and Rhoda in Spain, and especially Massalia (Marseille) in France.
Phocaea remained independent until the reign of the Lydian king Croesus (circa
560–545), when they, along with the rest of mainland Ionia, first, fell
under Lydian control and then, along with Lydia (who had allied itself with
Sparta) were conquered by Cyrus the Great of Persia in 546, in one of the
opening skirmishes of the great Greco-Persian conflict. Rather than submit to
Persian rule, the Phocaeans abandoned their city. Some may have fled to Chios,
others to their colonies on Corsica and elsewhere in the Mediterranean, with
some eventually returning to Phocaea. Many however became the founders of Elea,
around 540. In 500, Phocaea joined the
Ionian Revolt against
Persia. Indicative of its naval prowess, Dionysius, a Phocaean was chosen to
command the Ionian fleet at the decisive Battle of
Lade, in 494.
However, indicative of its declining fortunes, Phocaea was only able to
contribute three ships, out of a total of "three hundred and fifty
three". The Ionian fleet was defeated and the revolt ended shortly
thereafter. After the defeat of
Xerxes I by the Greeks in
480 and the subsequent rise of Athenian power, Phocaea joined the Delian
League, paying tribute to Athens of two talents. In 412 , during the
Peloponnesian
War, with the help of Sparta, Phocaea rebelled along with the rest of
Ionia. The Peace of
Antalcidas, which ended the
Corinthian War,
returned nominal control to Persia in 387. In 343, the Phocaeans unsuccessfully
laid siege to Kydonia on the island of Crete. During the Hellenistic period it
fell under Seleucid, then Attalid rule.
|
|
