This article is about the ancient city. For the modern city, see Foça

Phocaea (Φώκαια) (Foça)

The theater of Phocaea Phocaea Phocaea, now Foça

Phocaea, or Phokaia, (Greek: Φώκαια) (modern-day Foça in Turkey) was an ancient Ionian Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia. This article is about the modern city For the ancient Ionian Greek city see Phocaea Foça is a district as well as the center town of that This article is about the modern city For the ancient Ionian Greek city see Phocaea Foça is a district as well as the center town of that Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly This article is about the modern city For the ancient Ionian Greek city see Phocaea Foça is a district as well as the center town of that Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Greek colonists from Phocaea founded the colony of Massalia^[1] (modern day Marseille, in France) in 600 BC, Emporion (modern day Empúries, in Catalonia, Spain) in 575 BC and Elea (modern day Velia, in Campania, Italy) in 540 BC. Colonies in antiquity were City-states founded from a mother- City Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Empúries ( Catalan name in Spanish: Ampurias) is a town on the Mediterranean coast of the Catalan comarca of Alt Empordà (Spain Empúries ( Catalan name in Spanish: Ampurias) is a town on the Mediterranean coast of the Catalan comarca of Alt Empordà (Spain Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Events and trends 579 BC — Servius Tullius succeeds the assassinated Lucius Tarquinius Priscus as the sixth King of Rome. Elea may refer to Velia (town, Italy Elea Kyrenia, Cyprus Elea Nicosia, Cyprus "Velia" redirects here See also Velia (hill and Novi Velia. Campania is a region of Southern Italy in Europe. The region has a population of around 5 Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Events and trends 546 BC — Croesus, Lydian king, is defeated by Cyrus of Persia near the River Halys

Geography

Phocaea was the most northern of the Ionian cities. It was located near the mouth of the river Hermus (now Gediz), and situated 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 İzmir) to the south. This article is on the Ancient Greek city of Smyrna principally in connection with the ruins remaining to this day İzmir, historically Smyrna, is the third most populous city of Turkey and the country's largest port after İstanbul. It had two good harbors.

History

The ancient Greek geographer Pausanias says that Phocaea was founded by Phocians under Athenian leadership, on land given to them by the Aeolian Cymaeans, and that they were admitted into the Ionian League after accepting as kings the line of Codrus. Pausanias ( Greek:) was a Greek traveller and Geographer of the 2nd century CE, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Phocis ( Greek, Modern: Φωκίδα foˈkiða Ancient / Katharevousa: Φωκίς foˈkis is an ancient district and a modern prefecture Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The Ionian League ( Ancient Greek, Iōnes, koinon Iōnōn, koinē sunodos Iōnōn Latin commune consilium; also called Codrus ( Greek:) King of Athens (r ca 1089 - 1068 BC) was according to Greek legend the last of the legendary Kings of Athens ^[2] Pottery remains indicate Aeolian presence as late as the 9th century BC, and Ionian presence as early as the end of the 9th century BC. The 9th century BC started the first day of 900 BC and ended the last day of 801 BC From this an approximate date of settlement for Phocaea can be inferred. ^[3]

Satellite photo showing location of the ancient cities of Phocaea, Cyme and Smyrna

According to Herodotus the Phocaeans were the first Greeks to make long sea-voyages, having discovered the coasts of the Adriatic, Tyrrhenia and Spain. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash Etruria &mdash usually referred to in Greek and Latin source texts as Tyrrhenia &mdash was a region of Central Italy, located in an area Herodotus relates that they so impressed Arganthonios, king of Tartessus in Spain, that he invited them to settle there, and, when they declined, gave them a great sum of money to build a wall around their city. Arganthonios ( Argantonio in Spanish) was the most important king of ancient Tartessos (in Andalusia, southern Spain) Tartessos (also Tartessus) was a harbor city and its surrounding culture on the south coast of the Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. ^[4]

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. Naucratis or Naukratis, (Ναύκρατις loosely translated as "(the city that wields power over ships" (Piemro in Egyptian, now Kom Gieif was a This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Miletus (mī lē' təs ( Ancient Greek: Μίλητος literally Transliterated Milētos, Latin Miletus) was an Ancient To the north, they probably helped settle Amisos (Samsun) on the Black Sea, and Lampsacus at the north end of the Hellespont (now Dardanelles). Samsun ( Greek: Σαμψούντα, Samsounta, Amisos) is a city in northern Turkey, on the coast of the Black The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey Lampsacus (also Lampsakos) was an ancient Greek city strategically located on the eastern side of the Hellespont in the northern Troad. See also Dardanelles Hellespont ( Turkish, Greek; ie "Sea of Helle" variously named in classical literature Hellespontium Pelagus See also [[Hellespont]] The Dardanelles ( Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı Greek: Δαρδανέλλια Dardanellia) formerly However Phocaea's major colonies were to the west. These included Alalia in Corsica, Emporion in Spain, and especially Massalia (Marseille) in France. Aléria ( Ancient Greek, Alaliē and Latin Aleria) is a commune in the Haute-Corse Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ ^[5]

Phocaea remained independent until the reign of the Lydian king Croesus (circa 560 - 545 BC), when they, along with the rest of mainland Ionia, first, fell under Lydian control^[6] and then, along with Lydia (who had allied itself with Sparta) were conquered by Cyrus the Great of Persia in 546 BC, in one of the opening skirmishes of the great Greco-Persian conflict. Defining Lydia Aside from a legend related by Herodotus, who states that the name Lydia came from king Lydus at the time of the fall of Troy This article refers to the historical King of Lydia For the opera by Reinhard Keiser, see Croesus (opera. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Events and trends 546 BC — Croesus, Lydian king, is defeated by Cyrus of Persia near the River Halys

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. Chios (Χίος pronounced ˈçio̞s alternative transliterations Khíos and Híos) is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Many however became the founders of Elea, around 540 BC. Elea may refer to Velia (town, Italy Elea Kyrenia, Cyprus Elea Nicosia, Cyprus Events and trends 546 BC — Croesus, Lydian king, is defeated by Cyrus of Persia near the River Halys ^[7]

In 500 BC, Phocaea joined the Ionian Revolt against Persia. The Ionian Revolts were triggered by the actions of Aristagoras, the Tyrant of the Ionian city of Miletus at the end of the 6th century Indicative of its naval prowess, Dionysis, a Phocaean was chosen to command the Ionian fleet at the decisive Battle of Lade, in 494 BC. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman The Battle of Lade was a naval encounter that took place in 494 BC between the Ionians and the Persians. Events By place Persian empire Having successfully captured several of the revolting Greek city-states the ^[8] However, indicative of its declining fortunes, Phocaea was only able to contribute three ships, out of a total of "three hundred and fifty three". ^[9] The Ionian fleet was defeated and the revolt ended shortly thereafter.

After the defeat of Xerxes I by the Greeks in 480 BC and the subsequent rise of Athenian power, Phocaea joined the Delian League, paying tribute to Athens of two talents. Xerxes I of Persia was a King of Persia (reigned 485–465 BC of the Achaemenid dynasty. Events By place Greece May — King Xerxes I of Persia marches from Sardis and onto Thrace The Delian League was an association of approximately 150 5th-century BC Greek City-states under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue In 412 BC, during the Peloponnesian War, with the help of Sparta, Phocaea rebelled along with the rest of Ionia. Events By place Persian Empire The Persians under Darius II see their opportunity to play off one Greek city-state The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη In 343 BC, the Phokaians unsucessfully laid siege to Kydonia on the island of Crete. Events By place Persian Empire The King of Persia, Artaxerxes III, personally leads the Persian forces invading Egypt Cydonia or Kydonia was an important ancient City-state on the northwest coast of the island of Crete. Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the ^[10]

During the Hellenistic period it fell under Seleucid, then Attalid rule. This article focuses on the historical aspects of the Hellenistic age for the cultural aspects see Hellenistic civilisation. The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i The Attalid dynasty was a Hellenistic dynasty that ruled the city of Pergamon after the death of Lysimachus, a general of Alexander the Great

It was later briefly under the control of Benedetto Zaccaria, the Genoan ambassador to Byzantium; Zaccaria amassed a considerable fortune from his properties there. Benedetto I Zaccaria (c1235–1307 Genoese Admiral, was the Lord of Phocaea (from 1288 and first Lord of Chios (from 1304 the founder of Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English This article is about the city See also Byzantine Empire. Byzantium ( Greek: Βυζάντιον Latin: la BYZANTIVM It remained a Genoese colony until it was taken by the Turks in 1455. ^[11] It is a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church. A titular see in the Roman Catholic Church is a Diocese or Archdiocese that now exists in title only ^[12]

Coinage

Following the Lydians, the Phocaeans were among the earliest in the world to make and use coins as money. Its coins were made of electrum, an alloy of silver and gold. Electrum is a naturally occurring Alloy of Gold and Silver, with trace amounts of Copper and other metals The British Museum has a Phocaean coin containing the image of a seal^[13] dating from 600–550 BC. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. Events and trends Carthage conquers Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. ^[14]

Notes

1. ^ Pliny 3.5
2. ^ Pausanias 7.3.10
3. ^ Stilwell "Phokaia"
4. ^ Herodotus 1.163
5. ^ Stilwell "Phokaia"
6. ^ Herodotus 1.6
7. ^ For Herodotus' account of the flight of the Phocaeans, see: 1.164–168
8. ^ Herodotus 6.11-12
9. ^ Herodotus 6.8
10. ^ C. Michael Hogan, Cydonia, The Modern Antiquarian, Jan. 23, 2008
11. ^   "Phocæa". Catholic Encyclopedia. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.  
12. ^   "Phocæa". Catholic Encyclopedia. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.  
13. ^ phoca means "seal" in Greek
14. ^ The British Museum

References

• Herodotus, The Persian Wars, Translated by A. D. Godley, (Loeb Classical Library, Nos. Alfred Denis Godley (1856--1925 was a classical scholar and author of humorous poems 117-120), Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press (1920) ISBN 0-674-99130-3 ISBN 0-674-99131-1 ISBN 0-674-99133-8 ISBN 0-674-99134-6 
• Pausanias, Description of Greece, Books I-II, translated by Horace Leonard Jones; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. Pausanias ( Greek:) was a Greek traveller and Geographer of the 2nd century CE, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus (1918) ISBN 0-674-99104-4.  
• Pliny the Elder, The Natural History (Eds. Gaius or Caius Plinius Secundus, ( AD 23 – August 25, AD 79 better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient Author Naturalis Historia ( Latin for "Natural History" is an Encyclopedia written Circa AD 77 by Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M. D. , F. R. S. H. T. Riley, Esq. , B. A. ) London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. (1855)  
• Stillwell, Richard, The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, (Editors: Richard Stillwell, William L. MacDonald and Marian Holland McAllister) (1976) ISBN 0-691-03542-3