Greek Colonization in the Archaic Period

Greek Colonization in the Archaic menstruation describe and Discuss the Main Elements Stimulating the Spread ofGreek Colonies During the Archaic PeriodIntroductionBetween around 800 and 5001 the Greek states embarked upon a widespread habituation causal agency by the 6th vitamin C Greek colonies were scattered through give away the Mediterranean and sour Sea. It was as a direct declaration of this settlement movement that Greek culture was disseminated to Africa, Asia and S break throughhern Europe, it was a movement that changed the stinting and cultural history of the whole neck of the woods (Bradley, 1988, 20).Motivation for ColonisationIt is oft assumed, based upon the original claim of Thucydides, and recently exemplified by Sealey (1976, 31), that sm altogether(prenominal) town was a direct result of land hunger2 caused by overpopulation of the m new(prenominal) city and a lack of local resources to feed burgeoning weighs. He claims support for this idea empennag e be base in the foundation of Cyrene (Herodotus 4.150-158). The colonists were sent out by Thera subsequently a period of famine, but this does non at altogether support the idea that colonists were sent out by overpopulated cities, but that around colonies wee the result of earthy disaster.The theory of exploding population as a direct cause for much of the colony movement can good be defeated the assumption of increasing numbers comes from the archeologic separate for greater numbers of graves in places like Attica and the Argolid (Cawkwell, 1992, 57). Athens, however, sent out no colonies out front the end of the 7th century and Argos none at all. The archaeological evidence also suggests that the number of burials declined in the 7th century implying a population decrease, if the logic is followed through, during the period when Athens sent out here colony. It would be unsafe to assume one without the other. What the archaeology is al close to likely giving us evide nce of is a change in fashion through the archaic period.Alleviating pressure on the available swearing was almost certainly one motivation, but this would find been as a result of some natural disaster, such as the drought on Thera mentioned above (Herodotus 4.150-158 cf. Sealey, 1976, 31).Towards the beginning of the last century, it was believed that at most sites in the west, notably in Sicily, Greek pottery had been imported by natives onward the colonists arrived. From this it was reasonable to infer that throw was an important and perhaps decisive broker in the colonising movement (Bury Meiggs, 1994, 70) this assumption has long been disputed, however. The current balance of archaeological opinion is that there is no certain evidence of trade with Sicily to begin with the colonists arrived (Bury Meiggs, 1994, 70). There is little doubt, however, that trade was a very significant factor in in the closure of the Mediterranean, as exemplified by the foundation of Nauc ratis in Egypt (Herodotus 2.178) it was traders who knew of the most advantageous places to settle and trading links were importanttained with the mother city (Sealey, 1976, 31 cf. Murray, 1980, 107).Who were the colonists?As observe above, traders often formed actuate of the population of many of the colonies, or at the very least colonists would have been relying heavily on information supplied by traders (Murray, 1980, 107). It should further be observe that the two earliest known colonies, Al Mina and Pithecusae,3 were both establish as trading posts (Bury Meiggs, 1994, 70). Murray argues (Murray, 1980, 108), however, that in general terms trade tended to be a consequence of colonial exertion and not its main crusade vehemence and thus the main constituents of a colony were almost continuously farmers and craftsmen looking for what can only be described as a better like. The colonies always were intended to be self sufficient and so members of a colonising expedition w ere made up of all classis and trades (Hammond, 1959, 114). In the bigger colonies, settlers tended to come in several waves, the latter settlers tending to be of light status in the colony and being known as epoikoi (Hammond, 1959, 114).Which cities colonise?Many Greek city states and islands participated in the colonising movement, including Chalcis in Euboea, Corinth (for colonisation of Corcyra, Strabo 6.2.4), Megara, Rhodes, Crete most of whom founded colonies in Sicily. Southern Italy was colonised largely by the Achaen states of the northerly Peloponnese such as Sybaris and Croton (Sealey, 1976, 32). In the Northen Aegean area, the three divided peninsula that became known as the Chalcidide was so called because of the many foundations from Chalcis, some in that region were also from Andros. The Bosphorus area was colonised by Megara and many colonies in the vitriolic Sea came from the Ionian Greek states such as Miletus (Sealey, 1976, 33).It is perhaps more(prenominal) notable as to which states did not participate in the colonisation movement In any significant way, Sparta only founded one colony at Tarentum (Sealey, 1976, 32-3). in Southern Italy, and Athens likewise only founded o atomic number 53 colony whilst Argos founded none at all. A comprehensive list of all Greek foundations in the Archaic period can be found in Hammond, 1959, 657-660.Which areas were colonised?The first wave of Greek colonisation was snarl most strongly in Sicily (Thucydides 6.1ff) and slightly later, southern Italy. After this initial burst of activity, the islands and promontories of the northern Aegean and along the coast of Macedon and Thrace were settled. The entrance to the desolate Sea was colonised in the early 7th century and the Black Sea region probably at some point after that, although the dating for this is far from certain. North Africa seems to have been the focus of settlement activity in the mid 7th century with Cyrene being founded around 630. ab out 600 the Phoenicians complete a number of colonies in southern France,4 and in Spain5 (Murray, 1980, 104). The colonisation movement essentially ended in 580, geographically the best sites had all been occupies by then and the only significant go oning area in the Adriatic was had a barren and inhospitable coastline (Murray, 1980, 104).What was the relationship to the mother city?When the master(a) colony of a city state itself founded a subsidiary colony, it was prevalent to invite a citizen from the mother state as oikistes and transplanted the same institutions for lesson, the Corcyreans founded Epidamnus to a lower place the leadership of a Corinthian. We also know that Spartas foundation, Taras, had a college of ephors and Euesperides, a colony of Cyrene, both ephors and a gerousia (Hammond, 1959, 112). The sense of kinship with the founding colony was, therefore, exceptionally strong. The attachment was no doubt because of a sense of debt and gratitude matt-up by the colonists towards the mother city for organising the settlers in the first place. As noted above, however, colonies were intended to by self sufficient and once they were firmly established the cord was cut. It was a symbol of the independence of the colony that it worshipped not its founding city, but its oikistes, even if he was of alien origin as at Epidamnus (Hammond, 1959, 112). Some privileges were occasionally extended to the foundress, such as a request to arbitrate a dispute, but they were also frequently offered to other cities also. The relationship between founder and colony did not always remain friendly after the colony essentially became independent, the best possible example of this being the complex dispute between Corinth, Corcyra and Epidamnus that led to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War (Rhodes, 2006, 82ff).ConclusionThe Greek colonisation movement had no hit individual cause, it was partly the result of land hunger caused by natural disaster in some city s tates, almost certainly the result of expansion in some states, the result of a desire for trade revenues by some. Colonies were always intended to be independent and not solely an extension of the home city so the motivation of colonisation is voteless to fathom unless we realise that it was usually not the city that was the driving force behind the desire to settle abroad but probably the main driving force came from citizens rather than it states. Individual citizens largely drove colonisation no doubt seeking a tract of land for themselves and their children, something they may never have been able to achieve in their home state. close to city states took part in the colonisation movement, but a number of the most powerful, Athens, Sparta and Argos, did not so we can reasonably assume that colonisation did not add greatly, if at all, to the military or economic strength, or perhaps even prestige of the founding city again funding the view that the movement was largely from ci tizens rather than states.BibliographyP. Bradley, Ancient Greece Using register (London 1988)J. B. Bury R. Meiggs, A account statement of Greece (London 1994)G. Cawkwell, Early Colonisation, CQ 1992N. G. L. Hammond, A History of Greece to 322 BC (Oxford, 1959)O. Murray, Early Greece (Glasgow 1980)P. J. Rhodes, A History of the Classical Greek World, 478-323BC (Oxford 2006)R. Sealey, A History of the Greek City States 700-338 BC (London 1976)1Footnotes1 All dates are BC unless otherwise stated.2 Argument of Thucydides in Bury Meiggs, 1994, 70.3 Both established before 750.4 e.g. Massalia.5 e.g. Emporion.