- Phocaea
: "This article is about the ancient city. For the modern city, see
Foça "Infobox Settlement
official_name = Phocaea (Φώκαια)
other_name = (Foça )
imagesize = 280px
image_caption = The theater of PhocaeaLocation map
Turkey
label=Phocaea
label_size=100
lat=38.673611
long=26.7475
marksize=9
position=right
width=300
float=right
caption=Phocaea, now Foça Phocaea, or Phokaia, ( _el. Φώκαια) (modern-dayFoça inTurkey ) was an ancientIonia n Greek city on the western coast ofAnatolia . Greek colonists from Phocaea founded the colony of Massalia [Pliny, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Plin.+Nat.+3.5 3.5] .] (modern dayMarseille , inFrance ) in600 BC ,Emporion (modern dayEmpúries , inCatalonia ,Spain ) in575 BC and Elea (modern dayVelia , inCampania ,Italy ) in540 BC .Geography
Phocaea was the most northern of the Ionian cities, on the boundary with
Aeolis . [Strabo, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Strab.+13.1.1 13.1.2] .] It was located near the mouth of the river Hermus (now Gediz), and situated on the coast of the peninsula separating the Gulf ofCyme to the north, named for the largest of theAeolia n cities, and the Gulf ofSmyrna (nowİzmir ) to the south. 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 ofCodrus . [Pausanias, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Paus.+7.3.1 7.3.10] . See also, Herodotus, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hdt.+1.146.1 1.146.1] which mentions "Phocian renegades" as being among the settlers of Ionia.] Pottery remains indicate Aeolian presence as late as the9th century BC , and Ionian presence as early as the end of the 9th century BC. From this an approximate date of settlement for Phocaea can be inferred. [Stillwell, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0006%3Aid%3Dphokaia "Phokaia"] .]According to
Herodotus the Phocaeans were the first Greeks to make long sea-voyages, having discovered the coasts of theAdriatic ,Tyrrhenia and Spain. Herodotus relates that they so impressedArganthonios , king ofTartessus inSpain , 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. [Herodotus, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hdt.+1.163.1 1.163] .]Their sea travel was extensive. To the south they probably conducted trade with the Greek colony of
Naucratis inEgypt , which was the colony of their fellow Ionian cityMiletus . To the north, they probably helped settleAmisos (Samsun) on theBlack Sea , andLampsacus at the north end of theHellespont (now theDardanelles ). However Phocaea's major colonies were to the west. These includedAlalia inCorsica , Emporion in Spain, and especially Massalia (Marseille ) in France. [Stillwell, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0006%3Aid%3Dphokaia "Phokaia"] .]Phocaea remained independent until the reign of the
Lydia n kingCroesus (circa 560–545 BC), when they, along with the rest of mainland Ionia, first, fell under Lydian control [Herodotus, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hdt.+1.6.1 1.6] .] and then, along with Lydia (who had allied itself withSparta ) were conquered byCyrus the Great of Persia in546 BC , 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 onCorsica and elsewhere in theMediterranean , with some eventually returning to Phocaea. Many however became the founders ofElea , around540 BC . [For Herodotus' account of the flight of the Phocaeans, see: [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hdt.+1.164.1 1.164–168] . See also Strabo, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Strab.+6.1.1 6.1.1] .]In
500 BC , Phocaea joined theIonian Revolt against Persia. Indicative of its naval prowess, Dionysius, a Phocaean was chosen to command the Ionian fleet at the decisiveBattle of Lade , in494 BC . [Herodotus, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hdt.+6.11.1 6.11-12] .] However, indicative of its declining fortunes, Phocaea was only able to contribute three ships, out of a total of "three hundred and fifty three". [Herodotus, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hdt.+6.8.1 6.8] .] The Ionian fleet was defeated and the revolt ended shortly thereafter.After the defeat of
Xerxes I by the Greeks in480 BC and the subsequent rise of Athenian power, Phocaea joined theDelian League , paying tribute to Athens of two talents. [Stillwell, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0006%3Aid%3Dphokaia "Phokaia"] .] In412 BC , during thePeloponnesian War , with the help ofSparta , Phocaea rebelled along with the rest of Ionia. ThePeace of Antalcidas , which ended theCorinthian War , returned nominal control to Persia in367 BC .In
343 BC , the Phocaeans unsuccessfully laid siege toKydonia on the island ofCrete . [ [http://letmespeaktothedriver.com/site/10881/cydonia.html#fieldnotes C. Michael Hogan, "Cydonia", The Modern Antiquarian, Jan. 23, 2008] .]During the
Hellenistic period it fell under Seleucid, then Attalid rule.It was later briefly under the control of
Benedetto Zaccaria , theGenoa n ambassador toByzantium ; Zaccaria amassed a considerable fortune from his properties there. It remained a Genoese colony until it was taken by the Turks in1455 . [CathEncy|wstitle=Phocæa.] It is atitular see of theRoman Catholic Church . [CathEncy|wstitle=Phocæa.]Coinage
Probably following the Lydians, the Phocaeans were among the earliest in the world to make and use coins as money. Its earliest coins were made of
electrum , a naturally occurring alloy of silver and gold. TheBritish Museum has a Phocaean coin containing the image of a seal dating from 600–550 BC . [In Greek, "phoce" (Φώκη) means "seal", [http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/e/electrum_stater_with_a_seal.aspx British Museum: "Electrum stater with a seal"] .]Notes
References
*Herodotus, "The Persian Wars", Translated by
A. D. Godley , (Loeb Classical Library, Nos. 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. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hdt.+toc ]
*Pausanias, "Description of Greece", Books I-II, translated by Horace Leonard Jones; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. (1918) ISBN 0-674-99104-4. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Paus.+1.1.1 ]
*Pliny the Elder , "The Natural History" (Eds. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A.) London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. (1855). [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Plin.+Nat.+toc ]
*Stillwell, Richard, "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites", (Editors: Richard Stillwell, William L. MacDonald and Marian Holland McAllister) (1976). ISBN 0-691-03542-3. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0006;layout=;query=toc ]
*Strabo , "Geography", translated by Horace Leonard Jones; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. (1924). Vol. 3, Books 6–7 ISBN 0674992016, Vol. 6, Books 13–14 ISBN 0674992466. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0239 ]External links
*British Museum:
** [http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/g/gold_ring_engraved_with_woman.aspx "Gold ring engraved with a woman at an altar", circa 350 BC, Phocaea]
** [http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/s/silver_stater,_with_a_turtle.aspx "Silver stater, with turtle", late 6th century BC]
* [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0040%3Ahead%3D%23214 Perseus Coin Catalog: "Dewing 2304", Phocaea, circa 477 BC–388 BC]
** [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1990.26.0524 Obverse: Helmeted head of Athena, profile to the left; below, seal]
** [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=Perseus%3Aimage%3A1990.26.0525 Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square]
*"Catalog of Greek Coins of Ionia":
** [http://books.google.com/books?id=_WsCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR21&dq=Phocaea#PPT14,M1 Plate IV: Ionian Electrum, Phocaea, 6th, 5th and 4th century BC]
** [http://books.google.com/books?id=_WsCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR21&dq=Phocaea#PPT16,M1 Plate V: Ionian Electrum, Phocaea, 5th and 4th century BC]
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