ANCIENT COLONIES OF THE PELOPONNESE

Text and research by Nikos Aivalis, translation by Eva Trombetas 

Ancient Greek colonies, a huge chapter in Greeks history, as all the cities of Greece colonized various parts of the world. The Peloponnese could not be missing from this part of history, with very important metropolises such as Corinth, Sparta, Argos, Arcadia, Messinia, etc. In this tribute, we’ll try to take a look at the colonies of the Peloponnese outside the borders of modern Greece.

First, we are heading to neighboring Italy and specifically to its southern part, in the Region of Apulia. There lies the ancient city of Taranto. Taranto was founded by the Spartans and is the only colony of Sparta in Magna Graecia. The founder of the city was Falanthos Lacedaemonius, son of Arakos. After receiving an oracle of Delphi, in 706 BC. Falanthos with other Lacedaemonians colonized Taranto. The name of that city comes from the mythical Taranto, son of Poseidon and Satyria. When Taras was shipwrecked, Poseidon sent a dolphin to rescue him and traveled from Cape Tainaro to Apulia. It is noteworthy that in 500 BC it was the largest city in the then known world. Nowadays Taranto is an important port and commercial center.

Taranto, Poseidon's temple

Syracuse, a very important city in Sicily, at the southeastern tip of the island, west of the Ionian Sea, a colony of the Corinthians in 734 BC. A great city that was one of the most powerful naval forces in the Mediterranean, the birthplace of the mathematician and scientist Archimedes. A very important ally of Corinth, which was a metropolis, but also an ally of the Spartans. Even the Romans admired Syracuse, with Marco Tyllios of Cicero describing Syracuse as the leading and most beautiful Greek city that can only be compared to Athens in the 5th century BC. The founder of the city was Archias the Corinthian, a descendant of Hercules. According to Pausanias, he received an oracle from Delphi to go to Sicily. He took with him the Corinthians Myskilos and Hersikrates. In the process, Hersikratis colonized Corfu, Myskilos the Crotone and finally Archias the Syracuse. Nowadays Syracuse is a tourist destination as it has many attractions.

Syracuse, ancient theater

Crotone, east coast of Kalavria at the mouth of the river Aisaros, was founded around 710 BC from Corinthians. The settlement of Pythagoras at Crotone contributed greatly to its cultural and social progress. Nowadays Crotone is an industrial center of metallurgy.

Crotone, temple of Hera

Messina, not the one of Peloponnese, but that of Italy and specifically in northern Sicily. After the Second Messinian War, where the Messinians were defeated by the Spartans, many Messinians fled to Sicily, to the city of Zagli where Greeks coming from Chalkida had first colonized around the 8th century BC. Today, Messina is the third largest city in Sicily, while it is a tourist and commercial center.

Messina, ancient theater

Pisa, a city in northwestern Italy, famous for the famous leaning tower of Pisa. A city in which, in the 18th century AD Greek community flourished, many of whom became members of the Filiki Eteria (a secret organization founded in 1814, whose purpose was to overthrow the Ottoman rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek state) and supported the Greek War of Independence of 1821 in every way. There’s not just this relation the city has with Greece and the Peloponnese. Pisa was colonized by the city of Pisa of ancient Elis, which is very close to ancient Olympia. The name comes from the founder of the city, Piso who was the son of Periiros, king of Messina and Gorgofoni, daughter of Perseus, coming originally from Argos. Nowadays Pisa is a city with great economic and spiritual development.

the famous tower of Pisa

Paphos, an ancient city in the southwestern part of Cyprus, a center of worship of the goddess Aphrodite. Founder was the mythical king of Arcadia, Agapinoras. King of Tegea, son of Agaius, took part in the Trojan War with 60 ships. After the fall of Troy, as Agapinor was returning to Arcadia, he was carried away near the shores of Cyprus. There, according to Homer and Pausanias, he founded Paphos. Nowadays Paphos is one of the largest tourist centers in Cyprus.

Paphos, ancient monuments

Trapezounta (Trabzon), Black Sea, Pontus. It was colonized by Arcadians from the ancient city of Trapezounta in Arcadia. Trapezounta of Arcadia is located near the Alpheus river in Parrasia land, between the ancient and sacred centers of Arcadians, between mount Lykaion and Mainalo. Trapezounta of Pontus was a large urban and cultural center of the Greeks until 1922 and the burning of Smyrna.

Trapezounta (Trabzon)

Halicarnassus (Bodrum), an ancient Greek city on the coast of Asia Minor, known for the Mausoleum of Mausolos which was one of the seven wonders of the world, created by the architects Satyros and Pythios. Founders of Halicarnassus were Argeioi from the area of Troizina (an area near Argos) from where Ethra came from, mother of the mythical hero Theseus, later king of Athens. One of the most famous men who came from Halicarnassus, was the historian of the 5th century BC, Herodotus. Nowadays, the economy of the region is based on fishing, while it is a tourist attraction.

Halicarnassus, ancient theater

Our tribute to the Peloponnesian colonies does not end here, as we’ll get to see in another article other cities associated with Greece and the Peloponnese.