Archaic Eretria
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ARCHAIC ERETRIA This book presents for the first time a history of Eretria during the Archaic Era, the city’s most notable period of political importance. Keith Walker examines all the major elements of the city’s success. One of the key factors explored is Eretria’s role as a pioneer coloniser in both the Levant and the West— its early Aegean ‘island empire’ anticipates that of Athens by more than a century, and Eretrian shipping and trade was similarly widespread. We are shown how the strength of the navy conferred thalassocratic status on the city between 506 and 490 BC, and that the importance of its rowers (Eretria means ‘the rowing city’) probably explains the appearance of its democratic constitution. Walker dates this to the last decade of the sixth century; given the presence of Athenian political exiles there, this may well have provided a model for the later reforms of Kleisthenes in Athens. Eretria’s major, indeed dominant, role in the events of central Greece in the last half of the sixth century, and in the events of the Ionian Revolt to 490, is clearly demonstrated, and the tyranny of Diagoras (c. 538–509), perhaps the golden age of the city, is fully examined. Full documentation of literary, epigraphic and archaeological sources (most of which have previously been inaccessible to an English-speaking audience) is provided, creating a fascinating history and a valuable resource for the Greek historian. Keith Walker is a Research Associate in the Department of Classics, History and Religion at the University of New England, Armidale, Australia. ARCHAIC ERETRIA A political and social history from the earliest times to 490 BC Keith G.Walker LONDON AND NEW YORK First published 2004 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2006. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” © 2004 Keith G.Walker All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this title has been requested ISBN 0-203-49108-4 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-57128-2 (Adobe e-Reader Format) ISBN 0-415-28552-6 (Print Edition) This work is dedicated with gratitude and love to Geoff Cooke amico socioque carissimo; without your patience, help and encouragement it could never have been completed CONTENTS List of illustrations vii Preface x Documentation and conventions xii Acknowledgements xi v 1 The geography of Euboia and the Eretrias 1 2 Prehistory, mythology and cult: the earliest inhabitants of Euboia from the late Neolithic Age to the end of the Mycenaean Age 27 3 Old Eretria (Lefkandi) during the Dark Ages and early Iron Age (c. 1050 to c. 750) 72 4 Eretria from c. 825 to c. 650 89 5 Eretria: its history in the wider Greek world during the seventh and early sixth centuries 139 6 Eretria: emergent ‘great power’ of the mid-sixth century 178 7 The tyranny of Diagoras (c. 538–509) 201 8 The Eretrian democracy (c. 509–490) 228 9 Eretria in the 490s 260 10 Epilogue 277 Appendix 1: Chronological tables and notes 279 Appendix 2: Minoan notes 282 Appendix 3: The Kypselidai, Theognis and the low chronology 284 Appendix 4: The source of Strabo’s description of the Amarynthos stele (10, 1, 10, c. 448) 286 Appendix 5: Corinth in central Greece (519–506) 289 Bibliograhy 291 Index locorum 315 General index 322 Index of authors 344 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Maps 1 Euboia 1 2 The Eretrias 2 3 The site of Lefkandi 73 4 Site location plan of Archaic Eretria 95 Figures 1.1 The Euripos narrows and the old swing bridge at Khalkis 3 1.2 Hot springs erupting at the site of the ancient spa on the coast at Aidepsos 3 1.3 The ancient pass between Khalkis and Kerinthos 4 1.4 Cape Artemision and the Straits of Oreoi 5 1.5 The Throne of Hera at the summit of Mt Dirphys 5 1.6 Barley and vegetable crops on the Lelantine Plain near Myktas 6 1.7 The Kerinthos Plain near Mantoudhi 7 1.8 The dry bed of the River Lelas at Vasilikon in summer 8 1.9 View of Khalkis and the Euripos from the mainland 9 1.10 View of Karystos and its harbour from the Venetian castro on the slopes of Mt Okhe 10 1.11 The bed of the Boudoros in spring; levée banks protect against flash- flooding 11 1.12 Flowering Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree) against a background of fir and pine forests, central Euboia 12 1.13 Forests of fir (Abies alba and A. cephalonica) 13 1.14 Eretrian tetradachm c. 550–11 BC, with gorgoneion and bull’s/cow’s head, in the British Museum 13 1.15 Mt Olympos from the site of the gymnasion at Eretria 16 1.16 Rugged mountain and valley near Avlonari in the Eretrias 17 1.17 The Eretrian (Amarynthian) Plain from the southern slopes of the acropolis of Eretria 17 1.18 The ‘acropolis’ of Dystos from the drained lake bed 18 1.19 The stone quarry on the north-east slope of the Eretrian acropolis 19 1.20 (a) The kalos inscription high on the cut face of the acropolis quarry: 20 (sixth century); (b) detail of the kalos inscription with the visible letters emphasised 2.1 The Xeropolis headland, Lefkandi, the site of the prehistoric settlement, from the west bay 45 2.2 The headland of Palaioekklisies, thought to be the site of prehistoric Amarynthos 48 3.1 Animal-style LH IIIC pyxis from Lefkandi, Eretria Museum 74 3.2 The ‘Ship Vase’ (globular pyxis) 850–25 BC from Lefkandi, Eretria Museum 76 3.3 Line drawing of the ship vase 77 3.4 The Centaur of Lefkandi, Eretria Museum 78 3.5 The MPG ‘Archer Hydria’ from Lefkandi, Eretria Museum 80 3.6 View from Xeropolis Hill over the east bay, towards the acropolis of Eretria and Mt Olympos 84 4.1 The Eretrian Plain—orchards and cropland on shallow limestone soils 94 4.2 The ashlar Hellenistic north-west acropolis wall tower 97 4.3 The acropolis from near the West Gate 98 4.4 View over Eretria from the acropolis hill showing the harbour, the city delta plain, etc. 98 4.5 The bridge at the West Gate 101 4.6 Fine-fitting archaic polygonal masonry at the West Gate 101 4.7 The channel of the western stream and the ashlar masonry of the western section of the enceint wall, which served also as a retaining wall 102 4.8 Polygonal masonry of the acropolis wall 103 4.9 The author at the site of the temenos of Apollo Daphnephoros 104 4.10 The temenos site 104 4.11 The small Thesmophoreion on the slopes of the acropolis 106 4.12 Bronze burial cauldrons from the heroön site, Eretria Museum 108 4.13 Geometric burial amphora from the south-west cemetery, Eretria Museum 109 4.14 Burial amphoras from the south-west cemetery 110 6.1 The Laws of Eretria (IG XII 9, 1273/4) 187 6.2 The Laws of Eretria (IG XII 9, 1273/4) 188 7.1 View of mountainous country between Khalkis and Kerinthos 208 7.2 (Horn. Il. 2, 258) 209 7.3 The grave-marker of Khairion (IG XII 9, 296): . From Kourouniotis 1899, 144, no. 10. 213 7.4 Grave stele of Pleistias the Lakedaimonian (IG XII 9, 286): 220 . From the Eretria Museum. 8.1 IG XII 9, 241: inscribed face, Eretria Museum 233 8.2 IG XII 9, 241: (a) line 37 showing the positions of the names (1) and (2) (or, I suggest, ); (b) close-up photograph of (1); (c) line 77, as it presently appears on the stone, where the second district name (2) [or (3)] occurs 235 8.3 The Horos Phratrikos, Eretria Museum 238 8.4 The proxeny decree for Aristoteles Kheiloniou (IG XII Suppl. 549), Eretria Museum 241 8.5 IG XII Suppl. 549 242 8.6 The base with the dedication of the Eretrian bull monument at Olympia 250 8.7 The dedicatory inscription: 251 8.8 The surviving horn and ear of the bronze bull 251 Tables 4.1 Text with notes of the papyrus fragment of an early Elegaic poem 136 8.1 Comparative readings of IG XII 9, Suppl. 549 233 8.2 The known and hypothetical names of the tripartite territorial divisions of the Corinthia, the Eretrias and Attica 240 8.3 Comparison of the formulae of Attic proxeny decrees and the Eretrian decree IG XII 9, Suppl. 549 244 8.4 The readings of Peek and Wallace of IG XII, Suppl. 549 257 A1.1 From the Neolithic Age to the sub-Mycenaean period 279 A1.2 From the sub-Mycenaean period to the sub-Geometric period 279 A1.3 Euboian colonisation in the West 280 A1.4 Some significant dates in Eretrian history 280 PREFACE For the historian of early Greece, one of the most pressing tasks is the study in depth of specific [geographical] areas.