PHOCAEAN COLONISATION* Jean-Paul Morel During the last few decades there has been a noticeable revival of interest in Phocaean expansion, for long somewhat neglected in the history of Greek colonisation.1 This migration has many uncommon aspects, not least its late beginnings—in the West it really did not start until the 6th century, while many other colonial movements had begun in the 8th or 7th centuries. Arriving, as a result, in a Mediterranean which was already largely occupied, the Phocaeans were forced to establish themselves in more remote regions than other Greeks (Fig. 1). On the other hand, this expansion covered a particularly long period of time, until Marseilles fell under Roman domination in 49 B.C. This double peculiarity of lateness and dura- tion explains why the Hellenistic period occupies an exceptional place in the history of Phocaean colonisation, which we can mention here only marginally. Phocaea and the First Phocaean Expansion On the whole, Phocaea, the metropolis of the Phocaeans, has been studied less than its main colonies. F. Sartiaux carried out short investigations there in 1914 and again in 1920. In 1953–55 E. Akurgal directed major excavations, published briefly. But the research carried out by Ö. Özyi<it since 1989 has enlarged our knowledge considerably.2 * Translated by Nevena Georgieva. Where no confusion is likely to arise, Spanish surnames are given in the shorter form here, but in full in the bibliography. For example, Sanmartí 1989 refers to the author Sanmartí i Grego (Editor). 1 In particular, since a ‘founder’ colloquium in 1966: Velia e i Focei in Occidente 1966. For the state of the question, see Morel 1966; 1975; 1982; 1995a; Domínguez 1985; 1991; Hodge 1998. 2 On the history of the excavation of Phocaea, see Morel-Deledalle 1995; Akurgal 1995, 33; Hermary in Hermary et al. 1999, 25–9. 360 jean-paul morel Phocaea (the present Foça) was situated in the centre of the Aegean littoral of Asia Minor, in the area to the north of the Gulf of Smyrna, close to the coastal entrance to the valley of the Hermos, i.e. of rich Lydia (Strabo 13. 4. 5). Its origins are obscure (Athenians?—more likely Aeolians; before an ‘Ionianisation’ at the end of the 9th cen- tury?).3 The relatively infertile territory and the presence of two ports flanking a peninsula destined it to a maritime fate ( Justinus 43. 3. 5). A temple of Athena of the second quarter of the 6th century has been found there, with capitals of different types (Ionic, with leaves drooping, palm-like). Further finds are an other Ionic capital, similar to those of the Treasury of the Massaliotes at Delphi, cult niches (to Cybele?) cut into the rock, a stone naiskos which finds par- allels at Massalia and at Elea/Hyele, an Archaic settlement, a the- atre of the 340s–330s B.C., quarries and pottery workshops. Finally, the latest research has revealed a magnificently constructed city wall attributed to the 590s–580s B.C., reaching 4m thick. It is tempting to see it as the rampart built thanks to the generosity of the Tartessian king, Arganthonius (Herodotus 1. 163). The length of this wall (more than 5km) made the Archaic city one of the largest of its time.4 The coins of Phocaea were of undeniably Ionian style, but numerous influences on the art of the West (Phocaean colonies, Gaul, the Iberian Peninsula and, above all, Etruria) have been attributed to it without any deep or extensive knowledge of the city’s own art.5 Phocaea belonged to the Ionian League. It venerated the Ephesian Artemis, the Pan-Ionian goddess, whose cult it propagated in the West.6 It participated together with other Ionians in different joint foundations, such as Naukratis in the Nile Delta (Herodotus 2. 178) and, probably, Gravisca in Etruria (see below). The first Phocaean colony appears to have been Lampsacus (Lapseki), established in Asia Minor on the Hellespont in the territory of the 3 Sources and references in Keil 1941; Graf 1985, 402; Phocée et la fondation de Marseille 1995. See also Pierobon-Benoit 1995, 406–7. 4 On the finds from Phocaea and on the city in general, see particularly Akurgal 1956; Langlotz 1966; 1969; Domínguez 1991b, 135–7; Özyi<it 1994; 1995; Akurgal 1995; Özyi<it and Erdogan 2000. Other bibliographical references in Morel 1975, 855–6; Phocée et la fondation de Marseille 1995, 63. 5 See Langlotz 1966. 6 On the cults of Phocaea in general, see Graf 1985, 405–23..