Great Greek colonization. Greek colonies

Great greek colonization

From the middle of the 8th century BC Greeks begin to settle on all shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas. On ships, people loaded pets, supplies and set off. According to scientists, the Greeks then founded several hundred cities overseas. These relocations are now called the great Greek colonization, and the new cities are called colonies. Great she is called because of the huge scope of colonization. It lasted about 300 years.

Greek colonization had three main directions. The most significant was the western direction - towards the islands of Sicily, southern Italy, southern France and even Spain. To the south, the Greeks swam to the northern shores of Africa. But here they met the resistance of the Egyptian pharaohs. Therefore, only the city of Navkratis was founded on the territory of Egypt. To the northeast, the path went towards the straits connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Black Sea, and further to its shores. 1. The causes of colonization.

The founding of new cities was caused by various reasons. For example, in one state the living conditions were very good and therefore after some time the population increased so much that they could no longer feed on the existing land. In another policy, a fierce struggle between citizens began. Then the popular assembly decided to evict part of the population so that others could live in peace. Or the defeated in the struggle left their native policy. There were other reasons for colonization.

Greek colonies were founded in places convenient for life, with fertile lands. As a rule, they were located on the seashore, where there were good harbors. Cities were built where the Greeks had previously been on commercial matters.

Upon arrival, the settlers divided the land into equal sections both inside the city and around it, in fields and meadows. They surrounded the city with walls, erected temples to the gods, built homes.

New cities were completely independent of the city from which the colonists sailed (this city was called the mother country - mother city). The most illustrious of the metropolises was Miletus in Asia Minor. Natives of Miletus founded several dozen colonies.

2. The results of colonization.

The great Greek colonization had a huge impact on the development of the entire Greek world. She expanded the knowledge of the Greeks. They met with many new nations, learned about their customs, religion, culture.

Colonization contributed to the development of economy and trade, as well as navigation. Colonists needed many things that initially they could not produce themselves and were forced to buy in Greece. From the Hellas in the colony brought the products of blacksmiths and other artisans, olive oil, wine. From the colony in exchange brought grain, slaves, metals. New cities grew and grew rich.

3. Colonies on the northern shores of the Black Sea.

The Greeks founded many colonies on the northern shores of the Black Sea, on the territory of modern Russia and Ukraine. The most powerful state that has arisen here is the Kingdom of Bosporus. The Bosporus kingdom owned vast fertile lands and was rich in bread.

On the outskirts of Sevastopol are the ruins of the Greek city of Khersones. Now there is a reserve, and you can walk along the ancient streets excavated by archaeologists and see the remains of various buildings. Another Greek city was Olbia (which means "Happy"). This city was visited by the “father of history” Herodotus during his journey. He collected information about the Scythians here.

4. Scythians. Scythians were the closest neighbors of the Greeks in the Northern Black Sea region. According to Herodotus, “the Scythians don’t sow or plow anything at all,” “the Scythians have neither cities, nor fortifications, and they carry their dwellings with them. They are all horse archers and hunt not with agriculture but with cattle breeding; their dwellings are in wagons " Despite the primitive life of the Scythians, they managed to create a powerful state. The Scythians obeyed many peoples who lived next door to them. In 512 BC e. Scythians even repelled the campaign of the powerful army of the Persian king Darius I.

5. Mounds of Scythians. If you find yourself in the steppes that stretch along the northern shores of the Black Sea, you will definitely see one or more mounds. A mound was a hill strewn over a grave. Archaeologists have unearthed some of the mounds of Scythian kings.

In the tombs of the kings found the remains of people and horses who were killed and buried with the king. Here, various things lay that accompanied the king to the afterlife. Among them are many magnificent products made of gold and silver. These are jewelry, jugs, bowls, combs and other objects. They were made by Greek masters, but they tried to make their products like the Scythians, so they decorated these objects with images that were close and understandable to the Scythians. For example, one vase depicts scenes from Scythian legends.

6. Greeks and barbarians. As a result of colonization, the Greeks became acquainted with many nations that they did not know before. The Greeks saw that these peoples differ from them in language, customs, and culture. Thanks to this, the Greeks began to realize themselves as a single people - the Hellenes. All other nations they called barbarians. The word "barbarian" arose as onomatopoeia. When the Greeks wanted to portray non-Hellenic speech, they muttered "war-var." The Greeks also considered the barbarians to be the inhabitants of Babylonia, Persia and Egypt - countries with centuries-old history and culture. The backward tribes were also barbarians for them: Thracians, Illyrians, Scythians.

At first, the word "barbarian" meant forgive "stranger", "not Hellenic." But gradually the attitude of the Greeks towards strangers is changing. The Greeks began to think that they are superior to the barbarians in everything. Therefore, they considered all people living according to their customs to be retarded people born for slavery.

GREAT GREEK COLONIZATION

The archaic era was marked by such an important event in the history of Hellas as Great Greek colonization,when the Greeks founded many cities and settlements on the shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Thus, Greek civilization spread to large areas of southern Europe.

The development of the colonization process was determined by the prerequisites of an economic and political nature. The economic prerequisites include, first of all, the sharp “land hunger” that arose as a result of population growth, when the small size of the choirs and low yields could not ensure the normal existence of all citizens of the state. As a result, part of the population was forced to seek a livelihood in a foreign land. An important incentive for the colonization of neighboring territories by Greek policies was the desire to gain access to sources of raw materials that were absent in the homeland and to secure the most important trade routes for Greece. That is why the Greeks founded not only apocia- full-fledged colonies, immediately becoming independent policies, but also trading factorieswhich were only places of stay of merchants with their goods. As for the political causes of colonization, the fierce struggle for power in the policies of the archaic era played an important role. Often the group that was defeated in this struggle had only one thing left - to leave their hometown and move to a new place.

It is by no means accidental that the colonization centers (metropolises) became economically and politically developed policies that had a large population, but a small choir. Among such policies - Corinth, Megara, Chalcis, Eretria, etc. For example, Miletus, according to some sources, founded more than 70 colonies. It would seem that the exception to the general rule was the region of Achaea, a backward agrarian region in the north of the Peloponnese. However, it should be taken into account that in Achaea with its stony soils, “land hunger” was felt especially sharply.

An incomparably smaller role in the Great Greek colonization was played by those policies whose choir was more extensive, and the pace of economic and political development - more slowed down (or artificially restrained). So, almost no colonies were founded during the archaic era of Athens, Sparta, the state of Boeotia and Thessaly.

Colonization proceeded in two main directions - west and north-east, where the first colonies were withdrawn as early as the VIII century. BC e. In the west of the Greeks, the fertile lands of the Apennine peninsula and the island of Sicily were especially attractive. Already in the first half of the VIII century. BC e. immigrants from Chalkida founded a small settlement on the islet of Pithekussa off the western coast of Italy; soon the colonists moved to the mainland, and there appeared a Greek policy Kuma.A century has passed - and the southern coast of the Italian "boot" and the entire coast of Sicily were literally dotted with new Hellenic cities. Natives of Euboea, from Corinth, Megar, Achaea and other Greek policies took an active part in the colonization of the region. Sometimes several policies carried out a joint colonization expedition. But there were cases of completely different relations - hostility, struggle for territories, which led to wars and the displacement of the weakest to less convenient lands.

In the end, southern Italy and Sicily were so intensively mastered by the Greeks that already in ancient historiography this whole area was named Great Greece.The largest and most significant policy of the region was Syracusebased approx. 734 BC e. Corinthians. Syracuse was such a thriving economic and political center that it could be considered the most famous Greek colony. Of the other cities of Great Greece, it should be mentioned: in Sicily - Gelu(colony of the city of Lind on Rhodes), on the southern coast of Italy - Sybaris, Croton(founded by immigrants from Achaia) Tarent(perhaps the only colony of Sparta, which was bred as a result of the internal political struggle in this policy), Regius(colony of Chalkida).

A special role in the colonization by the Greeks of the extreme west of the Mediterranean was played by Phokea - a policy in Asia Minor Ionia, the birthplace of many excellent sailors. Around 600 BC e. Phocians founded a colony on the south coast of present-day France Massilia(modern Marseille), which has become a rich and prosperous city. The Phocians created a number of their settlements on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.

The northeastern direction of Greek colonization attracted residents of the policies of Balkan Greece by the presence of minerals (gold and silver deposits in North Aegeid), fertility of lands (primarily Black Sea), and the possibility of establishing profitable trade relations. In this direction, the Greeks mastered the Thracian coast of the Aegean Sea, including the Chalkidik Peninsula (on this peninsula, the network of Greek settlements was especially dense), and then the zone of the Black Sea straits, where the Megaras were very active. In the VI century. BC e. Megarians established colonies on opposite sides of the Bosporus Thracian Strait (an extremely strategically important area) Chalcedonand Byzantium(future Constantinople, modern Istanbul).

The logical conclusion to the movement of the Greeks to the northeast was the development of the Black Sea coast, which they called the Pontus of Euxinus (i.e., the Hospitable Sea). The first attempts to colonize the Black Sea coast date back to the 8th century. BC e. But only from the VII century. BC, when the Greeks managed to gain a foothold in the Black Sea straits, as well as to get comfortable with the navigation specifics of the Black Sea basin (the practical absence of islands, long distances and depths, other climatic conditions), this sea became truly “hospitable” for them. Particularly active in the colonization of the Pontic coast was Miletus, who founded most of his colonies in this region.

Of the colonies of the southern Black Sea region, the most significant were Sinopeand Heraclea Pontic,East - Dioscuriadaand FasisWestern - Istriaand OdessaPerhaps the largest number of settlements among the Hellenic colonists was in the Northern Black Sea region. At the end of the VII century. BC e. Miletians settled on the small island of Berezan near the mouth of the Dnieper. Then they made a "jump to the mainland", founding a city Olbia.In LT. BC e. many settlements of the Greeks (in the vast majority - the Miletus colonies) occupied the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus (the ancient name of the Kerch Strait). The largest center of ancient civilization in this region has become Panticapaeum(located on the site of modern Kerch). Nearby, smaller and larger cities emerged: Nymphaeum, Mirmeky, Theodosius, Fanagoria, Hermonassand others. Over time, these cities created an association (religious, and possibly military-political in nature), led by Panticapaeum. In the classical era, the largest state in the Northern Black Sea Region, the Kingdom of Bosporus, was formed from this union of policies.

Great Greek colonization, for obvious reasons, hardly spread to the east and south. In the Eastern Mediterranean, developed countries have long existed (Phoenician cities, Egypt), which were by no means interested in the appearance of "strangers" settlements on their lands. Things did not go beyond the formation of Greek trading posts on the territory of these kingdoms. In particular, in Egypt, in the Nile Delta, in the VII century. BC e. a colony arose Navkratis,but this is not a traditional city for the Greeks. Navkratis was founded by several policies and is inhabited mainly by merchants, while subordinate to the power of the pharaoh. In other words, it was rather a large trading post than a colony in the proper sense of the word. Only in one area on the African coast, later called Cyrenaica (territory of modern Libya), from the 7th century BC e. colonies began to appear, the largest of which was Cyrene,quickly becoming a prosperous city.

Sicily. Temple of Concord in Akragant (V century BC). The photo

To the withdrawal of the colonies, all Greek policies were very responsible. Before the departure of the colonists, they sought to scout the place of the proposed settlement, find out about the availability of fertile land, take care of convenient harbors, and, if possible, determine the degree of friendliness of local residents. Very often, city officials turned for advice to the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, whose priests became real experts in such matters. Then, lists of people wishing to go to the colony were compiled, the head of the expedition was appointed - oikist(upon arrival at the place, he usually became the head of a new city). Finally, taking with them the sacred fire from their native altars, the future colonists on ships set off.

Arriving at the place, the settlers first set about arranging the Greek policy they founded: they built defensive walls, temples of gods and public buildings, divided the surrounding territory among themselves into claires (land plots). Since its inception, each colony has been a completely independent policy. As a rule, all colonies maintained close ties with the metropolis - economic, religious, and sometimes political (for example, Corinth sent his commissioners to the colonies founded by him).

One of the most important problems that always faced the colonists was the system of relations with the local tribal world. Indeed, almost each of the newly founded Greek cities appeared to be surrounded by settlements of the people who previously lived in this territory, who were, as a rule, at a lower level of development (in Sicily these were Siculas, in the Northern Black Sea region - Scythians, etc.). Relations with the aborigines could be different. Unclouded friendly contacts based on mutually beneficial economic cooperation were established relatively rarely. More often the surrounding tribes showed hostility, which led either to frequent wars that depleted both sides, or to a state of armed neutrality, which forced the colonists to live in constant wariness. It happened that one of the parties managed to prevail in the struggle. In the event of the victory of the colonists, local residents fell into political and economic dependence on the Greeks. Founded in the middle of the VI century. BC e. The Heracles of Pontus, the Greeks from Megar immediately entered into a stubborn struggle for land with the local population - maria. The victory was gained by the more united and better armed Greek colonists. The land of mariandins was turned into the property of the Heracleian policy, and the locals themselves were enslaved, although they received some guarantees: the founders of Heraclea made a commitment not to sell them abroad. Such was the fate of the Killir tribes in Syracuse.

The ruins of Tauric Chersonesos. The photo

But the Greek colony could also become dependent on the local ruler. So, in the V century. BC e. Olbia was under the protectorate of the Scythian kings.

It is difficult to overestimate the consequences of the Great Greek colonization, which began in the archaic era and continued, although not on a previous scale, in the classical era. During the colonization of the Greeks, vast territories were settled and developed. The Greeks approached the choice of a place for the colony very rationally, taking into account all possible positive and negative factors, therefore, in most cases, new settlements quickly became prosperous cities. Maintaining active ties with the "old" Greek lands, the colonies themselves began to influence the development of their metropolises.

Colonies were typical policies, and therefore life in them fell under the same laws of social development as the policies of Balkan Greece. In particular, they faced the same economic, social and political problems: “land hunger”, the struggle of various groups for power, etc. It is not surprising that many of the colonies themselves eventually become metropolises, establishing their own colonies. So, Gela founded in Sicily Akragant -a city that soon did not concede to her in size and importance. Several colonies were bred by Hercules of Pontius, of which the most famous was the one that arose in the second half of the 6th century. BC e. Tauric Chersonesos(in the territory of modern Sevastopol).

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In ancient Greece to the VI century. BC. many independent states (policies) have developed. The Greeks were a highly developed people. They were good warriors, skilled traders, skilled craftsmen. In addition, the Greeks were excellent sailors. Their life was largely connected with the sea. Because Greece was surrounded on all sides by the seas (see map). The land of Greece is covered in mountains, often by sea it was faster to reach than by land. The Greeks studied the surrounding seas well.

Developments

VIII-VI centuries. BC e. - Great Greek colonization.

The Greeks called colonization the foundation of new settlements - independent policies in distant lands.

The mother country (literally translated as “mother city”) was the name of the state that founded the colony. The colony did not become dependent on the mother country; it was an independent state.

Why did the Greeks establish colonies?

Greece is a small country. When the population grew, it was difficult to feed him. There was not enough bread, moreover, in mountainous areas it was very difficult to grow.
In Greece, clashes of nobles and demos were not uncommon. The losing group was often expelled from the polis and was forced to seek a new place of residence.

Where did the Greeks establish colonies?

All the colonies of Ancient Greece were coastal.
The Greeks founded new policies on the shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, on the shores of Europe, Asia and Africa.

Famous Greek colonies (see map):

West - Syracuse, Naples, Massilia.

East - Olbia, Chersonesos, Panticapaeum. Neighbors of the Greeks in these parts were Scythians.

South - Cyrene.

From the colonies, the Greeks carried:

corn,
metals
slaves.

The following were imported from Greece to the colony:

olive oil,
wine.

How did colonization affect the life of the ancient Greeks?

Crafts developed
improved living standards
a new influx of slaves
the horizons of the Greeks expanded.

Members

Fig. 1. Colonies of Greece ()

The Greeks learned to build strong wooden ships. Merchants brought artisans and other Greek goods to overseas countries. Woolen fabrics were famous for Miletus - the Greek city in Asia Minor. The best weapons were made in the city of Corinth, and the best pottery - in Athens.

At first, merchants only for a short time molested other people's shores to exchange goods with local residents. Then the Greek trading cities began to establish their permanent colonies on the shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas (Fig. 1).

In Greece, there were many who wanted to move to the colony: artisans hoping to find good sales there of their products, peasants who had lost their land, people forced to flee their homeland. The struggle between the demos and the nobility in the Greek policies forced many Greeks to leave their homeland. Hesiod wrote that the poor left, "in order to free themselves from debt and avoid the hunger of evil." With the victory of the nobility, her opponents were forced to flee, fleeing from the revenge of the victors. Demos, having gained power, drove out aristocrats hostile to him. “I exchanged my magnificent house for the fugitive’s ship,” wrote the exiled aristocrat.

The city, establishing a new colony, sent a whole flotilla of military and merchant ships there (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Greek merchant ship ()

In a foreign country, the Greeks seized land near a convenient bay or at the mouth of a river. Here they built the city and surrounded it with a fortress wall. The settlers organized craft workshops, cultivated land near the city, raised livestock, and traded with tribes living in the interior of the country. The Greeks acquired slaves from local tribes. Some of the slaves were left to work in the colonies, and some were sent for sale to Greece.

Many colonies were not inferior in size to the large cities of Greece. The Greeks did not go far from the sea. One ancient writer said that they were sitting on the seashore, like frogs sitting around a pond.

In Greece, thanks to trade with the colonies, the demand for handicrafts increased, and this contributed to the further development of crafts and trade in it. Greek cities located near convenient harbors began to grow rapidly. The importation of slaves from the colonies led to the development of slavery in Greece.

Although the Greeks settled on a vast territory, they continued to speak their native language. They called themselves the Hellenes, and their homeland - Hellas. In the countries where colonies arose, Greek culture spread - Hellenism.

On the shores of the Black and Azov seas, the ruins of ancient Greek cities - the remains of fortress walls, houses, temples. Among the ruins and in the tombs, archaeologists find coins, handicrafts of craftsmen, inscriptions in Greek. Some products are made here, and some are brought from Greece. On the shore of the Kerch Strait was one of the most ancient and largest Greek cities in the south of our country - Panticapaeum (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3. Panticapaeum (Reconstruction) ()

Bibliography

A.A. Vigasin, G.I. Goder, I.S. Sventsitskaya. Ancient world history. Grade 5 - M .: Education, 2006.
Nemirovsky A.I. A book to read on the history of the ancient world. - M .: Education, 1991.

W-st.ru ()
Xtour.org ()
Historic.ru ()

Homework

Find on the map and describe the location of the largest Greek colonies: Massilia, Tarentum, Syracuse, Cyrene, Miletus.
What are the main reasons for the founding of Greek colonies.
What lifestyle did the Greeks lead in a foreign land?
How did the spread of Greek culture affect the local population?

In the history of ancient Greece, this is a special phenomenon, given the level of economic development and the possibility of navigation. The colonization or foundation of Greek settlements far from its territory was mainly carried out with the help of ships. This is due to the fact that Greece was washed by the seas, had convenient exits to the sea, and the ships already sailed not only having a shore in sight, but also made long-distance transitions, guided by the stars. The geography of colonization is striking in its distances: from the Atlantic to the Caucasus. Despite its purely practical purpose, colonization in the works of ancient Greek authors also appeared in a romantic style, as described in the journey of Odysseus.

Causes of Ancient Greek Colonization

The great migration falls on the period from the 8th to the 4th century BC - in history this period is called the Archaic. Historians identify several reasons that contributed to the need to search for new places of settlement. The first is called economic, since by this time an increase in the number of population was noted, and in Greece (mountainous terrain), despite the favorable climate, the land could not feed everyone. With those tools that were known at that time, it was practically impossible to increase the intensity of cultivation of agricultural products. The use of slave labor exacerbated the situation, and also restrained the development of agricultural production, as at that time it was the main one. The Greek population began to lack food, to withdraw from their homes in search of richer places to live.

The second reason is called social. By that time, the prevailing legal system made it possible to enslave free citizens for debts, which prompted them to repay their land plots and seek happiness away from their native places. Trade with other countries and their colonies became a profitable business, where a part of the population rushed. Mastering new lands, they could establish their life and had the opportunity to get rich, while having a constant connection with their homeland.

The third reason is called - the socio-economic struggle between different groups of the population in the establishment of tyranny in some policies, accompanied by repression of the authorities. The losing side was simply forced to flee the country or die. The colony became the refuge of such groups.

The fourth reason is associated with an increase in handicraft production and a lack of raw materials in Greece itself. Greek colonies soon began to play a leading role in supplying the metropolis with the necessary raw materials.

The fifth reason follows from the previous ones, since with the growth of production additional labor was required, which was already in short supply. The colonists raided the surrounding lands, captured the inhabitants, turned them into slaves and sold them on slave markets.

Consequences of Greek Colonization

I must say that the colonization itself was carried out under the supervision of the authorities. She equipped the ships and gave permission to leave the citizens. For purposeful resettlement, reconnaissance expeditions were organized, records were kept, and leaders of the colonies were appointed. The geographical position of Greece determined the direction of resettlement and organization of settlements. First of all, the development of the islands of the Aegean Sea, Asia Minor began, and through the straits they reached the Black Sea and reached the mouth of the Don, then the western direction - towards Italy through the Ionian and Adriatic Seas and right up to the Atlantic coast. Later, Greek settlers appeared in the Middle East and in Egypt on the coast of Africa. It is enough to name the most famous colonies to represent the scope of colonization: Regia and Tarentum in Italy, Olbia, Chersonesos and Byzantium on the Black Sea, Navkratis in Egypt.

Thanks to such a wide and numerous outflow of the population from Greece, many problems in Greece itself were addressed. The Greek economy was given a new impetus. Rich policies and, accordingly, their citizens. Significantly increased the number of markets, sources of raw materials, was ensured an additional influx of slaves. In Greece and in the colonies, a layer of economically independent people appeared. The way of life has changed, the mobility of the population has increased, thereby weakened the birth clan. Due to the manifestation of their own enterprise, it became possible to move up the social ladder.

The significance of the great Greek colonization.

As the reasons we called economic, social and social - economic. The departure of a significant part of the Greek population beyond its borders facilitated the acquisition of land by immigrants to provide products both for themselves and additionally for the country's population. Social tension was significantly reduced. The development of new lands gave impetus to economic growth in shipbuilding, the emergence of new crafts, and the development of additional trade ties. Trade rose, for from Greece traditional Greek goods were exported, and those that were not there and which she urgently needed were imported.

Of course, in order to pave new ways, to master new places, to establish ties with the metropolis, people were required who could carry all this out. The improvement of man as a person was put at the forefront. Sciences such as astronomy, agronomy, geology, medicine and others have become necessary in life. The spirit of competition has become the way of life of the Greeks. This was especially evident in sports, which contributed to the improvement of man both physically and spiritually. The Olympic Games were born on this basis. Numerous myths glorified heroic deeds. The Greeks brought to new lands their achievements in craft, in navigation. The cultural achievements of the Greeks were reflected in the locations of the colonies. Many lands and peoples were described, sea charts compiled and updated. According to the descriptions of Greek travelers, we have an idea of \u200b\u200bthe history of our country in antiquity.

In the archaic era (VIII – VI centuries BC), the phenomenon of Greek colonization was widely developed.The decisive factor was the socio-economic development of policies. Strengthening the power of the polis aristocracy was accompanied by the concentration of land in its hands with the simultaneous landlessness of free citizens. The limited resources of each city-state and the constant growth of the population, in conditions when land ownership was the dominant trend in society, led to the need for emigration. Thus, the main contingent of colonization became small and medium landowners who lost allotments.

The early Greek colonies were of the nature of agricultural settlements, which had close ties only with the metropolis. However, as the colonies developed, they became trade and craft, economically gaining more independence. The colonies, expanding the borders of the Hellenic world, contributed to the strengthening of ties with other peoples, the intensification of maritime trade and navigation, the growth of commodity production both in the metropolitan countries and in the colonies themselves.

As a rule, the colonies were located on the coast and were small. Basically, they were politically independent and represented free policies; relations with the mother country were limited to the union of independent states.

Greek colonization of the 8th – 6th centuries BC e. developed simultaneously in many directions, increasing new and strengthening old ties with other peoples, from Pontus of Euxinus (Black Sea) to Pillars of Hercules (Strait of Gibraltar).

At first, the islands on the coasts of the Ionian and southern Adriatic seas were colonized, then the intensive development of Southern Italy began (Spartan Tarept, Kim Kum, etc.). According to legend, in 735, Naxos, the first colony in Sicily, was founded by the Chalkidians. During the VIII and VI century. BC e. the colonization of Sicily and southern Italy has become so widespread that already in the VI century. beyond these territories the name Great Greece was established. It was here that a particularly brutal expansion was observed, accompanied by military conflicts, both with the local population and among the colonies themselves. The major center of further colonization in a westerly direction was the Phocian Massalia.

The most significant southern colonies were Navkratis in the Nile Delta and Cyrene in Libya. The Union of Polis, led by Cyrene (the “five-city”), covered an entire region - Cyrenaica - and became the largest exporter of grain to Greek cities.

The southern coast of the Black Sea, the shores of the Hellespont (Dardanelles) and Prokhontids (Sea of \u200b\u200bMarmara) were developed mainly by Asia Minor cities from the 8th century. BC e.

As the colonies develop, the same social processes occur in them as in the native Greek cities, leading to new rounds of colonization.

During the 7th – 6th centuries BC e. the dominant process in the colonies was the formation of the state structure. The trade and craft strata demanded a record of the laws in force in the context of the intensified struggle with large landowners; as in the metropolises, political upheavals took place in the new policies. Tyranny, which became a characteristic phenomenon for the cities of Great Greece, to the V century. reached impressive proportions: this is how large state formations (Syracuse) arose.

Economic and political mechanism of the colonybased on a legally established system of agriculture, since, despite the wide development of navigation and trade, the Greek world remained the world of agricultural policies throughout the archaic period. Thus, the broad masses of peasants and artisans were interested in the development of new lands.