a smaller history of greece-第12章

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hief　causes　of　the　origin　of　most　of　the　Greek　colonies。　　They　were　usually　undertaken　with　the　approbation　of　the　cities　from　which　they　issued；　and　under　the　management　of　leaders　appointed　by　them。　　But　a　Greek　colony　was　always　considered　politically　independent　of　the　mother…city　and　emancipated　from　its　control。　　The　only　connexion　between　them　was　one　of　filial　affection　and　of　common　religious　ties。　　Almost　every　colonial　Greek　city　was　built　upon　the　sea…coast；　and　the　site　usually　selected　contained　a　hill　sufficiently　lofty　to　form　an　acropolis。

The　Grecian　colonies　may　be　arranged　in　four　groups：　　1。　Those　founded　in　Asia　Minor　and　the　adjoining　islands；　　2。　Those　in　the　western　parts　of　the　Mediterranean；　in　Italy；　Sicily；　Gaul；　and　Spain；　　3。　Those　in　Africa；　　4。　Those　in　Epirus；　Macedonia；　and　Thrace。

1。　The　earliest　Greek　colonies　were　those　founded　on　the　western　shores　of　Asia　Minor。　　They　were　divided　into　three　great　masses；　each　bearing　the　name　of　that　section　of　the　Greek　race　with　which　they　claimed　affinity。　　The　AEolic　cities　covered　the　northern　part　of　this　coast；　together　with　the　islands　of　Lesbos　and　Tenedos；　the　Ionians　occupied　the　centre；　with　the　islands　of　Chios　and　Samos；　and　the　Dorians　the　southern　portion；　with　the　islands　of　Rhodes　and　Cos。　　Most　of　these　colonies　were　founded　in　consequence　of　the　changes　in　the　population　of　Greece　which　attended　the　conquest　of　Peloponnesus　by　the　Dorians。　　The　Ionic　cities　were　early　distinguished　by　a　spirit　of　commercial　enterprise；　and　soon　rose　superior　in　wealth　and　in　power　to　their　AEolian　and　Dorian　neighbours。　　Among　the　Ionic　cities　themselves　Miletus　and　Ephesus　were　the　most　flourishing；　Grecian　literature　took　its　rise　in　the　AEolic　and　Ionic　cities　of　Asia　Minor。　　Homer　was　probably　a　native　of　Smyrna。　　Lyric　poetry　flourished　in　the　island　of　Lesbos；　where　Sappho　and　Alcaeus　were　born。　　The　Ionic　cities　were　also　the　seats　of　the　earliest　schools　of　Grecian　philosophy。　　Thales；　who　founded　the　Ionic　school　of　philosophy；　was　a　native　of　Miletus。　　Halicarnassus　was　one　of　the　most　important　of　the　Doric　cities；　of　which　Herodotus　was　a　native；　though　he　wrote　in　the　Ionic　dialect。

2。　The　earliest　Grecian　settlement　in　Italy　was　Cumae　in　Campania；　situated　near　Cape　Misenum；　on　the　Tyrrhenian　sea。　　It　is　said　to　have　been　a　joint　colony　from　the　AEolic　Cyme　in　Asia　and　from　Chalcis　in　Euboea；　and　to　have　been　founded；　according　to　the　common　chronology；　in　B。C。　1050。　　Cumae　was　for　a　long　time　the　most　flourishing　city　in　Campania；　and　it　was　not　till　its　decline　in　the　fifth　century　before　the　Christian　era　that　Capua　rose　into　importance。

The　earliest　Grecian　settlement　in　Sicily　was　founded　in　B。C。　735。　　The　extraordinary　fertility　of　the　land　soon　attracted　numerous　colonists　from　various　parts　of　Greece；　and　there　arose　on　the　coasts　of　Sicily　a　succession　of　flourishing　cities。　　Of　these；　Syracuse　and　Agrigentum；　both　Dorian　colonies；　became　the　most　powerful。　　The　former　was　founded　by　the　Corinthians　in　B。C。　734；　and　at　the　time　of　its　greatest　prosperity　contained　a　population　of　500；000　souls；　and　was　surrounded　by　walls　twenty…　two　miles　in　circuit。　　Its　greatness；　however；　belongs　to　a　later　period　of　Grecian　history。

The　Grecian　colonies　in　southern　Italy　began　to　be　planted　at　nearly　the　same　time　as　in　Sicily。　　They　eventually　lined　the　whole　southern　coast；　as　far　as　Cumae　on　the　one　sea　and　Tarentum　on　the　other。　　They　even　surpassed　those　in　Sicily　in　number　and　importance；　and　so　numerous　and　flourishing　did　they　become；　that　the　south　of　Italy　received　the　name　of　Magna　Graecia。　　Of　these；　two　of　the　earliest　and　most　prosperous　were　Sybaris　and　Croton；　both　situated　upon　the　gulf　of　Tarentum；　and　both　of　Achaean　origin。　　Sybaris　was　planted　in　B。C。　720　and　Croton　in　B。C。　710。　For　two　centuries　they　seem　to　have　lived　in　harmony；　and　we　know　scarcely　anything　of　their　history　till　their　fatal　contest　in　B。C。　510；　which　ended　in　the　ruin　of　Sybaris。　　During　the　whole　of　this　period　they　were　two　of　the　most　flourishing　cities　in　all　Hellas。　　Sybaris　in　particular　attained　to　an　extraordinary　degree　of　wealth；　and　its　inhabitants　were　so　notorious　for　their　luxury；　effeminacy；　and　debauchery；　that　their　name　has　become　proverbial　for　a　voluptuary　in　ancient　and　modern　times。　　Croton　was　the　chief　seat　of　the　Pythagorean　philosophy。　　Pythagroras　was　a　native　of　Samos；　but　emigrated　to　Croton；　where　he　met　with　the　most　wonderful　success　in　the　propagation　of　his　views。　　He　established　a　kind　of　religious　brotherhood；　closely　united　by　a　sacred　vow。　　They　believed　in　the　transmigration　of　souls；　and　their　whole　training　was　designed　to　make　them　temperate　and　self…denying。　　The　doctrines　of　Pythagoras　spread　through　many　of　the　other　cities　of　Magna　Graecia。

Of　the　numerous　other　Greek　settlements　in　the　south　of　Italy；　those　of　Locri；　Rhegium；　and　Tarentum　were　the　meet　important。　Locri　was　founded　by　the　Locrians　from　the　mother…country　in　B。C。　683。　　The　laws　of　this　city　were　drawn　up　by　one　of　its　citizens；　named　Zaleucus；　and　so　averse　were　the　Locrians　to　any　change　in　them；　that　whoever　proposed　a　new　law　had　to　appear　in　the　public　assembly　with　a　rope　round　his　neck；　which　was　immediately　tightened　if　he　failed　to　convince　his　fellow…citizens　of　the　necessity　of　the　alteration。　　Rhegium；　situated　on　the　straits　of　Messina；　opposite　Sicily；　was　colonised　by　the　Chalcidians；　but　received　a　large　body　of　Messenians；　who　settled　here　at　the　close　of　the　Messenian　war。　　Anaxilas；　tyrant　of　Rhegium　about　B。C。　500；　was　of　Messenian　descent。　　He　seized　the　Sicilian　Zancle　on　the　opposite　coast；　and　changed　its　name　into　Messana；　which　it　still　bears。　　Tarentum　was　a　colony　from　Sparta　and　was　founded　about　B。C。　708。　　After　the　destruction　of　Sybaris　it　was　the　most　powerful　and　flourishing　city　in　Magna　Graecia；　and　continued　to　enjoy　great　prosperity　till　its　subjugation　by　the　Romans。　　Although　of　Spartan　origin；　it　did　not　maintain　Spartan　habits；　and　its　citizens　were　noted　at　a　later　time　for　their　love　of　luxury　and　pleasure。

The　Grecian　settlements　in　the　distant　countries　of　Gaul　and　Spain　were　not　numerous。　　The　most　celebrated　was　Massalia；　the　modern　Marseilles；　founded　by　the　Ionic　Phocaeans　in　B。C。　600。

3。　The　northern　coast　of　Africa；　between　the　territories　of　Carthage　and　Egypt；　was　also　occupied　by　Greek　colonists。　　The　city　of　Cyrene　was　founded　about　B。C。　630。　　It　was　a　colony　from　the　island　of　Thera　in　the　AEgean；　which　was　itself　a　colony　from　Sparta。　　The　situation　of　Cyrene　was　well　chosen。　　It　stood　on　the　edge　of　a　range　of　hills；　at　the　distance　of　ten　miles　from　the　Mediterranean；　of　which　it　commanded　a　fine　view。　　These　hills　descended　by　a　succession　of　terraces　to　the　port　of　the　town；　called　Apollonia。　　The　climate　was　most　salubrious；　and　the　soil　was　distinguished　by　extraordinary　fertility。　　With　these　advantages　Cyrene　rapidly　grew　in　wealth　and　power；　and　its　greatness　is　attested　by　the　immense　remains　which　still　mark　its　desolate　site。　　Cyrene　planted　several　colonies　in　the　adjoining　district；　of　which　Barca；　founded　about　B。C。　560；　was　the　most　important。

4。　There　were　several　Grecian　colonies　situated　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　Ionian　sea；　in　Epirus　and　its　immediate　neighbourhood。　　Of　these　the　island　of　Corcyra；　now　called　Corfu；　was　the　most　wealthy　and　powerful。　　It　was　founded　by　the　Corinthians　about　B。C。　700；　and　in　consequence　of　its　commercial　activity　it　soon　became　a　formidable　rival　to　the　mother…city。　Hence　a　war　broke　out　between　these　two　states　at　an　early　period；　and　the　most　ancient　naval　battle　on　record　was　the　one　fought　between　their　fleets　in　B。C。　664。　　The　dissensions　between　the　mother…city　and　her　colony　are　frequently　mentioned　in　Grecian　history；　and　were　one　of　the　immediate　causes　of　the　Peloponnesian　war。　　Notwithstanding　their　quarrels　they　joined　in　planting　four　Grecian　colonies　upon　the　same　line　of　coast　Leucas；　Anactorium；　Apollonia；　and　Epidamnus。

The　colonies　in　Macedonia　and　Thrace　were　very　numerous；　and　extended　all　along　the　coast　of　the　AEgean；　of　the　Hellespont；　of　the　Propontis；　and　of　the　Euxine；　from　the　bor