Phocée - Φώκαια ( Phôkaia ) in Greek old; today Turkish Foça in - is old a quoted Greek of minor Asia on the coast of the Aegean Sea, in the gulf of Smyrna (today Izmir, in Turkey). It was founded between and eighth century BC by Greeks come from continental Greece.

Origins

The old texts give few indications on the origin, the institutions and the worships of the city. It is said that it could have been founded by the Athénien Philogène and that its population would have been made up of Athenians and Phocidiens (inhabitants of Phocide, territory crowned of the ancient Greece). According to Hérodote, it is established in the area which enjoys the best climate of the world, leant with hills at the edge of a vast well protected bay.

The Ionian Confederation

It is one of the cities of the Ionian Confédération, dodécapole of twelve Greek cities of Asia Mineure, with Chios, Clazomènes, Colophon, Éphèse, Érythrée, Lébédos, Milet, Myonte, Priène, Samos and Téos. But these cities have only very loose bonds with their neighbors, even when they are gathered in a league. That will place them in position of weakness when they must face enemy powers as from seventh century BC (the Lydie NS, the Cimmériens and especially the Perses of Cyrus II starting from 546 av. J. - C.).

The Lydian supervision

These Greek cities of Asia Mineure maintained the commercial relations followed with their principal neighbor, the rich person and thrives kingdom of Lydie. At the beginning of the VIIe front century J. - C., whereas invaders come from North, Cimmériens, ravagaient the Lydie and the territory of the Greek cities, Gygès, the Lydian king, implemented a policy of alliance and conquest, and Lydians and Greeks linked themselves to fight against their enemy commun.
Gygès found death during a battle but once returned peace, its successors restored their kingdom and placed the Greek cities under their supervision. Those continued to be controlled in autonomy, but they were to pay a tribute and to provide a military quota where necessary. In addition, the Lydians were influenced by the Greek culture.

The colonies phocéennes

These cities were prosperous, and their richness increased further with the development of the relations with the colonies which they had created around the Mediterranean. Thus, at the sixth century BC, Phocée became the “metropolis” (city-mother) of Greek colonization in the Western Mediterranean. Phocéens found successively Massalia (current Marseilles, from where its name of " city phocéenne") in 600 av. J. - C., close to the mouth of the the Rhone, then Agathe Tychée (Agde), Aegitna (Cannes), Antipolis (Antibes) or Nikaïa (Nice). Then Alalia (current Aleria), a counter on the Eastern coast of the Corsica , vis-a-vis the Étrurie towards 545 av. J. - C., as well as powerful colonies in Spain, like Emporion (Ampurias).

Destruction of the city

In 546 av. J. - C., Phocée is taken by Persians and is destroyed. The rich person families of the metropolis will have had time to flee and come to take refuge in their colonies, thus contributing to their development.

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