Phocaea - (Phôkaia) in ancient Greek; today Foça in Turkish - is an ancient Greek city in Asia Minor on the coast of the Aegean Sea, in the Gulf of Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey). It was founded between the 10th century and the 8th century BC. AD by Greeks from mainland Greece.
Origins
The ancient texts give few indications on the origin, the institutions and the cults of the city. It is said that it could have been founded by the Athenian Philogenes and that its population would have been composed of Athenians and Phocidians (inhabitants of Phocis, sacred territory of ancient Greece). According to Herodotus, it is located in the region that enjoys the best climate in the world, backed by hills on the edge of a vast, well-protected bay.
The Ionian Confederation
It is one of the cities of the Ionian Confederation, dodecapolis of twelve Greek cities of Asia Minor, with Chios, Clazomenes, Colophon, Ephesus, Eritrea, Lebedos, Miletus, Myonte, Priene, Samos and Teos. But these cities have only very loose ties with their neighbors, even when they are grouped in a league. This will place them in a weak position when they have to face enemy powers from the 7th century BC. (the Lydians, Cimmerians and especially the Persians of Cyrus II from 546 BC).
Lydian guardianship
These Greek cities of Asia Minor maintained regular commercial relations with their main neighbour, the rich and prosperous kingdom of Lydia. At the beginning of the 7th century BC. BC, while invaders from the North, the Cimmerians, ravaged Lydia and the territory of the Greek cities, Gyges, the Lydian king, implemented a policy of alliance and conquest, and Lydians and Greeks s 'united to fight against their common enemy.
Gyges died in battle, but once peace returned, his successors re-established their kingdom and placed the Greek cities under their guardianship. These continued to govern themselves autonomously, but they had to pay tribute and provide a military contingent if needed. On the other hand, the Lydians were influenced by Greek culture.
The Phocaean colonies
These cities were prosperous, and their wealth increased further with the development of relations with the colonies they had created around the Mediterranean. Thus, in the sixth century BC. AD, Phocaea became the "metropolis" (mother city) of Greek colonization in the western Mediterranean. The Phocaeans successively founded Massalia (present-day Marseille, hence its name "the Phocaean city") in 600 BC. J.-C., near the mouth of the Rhône, then Aegitna (Cannes), Antipolis (Antibes) or even Nikaïa (Nice). Then Alalia (current Aleria), a counter on the western coast of Corsica, facing Etruria around 545 BC. AD, as well as powerful colonies in Spain, such as Emporion (Ampurias).
Destruction of the city
In 546 BC. AD, Phocaea is taken by the Persians and destroyed. The rich families of the metropolis will have had time to flee and come to take refuge in their colonies, thus contributing to their development.