Phocaea orPhokaia (Ancient Greek: Φώκαια,Phókaia; modern-dayFoça inTurkey) was an ancientIonianGreek city on the western coast ofAnatolia.Greek colonists from Phocaea founded the colony ofMassalia^[1] (modern-dayMarseille, inFrance) in 600 BC,Emporion (modern-dayEmpúries, inCatalonia,Spain) in 575 BC and Elea (modern-dayVelia, inCampania,Italy) in 540 BC.

Phocaea

Φώκαια(in Greek) Foça(in Turkish)
The theatre of Phocaea
Shown within Western Turkey Show map of Western Turkey Phocaea (Turkey) Show map of Turkey
Alternative name	Phokaia
Location	Foça,İzmir Province,Turkey
Region	Ionia
Coordinates	38°40′03″N26°45′29″E / 38.66750°N 26.75806°E /38.66750; 26.75806
Type	Settlement

Phocaea was the northernmost of the Ionian cities, on the boundary withAeolis.^[2] It was located near the mouth of the river Hermus (nowGediz), and situated on the coast of the peninsula separating the Gulf ofCyme to the north, named for the largest of theAeolian cities, and the Gulf ofSmyrna (nowİzmir) to the south.

Phocaea had two natural harbours within close range of the settlement, both containing a number of small islands. Phocaea's harbours allowed it to develop a thriving seafaring economy, and to become a great naval power, which greatly influenced its culture.^{[citation needed]}

Recent archaeological surveys have shown that the city of Phocaea was large for the archaic period.Herodotus gives an idea of the size of Phocaea by describing the walls of Phocaea as having a length of severalstadia.^[3]

A 4th century BC Persian tomb, known as Tas Kule (rock tower), stands (38°39′37″N26°49′2″E / 38.66028°N 26.81722°E /38.66028; 26.81722) 7 km (4.3 mi) east of Phocaea along a main road. This funerary monument was carved out of solid rock with a lower 2.7 meters (8 ft 10 in) high rectangular story (9 by 6 meters (30 ft × 20 ft)) surmounted by a second 1.9 meters (6 ft 3 in) high story (3 by 3 meters (9.8 ft × 9.8 ft)). Four steps between the two levels suggest strong Persian influence and most archaeologists believe this tomb was built for a Persian aristocrat or local leader serving the Persians.^[4] Compare the style of thetomb of Cyrus.

The ancient Greek geographerPausanias says that Phocaea was founded byPhocians underAthenian leadership, on land given to them by the AeolianCymaeans, and that they were admitted into theIonian League after accepting as kings the line ofCodrus.^[5] Pottery remains indicate Aeolian presence as late as the 9th century BC, and Ionian presence as early as the end of the 9th century BC. From this an approximate date of settlement for Phocaea can be inferred.^[6]

According toHerodotus the Phocaeans were the first Greeks to make long sea-voyages, having discovered the coasts of theAdriatic,Tyrrhenia and Spain. Herodotus relates that they so impressedArganthonios, king ofTartessus inSpain, that he invited them to settle there, and, when they declined, gave them a great sum of money to build a wall around their city.^[7]

Their sea travel was extensive. To the south they probably conducted trade with the Greek colony ofNaucratis inEgypt, which was the colony of their fellow Ionian cityMiletus. To the north, they probably helped settleAmisos (Samsun) on theBlack Sea, andLampsacus at the north end of theHellespont (now theDardanelles). However Phocaea's major colonies were to the west. These includedAlalia inCorsica,Emporiae andRhoda in Spain, and especially Massalia (Marseille) in France.^[6]

Phocaea remained independent until the reign of theLydian kingCroesus (circa 560–545 BC), when they, along with the rest of mainland Ionia, first, fell under Lydian control^[8] and then, along with Lydia (who had allied itself withSparta) were conquered byCyrus the Great ofPersia in 546 BC, in one of the opening skirmishes of the greatGreco-Persian conflict.

Rather than submit to Persian rule, the Phocaeans abandoned their city. Some may have fled toChios, others to their colonies onCorsica and elsewhere in theMediterranean, with some eventually returning to Phocaea. Many however became the founders ofElea, around 540 BC.^[9]

In 500 BC, Phocaea joined theIonian Revolt against Persia. Indicative of its naval prowess,Dionysius, a Phocaean was chosen to command the Ionian fleet at the decisiveBattle of Lade, in 494 BC.^[10] However, indicative of its declining fortunes, Phocaea was only able to contribute three ships, out of a total of "three hundred and fifty three".^[11] The Ionian fleet was defeated and the revolt ended shortly thereafter.

After the defeat ofXerxes I by the Greeks in 480 BC and the subsequent rise of Athenian power, Phocaea joined theDelian League, paying tribute to Athens of twotalents.^[6] In 412 BC, during thePeloponnesian War, with the help ofSparta, Phocaea rebelled along with the rest of Ionia. ThePeace of Antalcidas, which ended theCorinthian War, returned nominal control to Persia in 387 BC.

In 343 BC, the Phocaeans unsuccessfully laid siege toKydonia on the island ofCrete.^[12]

During theHellenistic period it fell underSeleucid, thenAttalid rule. In the Roman period, the town was a manufacturing center for ceramic vessels, including the late RomanPhocaean red slip.^{[citation needed]}

It was later under the control ofBenedetto Zaccaria, theGenoese ambassador toByzantium, who received the town as ahereditary lordship; Zaccaria and his descendants amassed a considerable fortune from his properties there, especially the richalum mines. It remained aGenoese colony until it was taken by the Turks in 1455.^[13] It is atitular see of theRoman Catholic Church.^[13]

In 1914, Phocaea was the location of amassacre against ethnic Greek civilians by Turkish irregular bands.^{[14][15][16][17]}

Probably following the Lydians, the Phocaeans were among the earliest in the world to make and use coins as money. Its earliest coins were made ofelectrum, a naturally occurring alloy of silver and gold. TheBritish Museum has a Phocaean coin containing the image of a seal dating from 600 to 550 BC.^[18]

• Cyme (Aeolis)
• 25 Phocaea, an asteroid named after the city
• List of ancient Greek cities

• British Museum:
  • "Gold ring engraved with a woman at an altar", circa 350 BC, Phocaea
  • "Silver stater, with turtle", late 6th century BC
• Perseus Coin Catalog: "Dewing 2304", Phocaea, circa 477 BC–388 BC
  • Obverse: Helmeted head of Athena, profile to the left; below, seal
  • Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square
• Catalog of Greek Coins of Ionia:
  • Plate IV: Ionian Electrum, Phocaea, 6th, 5th and 4th century BC
  • Plate V: Ionian Electrum, Phocaea, 5th and 4th century BC