CHAPTER III.

SPREAD OF THE GREEK COLONIES.

Geography advanced by the Greek Colonies — Causes of their Establishment —
Qualifications for a Site — Early Development of the Colonies — Communi-
cation with the Natives — Information transmitted to Greece — Colonies on
the Euxine — Dangers and Attractions of that Sea— Sinope, circ. 7702.0. —
Cyzicus on the Propontis — Colonies on the North Coast of the Euxine —
Olbia, 6458.0. — Panticapaeuni (Kertch) — Dioscurias — Chalcidic Colonies
in Thrace — Megarian Colonies in the Propontis : Byzantium, 658 B.C. —
Greek Colonies in Italy, Cumae, Neapolis, Rhegium and Messana —
Sybaris, 721 B.C. — Croton, 7108.0. — Paestum — Metapontum— Locri —
Tarentum, 708 B.C.— Colonies in Sicily : Naxos, 735 B.C. — Syracuse,
734B.C.— Gela, 69011.0. — Agrigentum, 5808.0.— Himera, 648 B.C.— The
Phocaeans at Massilia, 600 B.C.— Colonies of Massilia— Its Influence in
Gaul — Cyrene, 631 B.C. — Its Site and Commerce — The Greeks in Egypt —
Their Settlement at Naucratis, circ* 650 B.C. — Summary.

THE first great advance that was made in the study of
Geography was due to the spread of the Greek
colonies along the shores of the Euxine and the advancedPby

Mediterranean, commencing with the eighth century
before the Christian era. By their means the
horizon of knowledge was rapidly and continuously extended,
enquiry was promoted into the natural features of the interior of
the neighbouring continents and the condition of their inhabit-
ants, and an impulse was given to speculation on larger questions
connected with the formation and constituent elements of the
Earth. This remarkable movement, a phenomenon causes of
in early Greek history second only to that of the their Estab-
. * . YT • 'JJL Hshment.
creation of the Homeric poems, was due to more
than one cause. In the first place, it provided an outlet for the
superfluous population of the Greek cities, which about that time
was increasing with extraordinary rapidity, and threatened to
involve them in serious domestic perplexities. In other cases
colonisation served as a remedy for political feuds and party