THE PHOCAEAN EXODUS

—THE PHOCAEAN EXODUS— PART I

Phocaea was a large city founded on the coast of Asia Minor in the 9th century BC by settlers from the region of Phocis on the Greek mainland. Phocis was a pastoral region flanked by mountains, also famed for the Oracle of Delphi even in early times. The reasons for the migration to Asia Minor are unclear but sources indicate that Phocaea was founded by Phocaeans under Athenian leadership, on land given to them by the Aeolians. Phocaea was situated on the coast of the peninsula separating the Gulf of Cyme to the north, and the Gulf of Smyrna in the south, with two natural harbours within close range of the settlement, both containing a number of small islands. Phocaea’s harbours and location allowed it to develop a thriving seafaring economy, and to become a great naval power.

ACROSS THE SEA

The Phocaeans were the first Greeks to make long sea voyages to distant lands in search of rare trade items and minerals. Unlike other punitive early Greek expeditions, the Phocaeans put to sea in sturdy fifty oared vessels and before long they had discovered the coasts of the Adriatic, Tyrrhenia and Iberia. They set out and settled colonies all around the Mediterranean. To the North, they helped settle Amisos on the Black Sea, and Lampsacus at the north end of the Hellespont. However Phocaea’s major colonies were to the west. These included Alalia in Corsica, Emporiae and Rhoda in Iberia, and Massalia in Gaul. In this way the Phocaeans spread themselves across much of the known world at the time.

When the Phocaeans ventured towards the Pillars of Hercules and the wider Atlantic ocean they encountered the rich and comparatively civilized Tartessian culture on the southern shore of Iberia. The Tartessians had grown wealthy from the long standing punic trade in silver and metals. This exchange led to a degree of sophistication and even the adoption of Phoenician letters into their own celtic/punic writing. The Phocaean trade envoy was welcomed at the court of the legendary King of Tartessos, Arganthonios. The king was well inclined towards the Phocaean Greeks, so much so that he invited them to settle there and found a colony nearby. When the Phocaeans declined to settle there he offered them a huge sum of gold to build a great defensive wall around their city to defend against the troubles they faced back home.

THE WALLS OF PHOCAEA

The great wall surrounding Phocaea was of no short distance, for Phocaea had developed into populous and thriving metropolis off the back of the wealth of it’s extended colonies throughout the Mediterranean. The city had grown into one the largest of the Greek cities of Asia Minor. The circuit of the wall being described as several stadia long and made of great stones well fitted together.

At this time Phocaea was under the control of the Lydian empire led by the unfortunate King Croseus. Croseus kingdom had fallen to the rise of the Persian emporer Cyrus the great when Croseus had attacked the Persians after the advice from the Oracle of Delphi.
All of the Greek cities in Asia Minor under the control of the lydians were now made the subjects of Persia.
The Greeks not wishing to be Persian subjects revolted against the Persian yoke, Cyrus instructed the most trusted man in Persia, Harpagus to crush the Ionian revolt and bring the unruly Greeks under the power of the Persian empire.

A TERRIBLE FEAST

Harpagus was the father of Persia, for it was he who had tricked Astyages King of the Medes by sheltering the infant Cyrus from his orders to have the infant killed. Astyages feared he would lose his kingdom to the infant child from a vision he had in a dream. The magi interpreted the dream and said that he would lose his kingdom to this child and so in this way Astyages gave the order to have the infant killed by exposure. Harpagus tricked Astyages by giving Cyrus away to a poor family to be raised instead of putting him to death. When Astyages was made aware that Harpagus had sheltered the infant Cyrus instead of having him killed, he did not punish Harpagus in the normal way. Harpagus was invited to a banquet where unbeknownst to him he was served the cooked flesh of his own son by Astyages in revenge for ignoring his orders. Thus Harpagus the Mede freed Persia and set Cyrus on the throne but he paid the highest price in the loss of his own kin.

For this reason Harpagus was the most trusted General amongst the Persians at the court of Cyrus and he was tasked with crushing the Ionian revolt and bringing these Greek cities under the Persian yoke.
Harpagus attacked the city of Phocaea first as it was the largest and most powerful of the Greek cities in Asia Minor. Faced with the great wall of Phocaea, initially Harapgus sent messengers to ask the Phocaeans to tear down just one section of wall and dedicate just one house to Persia but knowing all too well what this meant the Phocaeans denied the request and beseeched the Persians to allow them just one day to deliberate over the matter.

AN EMPTY VICTORY

That evening once the Persians had withdrawn their forces from the wall, instead of preparing for battle or submission the Phocaeans began loading all of their valuables and belongings, women and children, even the offerings and dedications from the temples onto their huge fifty oared vessels. Phocaea was completely evacuated in one night, they set sail for the nearby island safe Haven of Chios to deliberate over their next move.

Harpagus gained the empty metropolis of Phocaea. With little in the way of plunder and no inhabitants to make subjects of he stationed a small Persian Garrison there and went on to besiege the rest of the Ionian cities in revolt from Persian rule. The Phocaeans devised a plan to sail one and all to their colonies in the west and establish themselves in this part of the world. While getting ready for their voyage, they first sailed back to Phocaea, where they took vengance and destroyed the Persian garrison Harpagus had stationed there. When this was done, they called down mighty curses on any one of them who should stay behind when the rest sailed away. Furthermore they sank a mass of iron into the depths of the sea, and swore to the gods never to return to Phocaea before the iron should appear again. But while they prepared to sail to the west, more than half of the citizens were overcome with longing and pitiful sorrow for the city and the life of their land, and they broke their oath and sailed back to Phocaea. Those of the Phocaeans who kept the oath put out to sea and sailed away to Corsica, …… but that is another story.