What Were The Nature and Purpose of Greek Settlements Abroad Between The Mid 8Th and Late 6Th Centuries?
by This is an essay which looks at Greek expansion within the 8th and 6th century, the thesis explained in the essay is that it was local factors that caused the expansion, but trade influenced where it expanded too. It was not an empire.
Overall the most viable conclusion based upon the evidence, is that the Greek colonies purpose and nature wasn’t to expand Greek influence and build an empire. What can be concluded was that it was mainly local issues that effected a majority of the Greek city states, most notably agricultural pressures, that caused the sudden period of Greek expansion. As such it can be clearly argued that the purpose of the colonies initially was to alleviate conditions within the city-states. However as the period continued trade became an ever more important influence, as the stability after the dark age meant trade continued to grow and this combined with greater levels of communication meant that second this colonization continued. As such the nature of these colonies was sculpted by the benefits that trade brought and there main role became trading posts. However the cultural ties that the colonies had with the mother-city ensured that while being utterly independent the cultural nature of the colonies was still Greek. The Final evidence to show that trade and local issues were the predominate cause for the expansion was that, the expansion stopped when most viable areas of non-claimed land along the trade routes became filled, the Greek’s didn’t try and attack other states for additional colonies. This reflects the lack of aggression in this Greek expansion.
Biblography
Boardman John, The Greeks Overseas: Their early Colonies and Trade, (Fakenham: Thames and Hudson, 1964)
Howe Stephen, A very short introduction Empire, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002)
J. A. Graham, collected papers on Greek colonization, (Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2001)
Murray Oswyn, Early Greece, (Brighton; Sussex: The Harvester Press Limited, 1980)
[1] Stephen Howe, A very short introduction Empire, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002)
[2] Graham A.J., collected papers on Greek colonization, (Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2001)
, P.4
[3] Stephen Howe, p.15.
[5] Graham A.J., p.1
[6] Oswyn Murray, Early Greece, (Brighton; Sussex: The Harvester Press Limited, 1980), p.107
[7] Oswyn Murray, p.107
[8] Graham A.J., p.8
[9] Graham A.J, p.15
[10] Graham A.J., p.22
[11] Graham A.J., p.22
[12] Oswyn Murray, p.100
[13] John Boardman, The Greeks Overseas: Their early Colonies and Trade, (Fakenham: Thames and Hudson, 1964), p.163
[14] John Boardman, p.163
[15] John Boardman, p.163
[16] Graham A.J., pp. 22-23
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