Greek colonization

History

To use the term 'colonization" for this expansion is problematic, since it invites false associations. Unlike the colonization whereby early modern states seized the New World, the settlement of the Mediterranean was not centrally controlled. The oracle at Delphi seems to have been a hub where information was gathered, but settlements emanated from a multitude of Greek poleis. It is even in doubt whether the foundations had any official character. At least in some cases, it is more likely that they were private initiatives. Often, cities may well not have emerged through a single founding act, but developed from trading posts that were initially intended to be temporary. Whereas in the early modern period, gaining and developing land were important goals of colonization, the settlements of the Greeks were limited to coastal regions and did not involve demanding tribute or laying claim to the hinterland. And unlike the Spanish and English empires, the new settlements quickly became independent of the mother cities. The term 'early Greek/great Greek colonization' is therefore placed here between inverted commas.