In the history of many ancient states, an important place is occupied by colonization. What is colonization? It is internal and external. The resettlement of the people and the economic development of vacant lands within the framework of their country is an internal colonization. What is external colonization? This relocation to the territory of strangers in order to seize land is often intertwined with the forcible subjugation of the local population or its extermination, but can be peaceful in nature.
Colonization, what is a colony? This is a settlement of people on foreign territory. The country or city that the migrants left is called the metropolis (from Greek - "mother city").
Great colonization
The first to capture foreign lands began the Phoenicians. Following them, the Greeks began to establish colonies. The heyday of Greek activity falls on the VIII-VI century BC - this is the Great Greek colonization. Thanks to her, the Greek world spread to vast territories, and the peoples living in the basins of the Mediterranean and Black Seas were influenced by the culture of the Greeks.
What are the causes of colonization?
One of the reasons was the crisis, which manifested itself in a shortage of fertile land and a reduction in food resources, as the population was constantly increasing. The aggravation of the situation was due to the custom that existed at that time: the inherited land was divided equally between sons. The division into small plots during the population explosion led to the fact that they could no longer feed their owners. Therefore, the land had to be sold to neighbors or their wealthy relatives.
Society tried to find solutions to the problem. The first way out was seen in a more efficient use of farmland and their expansion at the expense of wooded areas. But to increase productivity, it was necessary to improve the quality of implements, since the stony soil is not easy to process. The second is external expansion, which can be peaceful or violent. For example, an endless series of wars unfolded when Sparta and Argos wanted to forcibly seize land from their neighbors. Opponents were equal in strength, so no one won the victory. Based on this, the Greeks went peacefully through colonization.
Colonization Stages
Initially, small settlements arose, mainly in places of regular trade with the local population. Often they were located on small islands near the coast. This served as a protection for the first settlers from the sudden attack of the barbarians, and at the same time made it possible to conduct trade with them.
A large number of Greek colonies were founded at the mouths of rivers, which served as convenient harbors or controlled the straits of the seas.
The decisive phase of colonization began when large masses of settlers began to settle on the conquered territory or peacefully taken from the barbarians. Most of the colonists were no longer merchants, but peasants, interested in the maximum coverage of fertile lands.
The bulk of the immigrants were peasants who did not have land. Each immigrant received one allotment of land for their use, as well as a plot for building a house. Only the first immigrants and their descendants had civil rights, and they also had significantly more and more fertile allotments than the later colonists.
The newcomer Greeks began a diverse and complex relationship with the local barbarian population. Often the first settlers, landing on a foreign land, met hostile local residents. They had to resort to weapons. But there were peaceful meetings in which the barbarians benefited the most from contact with Greek merchants, borrowing a particle of Greek culture and life.
Greece before a choice
Most likely, already at the beginning of the VIII century BC, the crisis of the demographic and social situation in Greece reached its highest point, and society faced a choice: either the Civil War with the forcible redistribution of land, or the removal of "extra" people outside the polis. Often, the solution of the question of which part of the population will leave their homeland was accompanied by force and civil strife. The side that was defeated boarded the ships and set off in search of new territories for settlement. Often, the policy government itself resorted to defusing the situation and removing tension by establishing colonies.
Northern shores of the Black Sea and colonization
What is the kingdom of the Bosporus? In the north of the Black Sea, in the modern territory of Ukraine and Russia, the Greeks founded many colonies. One of them is the Kingdom of Bosporus, a powerful state that had vast fertile lands with a rich harvest of bread.
In the reserve of Sevastopol you can see the ruins of the buildings of the Greek city of Khersones, wander through the ancient streets excavated by archaeologists.
The city of Olbia (Lucky) is another ancient monument of Hellenic culture. This city was visited during the trip, in search of information about the Scythians, the father of history Herodotus.