The colony under Agnon, despatched from Athens in the year 437 B.C.,
appears to have been both numerous and well sustained, inasmuch as
it conquered and maintained the valuable position of Ennea Hodoi in
spite of those formidable Edonian neighbors who had baffled the two
preceding attempts. Its name of Ennea Hodoi was exchanged for that of
Amphipolis,—the hill on which the new town was situated being bounded
on three sides by the river. The settlers seem to have been of mixed
extraction, comprising no large proportion of Athenians: some were of
Chalkidic race, others came from Argilus, a Grecian city colonized
from Andros, which possessed the territory on the western bank of
the Strymon, immediately opposite to Amphipolis,[22] and which was
included among the subject allies of Athens. Amphipolis, connected
with the sea by the Strymon and the port of Eion, became the most
important of all the Athenian dependencies in reference to Thrace and
Macedonia.
[22] Thucyd. iv, 102; v, 6.
The colony of Thurii on the coast of the gulf of Tarentum in
Italy, near the site and on the territory of the ancient Sybaris,
was founded by Athens about seven years earlier than Amphipolis,
not long after the conclusion of the thirty years’ truce with
Sparta, B.C. 443. Since the destruction of the old Sybaris by the
Krotoniates, in 509 B.C., its territory had for the most part
remained unappropriated: the descendants of the former inhabitants,
dispersed at Laus and in other portions of the territory, were not
strong enough to establish any new city; nor did it suit the views
of the Krotoniates themselves to do so. After an interval of more
than sixty years, however, during which one unsuccessful attempt
at occupation had been made by some Thessalian settlers, these
Sybarites at length prevailed upon the Athenians to undertake and
protect the recolonization; the proposition having been made in
vain to the Spartans. Lampon and Xenokritus, the former a prophet
and interpreter of oracles, were sent by Periklês with ten ships as
chiefs of the new colony of Thurii, founded under the auspices of
Athens. The settlers were collected from all parts of Greece, and
included Dorians, Ionians, islanders, Bœotians, as well as Athenians.
But the descendants of the ancient Sybarites procured themselves to
be treated as privileged citizens, and monopolized for themselves
the possession of political powers, as well as the most valuable
lands in the immediate vicinity of the walls; while their wives also
assumed an offensive preëminence over the other women of the city
in the public religious processions. Such spirit of privilege and
monopoly appears to have been a frequent manifestation among the
ancient colonies, and often fatal either to their tranquillity or
to their growth; sometimes to both. In the case of Thurii, founded
under the auspices of the democratical Athens, it was not likely
to have any lasting success: and we find that after no very long
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account