colonies, Greek

Overseas territories of the ancient Greek city-states. Greek colonization was mostly concerned with land, not trade. Greek cities on the west coast of modern Turkey may have been founded as early as 1000 BC. From the late 8th century BC population expansion prompted settlements in southern Italy (Taranto, by settlers from Sparta) and Sicily (Syracuse, by settlers from Corinth), followed by others in southern France (Marseille), North Africa (Cyrenaica) and on the Black Sea coast. Later Athenian imperial colonies were known as cleruchies (lot holdings) where settlers retained Athenian citizenship.