[Jimmy Valentine]

Didn’t the Phonecians pre-date allof this? May be that is where the technology came from.

[Fred Nerks]

The Phokaians were famous navigators, employing 50-oared vessels. They traded with Naukratis in Egypt and, in association with Miletos, they founded Lampsakos, at the N entrance to the Dardanelles, and Amisos (Samsun) on the Black Sea. But Phokaia's major colonies were in the W Mediterranean, especially Elea (Velia) on the W coast of Lucania in S Italy, Alalia in Corsica, Massalia (Marseilles) in France, and Emporion (Ampurias) in Spain.

The city wall mentioned by Herodotos (1.163) has disappeared. It was a defense against the Persians, and financed by King Argonthonius of Tartessos in Andalusia. In 546 B.C., however, the Persians captured Sardis and soon devastated most of the cities in W Asia Minor, including Phokaia. Many of the inhabitants emigrated to their Mediterranean colonies. Although some of them seem to have returned, there was no revival of the golden age of the first half of the 6th c. The Phokaians could send only three ships to the battle of Lade in 494; but owing to their naval skill, the command of the entire Hellenic fleet was given to Dionysios of Phokaia.

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