667: Byzantium founded as Megara vassal

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The Founding of Byzantium (667 BCE) - A Megarian Colony on the Bosphorus

The Founding of Byzantium

In 667 BCE, the ancient Greek city of Byzantium was established by colonists from Megara, a powerful city-state in mainland Greece. This event marked the beginning of what would later become one of the most strategically significant cities in history—eventually known as Constantinople and then Istanbul.

Historical Context

Greek Colonization Movement: During the Archaic Period (800-500 BCE), Greek city-states expanded across the Mediterranean and Black Seas, founding colonies to secure trade routes, relieve population pressures, and gain resources.
Megara's Role: Megara, located near Athens and Corinth, was an active participant in colonization, establishing settlements such as Chalcedon (on the Asian side of the Bosphorus) and later Byzantium.

The Founding Legend

According to tradition, the Megarians consulted the Oracle of Delphi before establishing Byzantium. The oracle famously advised them to build their city "opposite the blind"—a cryptic reference to the earlier settlers of Chalcedon, who had chosen the less optimal eastern shore of the Bosphorus. The Megarians, recognizing the superior defensive and commercial position of the western side (modern-day European Istanbul), founded Byzantium there.

Strategic Importance

Control of the Bosphorus: Byzantium's location allowed it to dominate maritime traffic between the Black Sea and the Aegean, making it a vital hub for trade (especially grain from the Black Sea region).
Natural Defenses: The city was built on a peninsula with strong natural fortifications, including steep cliffs and surrounding waters, making it difficult to attack.

Early History

Vassal Status: Initially, Byzantium was a dependent colony of Megara, but it later gained independence and became a prosperous city-state in its own right.
Persian {content}amp; Spartan Influence: Over the centuries, Byzantium faced threats from the Achaemenid Persians and later became entangled in the Peloponnesian War as an ally of Athens and then Sparta.

Legacy

Though small at first, Byzantium's strategic position ensured its survival and eventual transformation into Constantinople (330 CE) under Emperor Constantine the Great, becoming the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and later the Ottoman Empire.