Greek Colonies

State · 271–226 BCE · at its largest around 247 BCE

Greek cities founded overseas, notably in southern Italy and Sicily, that remained independent in the age of rising Roman and Carthaginian power.

On its lands while it lasted

Nuragic civilization (c. 1,800–238 BCE): Bronze and Iron Age civilization of Sardinia, named after its thousands of stone tower-fortresses called nuraghi.
Etruscan civilization (c. 900–27 BCE): Civilization of ancient Etruria in central Italy, organised in city-states, which strongly influenced early Rome before being absorbed by it.
Carthage (c. 814–146 BCE): Traditionally founded by Phoenician settlers from Tyre, Carthage grew into the capital of a maritime empire that dominated the western Mediterranean until Rome destroyed it.
Pergamon (801 BCE – 62 CE): Capital of Kingdom of Pontus (281 BCE–62), Kingdom of Pergamon (279 BCE–133 BCE).
Byzantium (c. 667 BCE – c. 329 CE): Greek colony founded by settlers from Megara on the Bosporus; it was refounded by Constantine as Constantinople in 330 CE.
Panticapaeum (601 BCE – 370 CE): Capital of Cimmerian Bosporus (404 BCE–370).
La Tène culture (c. 450–50 BCE): Iron Age Celtic culture named after a site on Lake Neuchâtel, Switzerland, known for its flowing curvilinear art; it spread across much of Europe.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia (c. 435 BCE – c. 425 CE): Giant gold-and-ivory seated statue of Zeus by Phidias in his temple at Olympia, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; lost in the fifth century CE.
Epicurus (341 BCE – 270 BCE): Philosopher who founded Epicureanism in Athens, teaching that happiness comes from tranquillity, friendship and freedom from fear.
Aristarchus of Samos (c. 310 BCE – 230 BCE): Astronomer who proposed the first known heliocentric model, placing the Sun rather than the Earth at the centre of the known universe.
Edessa (302 BCE – 1150 CE): Capital of Kingdom of Osroene (63 BCE–214), County of Edessa (1099–1150).
Archimedes (c. 287 BCE – 212 BCE): Mathematician and engineer of Syracuse who approximated pi, formulated the principle of buoyancy and the law of the lever; killed when the Romans took the city.
Colossus of Rhodes (280–226 BCE): Bronze statue of the sun god Helios at Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, toppled by an earthquake in 226 BCE.
Punic Wars (264–146 BCE): Three wars between Rome and Carthage for control of the western Mediterranean ended with Rome's destruction of Carthage in 146 BCE.
Hannibal (c. 247 BCE – 183 BCE): Carthaginian general who crossed the Alps with war elephants in the Second Punic War and inflicted major defeats on Rome, notably at Cannae in 216 BCE.