Phoenician Colonies

State · 700–616 BCE · at its largest around 650 BCE

Trading settlements founded by Phoenician cities across the western Mediterranean, in North Africa, Sicily, Sardinia and Iberia, among them Carthage and Gadir.

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.
Thermos (1,500–189 BCE): Capital of Aetolian League (284 BCE–189 BCE).
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).
Konya (700 BCE): Capital of Sultanate of Rum (1098–1307), Beylik of Karaman (1305–1467).
Sardis (c. 700–546 BCE): Capital of Lydia (700 BCE–546 BCE).
Aigai (c. 675–292 BCE): Capital of Macedonian Empire (675 BCE–292 BCE).
Solon (c. 630 BCE – 560 BCE): Athenian statesman and poet whose reforms cancelled debts, ended debt slavery and laid foundations for Athenian democracy.
Sappho (c. 630 BCE – 570 BCE): Lyric poet from the island of Lesbos, celebrated in antiquity as the Tenth Muse; her poetry survives mostly in fragments.
First coins in Lydia (c. 620 BCE): Lydia in western Anatolia issued some of the earliest known coins, made of electrum; later King Croesus introduced coins of pure gold and silver.