The ancient Greeks had a long history of founding colonies. Beginning as early as the ninth century BC, in the early Archaic period, colonists set sail from cities on the Greek mainland to establish new settlements. Eventually, there were as many as 1,500 Greek city-states, scattered around the Mediterranean and the Black Seas from Spain to the Crimea.

Greek colonists frequently retained political, commercial, and religious ties to their mother-cities.

Bull of Corcyra Offerings of the Tarantines Treasury of the Potidaians Treasury of the Syracusans Treasury of the Knidians Treasury of the Cyreneans Tripods of Gelon and Hiero, tyrants of Syracuse Lesche of the Knidians Treasury of the Massalians

General view of the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi

Olympia: Monuments at Temple of Zeus in the Altis, looking N

Treasury of Gela Treasury of Metapontum Treasury of Cyrene Treasury of Sybaris Treasury of Syracuse Treasury of Byzantium Non-architectural dedications: Chariots of Hiero and of Gelon Ajax of Locri represented on chest of Cypselus Zane dedicated by Prytanis of Cyzicus Semicircular pedestal dedicated by Apollonians Zeus sculpted by Aristonus of Aegina, dedicated by Metapontum privately erected Zeus, dedicated by Hippagoras, Phrynon, and Aenesidemus of Leontini

Strabo describes a colony's dedications at Delphi: ...The islands are seven in number, but the largest is Lipara (a colony of the Knidians), which, Thermessa excepted, lies nearest to Sicily...It often adorned the temple of Apollo at Delphi with dedications from the first fruits of victory. It has also a fruitful soil, and a mine of styptic earth that brings in revenues, and hot springs, and fire blasts. Strabo, Geography, 6.2.10

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