Byzantium, across from Chalcedon on the "Asian" side of the Bosporus River.
Byzas settled opposite the Golden Horn, a natural deep river bay, and formed his city there, which later became known by the name of the first Christian Emperor of the Roman Empire who made it his capital 800 years later - Constantinople. It then became the largest and richest city in the Middle Ages for about a millennium.
Today it is known as Instanbul.
The people who came from Athens to settle Byzantium were primarily Greek colonists. They were led by a statesman named Byzas and established the city of Byzantium in the 7th century BCE. These settlers played a crucial role in the development of the city, eventually becoming part of the larger Byzantine Empire.
According to the legend, Byzantium was founded by Byzas. He wanted to found a new town and consulted the oracle of Delphi who told him to settle opposite the Land of the Blind. When Byzas reached the Bosporus, the strait which separates Europe and Asia, he realised what the oracle meant. There was a promontory into the Bosporus which had an inlet to its north, the Golden Horn, which provided a great natural harbour. Thus, it provided the perfect site for a town with a good port and a geographical setting which made easy to defend it. It was surrounded by water on three sides and it was in a hilly area. Hills are easier to fortify and defend. On the opposite side of the Bosporus there was the Greek town of Chalcedon. Byzas thought that its people were blind not to see the advantages of that site on the European side and founded a town which he named after himself, Byzantium. Greek sources characterised Byzantium as a fishing village of rowdy drunken men where prostitution was rife. However, this town developed into an important strategic site at the time of Philip the Macedon and his son Alexander the Great. Philip developed his kingdom of Macedon into the biggest and most important state in mainland Greece. He conquered the northeast of Greece and Thrace (an area on the east coast of the Black Sea which also covered the area of Byzantium) and towards central Greece. He wanted to conquer the massive and mighty Persian Empire which had conquered the Greek cities on the western coast of Turkey and lied on the other coast of the Bosporus, opposite Byzantium. Philip was murdered before he could accomplish his project, which was realised by his son, Alexander the Great. Byzantium became the port from which his fleet sailed to Turkey to launch his attack on the Persians. Byzantium became the strategic link between Europe and Asia.
In Greek mythology, Byzas was the eponymous founder of Byzantium. He was the son of King Nisos and planned to found a colony of the Greek city of Megara.
In Greek mythology, Byzas was the eponymous founder of the Greek city of Byzantium. According to the tradition Byzas was a son of King Nisos and planned to found a colony of the city of Megara.
King Byzas established the colony of Byzantium there, then it was known as Constantinople.
The city of Byzantium is named after the Greek Byzas.
No, the founder of Byzantium was actually Greek colonist name, Byzas (so obviously he named the city after himself) in 667 BC. And as it is such a strategic location - only way to Black Sea, many city fought over this location but finally it became part Roman Empire.
The people who came from Athens to settle Byzantium were primarily Greek colonists. They were led by a statesman named Byzas and established the city of Byzantium in the 7th century BCE. These settlers played a crucial role in the development of the city, eventually becoming part of the larger Byzantine Empire.
The Greek town of Byzantium was named in honor of Byzas, a legendary hero and leader of the Megarian colonists who founded the city around 657 BCE. Byzas is said to have chosen the site for its strategic location at the Bosporus Strait, which connected the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea. Later, Byzantium would be transformed into Constantinople, becoming a major cultural and political center in the Roman and Byzantine Empires.
King Byzas of Greece
According to myth Byzas of Megara founded the city.
he was the founder of byzantion later constantinoupole and today istabul. city of origin megara
According to the legend, Byzantium was founded by Byzas. He wanted to found a new town and consulted the oracle of Delphi who told him to settle opposite the Land of the Blind. When Byzas reached the Bosporus, the strait which separates Europe and Asia, he realised what the oracle meant. There was a promontory into the Bosporus which had an inlet to its north, the Golden Horn, which provided a great natural harbour. Thus, it provided the perfect site for a town with a good port and a geographical setting which made easy to defend it. It was surrounded by water on three sides and it was in a hilly area. Hills are easier to fortify and defend. On the opposite side of the Bosporus there was the Greek town of Chalcedon. Byzas thought that its people were blind not to see the advantages of that site on the European side and founded a town which he named after himself, Byzantium. Greek sources characterised Byzantium as a fishing village of rowdy drunken men where prostitution was rife. However, this town developed into an important strategic site at the time of Philip the Macedon and his son Alexander the Great. Philip developed his kingdom of Macedon into the biggest and most important state in mainland Greece. He conquered the northeast of Greece and Thrace (an area on the east coast of the Black Sea which also covered the area of Byzantium) and towards central Greece. He wanted to conquer the massive and mighty Persian Empire which had conquered the Greek cities on the western coast of Turkey and lied on the other coast of the Bosporus, opposite Byzantium. Philip was murdered before he could accomplish his project, which was realised by his son, Alexander the Great. Byzantium became the port from which his fleet sailed to Turkey to launch his attack on the Persians. Byzantium became the strategic link between Europe and Asia.
"Byzantium" is a Latinization of the Greek word. The name of Βυζάντιον (Byzantion) is believed to be of Thracian or Illyrian origin and may be derived from a Thracian or Illyrian personal name, Byzas. Ancient Greek legend refers to a legendary king of that name as the leader of the Megarean colonists and eponymous founder of the city. Byzantium is one of the older names for the city now called Istanbul in Turkey.