J - 1 : Geopolitics in the 6th Century BC

Greek Helmets excavated under the Temple of Athena in Velia (Elea).

Geopolitics these days are interesting. With Russia’s unsuccessful war against the Ukraine, we witness the demise of one of the last empires. China’s rise to superpower is slowed down by unforgivable demographics, a lack of energy and an exorbitant debt burden. And the USA is trying to reverse its relative decline by “Make America Great Again”. Geopolitics are nothing new. More amazing though is seeing them being played out in the 6^th century BC.

Artist Impression of the Battle of Alalia in 540 BC of the Corsican Coast - The Greek Ships (on the right) had only one Row of Oars though

In the second sailing week this summer, we will drop anchor in Velia, the ancient Greek town of Elea on the Calabrian coast. Last year, archeologist found two Greek helmets under Elea’s Temple of Athena. They were kept there in memory of the Battle of Alalia in 540 BC, off the eastern coast of Corsica - a naval battle between Phocaean Greek and Etruscan-Phoenician.

Ruins of Elea's (Velia) Acropolis high above the Tyrrhenian where the Helmets were found

For several centuries, the Western Mediterranean was the Phoenician’s playground. They were the first to reach and cross the Pillars of Hercules, today's Gibraltar. With their sturdy ships built from Lebanon cedars, they were not afraid to venture into the rough Atlantic. The Phoenicians were looking for Cornwall with its tin. Previously, Cornwall’s tin had reached the Mediterranean through the French river system. The many middlemen made it expensive. Reaching England by boat would cut cost and time and guarantee a sizeable profit. An opportunity the Phoenicians sized upon. The tin trade was re-routed via Cadiz, their port in southern Spain. As expected, the business was highly profitable

Abandoned Tin Mine in Cornwall. Tin Ingots from Cornwall were discovered in 2012 in a 13th Century Shipwreck just south of Haifa Bay.

Bronze (90% copper, 10% tin) did not disappear with the development of iron weapons and tools. Its strength was close to iron and it had two important advantages: bronze was not corrosive and it could be cast. For this reason, the 600 kg heavy rams at the front of ancient war galleys were made from bronze. Bronze had also many domestic uses such as cooking pots, storage vessels, chalices, cutlery, mirrors, candle holders, oil lamps, religious figurines, grand monuments and statues. In a nutshell, the demand for bronze in the Mediterranean was high and the supply of tin lucrative. There was abundant copper in the Mediterranean.

The Map shows the geopolitical Alliance between Phoenicians

and the Etruscan Federation of Town

From Cadiz, the Phoenicians shipped their tin to Etruscan ports on the Tyrrhenian coast. Etruscans had developed an excellent reputation as miners of iron ore, iron smelters and black smiths. Their iron weapons and tools were of the finest quality and exported to both northern and southern Europe. Thanks to Phoenician tin, the Etruscan also became highly skilled in making bronze casts.

The Pyrgi Tablets from 500 BC were found in 1964 in Pyrgi, one of Ports of the Etruscan Town of Caere north of Rpme. They document the Consecration of a Temple to Astarte, the Supreme Phoenician Goddess. The Tablets illustrate the political and commercial ties between the Etruscans and the Phoenicians from Carthage. 2 Pages are in Etruscan, the 3rd is written in Phoenician.

Not surprisingly, Phoenicians and Etruscans developed a symbiotic trade relationship as early as the 9^th century BC. The Phoenicians distributed Etruscan products; Etruscans bought their raw materials. Diplomatic exchanges between the two powers followed. They are beautifully evidenced by the Pyrgi tablets which were excavated in an Etruscan harbour of Cumae in 1964. In the Tyrrhenian, the Phoenicians and Etruscans jointly ruled the waves.

Greek Expansion in the Mediterranean. Cumae was established in 750 BC, Massilia in 600 BC

Their success and lucrative profits did not get unnoticed. Greek settler colonising Italy and Sicily in the 8^thcentury  wanted to get into this lucrative business as well. They were well aware of the Phoenician’s profit margins from their trading in the Dodecanese and Cyprus. People from Phoecea who lost their independence to the Persian Empire, established settlements in Elea, Alaia, Marseille and Emporion. Of course, the incumbents did not liked the new competitors and decided to take actions. Corsica had to come under Etruscan Control, Sardinia under Phoenician. This way, they could cut the Greek colonies in Marseille and Emporion (Rosas) from the Greek world and diminish their impact.

The Phoenician Empire with Carthage at the Center in the 6th Century BC

In 540 BC, plans were put into action. We know little about the precise development of events. But that year, 60 Greek Pentekonters (ships with 48 oars – Triremes had 200) run into a joint Etruscan-Phoenician fleet of 120 vessels. The story is told by Herodot, the Greek historian. For him, the naval battle was a Greek victory. But 40 of the 60 Greek ships sunk. The Greek settlement of Alaia had to be abandoned. The people had to flee to Calabria where they founded Elea (Velia). Does not sound like a victory.

View from the Rock of Cumae towards Ischia. This oldest Greek Settlement in Italy (750 BC) held a commanding Position at the Entrance of the Bay of Naples.

The success made the Etruscan-Phoenician alliance big headed. Why not kicking the Greek settlers out of Italy and Sicily entirely? Low and behold they tried. But they did not consider the Greek’s well-honed skills of fighting land battles – they should have read Homer’s Iliad. The Etruscans effort to take Cumae by land ended bloodily before its walls and in the surrounding swamps in 524 BC. The Phoenicians were more successful in Eryx where they stopped a further Greek expansion into western Sicily in 510 BC. A few decades later, in 474 BC, the Etruscans tried to take Cumae again but their fleet was destroyed by ships sent by Syracuse’s tyrant Hiero I.

This Etruscan Helmet was captured at the Battle of Cumae in

474 BC and donated by Syracuse to the Panhellenic Sanctuary

in Olympia. The Helmet is now at the British Museum in London

The battle of Cumae ended the Etruscan’s southward expansion. They now had to deal with the invading Celts on their northern border. This paved the way for Roman dominance in later centuries, the only power organized well enough to form a defensive alliance with its neighbors to keep the Celts out.

The Strategic Alliance between Etruscan and Phoenicians was successful in keeping the Greek out of the lucrative tin trade. But it could not dislodge them from their colonies in Italy and southern France. The decades of war though exhausted the Etruscans who had to give up their dream of Italian dominance. Rome absorbed them and realised their dream.