Massalia
placeThe Greek colony that became modern Marseille, founded by Phocaean Greeks whose arrival was blessed by a mythological love match with a local princess.
The Myth
Massalia was founded around 600 BC by Phocaean Greeks from Ionia. According to legend, the expedition leader Protis arrived during a feast where the local Ligurian chief Nannus was choosing a husband for his daughter Gyptis. She offered the ceremonial cup of wine to Protis, selecting the Greek stranger as her husband, and the marriage sealed the colony's founding. Artemis of Ephesus was the patron goddess, and the colonists brought her cult statue from their Phocaean homeland. Apollo and Athena also received major temples. Massalia became the primary conduit for Greek culture into Celtic Gaul, introducing the vine and olive to southern France. The colony allied with Rome early and remained loyal during the Punic Wars. Pytheas of Massalia sailed from the colony to explore Britain and possibly Iceland around 325 BC.
Parents
Phocaea (mother city)
Symbols
Fun Fact
Marseille is the oldest city in France, and it exists because a Greek sailor gate-crashed a Celtic wedding. The Phocaean colony introduced winemaking to Gaul around 600 BC — meaning every bottle of French wine traces its viticultural ancestry to Greek colonists. The French wine industry, worth €30 billion annually, is a 2,600-year-old Greek export.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
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