Ionians
originating from Epidaurus, Troezen, Cleonae, Phliaseia,
Aigialeia and Attica colonized a region on the coast of Asia Minor which took the name
Ionia. According to current archaeological data, Miletus is considered
one of the oldest Ionian settlements in Asia Minor, dating from the mid-11th
century BC. As indicated by the finds of Protogeometric pottery at Phocaea,
Clazomenae and Samos, colonization in these areas
dates to around 1050 to 900 BC. During the same period,
many other cities of Ionia must have been colonized.
During
the 8th century BC, 12 cities -Samos, Chios, Miletus, Phocaea, Clazomenae,
Teos, Erythrae, Ephesus, Colophon, Priene, Lebedus and Myus- united in
a political and religious amphictyony, the so-called
Panionic League, with their meeting point at the sanctuary of Heliconian Poseidon
in Mycale. At the head of this League was an archon elected
by all the members of the amphictyony. At the same time, the 12 cities of the Panionic League
participated in another religious league centered on Delos, in which
Athens, Keos, Siphnos and Seriphos also took part.