Oikistes

As Oikistes also Ktistes or real or mythical hero Ktistes founder of a city or colony were called in ancient times.

On the Greek mainland usually a god or hero was adopted as a city founder, who was worshiped in local sanctuaries as the patron saint of the city. Often the name of the city was also taken as the eponymous founder.

At the time of Greek colonization of Oikistes is, however, historically tangible. In most cases the task of providing the ship with which set off the colonists from mainland Greece to the colony founding, he was responsible. Therefore he consulted an oracle ritual, usually the Delphi oracle, about the benefits of the possible location of the new settlement, and then fixed the place of incorporation. After arriving in the newly founded colony of Oikistes determined the distribution of land and the street grid. To him, the mythical Oikisten shrines were erected in honor of the colony in the type of Hiera games donated and oriented festivals.

In the Hellenistic period, there were small changes. As founder of the city and now people were revered that do not actually founded the city. Thus, the port city Antigoneia founded by Antigonus I Monophthalmos was renamed at the Dardanelles by his successor Lysimachus in Alexandria Troas. This change of name was considered to be city's founding and the previously revered as a city founder Antigonus was superseded by a cult of Lysimachus. The function of the Oikistes was political to a.

List of famous Oikisten:

  • Archias of Syracuse
  • Euarchos for Catana
  • Phalantos for Taranto
  • Hippokles of Kyme and Megasthenes of Chalcis for Cumae
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