Abdera

Abdera (in Thrace) was first settled by Phoenicians and later attempted as a Greek colony from Klazomenai in 654 BC, which failed under Timesios. Successful colonization came in 544 BC, when refugees from Teos—including the poet Anacreon—founded the city, famed for its rich silver coinage with the griffon emblem.

Abdera prospered as a major port and one of the wealthiest members of the Delian League, though it was repeatedly conquered—by Persians, Macedonians, Thracians, and Romans. It declined after the 4th century BC and became a byword for foolishness in antiquity, despite producing notable thinkers like Democritus, Protagoras, and Hecataeus.

The ruins lie on Cape Balastra, covering seven hills with remains of harbors, walls, and the later Byzantine town of Polystylon, which lasted until Ottoman rule.

Address
Abdera, Xanthi, Greece

Established
654 BCE