Academic Article

The settlement of Yauna, ‘Ionian’ identity and the Greek presence on the Syrian coast in the second half of the eighth century BC: a reassessment of two letters from the Nimrud correspondence

Title
The settlement of Yauna, ‘Ionian’ identity and the Greek presence on the Syrian coast in the second half of the eighth century BC: a reassessment of two letters from the Nimrud correspondence
Creator(s)
Radner, Karen
Vacek, Alexander
Date
2022
Is Part Of
The Journal of Hellenic Studies
Volume
142
Pages
65-99
Language
eng
ISSN
0075-4269, 2041-4099
Short Title
The settlement of Yauna, ‘Ionian’ identity and the Greek presence on the Syrian coast in the second half of the eighth century BC
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/S007542692200012X
URI
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-hellenic-studies/article/abs/settlement-of-yauna-ionian-identity-and-the-greek-presence-on-the-syrian-coast-in-the-second-half-of-the-eighth-century-bc-a-reassessment-of-two-letters-from-the-nimrud-correspondence/EFA7C894A8032AFF295EAA5778EE0633
Zotero BiDiAr
https://www.zotero.org/groups/5293298/bidiar/items/DQQ9MPXH/item-list
Abstract
We offer a reassessment of two letters from the state correspondence of Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria (r. 744–727 BC) with the earliest references to a town called Yauna and a people called the Yauneans, as encountered on the eastern Mediterranean coast by the newly established imperial administration. Past scholarship connected these Assyrian terms with the ethnonym ‘Ionians’ and/or the toponym ‘Ionia’. The study narrows down the location of Yauna, drawing also on a review of the coastal sites that have produced Greek ceramic imports: although identification remains elusive, Yauna was certainly situated in the territory of the kingdom of Hamath, and later the Assyrian province of Ṣimirra. Discussion of the historical and cultural background of Yauna’s foundation highlights its significance for the ‘transfer debate’ and the phenomenon of the ‘Greeks overseas’. We argue that the Assyrians first encountered the Yauneans in this locality and that, to them, they were originally simply the inhabitants of Yauna. Due to the similarities perceived between them and (other?) Greeks appearing in the eastern Mediterranean, the Assyrians came to apply the ethnonym universally to all these people, who eventually adopted it for themselves. Thus, we support the argument that the term ‘Ionian’ originated in external nomenclature.
cited by
From the river to the sea of the setting sun: route networks between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean during the Iron Age (1200-600 BCE)

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From the river to the sea of the setting sun: route networks between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean during the Iron Age (1200-600 BCE)
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