Naucratis or Naukratis (; , "Naval Command"; Egyptian: , , ; ) was a city and trading-post in ancient Egypt, located on the Canopic (western-most) branch of the Nile river, south-east of the Mediterranean Sea and the city of Alexandria. Naucratis was the first and, for much of its early history, the only permanent Greek settlement in Egypt, serving as a symbiotic nexus for the interchange of Greek and Egyptian art and culture.
The modern villages of Kom Gi'eif, el-Nibeira and el-Niqrash cover the archaeological site, which is of great importance. It is the source of numerous art objects in many of the world's museums, as well as pottery inscribed with some of the earliest known examples of Greek writing.
The sister port of Naucratis was the harbour town of Heracleion, which was discovered in 2000.
Background
Archaeological evidence suggests that the history of the ancient Greeks in Egypt dates back at least to Mycenaean times (1600–1100 BC) and more likely even further back into the proto-Greek Minoan age. This history is strictly one of commerce as no permanent Greek settlements have been found of these cultures to date.
After the collapse of Mycenaean Greek civilization and the ensuing Greek Dark Ages (c. 1100–750 BC), a "renaissance" of Greek culture flourished in the 7th century BC—with it came renewed contact with the East and its two great river civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Nile.
right|250px|thumb|Map indicating location of Naucratis—the Nile delta has shifted since ancient days; the city was situated directly on the Canopic (westernmost) branch.
The first report of Greeks in 7th century BC Egypt is a story in the Histories of Herodotus of Ionian and Carian pirates forced by storm to land on or near the Nile Delta. It relates the plight of the Saite Pharaoh Psammetichus I (Psamtik) (c. 664–610) of the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt overthrown and in desperation seeking the advice of the Oracle of Leto at Buto, who cryptically advises him to enlist the aid of the "bronze men" who would "come from the sea." Inspired upon seeing the bronze armor of the shipwrecked pirates, he offers them rewards in return for their aid in his campaign of return to power. Upon the success of this endeavor, he makes good on his word and bestows on the mercenaries two parcels of land (or "camps," ) on either side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile.
At present, these sites remain uncertain but this may be a reference to the city of Daphnae.
History
Naukratis was the site of an Egyptian town before the Greeks arrived, later becoming established as a military settlement occupied by mercenaries. Naukratis was located on the Canopic branch of the Nile in the western Delta some 16 km from Sais. The Canopic tributary was one of the major waterways linking the Nile valley with the Mediterranean, and the most accessible of the Nile's tributaries during the Saite Period. The early settlement then developed into a busy trading port. They exchanged goods with the Greeks and with other Mediterranean states. Greeks traders settled in Naukratis and a large Greek community began to develop.
Ancient sources
In 570 BC, the Pharaoh Apries (Wahibre, reigned 589–570 BC) led the descendants of his mercenary army made up of 30,000 Carians and Ionians against a former general turned rebel by the name of Amasis. Although fighting valiantly, the mercenaries suffered defeat and Amasis II became Pharaoh (reigning 570–526 BC). Amasis shut down the "camps" and moved the Greek soldiers to Memphis, where they were employed "to guard him against the native Egyptians."
Herodotus stated that "Amasis was partial to the Greeks, and among other favors which he granted them, gave to such as liked to settle in Egypt the city of Naucratis for their residence." Notice that he says "gave the city ()," which seems to indicate the existence (now borne out by archaeological evidence) of a "city" already there. This older city was probably a small settlement inhabited by a mix of native Egyptians, Greeks and possibly even Phoenicians. Thus it seems the city was "chartered" to the Greeks soon after 570 BC. The earlier date of c. 625 BC put forward by archaeologists may be the original establishment of a settlement at the site.
Amasis indeed converted Naucratis into a major treaty-port and commercial link with the west. This was most likely done as a means to contain Greek activities in one place under his control. It became not the colony of any particular city-state but an open emporion (trading post) similar to Al Mina in north Syria.
thumb|Hedgehog vase from Naukratis
According to Herodotus, the walled shrine known as the Hellenion was a co-operative enterprise financed by nine eastern Greek cities:
- Four Ionian: Chios, Klazomenai, Teos and Phocaea;
- Four Dorian: Rhodes, Halicarnassus, Knidos and Phaselis;
- One Aeolian: Mytilene;
- Miletus, Samos and Aegina also had their own sanctuaries.
Thus the natives of at least twelve Greek city-states worked in a rare long-term collaboration.
Naucratis later became an important center of Greek culture under the Roman Empire, producing several celebrated orators of the Second Sophistic in the second and early third centuries AD. The third century writer Athenaeus came from Naucratis. In the Deipnosophistae, he writes that in Naucratis the people dine in the Prytaneion on the natal day of the Hestia Prytanitis ().