The Origins of Byzantium: From Ancient Greece to Modern Istanbul

Good afternoon,

It’s really hot today, and I’m finding it hard to think about anything other than the heat. However, I noticed a note in my text editor about Byzantium and how it got its name. Let’s find out!

The Megarians were inhabitants of ancient Greece. Like many ancient communities, they had conflicts with other locals and eventually decided they couldn’t stand seeing them anymore. “That’s enough,” they said (their words, not mine). Before leaving their homeland, they consulted the Oracle of Delphi and asked where they should go. The Pythia responded, “Go to the place where the opposite are the blind ones.”

The Megarians set sail under the leadership of Byzas and discovered a wonderful geographical spot. Opposite this location, they noticed another village. They thought, “Ah, those must be the blind ones, and we must settle here.” For many years, the area was called Byzantium.

Later, Emperor Constantine decided to rename the city after himself, calling it Constantinople. The name changed again to Istanbul, a fortunate event for the Four Lads, who achieved great success with their song “Istanbul (Not Constantinople).”