Kolophon was one of the oldest and most important cities of Ionia. The city was called as “the cute Kolophon” located on “the mesmerizing coast of Asia” in a poem of Mimnermos, who is thought to have lived in late 7^th century or in the early 6^th century BC, he was either born in İzmir or was a resident of the city. Mimnermos also states that the city was founded by immigrants from Pylos who were led by Neleus. Izmir was essentially an Aeol city; and later, in the first half of the 8th century BC, with the arrival of the Ionians from Kolophon, it became an Ionian settlement. The people of Kolophon were very wealthy because of the fertility of their land and their mastery in maritime. The richness of the citizens transformed the comfortable way of life into extreme luxury. More than thousand men, who occasionally wore luxurious clothes and a musky smell, were spending their time wandering around the agora. According to the thought of ancient writers, luxury life caused Kolophon to lose its power. In contrast, the people of Kolophon were formerly famous as warriors in the 8th and 7th centuries BC, and in particular as riders.

Kolophon was under the rule of Lydians and Persians in turn. First, Gyges captured Kolophon in the first half of the 7th century. Later, the city lost its importance when it came under Persian rule in the second half of the 6th century. On the other hand, the coastal settlement in Notion, the "southern city", began to develop. While the Persians reigned in Kolophon, Notion was ruled by Athens for a while. Thukydides notes that Notion belonged to the Kolophonites: When Alexander the Great rescued Anatolia from Persian sovereignty, the two cities regained their independence. Nevertheless, Lysimachos forced the Kolophonites to live in the newly established city Ephesus and therefore some of the Kolophonites moved to Notion. Thus, Kolophon lost its population and became very weak.

Kolophon was rebuilt in the year 281 after the death of Lysimachos and continued to exist under the rule of the Seleucids and Attalus. During this period, Kolophon was known as the "Archaic Kolophon" or "Ancient Kolophon". After losing that reputation, Kolophon moved to 15 km. away to Notion on the south. Notion then began to be known as "New Kolophon" or "Kolophon on the Coast". The development of both settlements was largely hampered by the new city of Ephesus. Meanwhile, Kolophon, known to have a brilliant history in the 7th and 6th centuries, could sustain its importance only for the famous temple in Klaros. The city was independent in the Roman period and its main center was in the acropolis of Notion.