The old inhabitants migrated to the shores of Asia Minor which became the epicenter of Hellenism. A multitude of colonies was set up by the four ancient Greek tribes of historic times: the Ionian Dodecapolis (twelve cities) by the Ionians, with Miletus, Phocaea, Ephesus, Colophon and Chios as the most important; the Doric Hexapolis (six cities) by the Dorians (Cnidus, Halicarnassus, Cos and the three cities of Rhodes) and the Aeolian Dodecapolis by the Aeolians, with Lesbos and Tenedos as the most important. Up to the end of the 6th century B.C. the Greeks had spread westwards as well, mainly to southern Italy and Sicily (Syracuse, Cumae, Parthenope, Croton and Taranto) and to Marseilles which became an important Creek centre and commercial supply station for Greek seafarers. Colonies were also established in Macedonia and Thrace.