The oikistes (Greek: οἰκιστής), often anglicized as oekist or oecist, was the individual chosen by an ancient Greek polis as the leader of any new colonization effort. He was invested with the power of selecting a settling place, directing the initial labors of the colonists and guiding the fledgling colony through its hard early years. The oracle is also consulted during deliberations for choosing an oikistes. After he is appointed and directed to found a colony, he also consults the Delphic oracle. Due to his authority, the oikistes was often accorded his own cult after his death, and his name was preserved even when all other details of the founding of a colony were forgotten.
At the time of Greek colonisation, the oikistes is historically identifiable. He was usually responsible for providing the ship on which the colonists set sail from the Greek mainland to found a colony. He therefore ritually consulted an oracle about the advantages of the possible location of the new settlement and then determined the place of foundation. After arriving at the newly founded colony, the oikistes determined the distribution of land and the street grid. In his honour, sanctuaries were erected in the colony in the manner of the heroes of the mythical oikistes, games were sponsored, and festivals were held.
