Greek policies in Crimea. Where to find ancient Greece in Crimea. Beautiful places in Crimea

Panticalei Khankai (Greek: Παντικάπαιον) founded on the site of modern Kerch by immigrants from Miletus at the end of the 7th century BC. e., in its heyday it occupied about 100 hectares. The Acropolis was located on a mountain called today Mithridates. The main patron deity of Panticapaeum from the founding of the settlement was Apollo, and it was to him that the main temple of the acropolis was dedicated. The construction of the oldest and most grandiose building, by the standards of the Northern Black Sea region, of the Temple of Apollo Ietra was completed by the end of the 6th century. BC e. In addition, later, next to the palace of the Spartokids, there was a temple in honor of Aphrodite and Dionysus. Over time, the entire city was surrounded by a powerful system of stone fortifications, superior to that of Athens. In the vicinity of the city there was a necropolis, which differed from the necropolises of other Hellenic cities. In addition to the usual ground burials for Hellenes at that time, the necropolis of Panticapaeum consisted of long chains of mounds stretching along the roads from the city to the steppe. WITH south side the city is bordered by the most significant ridge of mounds, today called Yuz-Oba - a hundred hills. Buried under their mounds were representatives of the barbarian nobility - the Scythian leaders who exercised military-political protectorate over the city. The mounds still constitute one of the most striking attractions in the vicinity of Kerch. The most popular of them are Kul-Oba, Melek-Chesmensky, Zolotoy and especially the famous Tsarsky.
The history of Panticapaeum as a city began at the end of the 7th century BC. e., when on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus ( Kerch Strait) ancient Greek colonists founded a number of independent city-states (polises) that formed in the 40s. VI century BC e. military confederation. The goal of the intercity union was to confront the indigenous population - the Scythians. Panticapaeum was the largest, most powerful and probably the first. This is indicated by the fact that already from the late 40s. VI century BC e. Panticapaeum minted its own silver coin, and from the last third of the 70s. IV century BC e. - and gold.
The city of Feodosia was founded by Greek colonists from Miletus in the 6th century BC. e. Ancient name The city was Kaffa, mentioned during the time of Emperor Diocletian (284-305).
From 355 BC. e. Kaffa was supposedly part of the Bosporan kingdom. According to some estimates, ancient Kaffa was the second most important city in the European part of the Bosporan kingdom with a population of 6-8 thousand people. Economic prosperity was the reason for the outbreak of war between Feodosia and Bosporus. In 380 BC. e. The troops of King Leukon I annexed Feodosia to the Bosporan kingdom. As part of the ancient Bosporus, Feodosia was the largest trading port in the Northern Black Sea region. Trade ships with grain departed from here. The fortified center of Feodosia - the acropolis - was located on Quarantine Hill.
The city was destroyed by the Huns in the 4th century AD. e.
Tauric Chersonesos, or simply Chersonesos (ancient Greek Χερσόνησος - ἡ χερσόνησος) is a polis founded by the ancient Greeks on the Heraclean Peninsula in the south- west coast Crimea. Nowadays the Khersones settlement is located on the territory of the Gagarinsky district of Sevastopol. For two thousand years, Chersonesos was a major political, economic and cultural center of the Northern Black Sea region, where it was the only Dorian colony. Chersonesos was a Greek colony founded in 529/528. BC e. came from Heraclea Pontus, located on the Asia Minor coast of the Black Sea. It is located in the southwestern part of Crimea, near the bay, which is currently called Karantinnaya. In the earliest layers of Chersonesus, archaeologists found a significant number of shards (fragments) of archaic black-figure ceramics, which date back no later than the 6th century BC. e.
A little over a hundred years after the founding of Chersonese, its territory already occupied the entire space of the peninsula lying between the Karantinnaya and Pesochnaya bays (translated from Greek “Chersonese” means peninsula, and the Hellenes called the southern coast of Crimea Tavrika (the country of the Taurians).



10. Socio-political life and government structure of Chersonesos.
State authority
The bulk of the free population of Chersonesos were Greeks, and the Greeks were Dorians. This is indicated by epigraphic monuments, which, until the first centuries of our era, were written in the Doric dialect. The characteristic features of the latter is the use of: α instead of y, for example in the words δάμος-δ-^ιος, βουλά, -βοολή, Χερσόνασος instead of Χερσόνησος, etc.
But, along with the Greeks, Tauris and Scythians lived in Chersonesus. Scythian names are found on amphora handles and in epigraphic monuments (ΙΡΕ I 2, 343). One of the Chersonese ambassadors in Delphi, who received proxy there, has the patronymic Σκοθα;. The same person is apparently named in the act of sale of land (ΙΡΕ I 2, 403). Thus, some persons from the native population not only lived in Chersonesos, but also enjoyed civil rights there. It is difficult to say whether this was an exception or, on the contrary, a mass phenomenon. In any case, there is no doubt that Chersonesus was closely connected with local population, and did not stand isolated from it.
The ruling class in Chersonesos were slave owners: landowners, workshop owners, traders, as well as small peasants and artisans. The oppressed and exploited class were the slaves who came from the native population; “Slave owners and slaves are the first major division into classes.” 1 In addition, the Scythian population, who lived on the territory belonging to Chersonesos, was dependent on Chersonese. The revolt of the Scythians under the leadership Savmaka is convincing evidence that the Scythians were exploited by the Greeks.
During the period under review in Chersonesus there was democratic republic. The forms of government bodies and the general nature of the state structure of Chersonesos have much in common with the state structure of Heraclea and its metropolis - Megara. 1 The main source for studying the state structure of Chersonesos are epigraphic monuments - inscriptions on marble slabs. Valuable documents are inscriptions issued on behalf of the state: honorary decrees, proxies, treaties, acts, etc. One of the most important monuments of Chersonesus is the oath, dating back to the end of the 4th - beginning of the 3rd century. BC e. (IPE I 2, 401). Until now, it was generally accepted that the oath represented an oath that was taken by young men who had reached the age of majority - ephebes, who then received the rights of citizenship, that the oath listed all the duties that every citizen had to observe. 2 Academician S. A. Zhebelev 3 believes that all citizens of the state had to take the oath after the attempt to overthrow democracy was eliminated. This new understanding of the text of the oath gives us the opportunity to learn about the class struggle that took place in Hersemes at a fairly early period, which makes the oath an even more valuable monument.
Political life
Despite the fact that the political system of Chersonesus was called “democracy”, the leading role in the political life of the city is gradually passing into the hands of representatives of the most prosperous part of the population. Participation in public administration was not paid and therefore was practically inaccessible to those who lived only from the results of their labor. As follows from the honorary decrees and dedicatory inscriptions of Chersonese, actual power in the state gradually passes to several families, and the Chersonese democracy, as in Olbia, becomes a democracy only for a small circle of wealthy citizens.
Political life in ancient city has always been closely connected with religion. Temples stood out in the architectural decoration of the city. Unfortunately, as a result of subsequent reconstructions and redevelopment of the city area, all the ancient temples were destroyed and were not preserved. However, we know from honorary inscriptions that there were several temples in the city. The main shrine of Chersonesos from the 4th century BC. e. became a sanctuary of the Virgin with a temple and a statue of this deity. In general, the religious life of the city at that time was rich and varied. At the head of the official pantheon, judging by the oath of citizens, were Zeus, Gaia, Helios and Virgo. In addition to the temple in the city near Chersonesus, on Cape Feolent or on the Mayachny Peninsula, there was another temple of the Virgin. In this temple, according to ancient Greek legends, the priestess was Iphigenia, the daughter of the leader of the Trojan campaign of the Greeks, Agamemnon, who was sacrificed by him. There was a temple to the Virgin in Chersonesos itself.

11.Bosporan kingdom. Government structure and socio-economic life. Uprising of Savmak
The Bosporan Kingdom (or Bosporus, the Vosporan Kingdom (N.M. Karamzin), the Vosporan tyranny) is an ancient state in the Northern Black Sea region on the Cimmerian Bosporus (Kerch Strait). The capital is Panticapaeum. Formed around 480 BC. e. as a result of the merger Greek cities on the Kerch and Taman peninsulas, as well as the entry of Sindiki. Later it was expanded along the eastern shore of Meotida (Sea of ​​Azov) to the mouth of the Tanais (Don). From the end of the 2nd century BC. e. as part of the Pontic kingdom. From the end of the 1st century. BC e. post-Hellenistic state dependent on Rome. Became part of Byzantium in the 1st half. VI century Known from Greco-Roman historians. After the middle of the 7th century BC, Greek settlers appeared on the northern shore of the Black Sea, and by the beginning of the second quarter of the 6th century BC. e. develop a significant part of the coast, with the exception of the southern coast of Crimea. The first colony in this area was the Taganrog settlement, founded in the second half of the 7th century BC, located in the area of ​​​​modern Taganrog. Most likely, the colonies were founded as apoikia - independent policies (free civil groups ). Greek colonies were founded in the area of ​​the Cimmerian Bosporus (Kerch Strait), where there was no permanent local population. There was a permanent population in Crimean mountains, where the Taurus tribes lived, Scythians periodically roamed the steppes, semi-nomadic Meotians and Sindian farmers lived around the Kuban River. At first, the colonies did not experience pressure from the barbarians, their population was very small, and the settlements had no defensive walls. Around the middle of the 6th century. BC e. Fires were recorded at some small monuments, including Myrmekia, Porthmia and Thorik, after which small fortified acropolises appeared on the first two of them. Conveniently located, possessing a good trading harbor and therefore having reached a significant level of development, Panticapaeum, presumably, became the center around which the Greek cities of both banks of the Kerch Strait united into an intercity union. Currently, an opinion has emerged that initially he managed to unite only nearby small towns around himself, and on the other side of the strait, the center founded in the 3rd quarter became the center. VI century BC e. Phanagoria. Around 510 BC e. The temple of Apollo of the Ionic order was built in Panticapaeum. Apparently, on behalf of the sacred union of cities that arose around the temple, a coin with the legend “ΑΠΟΛ” was issued. Whether this union was equal to a political one, how it was organized, who was part of it is unknown. There is a hypothesis linking the issue of these coins with Phanagoria.

Socio-economic life
The population of large territories of the Bosporan kingdom was at different stages of socio-economic development and social relations. The slave-owning mode of production reigned here, and therefore society was divided into free and bonded people. The ruling elite included the royal family and its entourage, officials of the central and local government apparatus, shipowners, slave traders, owners of land plots, craft workshops, wealthy merchants, representatives of the tribal and military nobility, and priests. The owners and managers of the land were Bosporan rulers and large landowners. There was state and private ownership of land. The Bosporan state was inhabited by free citizens of average income who did not have slaves, foreigners, as well as free communal peasants (Pelata). The latter were the main payers of taxes in kind for the right to use land and primarily bore the burden of duties in favor of the state and the local aristocracy. In addition, peasants were obliged to participate in the militia during the attack of nomadic tribes on the Bosporan kingdom. The low level of the social ladder was traditionally occupied by slaves, divided into private and state. The work of government slaves was mainly used in the construction of public buildings, defensive structures. In tribal organizations, slavery was domestic, patriarchal. Local aristocrats widely used slave labor on agricultural farms, where they mainly grew bread for sale.

State structure
According to the historical type, the Bosporan kingdom was a slave state, like the city-states that were part of it. In terms of the form of government, it was one of the varieties of despotic monarchy. From the beginning of its formation, the Bosporan kingdom was an aristocratic republic, headed from 483 BC. stood the clan of Archenaktidiv. From the middle of the 5th century. (438 BC) power passed to the Spartokid dynasty, which ruled here for three centuries. The Spartokids for a long time styled themselves archons of the Bosporus and Feodosia, and called themselves kings after the vassal barbarian peoples. Already from the III Art. BC. The double title disappears, the rulers call themselves kings (the Bosporan kings retained the title of archons in the 1st century BC only in relation to Panticapaeum).

The city-states that became part of the Bosporan kingdom had a certain autonomy and their own bodies of self-government (people's assemblies, city councils, elected positions). But already on the verge of a new era, the Bosporan kings became sole rulers, owners who called themselves “kings of kings” (with the accession of new tribes to the state, the title of head of state - king - was added to their ethnic name). In the 1st-3rd centuries AD. In the Bosporus, the tendency towards centralization of power intensified, accompanied by the formation of a complex state-bureaucratic structure with the tsarist administration at its head.

Savmak uprising
Scythian uprising in the Bosporus state in 107 BC. e. It flared up in Panticapaeum during negotiations with Diophantus on the transfer of power from the Bosporan king Perisad V to the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator (See Mithridates VI Eupator). Perisad was killed by Savmak, and Diophantus fled to Chersonesus. The rebels took possession of the entire European part of the Bosporus. In the N. century. The Scythian population, consisting of dependent peasants, artisans, and slaves, participated. S.v. prevented the implementation of a political deal, with the help of which the slave-owning elite of the Bosporus, trying to find a way out of the acute crisis and maintain their class dominance, tried to establish a regime of firm power, transferring it into the hands of Mithridates VI. The rebel leader Savmak became the ruler of Bosporus. The system established during the reign of Savmak, which lasted about a year, is unknown. After lengthy preparation, Mithridates VI sent a large punitive expedition of Diophantus to Sinope. In Crimea, Chersonesus detachments were included in it. Diophantus' troops took Feodosia, crossed the Kerch Peninsula and captured Panticapaeum. S.v. was suppressed, Savmak was captured, and the Bosporan state came under the rule of Mithridates VI.

History of Crimea March 20, 2014

All the cities you see on this map were founded by the ancient Greeks during the 6th century BC. (with the exception of Kalos Limen, nestled in the far west of the peninsula).

In the first half of the century, the Ionian Greeks mastered the eastern coast of Taurica, and towards its end the colonization of the western and southwestern parts peninsula.

You can’t help but wonder: why did the Greeks do this? Why did they move in huge numbers from the cozy and long-developed Hellas? The process of settlement of the Greeks along the shores of the Mediterranean, Black and Azov seas called the "Great Greek Colonization".

And indeed, the word “great” cannot be avoided here. For almost 200 years, the Hellenes persistently explored new spaces, founding hundreds of cities during this time. They were not afraid of dangerous sea crossings, or clashes with the local population, or separation from their usual cultural and linguistic environment.

Colonization was a very difficult task, but the Greeks had no other choice! Greece, although a picturesque country, is not well suited for life: there is very little arable land there, it is incredibly difficult to cultivate bread, and there is nowhere to expand: all around are mountain peaks and the sea.

Therefore, when by the 8th century BC. The population of Greece reached its maximum size, the question arose - how to avoid overpopulation and the inevitable unrest. A solution was found in the organized resettlement of some citizens to new, undeveloped lands.

Moreover, all the Greeks were able to benefit from what happened: both those who left and those who remained to cultivate meager fields and develop crafts in their homeland. Going in search of new lands, the Hellenes tried to choose places where they could engage in productive farming. First of all, grow bread.


In the newly founded cities, the Greeks reproduced their familiar model of government, established traditional crafts, and established trade exchanges with the local population and with their abandoned homeland - the metropolis. The descendants of the colonists retained ties with the metropolis - not only trade, but also spiritual ones - for centuries.

The Greek people in those days were not homogeneous: they consisted of several tribes that differed in both dialect and character. The most numerous and active were Ionians And Dorians.

Ionians lived mainly along the shores of the Aegean Sea, and early absorbed the wisdom Ancient East, lying next door. It was they who gave the world famous scientists: Hippocrates, Thales, Euclid and many others.

The largest Ionian city was Miletus, located on east coast Hellas (now its ruins are in Turkey). It was the Milesians who began the development east coast Tauriki. Panticapaeum, Theodosius, Tiritaka are their colonies.

The Ionians sought to invade new lands peacefully and establish trade relations with the local population. And, if the aborigines are enslaved, it will be gradually. Their weapon in conquering new spaces was often not a sword, but an IOU, not a warship, but a merchant ship.

The Ionians were cheerful and cheerful people. They saw the world as bright and beautiful and, therefore, especially many poets, artists and outstanding architects were born among them. The favorite god of the Ionians was the radiant Apollo, the patron of the muses.

Dorians were very different from the Ionians. Suffice it to say that the most powerful state of the Dorians was Sparta - a city where the cult of military discipline, brute force, pressure and submission reigned. Even the Dorians themselves did not approve of the cruel practices of the Spartans, but they still adopted some things.

The stern thunderer Zeus was a particularly revered god among the Dorians, and they revered the warlike Hercules as their ancestor. “Nature is not a temple, but a workshop,” a Dorian would readily subscribe to these words.

The Dorians did not so much admire the world around them as adapt it to their own needs, sometimes showing miracles of will, endurance and strength.

So, Chersonese Tauride was founded by the Dorians - a decisive, disciplined and stern people. Unlike the Ionians, they did not just explore new lands. They conquered them.

Greek city-states of Crimea:
history of construction, location, public order

The formation of Greek city-states in Crimea is an achievement of the Great Colonization of the Hellenes, which took place on the lands of the peninsula between the 8th and 6th centuries. BC e. It is sometimes believed that the process of development of the Mediterranean coast and the Black Sea region is better described by the term “resettlement”. However, what made the Greeks leave their native places and go to places where they had to start life again?

Firstly, during this period of history there was a population explosion in Greece. The overpopulation of Hellas gave rise to the beginning of migration processes. Secondly, the Greeks were sorely short of agricultural land. In addition, the migration processes were associated with trade expansion, the search for products and sources of raw materials that were scarce or did not exist at all in Greece.

All this is complemented by military, social and ethnic reasons. The Hellenes were threatened by the Lydians and Persians, and there were significant disagreements between the Greeks, generated by belonging to different segments of the population and interethnic tensions.

Pampered under the warm sun, the Hellenes initially did not like the relatively cold local climate, and the inhabitants of Crimea were fearful. They called the Black Sea the phrase “Pont Aksinsky”, which means “inhospitable sea”. However, they soon changed their point of view and the prefix “a” was transformed into “ev”. This is how the Greek toponym Pont Euxine (“hospitable sea”) appeared, and the history of Crimea began to take on a different character.

The Greek city-states of Crimea were built by immigrants from Miletus. Less often - immigrants from Heraclea Pontic. However, scientists managed to find traces of the habitation of Greeks on the peninsula who arrived from Colophon, Ephesus and Teos. The area of ​​the Greek settlers was formed: the South-East of Crimea, the shores of the Kerch Strait and the territory of the Taman Peninsula.

Greek city-states and settlements in the Northern Black Sea region:

The political structure of the Crimean ancient settlements was similar to that in mainland Hellas. The Greek city-states of Crimea were predominantly slave-owning republics with a democratic way of life. The polis model allowed the city and its choir to organically coexist and made such settlements independent and viable units.

The Greek city-states of Crimea had three traditional branches of government today; they could solve all internal problems and independently elect government bodies. Their legislative power was represented by the people's assembly, the executive power by collegiums and magistrates. Adult men were allowed to solve problems of national importance. Slaves, foreigners and females had no rights. The courts in the Greek colonies of Crimea were highly specialized.

First greek city grew up in the east of Crimea, its name is Panticapaeum.

Kerch. Ruins of Panticapaeum - the first Greek city-state on the territory of Crimea In the center of the picture is K.F. Bogaevsky “Theodosius” (1930) - Quarantine Hill - the alleged site of the founding of the Greek city-state, traces of which are now hidden by the layers of subsequent civilizations. The Genoese fortress of Kafa is depicted on Quarantine Hill.

Over time, several more large ones were built on the peninsula settlements: Chersonesos, Kerkinitida, Kalos-Lymen, Nymphaeum, Feodosia.

Greek city-state of Chersonesus: ruins of a residential quarter (Gagarinsky district of Sevastopol) Ruins of the Greek city-state of Kalos-Limen (northwestern coast of Crimea)

The largest Greek state union of the Crimean peninsula of ancient times - the Bosporan kingdom - emerged as a result of constant confrontations with local barbarians; it will be discussed separately.

The Greek city-states on the Crimean peninsula can be divided into two parts - those that at some historical moment came under the influence of Chersonesos and those that found themselves in the sphere of interests of Panticapaeum. The latter, starting as independent city-states, united in a union, or rather, they were forced to do so by necessity - it was necessary to confront local tribes and develop trade with the metropolis. Later, these policies became part of the Bosporan kingdom of the Spartokid dynasty. What cities are these?

Greek city-states under the influence of Panticapaeum

If the capital was founded in the 7th century BC, then Nymphaeum, located a little south, was founded at the beginning of the 6th century. It was one of the largest and most important Greek city-states.

Founded by the Milesians, it soon came under the influence of Athens and, accordingly, entered the Delian symmachy, which was ultimately defeated in the fight against Sparta. Nymphaeus broke away from Athens and handed over his fate to the Spartokids and the Bosporan kingdom. The city was destroyed more than once (especially catastrophically by the Goths), artifacts were stolen more than once in our time, so archaeologists did not get much. But what remains allows us to judge the greatness of the city and its architectural splendor.

A little north of Nymphaeum, in the same period as the last one, another policy was founded by the Milesians - Tiritaka. This Greek city-state had an industrial and economic orientation, which is confirmed by excavations. It was surrounded by walls only in the 3rd century AD. It was repeatedly destroyed by both the enemy and earthquakes. Under the Byzantines, during the reign of Justinian I, a basilica was established in Tiritaka, the ruins of which were explored during an archaeological expedition.

Among all the Greek city-states of Crimea, the most attractive is Acre, all because this city almost completely went under water as a result of transgression, a rise in the water level of the Black Sea. This city was not as large as Panticapaeum; its main structure was the port. As a result of underwater archaeological expeditions, walls, towers, building foundations, many small objects and a rich collection of coins were found.

From the west, the port Greek city-states were constantly subject to raids by nomads, especially after the fall of the Pontic kingdom. To protect the policies from these raids, the city of Ilurat was built from the depths of the Kerch Peninsula in the 1st century AD. Active excavations were carried out after the war; massive walls were discovered, which were rebuilt more than once. Underground passages, wells, towers - Ilurat was built using all modern fortification knowledge at that time. However, the fortress did not last long; at the end of the third century AD, the defenders abandoned it.

The history of Crimea in antiquity is a constant search for comrades-in-arms and a regular struggle for survival. Who were the Crimean Greeks afraid of? Their relations with the Tauri who inhabited the peninsula were changeable. At first, the Crimean aborigines were perceived by the Hellenes only as a pirate people, capable of killing a stranger in order to sacrifice him. In the places where the Taurians settled, practically no objects made by the Greeks were found. This means that there were no trade relations between the peoples.

In ancient policies, samples of molded ceramics with black walls were found, which suggests the presence of marital ties between young representatives of the Taurus tribes and the sons of the colonists. A 5th century tombstone was also found in Panticapaeum. BC e., located above the grave of the respected brand. This means that male Tauris sometimes lived in the Greek cities of Crimea. Scholars believe that, as a rule, they had the status of slaves, but there were still exceptions.

The Greek settlers tried to live peacefully with their Scythian neighbors, bringing rich gifts to the barbarian kings, who ceded their territories to them. From time to time, short-term military confrontations arose between them and the frightened Greeks built defensive fortresses. One of these wars marked the end of the Scythian kingdom.

During excavations of some Greek cities, surgical instruments made of bronze and bones were found. These artifacts suggest that in the Crimean ancient settlements of immigrants from Greece there was a fairly developed medicine.

The high level of cultural life in the Greek city-states of Crimea is evidenced by the presence of the same theaters as those that existed in the historical homeland of the Hellenes. In such structures there could be up to 3,000 people at the same time. Scientists also found musical instruments used by the Greeks in Crimea: lyre, trumpet, flute, cithara.

The people who inhabited the Greek city-states of Crimea professed polytheism and polytheism. They worshiped pagan gods who personified the forces of nature. Very soon they began to pay more attention to Apollo, the protector of the settlers.

In Chersonesus, the cult of Artemis, the patron goddess of this polis, was honored. They made sacrifices in the form of fish, domestic animals, and agricultural products. Deities were worshiped in sanctuaries, temples, and home altars. Clay copies of victims were often brought there. In the 3rd century. n. e. paganism in Crimea began to be replaced by Christian teaching.

Let's draw some conclusions. The ancient colonization of Crimea began in the VIII-VII centuries. BC e. and the Greek city-states existed until the invasion of the Huns, which occurred in the 4th century. n. e.

All settlements founded by people from Miletus, Heraclea Pontus, Colophon, Ephesus and Theos were republics with three branches of government. Among them, only one monarchy stands out - the Bosporus Kingdom. The first Greek city in Crimea is Panticapaeum. It appeared in the 7th century. BC e.

A century later the Nymphaeum was built. Then Tiritaka, Acre, Ilurat, Kitey, Cimmeric, Pormfiy, Mirmekiy, Zenon Chersonesos, Theodosius grew up. Soon they all fell under the influence of Panticapaeum and became part of the Bosporan kingdom.

In the VI century. BC e. The Greeks built the Tauride Chersonese, which managed to conquer Kerkinitida and Kalos-Lymen. The Crimean Greeks got along with the Tauri, Scythians, and Sarmatians, who also lived on the peninsula. From the 1st century BC e. the authorities of the Greek city-states of Crimea were forced to submit to Rome. Chersonesus existed longer than all other Greek city-states and became a stronghold of Byzantinism in Crimea.

INLIGHT/olegman37

The first civilized people to settle in the Crimean lands were the ancient Greeks, or Hellenes. It was these people who made such a contribution to the development of all human civilization that cannot be overestimated. The influence of the ancient Greeks on the development of our peninsula is enormous.

The main reason for the resettlement of this people in the Northern Black Sea region was the search by low-income citizens for conditions for a normal life. The metropolis was overpopulated, there was no longer enough food and land for all free citizens, which gave rise to such a phenomenon as mass colonization. This movement dates back to the 7-6 centuries BC - the archaic era in the history of Ancient Greece. The first two waves of colonization affected lands close to Greece. The colonizers of the third wave crossed the Pont Euxine (the ancient Greek name of the Black Sea, translated as “Hospitable Sea”) and discovered fertile lands, an abundance of animals, birds, and fish. Being seafarers, the Greek settlers appreciated the local harbors and bays.

The first settlers who managed to create their own colonies on the territory of Crimea were the Ionian Greeks and the Dorian Greeks. It was they who, after some time, united other colonies around themselves and created two states - the Cimmerian Bosporus and the Tauride Chersonese.

The first city that the Hellenes founded in Crimea was Panticapaeum - present-day Kerch. The appearance of this city dates back to the turn of the 7th-6th centuries BC. A little later, in the 6th century BC, Feodosia was built, and the agricultural towns of Tiritaka, Parfeniy, Porfmiy, Myrmeky appeared on the Crimean coast of the Kerch Strait. The main inhabitants of these Hellenistic settlements were inhabitants of the western coast of Asia Minor (mainly from the Ionian city of Miletus) and the cities of the Aegean Sea.

Very quickly the colonists established their economic life: agriculture, cattle breeding, fishing and hunting developed; various crafts are emerging - construction, jewelry, metalworking, weaving, ceramics; the emergence of surplus products and goods makes it possible to establish trade with the metropolis and natural exchange with neighboring tribes. Already in the middle of the 6th century BC, their own coins were minted in Panticapaeum, and a little later - in other cities.

Gradually, the colonies, increasing territorially and in number of inhabitants, became cities and turned into small state policies. Their centers in the east of Crimea were Panticapaeum, Feodosia and Nymphaeum.

The threat of attack from barbarian tribes and economic interests became the reason for the unification of most of the cities of the Kerch Strait. The new state that emerged as a result of this unification was called the Cimmerian Bosporus. The first mention of this state belongs to the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus, who named the time of its birth - around 480 BC. This state is not only expanding, but also becoming ethnically diverse: in addition to the Greeks, it is inhabited by Scythians, Taurians, and on the other side of the Kerch Strait - Sindians and Maeotians.


Everything that the Greeks achieved in their historical homeland is widely used in Crimea. Urban planning, architecture, painting, philosophy, education, lawmaking, medicine, literature, theater, sports, high level development Agriculture and crafts - all this finds fertile soil on the Crimean land for application and distribution. Most likely, the Cimmerian Bosporus also included a settlement located on the site of the present Old Crimea. Numerous archaeological finds Hellenistic origin, Panticapaean coins confirm this assumption.

At the end of the 4th century AD, after the invasion of the Huns, the Bosporus had to recognize their supremacy, and in the 6th century, the heiress of the fallen Roman Empire - Byzantium - subjugated these lands to itself.

In the southwestern part of Crimea there was another Hellenistic state - Tauride Chersonesos. Its center was Chersonesos (now Sevastopol), which was founded in the second half of the 5th century BC. colonists from Heraclea Pontica - a Dorian city on south coast Black Sea. The constant threat of attack from neighboring Tauri forced the settlers to quickly turn Chersonesos into a fortified city. The socio-economic development of the Chersonesos is taking place according to a scenario very similar to the development of their fellow countrymen, who mastered the Crimean lands a little earlier - the Bosporans. For a short time, Chersonesos was even under the Bosporan protectorate. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, Chersonesus became the center of Roman military occupation in Crimea. The city did not suffer from the Huns, since it was outside their routes of conquest. At the end of the 5th century, Chersonesos became part of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The city, whose name is translated from Greek as “beautiful harbor,” arose on the shores of Uzkaya Bay in the 4th century BC. e. By the end of the century, he became dependent on Chersonesos, and in the 3rd century BC. e. - into the sphere of Scythian interests. The strengthening of the Scythians forced the Greeks to significantly update the defensive line of the settlement, building into it a fortress wall with towers near the bay. However, the measures taken did not save the city - in the 2nd century BC. e. it nevertheless passed into the hands of the Scythians. At the end of the 2nd century BC. e. Kalos Limen became part of the power of Mithridates VI, but after his death it returned to the Scythians. The end of the settlement dates back to the 1st century AD. BC: it is believed that it was completely destroyed by the nomadic Sarmatian tribes invading from the northern steppes.

Kulchuk

High relief “Feasting Hercules”, found in 2008 at the Kulchuk settlement. Stored in the Kalos Limen museum in the village of Chernomorskoye

Settlement on south coast The Tarkhankut Peninsula (2.5 km south of the modern village of Gromovo) arose in the 4th century BC. e. and became one of the largest in the Chersonesos state. Like many other Black Sea cities, it was forced to repel constant attacks by Scythian tribes that occupied some areas of the steppe Crimea. During the Greco-Scythian conflicts, Kulchuk changed hands several times, but nevertheless remained a major trading point. The Scythians built their own fortification system here - a rampart and a moat lined with stone. The last owners of the settlement in the ancient era were the Scythians - with them in the 1st century AD. e. life in this place died out, as researchers believe, due to drought and the threat from the Sarmatian tribes. In the Middle Ages, when Crimea was under the control of the Khazar Kaganate, a settlement arose again on Kulchuk, now Khazar.

Belyaus

Another settlement founded in the 4th century BC. e. immigrants from Chersonesos. It was a block of five estates, fenced with stone walls, along which outbuildings were located. At the beginning of the 2nd century BC. e. Belyaus was captured by the Scythians, who, as in Kulchuk, built a rampart and a ditch lined with stone. In the second half of the 1st century BC. e. life on Belyaus was dying out - a few inhabitants reappeared in the settlement only in the 3rd century AD. e. During the Great Migration of Peoples (IV-V centuries AD), the Huns stayed in this place, and the last inhabitants of Belyaus were the Khazars.

Kara-Tobe


Defensive tower

The settlement on the western coast of Crimea was, like many others, founded in the 4th century BC. e. and then included in the Chersonesos state. But, unlike other cities, early Greek buildings were practically not preserved here: the surrounding areas were poor in stone, and therefore the buildings that had served their purpose were immediately dismantled in order to erect new structures. At the beginning of the 2nd century BC. e. the settlement fell into the sphere of influence of the Scythians, and Scythian buildings arose on the site of Greek estates. The Scythians were driven out by the troops of Mithridates VI, but after the death of the Pontic king they returned to the Black Sea settlements, including Kara-Tobe. Around 20 AD e. the settlement died in a fire - the residents left their homes in a hurry, not even having time to save their utensils. After this, life on Kara-Toba was restored, but never reached its previous level. During the confrontation between the Scythians and Rome, which in the third quarter of the 1st century AD. e. came to the aid of Chersonese, the residents left Kara-Tobe without a fight. At the end of the 1st century AD. e. a small village arose there again, but at the beginning of the 2nd century AD. e. the life of the settlement finally died out.

Chersonese Tauride

The polis was founded in 529 BC by immigrants from Heraclea Pontus and existed for a long time as a Greek colony. Over time, it turned into the capital of the state, to which many Black Sea cities submitted. But the problem was the Scythian tribes, with whom Chersonesus was forced to wage constant wars, which caused enormous harm to its economy. In the end, Chersonesus resorted to the help of the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator - and was eventually absorbed by his power. After the death of Mithridates, Chersonesus became part of the Roman Empire, and in the 5th century AD it submitted to Byzantium. However, despite the consistent dependence on three empires, the city of Chersonesos remained the largest political and cultural center of the Northern Black Sea region until the beginning of the 13th century. With the weakening of Byzantium, Muslim and nomadic tribes became more active in the region, who repeatedly plundered the city, until in 1399 the Golden Horde temnik Edigei completely destroyed Chersonesus.

Panticapaeum


Ruins of the prytaneum, a city council in ancient Greece

The city on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus, on the site of modern Kerch, was founded in the 7th century BC. e. came from Miletus. In the 540s BC. e. Panticapaeum led a military confederation that gathered the surrounding Greek city states, which found it difficult to resist the nomads attacking them alone. In the 5th century BC. e. The Archeanactid dynasty reigned in Panticapaeum, and then the Spartocid dynasty, which turned the confederation into the Bosporan state, and Panticapaeum into a huge prosperous city (its territory grew to 100 hectares). At the end of the 2nd century BC. e. The Bosporan kingdom lost its former power and submitted to the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator. However, this did not greatly damage Panticapaeum, which now became the capital of another state. Mithridates annexed a huge territory to his kingdom - in addition to the Black Sea region, it included Asia Minor, Colchis and Greater Armenia - but began to be at enmity with Rome. The wars that began were unsuccessful for him - as a result, fleeing from Roman troops, Mithridates took refuge in his own palace in Panticapaeum and, seeing that enemy troops were approaching the city, committed suicide.