Abstract on Kuban studies on the topic: "The Kingdom of the Bosporus".
Student grade 10 "B" .
MOU SOSH No. 3
Tsymbalyuk Dm.
KRYMSK 2004 G .
P L A N
Introduction.
The rise of the kingdom.
Relations with neighboring tribes.
Greek colonies.
ruling dynasties.
Agriculture and tools.
International trade.
Religion.
The struggle between sons for the throne.
Craft and trade.
Strengthening power.
The offensive of the enemy and the war with Rome.
The conquest of the Bosporus by Rome.
The death of the Bosporus.
Conclusion.
The rise of the kingdom.
State in the Northern Black Sea region in the 5th century BC. e. - 4th century AD e. It arose in the 80s of the 5th century BC as an association of Greek colonial cities on the shores of the Kerch Strait (Fanagoria, Gorgippia, etc.) under the rule of the hereditary archons of the city of Panticapaeum (it was located on the site of modern Kerch) Archaeanactids (480-438 BC n. e.).
The expansion of the Bosporus state begins after the transfer of power to the Spartokid dynasty (until 107 BC),
then the state was captured by Mithridates VI of Pontus. During the reign of Satyr I (407-389 BC), the conquest of Theodosia was undertaken. Under Leukon I (389-349 BC), the Bosporus also managed to subdue the local Meotian tribes on the Taman side of the strait. In the IV century BC. The Bosporus state occupied the territory of the entire Kerch Peninsula, which in ancient times was a group of islands formed by the delta of the Kuban River. On this coast, the Bosporan possessions extended up to the modern city of Novorossiysk. In the northeast, the sphere of influence of the Bosporus reached the mouth of the Don, where the city of Tanais was located with a mixed Greco-Meotian population and a Scythian population. The basis of the Bosporan economy was agriculture, as well as a lively trade (primarily in bread) with the entire Hellenic world. Already in the IV century BC. Panticapaeum begins the regular issue of its coin. From the end of the 2nd century BC. e. The Bosporus state was part of the Pontic kingdom. The Kingdom of Pontus is a state in Asia Minor in 302 (or 301) - 64 BC. e. (on the southern coast of the Black Sea). It reached its peak at the end of the 2nd century under Mithridates VI, who conquered the Bosporan state and other territories. Three Mithridatic wars (89-84; 83-81; 74-64 BC) with Rome led to the subordination of the Pontic kingdom to Rome and the inclusion of the territory of the Pontic kingdom in 64 into the Roman state. At the end of the 4th century . BC, after the death of Perisad I, fierce internecine wars began in the Bosporus between his sons - Satyr, Eumel and Prytan. In bloody wars, in addition to the inhabitants of the Bosporan cities, nomadic tribes also took part. The combat area covered the entire Kuban region, and possibly the Lower Don.
Having reigned on the throne of the Bosporus, Cotius I was forced to come to terms with the presence of Roman troops in some cities. The next century and a half became a time of relative stability and calm in the Northern Black Sea region, an era of economic prosperity for the Bosporan cities, an era of their "Sarmatization". Tribal nobility and ordinary Sarmatian nomads often moved to the cities. Some of the barbarians were able to reach high positions in the Bosporan administration, for example, Neolus (who became governor in Gorgippia). At the end of the II and the first half of the III centuries. AD most city posts in Tanais and other cities were filled by non-Greeks and descendants of mixed marriages. According to this process, the cultural attachments of the Bosporan population were transformed. Even the names of the ruling dynasty have changed, among the kings there are several rulers who bore the name Sauromatus
The Bosporan state existed until the 4th century. AD and fell under the onslaught of the Huns.
Relations with neighboring tribes. Close ties with the Bosporus kingdom were not only among the Sarmatians, but also among the Meotian tribes of the Sinds who inhabited Sindica. The lands of the river basin were called Sindica. The Kuban and part of the Northern Black Sea region, and the later Bosporan Gorgippia arose on the site of the Sindian settlement - Sindskaya Harbor (modern Anapa). Part of the Sind tribes were later subordinated to the Bosporus. However, a number of historians, based on the coins found with the ethnonym "Sindon", as well as excavations of the Seven-brother mounds and settlements in the lower reaches of the Kuban (Semibratnee, Krasnobatareinoe and Raevskoe), believe that the Sind tribes under the influence of the Bosporus arose their own state, headed by kings, whose residence and there was a settlement of the Seven. Other historians believe that the "kings" of the Sinds were simply tribal leaders, and coins with the inscription "Sindon" were minted in the Bosporan Gorgippia.
Greek colonies. Of great importance in the history of the tribes that inhabited Crimea in antiquity was Greek colonization, during which Hellenic cities and villages appeared on the coast of the Black and Azov Seas. The mass colonization movement of the Greeks dates back to the 8th-6th centuries. BC, by the time they formed their state (polis). This process was accompanied by the growth of property inequality, the dispossession of many peasants and part of the aristocracy, and the socio-political struggle. Other reasons were added to these reasons: the search for sources of raw materials (especially metals, timber), missing bread, and, at the second stage of colonization (second half of the 7th-6th centuries), slave labor and markets for Greek goods. The search for a new homeland was attended primarily by landless peasants, but also artisans, merchants, and members of the tribal aristocracy who were defeated in the political struggle.
The Greeks were attracted to the Northern Black Sea region by fertile soils, rich flora and fauna, an abundance of fish, and convenient harbors. Acquaintance with the local population, apparently, took place long before the start of colonization, thanks to accidental, sometimes pirate expeditions of Hellenic seafaring merchants. Actually, the colonies (apoikias) appeared here later than in other regions of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea region - the result of remoteness, the relative severity of the climate, and the hostility of part of the local population. The leading role in the colonization was played by the Asia Minor city of Miletus. In the second half of the 7th c. the first settlement in the Northern Black Sea region was founded on about. Berezan, at the turn of the 7th-6th centuries. - Olvia (village Parutino) and Panticapaeum (Kerch). In the VI century. - Theodosius, Nymphaeum, Mirmekiy, Tiritaka, Kimmerik in Eastern Crimea; Phanagoria, Germonassa, Sindskaya harbor, Kepy on the Asian side of the Kerch Strait. Kerkinitida (Evpatoria) and Khersones (Sevastopol) are founded in the Southwestern Crimea. The number of settlers, it is believed, ranged from a hundred to a thousand people. The arrival of the Greeks immediately put on the agenda the question of their relationship with the local population. They developed in different ways, peacefully and hostilely, depending on specific situations and the interest of the natives in contacts with aliens. Local tribes got acquainted with a more developed ancient civilization and borrowed some of its achievements, as a result of which their society improved. These interactions gave rise to a peculiar, unique and rich world that existed in the Crimea for almost a millennium.
The most striking example of the active mutual influence of alien, ancient elements and local, barbarian ones is the largest and most powerful state in the Northern Black Sea region - the Bosporan kingdom. As a result of the resettlement of the Greeks from the western coast of Asia Minor and the islands of the Aegean Sea in a relatively short period of time in the VI century. The majority of compactly located settlements arose in the region of the Cimmerian Bosporus (Kerch Strait). The colonists are developing the surrounding fertile lands - this is evidenced by the finds of grains of cereals, household pits and clay vessels for storing grain, agricultural tools, and the spread of cults of fertility deities. Farmers received plots outside the city, on the territory of the so-called urban chora, which stretched for several (usually five to seven) kilometers. They bred domestic animals, were engaged in fishing, hunting. The remains of handicraft industries (workshops, tools, weapons, dishes, tiles, clay figurines, weaving sinkers), as well as residential, economic and cultural buildings, have also been preserved. On the one hand, they traded with the cities of the Mediterranean, especially Asia Minor and its neighboring islands (Chios, Samos, Rhodes), and by the end of the 6th century. and with Athens on the other hand, with local tribes - Scythians, Sinds, Meots. From Greece they received olive oil, wine, handicrafts, from the barbarians - products of agriculture and crafts, slaves. Very early, already from the middle of the VI century. Panticapaeum begins to mint a silver coin.
Politically, the Greek cities of the Kerch Strait were isolated and retained the polis organization brought with them by the first settlers. Forms of government in policies could be different - both democratic and oligarchic - depending on a variety of reasons. The colonial cities were closely connected with each other. The interests of the economy, but, most importantly, the difficult international situation and the threat of attack from the surrounding barbarians, especially the Scythians, led to the need for their political consolidation. Conveniently located, having a good trading harbor and therefore having reached a significant level of development, Panticapaeum, one must think, became the center around which the Greek cities of both banks of the Kerch Strait united into one state. Based on the instructions of the ancient Greek writer Diodorus Siculus, it is generally accepted that this happened around 480. At the head of the association were the archons of Panticapaeum from the Greek (Miletian) genus Archeanaktids. The office of archon became hereditary. The rule of the Archaeanactids is generally considered to have been tyrannical. According to Diodorus, after 42 years (in 438), power passed to Spartok, whose descendants were called Spartokids. The latter headed the Bosporus kingdom until the end of the 2nd century BC. BC. In Spartok, they see both a Thracian, and a representative of the Thracianized or Hellenized Sindo-Meot nobility, and a Hellene from the Ionian Iletian aristocracy. (It is also unclear whether any violent coup or the transfer of power to a new dynasty took place peacefully. The Bosporan state was in character a monarchical association, most likely a kind of hereditary tyranny, although the rulers traditionally called themselves the archons of the Bosporus, and the Greek cities they enjoyed some self-government (they had a people's assembly, council, elected positions).The agricultural aristocracy, trade and craft strata and a mercenary army, mainly consisting of barbarian contingents, became the backbone of power.
Bosporan kingdom: a brief historical outline
The Bosporan kingdom is a Greek monarchical formation of the Northern Black Sea region. The history of its origin begins with the appearance of resettlement policies that grew up in the coastal zones of the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea and Taman. These apoikias were erected by Asia Minor and Hellenes from the Aegean Sea.
Among them were democratic republics and policies with an oligarchic form of government. The rich land allowed the newly arrived Greeks to farm, raise livestock, fish and, of course, trade with the metropolis, neighboring tribes and policies. Unifying tendencies arose in the cities, which intensified under the influence of the threat of attacks by the Scythian barbarians. Panticapaeum gradually acquired the status of a metropolitan policy.
According to the ancient writer Diodorus Siculus, the Bosporan kingdom existed from 480 BC. e. It was then ruled by the Archaeanactids - immigrants from Miletus, who managed to hold tyrannical power for 42 years, passing it on by inheritance.
The Archaeanactids were replaced by the Spartokids, who headed the Bosporus kingdom almost until the 1st century BC. BC e. How Spartoc came to power, historians do not know. One can only assume that events like a coup took place. However, we can also assume that there was a voluntary transfer of power.
The first rulers of the kingdom were the archons of the Bosporus. Despite the tyrannical nature of government, the cities of the Bosporus kingdom still had some signs of autonomy. This is confirmed by information about the people's assemblies and councils existing there. In addition, positions in such policies were elective.
The next era of the Bosporus kingdom is associated with the activities of Satyr I, Levkon I and Perisad I. They increased the territory of the state (it included the mouth of the Don, the lower reaches of the Kuban and the eastern part of the Sea of Azov), conquered Theodosius, and later the Sindo-Meots and Scythians living nearby.
|
||||
Economic ties of the Bosporan kingdomThe economy of the Bosporus kingdom was based on trade. Initially, his policies cooperated with the settlements of Asia Minor and the Greek islands of the Mediterranean. Then, around the 5th c. BC e., goods began to be transported to Athens. In parallel, there was an exchange with dependent barbarian tribes. Scythians, Meots and Sinds were good suppliers of slaves, and slaves were valued in overseas markets. Hellas supplied the Bosporan Kingdom with wines, olive oil, and craftsmanship. The main commodity of the Bosporus is grain, but besides it, fish, skins, and wool were also imported from overseas. All this the Greeks received thanks to their own labor and the efforts of dependent barbarians who sold the products of agriculture and crafts. In return for these goods, the Hellenes gave the tribes items made by local artisans and things delivered by sea. The Bosporus kingdom also had trade relations with Olbia and Chersonese, with the Southern Black Sea region and Eastern Pontus. Toward the end of the VI century. BC e. in Panticapaeum they established the minting of their own money. Later, the issue of coins continued, but it is known that during the economic crisis of the III century. BC e. gold and silver have replaced low quality copper equivalents. After the reform of Levkon II, the situation stabilized. Agriculture, cattle breeding and crafts in the Bosporan kingdomIn the state, which actively exported grain crops, special attention was paid to agriculture. Agricultural districts were located around the urban centers, some farmers lived in villages-koms. A lot of cereals were grown on the Scythian sites and on the lands of the Sindo-Meots. The inhabitants of ancient settlements used the plow method and a two-field tillage system. They grew crops such as wheat, barley, vetch, lentils, and millet. The Greeks also grew legumes, alternating them with cereals. Viticulture brought tangible profit. In the Bosporan kingdom, cattle were kept, with the help of which they cultivated the land. Artisans of the Bosporan kingdom reached a high level of skill. Especially in woodworking and stonework construction. They knew how to make ships, houses, furniture, personalized tiles. Local craftsmen skilfully processed metals, many iron and bronze items made in the Greek city-states of the Bosporus have been found. Bosporan jewelry was no less striking: jewelry that was attached to clothing or harness, rings, bracelets, etc. Many such items were found in Scythian burials. In addition, the Hellenes knew how to weave, processed the skin on their own, made crafts from bones and, of course, clay products. In the pottery workshops of the Bosporus kingdom, kitchen utensils were produced, which were distributed among the Greeks and representatives of the tribes subject to them.
Bosporan Kingdom: Life, Religion and Cultural FeaturesThe entire population of the Bosporus kingdom consisted of three social groups: slaves, the top and the middle stratum (communal peasants, foreigners, people who did not have slaves). The ethnic composition of the state was quite diverse, as it included representatives of barbarian tribes. By the way, many of them managed to occupy high positions in society. The amount of arable land significantly prevailed over urban areas, therefore, among the settlements of the Bosporan kingdom, there were not only policies, but also small villages inhabited by farmers. The cities were opulent. Among them, the most majestic was Panticapaeum: its houses, temples, public buildings were richly decorated, during the construction of the structures located there, the latest technologies for that time were used, and artificial terraces were made. The phenomenon of the Bosporan culture is an artistic craft. There are many scenes from the life of the Scythians on the items made in ancient policies. Probably, things were made to order, and in the Bosporan kingdom there was a whole school of masters who were engaged in this kind of painting. The high level of culture of the Bosporans is evidenced by the developed poetry and theatrical art that they have, which was not inferior to the real Greek. Poems were told to the music and even organized a kind of competition in which the best reciter won. In the Bosporus kingdom they loved lyrics and dances, just like in the Mediterranean cities. With the penetration of the Sarmatians, elements of the traditions of the nomadic Iranian-speaking people began to be traced there. The inhabitants of the Bosporan state revered the gods of fertility. Their deities were of Greek and Eastern origin. Among them are Aphrodite, Apollo, Astarte, Kiberu, Koru, Zeus, etc. In their honor, the Greeks built temples, made sculptures and figurines. To date, two religious complexes of ancient times have been opened: the Nymphaeum sanctuary of Demeter and Apatur in Taman. Thus, the Bosporus kingdom arose in the 5th century. BC e. and lasted until the last decades of the 4th century. n. e. It's eight hundred years old. It was founded by the Archaeanactids, but after some 42 years they were replaced by the Spartocids, who ruled until the 1st century BC. BC e. Satyr I, like his followers, including Perisad I, managed to expand the territories of the monarchy. From the end of the 4th century BC e. barbarians occupied an important place in the life of the kingdom. It all ended with the fact that in the II century BC. e. Hellenes paid tribute to them. At the end of the II century. BC e. The campaigns of Diophantus took place and the Bosporan kingdom became part of the Pontic state. It is known that this stage in the history of the monarchy was marked by an economic crisis. Almost all the money that could go to the development of cities was given to fight against Rome. In the middle of the 1st c. n. e. everything changed: the former enemy of the Bosporan state became its ally, although he could not protect the Bosporans from the devastating raids of the Huns. Despite the efforts of enemies, the economy and culture developed in this state. At the best of times, the living conditions of the Bosporan citizens resembled those of Rome. INLIGHT | ||||
The polis period in the history of the Bosporan cities did not last long. Already in 480 BC. e. cities located on the shores of the Bosporus Strait united into one state. It is believed that this association was caused by the threat from the Scythians. The rulers of the new state were mysterious, as they believe - representatives of a noble family, in which power was inherited. The capital of the Archaeanactids was Panticapaeum, the largest city of the European Bosporus. A huge temple of the god Apollo was built on its acropolis, which became the religious center of the Bosporus kingdom.
In 438-437 years. BC e. (In many ancient states, including the Kingdom of Bosporus, the calendar year began in autumn. Thus, the beginning of the year in the Bosporus era corresponded to one year of our (Gregorian) calendar, and the end to the next.) A coup d'état took place in the Bosporus, as a result of which Archaeanactids were overthrown by a certain who became the founder of a new dynasty. The descendants of Spartoc ruled the Bosporus for more than 300 years. The Spartokid dynasty headed for the centralization of power, the unification within the framework of the Bosporus kingdom of all Greek cities located along the shores of the strait, and the surrounding lands inhabited by barbarians.
In full accordance with this doctrine, the son of Spartoc (433/32 - 393/92 BC) acted. At that time, two cities located in the European part of the Bosporus retained their independence. These cities were Nymphaeum and Theodosius. Nymphaeum entered into an alliance with Athens - the largest and most powerful center of mainland Greece. The military conflict with Athens was not part of Satyr's plans, so he decided to resort to tricks. The interests of Athens in Nymphaeum were then represented by a certain Gilon. For a large bribe, he handed over the city to Satyr and, for obvious reasons, not risking returning to Athens, he remained to live in the Bosporus. Probably, not without the help of his royal patron, Gilon managed to marry a Scythian of a noble family who had influence in the Bosporus.
Gilon's grandson was the famous Greek orator Demosthenes, who, by the way, lived in Athens. Demosthenes liked to make patriotic speeches in the national assembly, so he had to endure many unpleasant moments when an ugly story involving his grandfather came out ...
Despite the incident with Nymphaeum, Satyr managed to establish ties with Athens. The largest city in Greece felt the need for bread, which was grown in abundance in the Bosporus, and the Bosporans willingly bought the products of Athenian artisans. In order to stimulate trade, Satyrus bestowed significant benefits on Athenian merchants. By the way, perhaps due to this very circumstance, Gilon's betrayal was consigned to oblivion.
Following Nymphaeum, Theodosia, a city of great strategic and economic importance, was annexed. There was a large harbor capable of receiving a hundred ships. With the annexation of Theodosius, the Bosporan rulers got the opportunity to control the territory of the eastern Crimea. Theodosian merchants successfully competed with the Bosporan ones. Thus, Satyr had plenty of reasons to start a war with Theodosia, but he had to work hard to solve this problem.
Even before the start of military clashes, some tension arose in relations between states. So, the Theodosians hosted fugitives from the Bosporus - obviously these were people dissatisfied with the policy of Satyr. The Bosporan ruler did not find anything better than to start a war on two fronts at once - both against Theodosius and against the Sinds who lived on the Black Sea coast of the northern Caucasus. The Sinds stubbornly resisted, the Theodosians also did not think to give up and even found themselves a strong ally - Heraclea Pontus. The siege of Theodosia undertaken by Satyr did not bring the expected result. The ships of the Herakleotes supplied the Theodosians with food and landed troops, which hampered the actions of the Bosporan troops.
The Bosporan ruler died under the walls of Theodosius, and the problems facing the state had to be resolved by his son and heir (393/92 - 353 BC).
Levkon quickly defeated Theodosius, taking in allies or simply recruiting units of the Scythians. During the decisive battle, the barbarians took up a position behind the Bosporan army and began to shoot with bows those who tried to retreat. Theodosius capitulated and was annexed to the Bosporan kingdom. It is interesting that Levkoi and his descendants were afraid to accept the royal title hated by all Greeks. Despite the fact that the Spartokids were essentially monarchs, they bore the title of "archons of the Bosporus and Theodosius" (in Greek policies, "archons" were called elected officials who exercised executive power). But in relation to the dependent barbarian peoples, the Spartocids bluntly called themselves "kings."
Levkon significantly expanded the eastern borders of the Bosporan kingdom. Finally, Sindika was annexed, and the tribes of the Torets, Dandaris and Psesses fell under the authority of the king. Grain trade with Athens reached unprecedented proportions. The income received from trading operations was so great that Levkoi could afford to cancel export duties on grain. This measure further strengthened the ties between the Bosporus and Athens.
The policy of Leukon I was continued by his sons (353-348 BC) and (348-310 BC). They confirmed the benefits granted to Athenian merchants by their father. In gratitude for this, the Athenians adopted a special decree in honor of the Bosporan rulers, awarded them with golden wreaths and erected a bronze statue of Perisades in their city. Perisad also managed to subdue the tribes of Fatei and Doskhs, who lived near the eastern borders of his kingdom. Now the territory of the Bosporus in the east reached the river. Gipanis (Kuban), and in the southeast - approximately to the place where the city of Novorossiysk is now located.
The heyday of the Bosporus kingdom ended at the end of the 4th century. BC e., when there was a bloody internecine conflict. Perisad I had three sons: , and Pritan. After the death of his father in 310 BC. e. power passed to the eldest - Satyr II. Eumel did not recognize the supremacy of his brother, retired to the Asian part of the Bosporus and entered into an alliance with the ruler of the Sirak tribe, Arifarn. Satyr did not enter into negotiations with Eumel and decided to suppress the rebellion by force. He managed to enlist the support of the Scythians, who formed the basis of his army. In the battle on the river Fat Satir utterly defeated the army of his brother. Eumelus was forced to flee to a remote fortress, which was soon besieged by the troops of Satyr. The situation, which seemed critical to Eumel, suddenly changed. Satyr tried to organize an assault on the fortress, but was wounded and soon died. The third brother, Prytanus, tried to oppose Eumelus, but he, apparently, was not experienced in military affairs. In any case, the battle between the brothers ended with the victory of Eumelus, Prytan fled. After some time, he was overtaken by assassins sent by Eumel.
Having seized power, Eumel quickly crushed the resistance of the discontented. Friends and relatives of Satyr and Prytan were killed, and the inhabitants of the capital received various benefits. Then he defeated the pirates, who caused a lot of trouble to the Greek merchants. Eumel patronized the cities of the Southern and Western Black Sea coast and even hatched a project to unite all the lands surrounding Pontus under his rule. Death ruined these plans. Once, when Eumel was riding in a chariot harnessed by four, the horses carried. The king tried to jump out, but his sword caught on the wheel. Eumel died in 304/303 BC. e.
The Bosporan throne passed to his son (304/303 - 284/283 BC). He was the first ruler who was not afraid to call himself the king of the Bosporan cities. At this time, the economic situation of the Bosporus begins to deteriorate. Athens, the main importer of bread coming from the Bosporus, is gradually falling into decline. It is to the reign of Spartok III that the latest information about the supply of Bosporan grain to Athens belongs. Bosporan merchants were forced to reorient themselves to trade in livestock, fish and slaves. Probably, the needs of trade prompted Spartok III to organize an expedition to the mouth of the Don. The city of Tanais was founded here, which became the center of exchange with the tribes that lived in the Don and Azov regions.
After Spartok III, he inherited the throne, who ruled for more than 30 years. During his reign, the crisis in the economy continued. The coin is gradually depreciating - instead of gold and silver money, the state was forced to mint copper. Perisades tried to find a way out of the crisis by agreeing on joint actions in the international bread market with the king of Egypt, Ptolemy. At this time, Egypt became the biggest competitor of the Bosporus in the grain trade. An exchange of embassies took place between the states, but its results remain unclear.
From the political history of the Bosporan kingdom in the second half of the 3rd - 2nd centuries. BC e. only a few episodes are known. At that time, power in the Bosporus remained in the hands of the Spartokid dynasty, but we know most of the kings only insofar as their names were put on coins. The king in the second half of the 3rd century again fought with Theodosius. Probably, the city tried to achieve independence, taking advantage of the weakness of the ruling dynasty. On the side of the Theodosians, the inhabitants of Heraclea Pontus again spoke out. The hardships of the war caused dissatisfaction among the subjects of Levkon: conspiracies were made against him, the troops refused to obey the king. The pressure of the Scythians on the Bosporus is increasing. The Spartocids were forced to pay tribute to the barbarians and enter into dynastic marriages with them.
By the end of the II century. BC e. the Bosporan kings could no longer cope with the Scythian danger on their own. Therefore, when the famous commander Diophantus appeared in Panticapaeum and offered the king to abdicate in favor of the ruler of the Pontic state, Perisad could only agree. The news of the abdication of the king caused an uprising of the Scythians who lived in the Bosporus. A conspiracy was drawn up, as a result of which Perisades was killed, and Diophantus fled to Chersonese. About a year later, he returned with a large army, defeated the rebels and captured their leader, Savmak. The Bosporus lost its political independence and became part of the power of Mithridates VI Eupator.
The goal of Mithridates' policy was to create a powerful state that could challenge Rome. To do this, he, in particular, tried to enlist the support of the inhabitants of the Greek, including the Bosporan cities. Many of them were granted self-government and the right to mint their own coins. To encourage trade, Mithridates reduced existing taxes and cleared the sea of pirates. The Pontic king repeatedly tried to fight with Rome, but failed each time. The first war was in 89 - 85 years. BC e. Although the main battles between the opposing sides in this and subsequent wars took place on the territory of Asia Minor, the Romans perfectly understood the significance of the Bosporus, which was a source of manpower and food for Mithridates. They developed a tactic to fight Mithridates, deciding to arouse the discontent of the Bosporan cities and thus deliver a blow to the Pontic king from the rear. To this end, the Romans brought their fleet into the Black Sea and began a blockade of the Bosporus, as a result of which the Bosporan merchants suffered huge losses. The unsuccessful actions of Mithridates in Asia against the Roman troops forced him to increase state taxes and continuously replenish his army at the expense of the inhabitants of Greek cities. The decline in trade and exorbitant requisitions caused quite understandable discontent among the inhabitants of the Bosporus. In 86 BC. e. they seceded from the power of Mithridates. Soon the Pontic king made peace with Rome and began to restore order in his own state. The second war with Rome (83-81 BC) prevented the Bosporus from being brought into submission. Only in 80 or 79 BC. e. Mithridates again established himself on the shores of the Kerch Strait. Understanding the important strategic importance of these territories, he gives them to his son Mahar to manage.
In 74 BC. e. the last, third war begins between the ruler of Pontus and the Roman state. Soon the Romans managed to win a number of important victories. They captured the major trading cities on the southern coast of the Black Sea, thus depriving the fleet of Mithridates of the main bases and again endangering Bosporan trade. The Pontic king was at that time in Asia Minor. In order to strike him from the rear, the Romans entered into negotiations with Machar and persuaded him to treason. Mahara was supported by the Bosporus and Chersonese, who understood perfectly well that the continuation of hostilities would lead to the final cessation of trade operations in the Black Sea basin. In 70 BC. e. Mahar openly went over to the side of his father's opponents, but Mithridates was not broken and continued the war.
In 65 BC. e. Mithridates was defeated in the fight against the Roman general Pompey and lost all his possessions in Asia Minor. The Pontic king with the remnants of his loyal armies fled to the Bosporus, killed Mahar and again subjugated the local inhabitants to his power. Realizing the unreliability of his position and hoping to continue the fight against Rome, Mithridates tried to enlist the support of the barbarians who lived in the neighborhood. To this end, he married several Scythian "princesses". In response, Pompeii established a naval blockade of the Bosporus, announcing that the owners and captains of the ships who tried to reach the possessions of Mithridates would be executed without delay. The prospect of the continuation of senseless hostilities, the decline of trade, excessive extortions, abuses of the administration of Mithridates forced the Bosporans to do as Pompey expected. Phanagoria, the largest city on the Asian coast of the Bosporus, was the first to revolt. Chersonese, Theodosius and Nymphaeum followed his example. Mithridates' son Pharnaces decided to negotiate with Rome and entered into negotiations with Pompey, while inciting Mithridates' army to rise up against the king. Pharnaces' intrigues led the soldiers to rebel and proclaim him king. Betrayed by his children, friends and army, Mithridates committed suicide on the acropolis of Panticapaeum in 63 BC. e.
The Bosporus fell into the hands of Pharnaces, who soon managed to conclude a profitable treaty with Rome. Chersonese and almost the entire territory of the Bosporus kingdom went into the possession of Farnak, with the exception of Phanagoria, which, at the insistence of the Romans, was granted autonomy because its inhabitants were the first to rebel against Mithridates. For merits in the struggle against his father, Farnak received the title of "friend and ally of the Romans."
Having established himself in the Bosporus, Farnak began to think about restoring his father's power. A convenient moment soon arrived - in Rome, a civil war broke out between the winner of Mithridates Eupator, Pompey, and another illustrious commander - Julius Caesar. Meanwhile, Farnak captured and destroyed Phanagoria, at the head of a large army passed through the Caucasus and invaded Asia Minor. By the autumn of 48 BC. e. in the hands of Farnak were almost all the possessions that once belonged to his father, but at that time a certain Asander, left in the Bosporus by the governor, unexpectedly rebelled.
Meanwhile, the civil war in Rome ended in victory for Caesar. He went to Asia Minor and in August 47 BC. e. utterly defeated Pharnaces at the Battle of Zela. Farnak fled, gathered an army of Scythians and Sarmatians, captured Ponticapaeum and Theodosia, but died suddenly, and Asander remained in the hands of the Bosporus. This state of affairs did not suit Julius Caesar, who wanted to see one of his friends at the head of the Bosporus kingdom. The choice fell on the illegitimate son of Mithridates VI Eupator, also Mithridates, the ruler of the state of Pergamum in Asia. However, the uprisings that soon began in other possessions of Rome prevented Caesar from providing real help to his protege. Mithridates of Pergamon tried to capture the Bosporus on his own, but soon died in the fight against Asander.
Asander turned out to be an outstanding ruler. To strengthen his power, he married Dinamy, the daughter of Mithridates VI Eupator and the sister of Mithridates of Pergamon, and soon got the Romans to recognize their rights to the Bosporus. He fortified the western borders of his possessions by building a powerful defensive rampart there. Unstable situation in the Black Sea basin in the middle of the 1st c. BC e. contributed to the flourishing of piracy, causing significant losses to the Bosporan trade. Asander managed to destroy the pirates, in honor of which a series of coins was issued with the image of the goddess of victory, Nike, standing on the bow of the ship.
In 20 BC. e. Asander died; power passed to Dynamia. Shortly thereafter, a troubled time began in the Bosporus. A fierce struggle for power begins, in which adventurers of all stripes participated. Rome played a significant role in the strife, the rulers of which did not abandon their attempts to establish one of their proteges on the throne of the Bosporan kingdom.
The first pretender to the throne was Scribonius, who pretended to be the grandson of Mithridates VI Eupator, and claimed that the Roman Emperor Augustus had instructed him to manage the Bosporus. Perhaps the rebellion of Scribonius began during the life of Asander. The adventurer managed to seize power and marry Dynamia, but this situation did not suit Augustus, who wanted to see a man loyal to himself as the king of the Bosporus. The Romans offered the Bosporus throne to the king of Pontus, Polemon I. The inhabitants of Panticapaeum, who did not want to quarrel with Rome, killed Scribonius, but refused to recognize Polemon as king and began to put up all sorts of obstacles to him. In response, Polemon started a war, defeated the Bosporans in battle, and the Romans announced the start of preparations for a campaign against the Bosporus. As a result, the Bosporans had no choice but to recognize the authority of Polemon. The latter, by decision of Augustus, married Dynamia. This happened in 14 BC. e.
The course of further events is very poorly covered in the sources. It is known that a few years later Polemon married a relative of the emperor Augustus - therefore, by that time Dynamia had already died. Resistance to Polemon continued. Trying to suppress it, the king destroyed several fortresses, including Tanais. Then Polemon got involved in a fight with the Aspurgian tribe living on the Asian side of the Bosporus, and in 8 BC. e. died. There are different opinions in science about who became his heir.
In 14 AD e. the ruler of the Bosporus turns out to be Aspurg, who may have been somehow connected with the Aspurgians. It is believed that he came from a noble Sarmatian family. It is possible that he was the son of Asander and Dynamia. In 15, Aspurgus traveled to Rome and persuaded the new emperor, Tiberius, to grant him the title of king. In honor of this event, one of the sons of Aspurgus was named Tiberius Julius Cotys. Subsequently, the name Tiberius Julius became dynastic for the Bosporan kings - the descendants of Aspurg. Aspurgus managed to defeat the Scythians and Taurians and, thereby, secure the borders of his state from the barbarian threat. The merits of Aspurga before the state were so great that he was deified during his lifetime. A corresponding temple was built in Panticapaeum.
After the death of Aspurgus in 37/38, power passed to his wife Hypepyria. This probably happened because the heir to the throne, Mithridates, was still a very young man. Soon another turmoil begins - the Roman emperor Caligula supported the claims to the Bosporan throne of Polemon, probably the son of that Polemon, who was the Bosporan king for some time, and then died in battle with the Aspurgians. Polemon, however, did not even manage to visit the Bosporus. Hyperpyria, and then Mithridates II, firmly held power in their hands, and Caligula for some reason forgot to provide real help to his protege and soon died. The new emperor, Claudius, kept the Bosporus for Mithridates, giving Polemon a small area in Asia Minor to manage.
During this conflict, Kotis, the brother of Mithridates, went to Rome. Probably, his task was to convince Emperor Claudius of the loyalty of the Bosporan king. Cotys, however, wanted to be king himself. He told Claudius that his brother was allegedly hatching ambitious plans and preparing for war against Rome. As a result, Claudius declared Mithridates deposed, named Kotis king and sent him to the Bosporus, accompanied by a large army. Mithridates managed to win over to his side a coalition of barbarian tribes that lived on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The Romans defeated the army of Mithridates, and he had to flee to the allies. Kotis took the throne, and the Roman troops, considering the task completed, left the Bosporus. After some time, deciding that the situation favored him, Mithridates again spoke out against Kotis. At this stage of the war, the Sarmatians fought on the side of both brothers. In the end, Cotys won the victory, captured Mithridates and sent him to Rome.
Mithridates lived for a long time in the "eternal city" in the position of a private person, then got involved in political intrigues and was executed for participating in a conspiracy against the emperor. The war for the Bosporan throne ended in 49. After it ended, the Roman soldiers sailed home. Somewhere, probably near the southern coast of Crimea, the ships got into a storm; many of them were thrown ashore and became the prey of the Tauri.
On the history of the Bosporan kingdom in the second half of the 1st - the middle of the 3rd century. very little information has survived. Power remained in the hands of the dynasty, whose representatives bore the name of Tiberius Juliev. The years of the reign of kings are usually determined by the dates on the coins they minted. Despite the fact that the rulers of the Bosporus bore magnificent titles and were often deified, they had to obey the interests of Rome in everything. A cult of Roman emperors was established, the highest priests of which were the kings themselves. Portraits of emperors were minted on Bosporan coins. The rulers of the Bosporus in official documents were called "friends of Caesar and the Romans." There is an assumption that detachments of Roman troops were constantly on the Bosporus. At any moment, the Bosporus king could be summoned to the empire to give explanations on issues of interest to the Roman administration.
The rulers of the Bosporus carried out state administration based on an extensive bureaucratic apparatus. At the court, there were positions of manager, secretary of the king, bed keeper, equestrian, treasurer and others. Governors were appointed to cities and dependent barbarian tribes. Elected officials also functioned in some cities. The position of the governor of the European part of the Bosporus was very important. The army was led by military leaders of various ranks, the fleet - by navarchs. A special role in the life of the Bosporus was played by religious unions (fias), who were engaged in the education of young people, held meetings at which various issues were resolved, and simply helped their members.
The Bosporan kings periodically had to conflict with the Scythians. Tiberius Julius Sauromates I (93/94 - 123/124) fought with them twice, and both times successfully. Perhaps it was in gratitude for these victories that Sauromatus was deified. Tiberius Julius Sauromates II (174/175 - 210/211) made a campaign deep into the Crimean peninsula, defeated the Late Scythian kingdom and took possession of its territory. It is possible that Roman troops participated in this war on the side of the Bosporans. Sauromates II also managed to defeat the Sarmatian tribe of Siraki and inflict serious damage on the pirates who attacked the ships of the Bosporan merchants. His son, Tiberius Julius Reskuporides II (211/212 - 228/229), called himself "the king of the entire Bosporus and the Taurus-Scythians."
In the middle of the III century. ready tribes appear on the Bosporus. They managed to destabilize the situation in the state, capture several cities and even overthrow the ruling dynasty. The invasion of the Goths was the beginning of the end of the Bosporan kingdom.
I.N.Khrapunov, N.I.Khrapunov
The Bosporan kingdom arose in the 5th century BC. e. as a result of the unification of the Greek city-colonies (Fanagoria, Gorgippia, Kepa, Patus, etc.) under the rule of the hereditary Archaeanactids (480-438 BC) of the Bosporus, with the capital in Panticapaeum (Kerch). The greatest expansion of the Bosporus kingdom took place during the reign of the Spartakid dynasty, which arose from the first archon of the Bosporus, Spartok I, (438 BC-433 BC)
During the reign of the archon Bosporus Satyr I (407-389 BC), the lands of the southeastern coast of Crimea, the cities of Nymphea, Heraclea, Theodosius, were annexed to the Bosporan kingdom. The Spartocids began to call themselves "archons of the Bosporus and Theodosius" from 349 BC ....
During the reign Bosporan king Leukon I (389 -349 BC) The Bosporus managed to subdue the local tribes living on the coast of Miotida (Sea of Azov) and on the shores of the Taman Peninsula. King Leukon I, became known as Basileus of all Sinds and Meots, Archon of the Bosporus and Theodosius.
Sarmatians and Sinds lived along the banks of Myotida. Sindika, that is, the land of the Sinds, was the name given to the lands of the Kuban River basin and part of the Northern Black Sea region. The name of the Kuban River comes from the ancient Greek word "Gopanis" (Gipanis) - "horse river", "violent river". 
During the heyday of the Bosporus kingdom in the Sind harbor, on the site of the Sind settlement, the Bosporan city of Gorgippia arose. Now it is a beautiful Black Sea resort of Anapa. Rest in Anapa is interesting because you can visit a unique open-air museum - the ancient city of Gorgippia. Many historians believe that the kings of the Sinds were only tribal leaders, and coins with the inscription "Sindon" were minted in the Bosporan Gorgippia. 
Based on the archaeological excavations of burial mounds in the villages of Semibratnoe, Krasnobatareinoe and Raevskoe, a number of historians believe that the Sindh tribes, under the influence of the Bosporan state, had their own state in the lower reaches of the Kuban. The residence of the Sindh kings was an ancient Sindish settlement discovered by archaeologists in Semibratny and rich royal mounds, in which coins with the ethnonym "Sindon" were found. 
In the IV century BC. the lands of the Bosporan kingdom occupied the territory of the entire Kerch Peninsula, the Taman Peninsula, the southern lands of the present Krasnodar Territory to the Kuban River, as well as lands along the coast of the Caucasus up to the modern city of Novorossiysk. In the north-east of the Bosporus kingdom was the Greek-Scythian city of Tanais, located at the mouth of the Tanais River (Don River). The basis of the economy of the Bosporus kingdom was agriculture, on the vast fields of the Bosporus state grain crops (wheat, rye, barley) grew well, which were the main commodity of the lively trade with Greece and the Mediterranean countries. The influence of the Bosporan culture on the Hellenic world increased. 
Having grown rich on successful trade, in the 4th century BC. Panticapaeum begins to mint its coin. The most expensive coin of Panticapaeum.
From the end of the 2nd century BC. e. The Bosporus state joined the Pontic kingdom, which occupied in 302-64. BC. vast territories on the southern coast of the Black Sea in Asia Minor.
The heyday of the power of the Bosporus state is associated with the name of the Pontic king Mithridates VI, who ruled in 121 - 63 BC. e. 
Believing in his power and the invincibility of his army, Mithridates IV Eupator began to fight with the Roman Empire. As a result of the three Mithridatic Wars with Rome (89-84; 83-81; 74-64 BC), the Bosporan and Pontic kingdoms were incorporated into the Roman Empire and became Eastern Roman provinces in 64 BC .
At the end of the IV century. BC, in the Bosporus kingdom, fierce internecine wars began between his sons Perisad I. In bloody wars in the struggle for the royal throne, the princes Satyr, Eumel and Prytan involved the inhabitants of the Bosporan cities and nomadic tribes. The combat area covered the entire Kuban region, and possibly the Lower Don.
Basileus (king) of all Sinds and Meots from 310 BC. e.-304 BC e. became Eumel, son of Perisad I, archon of Bosporus and Theodosius,
Having reigned on the throne of the Bosporus, he was forced to come to terms with the presence of Roman troops in some cities. The next one and a half centuries became a time of relative stability and calm in the Northern Black Sea region, an era of economic prosperity for the Bosporan cities, an era of their gradual settlement by Sarmatians. Know the Sarmatians and ordinary nomadic Sarmatians began to settle in the Bosporan cities. Some of the Sarmatians were able to reach high positions in the Bosporus administration, for example, Neol, who became governor in Gorgippia.
At the end of the II and the first half of the III centuries. AD most of the city posts in Tanais were held by non-Greeks or descendants of Greeks from mixed marriages. The names of the ruling dynasties of the Bosporus have changed, among the Bosporan kings there are rulers who bore the name Savromat (Sarmatian)
Bosporan kingdom(or Bosporus, Vosporsky kingdom (N. M. Karamzin), Vosporsky tyranny) - an ancient state in the Northern Black Sea region on the Cimmerian Bosporus ( Kerch Strait). Capital - Panticapaeum. Formed about 480 BC e. as a result of the unification of Greek cities on Kerch And Tamansky peninsulas, as well as occurrences Syndics. Later expanded along the eastern coast of Meotida (Meotida swamp, Meotida lake, modern Sea of Azov) to the mouth of the Tanais ( Don). From the end 2nd century BC e. as part of Kingdom of Pontus. From the end of the 1st century BC e. post-Hellenistic state dependent on Rome. Became part of Byzantium in the 1st half. 6th century Known from Greco-Roman historians.
chronology. On the Bosporan coins you can see the dates of the special Bosporus system of chronology [ source not specified 144 days ] , according to which the reference point of the so-called Bosporan era was 297/6 BC e. - this time coincides with the reign of the sons of Eumelus. But the events that caused the introduction of a new system of chronology were hardly connected with the Bosporus itself. They, like the system itself (which, therefore, we can only conditionally call Bosporan) were, apparently, a reflection of the innovations of the Pontic kingdom.
In the Bosporus, the system was introduced, probably Mithridates VI Eupator, in which the Bosporus became part of Kingdom of Pontus (Pontus). Thus, this (rather, Pontic) era of the chronology was created, in turn, on the model of the era of the Seleucid state neighboring Pontus, but the date 15 years later was taken as the starting point in Pontus (and, thus, on the Bosporus): Seleucids considered the first year - 312 BC. e. (By Bickerman).
Such borrowing probably reflects the intensity of the ties between the Seleucids and the Pontic kingdom for the 4th-3rd centuries. BC e., an indirect result of which, thus, was subsequently the introduction of its own system of chronology in the Bosporus.
After the middle 7th century BC on the north coast Black Sea appear Greek immigrants, and by the beginning of the second quarter 6th century BC e. develop a significant part of the coast, with the exception of the southern coast of Crimea.
The first colony in the area was founded in the second half 7th century BC, Taganrog settlement, located in the area of modern Taganrog.
More likely, colonies based as apoikias- independent policies(free civil collectives). Greek colonies were founded in the area Bosporus Cimmerian (Kerch Strait), where there was no permanent local population. There was a permanent population in Crimean mountains where the tribes lived taurus, in the steppes periodically roamed Scythians, around the river Kuban lived semi-nomadic meots and farmers sindi. At first, the colonies did not experience pressure from barbarians, their population was very small, and there were no defensive walls near the settlements. About the middle 6th century BC e. fires were recorded at some small monuments, including Myrmekia, Porphmia And Torike, after which small fortified acropolises appear on the first two of them. Conveniently located, having a good trading harbor and therefore having reached a significant level of development, Panticapaeum, one must think, became the center around which the Greek cities of both banks of the Kerch Strait united in an interpolis union. At present, an opinion has appeared that initially he managed to unite around him only nearby small towns, and on the other side of the strait, the center was founded in the 3rd quarter. 6th century BC e. Phanagoria. Around 510 BC e. a temple was built in Panticapaeum Apollo Ionic order. 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 the political one, how it was organized, who was a member of it, is unknown. There is a hypothesis linking the issue of these coins with Phanagoria.
According to the ancient historian Diodorus Siculus, near 480 BC e., in Panticapaeum a dynasty came to power Archaeanactids, apparently led by a certain Archeanact. The nature of her reign is not entirely clear. It used to be that she could lead a broad defensive alliance. policies - symmachy, which included all the cities on both banks Kerch Strait, including Feodosia. Now scientists are inclined to believe that the power of the Archaeanactids was tyrannical. The association was headed by the tyrants of Panticapaeum from the Greek, most likely Milesian family. Archaeanactids. The union included such cities and settlements as Mirmekiy, porfmy And Tiritaka. The entry into it of other Greek settlements on the Taman and Kerch peninsulas is questionable.
IN 438 BC e. power in Panticapaeum passed to Spartocus, the founder of the dynasty Spartokids, which ruled the Bosporus until 108 BC. e. Judging by the name, the founder of the dynasty did not come from a Greek background. Most likely, the origins of his pedigree should be sought in the territory Thrace. A close relationship with the barbarian tribes can be traced during the entire reign of the dynasty. Spartokids.
After the short reign of Spartocus, and, possibly, the usurpation of power by a certain Seleucus (perhaps his name arose as a result of damage to the text Diodorus Siculus), King Satyr I (433-389 BC) came to power, vigorously undertaking to increase the territory of his state.
His work was continued Levkon I and Perisad I (348-311 BC) - rulers of the 4th century BC. e., whose names are associated with the period of the highest prosperity of the Bosporus.
The expansion of the possessions of the Spartocids began, apparently, with the accession of Nymphaeum, according to some sources, who was part of Athenian Maritime Union. There was a representative in the city Athens, which, according to the speaker Aeschines name was Gelon. According to Aeschines, the latter transferred power over the city to the Bosporan tyrants, and he himself received for this the town Caps. The latter may indirectly indicate that the Taman Peninsula at that time was already part of the Bosporan state. However, given that the purpose Aeschines was to defame his political opponent Demosthenes, the data here may not be too accurate. In any case, Nymphaeum entered the state without a fight.
More dramatic was the struggle for Feodosia, whose metropolis, like Panticapaeum, was Miletus. Feodosiya large port was relatively far from the main centers of the state and enjoyed the support Heraclea Pontica- cities on the southern coast of the Black Sea. The Bosporus army was defeated, in no small measure - because of the military tricks used by the Heracleian strategist. As a result, the Heracleian troops landed troops directly on the territory of the Bosporan kingdom. Judging by the huge imports of amphoras with wine from Heraclea Pontica in the first half of the 4th c. BC E., relations normalized rather quickly. Apparently, in the mid-80s of the IV century. BC e. Theodosius was forced to submit, and the Spartokids began to call themselves "archons of the Bosporus and Theodosius." The victory over Feodosia meant the annexation of the territory of the entire Kerch Peninsula. Then the Spartokids turned their eyes to the eastern coast of the Kerch Strait. Immediately after the victorious Theodosian campaign, Levkon, having defeated Oktamasad, the son of the Sindian king Hekatey, with a swift throw from under Theodosius, became the owner in the second half of the 80s. 4th century BC e. new lands with a Sindh population and Phanagoria. The result of all these conquests was the acquisition by the Spartokids of new ports and a trade monopoly, vast fertile lands and the right to export grain. The personification of the power of the state, its political maturity and international recognition has become emergence of royal cult associated with the name of Perisad I.
After the death of Perisades, a struggle broke out between his sons Satyr, Prytanus and Eumelus. She demonstrated, on the one hand, a violation of the Spartokid tradition of succession to the throne, which consisted in the participation of two eldest sons in government, first together with their father, and after his death in the co-ruleship of two brothers until the death of one of them, on the other hand, the need for the Bosporan dynasts in their policy to take into account the situation prevailing in the tribal world of North Pontus and Sea of Azov. Eumel, the youngest of the brothers, claiming the throne, opposed the two elders. Hostilities flared up, probably in the Kuban region. In the army of Satir, and after his death - Prytan, in addition to mercenaries, allies - the Scythians - were an important force. Eumel relied on the numerically superior army of the local tribe fateev who lived in the Asian Bosporus. The victorious Eumel brutally dealt with the enemy. During his short reign (309- 304 gg. BC BC) he fought against piracy and maintained friendly relations with the Black Sea Greek cities. The special attention of the Bosporan kings to Pontic affairs was by no means accidental. It corresponded to the changed situation in this region in connection with the beginning of the movements of the Scythians and those pushing them from the east Sarmatians.
But ties with Athens were not interrupted: for a grain gift of 77 thousand liters, the Athenians twice sent an embassy to the Bosporus with gratitude. Sources testify to the political ties of the Spartokids with Athens, Delphi, Delos, Miletus, Egypt. Closer contacts have been made with Southern Pontus.
The last of the Spartokids - Perisad V- was forced to abdicate. IN 108 BC e. he gave power to the ruler Kingdom of Pontus(South-Eastern Black Sea region - the eastern part of the modern Turkey) Mithridates VI Eupator, who then owned vast territories and became a dangerous enemy of Rome itself.
On its European side, an uprising broke out led by Savmaka(Greek Saumakos). Panticapaeum and Theodosia were captured. Savmak killed Perisad, and the commander sent by Mithridates Diophantus fled. A year later, Diophantus returned the Bosporus. He had at his disposal a land army and a fleet, with the help of which he captured both Panticapaeum and Theodosia. The perpetrators of the uprising were punished, Savmak was sent to Mithridates and, apparently, executed. Destruction in the cities and settlements of the European Bosporus, dated to the end of the 2nd century BC. BC e., usually associated with these events.
In the 80s. BC e. the Bosporans seceded from Mithridates, but were pacified by him, and the king transferred control over the Bosporus to his son Mahar. But he betrayed his father's cause and took the side of Rome. In the 60s. BC e. Mithridates personally arrives at the Bosporus and turns it into a springboard for preparing for a new war with Rome. Huge exactions from the population for the maintenance of the army, the construction of the fleet and fortifications, the recruitment of slaves into the army, and then the naval blockade by the Roman fleet caused discontent in the Bosporus and exhausted it.
A devastating earthquake in 63 B.C. e. In the same year, in Panticapaeum, Mithridates died hiding in a palace on top of a mountain from rebellious soldiers who proclaimed his son ruler. farnaka.
The Romans handed power over the Bosporus to Farnak, called him their "friend and ally", but miscalculated: Farnak declares himself the "king of kings" and wants to expand his possessions at the expense of Rome itself. As a governor of the Bosporus, he from 48 BC. e. leaves asandra. But he successfully won the throne, defeating in 47 BC. e. first Pharnaces, and then Mithridates II, after which he married the daughter of Pharnaces Dynamia and from 46 BC. e. single-handedly began to rule the Bosporus. With his activities until 20 BC. e. they link the construction of defensive fortifications (the so-called Asandrov Val, apparently separating the Kerch Peninsula from the rest of the Crimea) to protect against neighboring tribes, large-scale restoration work, the activation of naval forces, and the successful fight against pirates.
After long wars, ruins and devastation under Asander, but especially under his son Aspurge the situation in the Bosporus is stabilizing. A period of new, secondary prosperity began, covering the 1st - beginning of the 3rd century. n. e. Under Aspurga, the territory of the state increased due to temporary annexation Chersonese. The king waged successful wars with the Scythians and Taurians. IN 14 d. he received the title "Friend of the Romans" and obtained from the Romans the right to the Bosporan throne. On his coins were portraits of Roman rulers. The Bosporus in the eyes of the Romans was a source of bread, raw materials and an important strategic point. Rome sought to put its adherents on its throne, kept its troops there. And yet the degree of dependence was not always the same and such as desired in Rome. Already the son of Aspurgus Mithridates waged war with the Romans. But during the reign of his brother Kotis I (45 -68 gg.) strengthened ties with Rome. From the end of the 1st century Rome increasingly sees in the Bosporus an important outpost in the northeast, capable of holding back the onslaught of the barbarians. Under Reskuporides I and Sauromates I, defensive structures were built, borders were strengthened, the army and navy were strengthened. Sauromates I and Kotys II defeat the Scythians. Under Sauromates II ( 174 -210 BC) the Bosporan fleet clears the southern shores of the Black Sea from pirates. Joint military operations with neighbors were supposed to strengthen the independence of the Bosporus from Rome.
At first III V. n. e. tribes appeared in the Northern Black Sea region, which received the name ready. The Goths belonged to the Germanic group of tribes and came from the shores Baltic Sea. But in their movement they carried away many tribes of Eastern Europe and led a large tribal association. In the 30s. 3rd century n. e. barbarian tribes Gothic Union destroyed Gorgippia, in the 40s. were completely destroyed Tanais and the surrounding settlements. The movement of the Alans from the east also began.
From the middle 3rd century the state was subjected to the onslaught of barbarians - ready And boranes(cm. Scythian war III century). The aliens made sea trips, relying on the Bosporus as an organizational base and using its fleet. After the death of Reskuporid IV 254/255 - 267/8, the struggle for the throne began. During this turmoil, life in Nymphaeum and Myrmekia gradually ceases.
In the IV century. The Bosporus appeals to the Romans to help ensure a peaceful life for the payment of an annual tribute. However, Rome itself hardly fights off the barbarians and cannot help the weakened Bosporus. Invasion Huns passed the Bosporus state. In the 70-80s. 4th century the Huns passed by the Bosporus and fell upon the "Gothic state" of Germanarich. The Bosporan state existed until the beginning of the 6th century. During the second half of the 5th and beginning of the 6th c. the "protectorate" of the Hun tribe Utigurs, who returned from Europe after the collapse of the Hun Union, spread over the Bosporus. Inscriptions with the names of the kings of the Tiberian-Juliev dynasty date back to the end of the 5th century. The inscriptions contain lists of officials of the state of that time - eparch, committee, protocomite. The biographies of the “strong people” of this “dark” time are being restored, for example, Savag’s committee, a native of the Kitei region, who was buried with his wife Faisparta in a large crypt in the capital in 497. Gradual Christianization of the Bosporus is underway. In Panticapaeum (Bosporus) and Tiritaka in the 5th-6th centuries. basilicas are being built - Christian temples. Nobles are buried in stone crypts, many of which are painted. The style of painting, however, is extremely primitive and is an example of degradation and decline. Panticapaeum (Bosporus), Tiritaka, Kitey, Kimmerik, Phanagoria, Kepy, Germonassa, a number of fortresses (Ilyichevsk settlement on Taman) continue to exist. In the 520-530s. Byzantium establishes direct authority over the Bosporus. The ancient period of its history smoothly passes into the Byzantine one without breaks in the evolution of material culture. In 576, the territory from modern Georgia to the Crimea was annexed by the Turkic Kaganate after the war with Byzantium.
Economy
Coin from Panticapaeum. 3rd century BC e.
The leading role in the Bosporus belonged to the commodity production of cereals - wheat, barley, millet.
The basis of the Bosporan trade was the export of grain bread, which reached colossal sizes for that time: Demosthenes says that Athens they received from the Bosporus half of all the imported grain they needed - about 16 thousand tons per year.
In addition to bread, the Bosporus exported Greece salted and dried fish, cattle, skins, furs, slaves.
In exchange for all these goods, the Greek states sent wine, olive oil, metal products, expensive fabrics, precious metals, art objects - statues, terracotta, art vases. Part of this import settled in the Bosporan cities, the other part was transported by the Bosporan merchants to the steppe for the nobility of the surrounding tribes.
Hermonassa, Phanagoria, Gorgippia become major trading centers. gorgypia a large seaport is being built through which grain is exported from Kuban region.
Under the Spartokids, handicraft production flourished in the cities of the Bosporus. In Phanagoria, Gorgippia and other cities there are small workshops and large ergastiriya where slave labor is used.
In the first half 3rd century BC e. an acute financial crisis broke out in the state. The minting of the gold and silver coins of Panticapaeum has been discontinued. Monetary reform of Levkon II in the third quarter of the III century. BC e. - issue of denominations of copper coins with the name and title of the king - contributed to the restoration of the monetary economy and at the same time strengthened the authority of the dynasty. After Levkon, royal coinage (but already gold) became traditional. The production of Panticapaeum silver was resumed. In the second half of the III-II centuries BC. e. autonomous coinage was revived in Feodosia, Phanagoria, Gorgippia.
After the accession of the Bosporus to Pontus, trade relations with the cities of this state began to actively develop, primarily with Sinope. According to Strabo, annually 180,000 medins (7,200 tons) and 200 talents (4,000 kilograms) of silver were delivered from the Bosporus to Pontus.
After the Bosporus fell under the influence of Rome, a new economic upsurge began, which continued throughout the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. On Bosporan goods, the Roman authorities did not levy the usual mandatory duty in the amount of 1/2 of the total goods. Bosporan merchants traded with distant Egyptian Alexandria and even distant Italian cities.
In the early 40s of the 4th century, minting of coins ceased in the Bosporus, which indicates a certain decline in the traditional ancient system of economy. Economic life is localized in territorial and economic microzones around the surviving cities. One of the leading agricultural regions in the IV-VI centuries. becomes the Crimean Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, where numerous fortified settlements continue to exist. Coins are not minted, but continue to circulate: in the hoards of the 6th c. Byzantine and late Bosporan coins are kept together.
