The role of ancient civilization in the history of the Crimea briefly. The Great Patriotic War

(set of postcards with accompanying text)

From ancient times, sea routes connected the Black Sea coast with the Mediterranean, where at the end of the II - beginning of the I millennium BC. e. the great civilization of Greece arose. From the coast of Hellas, brave sailors set off in search of new lands.

Where the big ones are now seaports, industrial and resort centers of Crimea

Evpatoria, Sevastopol, Feodosia and Kerch, in the VI - V centuries. BC e. the Greeks founded the cities of Kerkinitida, Chersonesus, Theodosia, Panticapaeum, and near it Mirmekiy, Tiritaka, Nymphaeum, Kimmerik and others. Each of them was the center of an agricultural region where wheat was grown, grapes were cultivated, and cattle were bred. In the cities there were temples, public and administrative buildings, markets, craftsmen's workshops.

Convenient geographical position contributed to the development of trade. Merchants exported slaves and products to the Mediterranean Agriculture purchased from local tribes - Scythians, Meots, Sinds. In exchange, from the cities of the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor they brought olive oil, wine, arts and crafts.

Chersonese was founded in 421 BC. e. on the shore of the bay, which is now called Karantinnaya. Later, the city significantly expanded its holdings. During its heyday, Kerkinitida, the Beautiful Harbor (on the site of the modern Chernomorsky settlement) and other settlements of the northwestern Crimea were subordinate to him.

The Chersonese state was a slave-owning democratic republic. The supreme body of power was the people's assembly and council, which decided all issues of foreign and domestic policy. The leading role in the management belonged to the largest slave owners, whose names were conveyed by Chersonesos inscriptions and coins.

Archaeological excavations, begun in 1827, showed that the city was well fortified. Remains of defensive structures - massive towers, fortresses, parts stone walls- preserved throughout the state. This speaks of the constant military danger to which the inhabitants were exposed. The famous Chersonese oath tells about their patriotism. Its text was carved at the end of the 4th - beginning of the 3rd centuries. BC e. on a marble slab found during excavations of the city:

... "I swear by Zeus, Gaia, Helios, Virgo, the gods and goddesses of Olympia... I will not betray Chersonesos..." secrets.

As confirmed by archaeological research, the city had correct layout. Residential buildings were united into quarters, the streets intersected at right angles. They were paved with small stones. Stone gutters ran along the streets. Temples were erected in the squares. Public buildings and houses of wealthy citizens were decorated with colonnades and mosaic floors. From ancient buildings to our days, only the foundations of the walls and basements. Particularly interesting mint, baths, the ruins of a theater that existed from the 3rd century. BC e. according to the IV century. n. e. Only stairways and stone benches for spectators have been partially preserved from it. Judging by their size, the theater could accommodate up to 3,000 spectators.

Near the city walls was the artisans' district. There, archaeologists discovered the remains of ceramic production: kilns for firing pottery, stamps for ornaments, molds for making terracotta reliefs. Other crafts also flourished in Chersonese - metalworking, jewelry, weaving.

The largest ancient state of the Black Sea region was the so-called Bosporan kingdom. It was formed as a result of the unification of originally independent Greek cities, such as Panticapaeum, Mirmekiy, Tiritaka, Phanagoria and others, located along the banks of the Cimmerian Bosporus - the modern Kerch Strait. Panticapaeum became the capital of the state. From 438 BC e. for more than three hundred years it was ruled by the Spartokid dynasty.

At the end of the 5th - beginning of the 4th centuries. BC e. Nymphaeum and Theodosia, as well as lands inhabited by other tribes, were annexed to the possessions of the Bosporus. In the 1st century BC e. The Bosporus captured most of the territory of the Crimea, subjugated Chersonese.

Excavations on Mount Mithridates, carried out in Kerch since the end of the 19th century, made it possible to restore the size and plan of Panticapaeum. At the top was the acropolis - the central fortification of the city with powerful defensive walls and towers. Inside it housed the most important temples and public buildings. Quarters of one- or two-story stone buildings descended in terraces down the slopes. The whole city and its environs were surrounded by numerous lines of fortifications. A deep and comfortable harbor reliably sheltered merchant and military ships.

Found fragments of marble statues, pieces of painted plaster and architectural details allow us to talk about the rich decoration of the squares and buildings of the city, about the skill of ancient architects and builders.

On the site of Myrmekia and Tiritaki, not far from Kerch, in addition to the city walls, residential buildings and sanctuaries, archaeologists discovered several wineries and baths for salting fish. In Nymphea, near the modern village of Geroevka, there are temples of Demeter, Aphrodite and Kabir; in Ilurat, near the modern village of Ivanovka, is a Bosporan military settlement of the first centuries AD. e., guarding the approaches to the capital.

Next to each ancient city was its necropolis - the city of the dead. Usually they were buried in simple earthen graves, sometimes lined with tiles or stone slabs. The rich and noble were placed in wooden or stone sarcophagi. For their burial, crypts were built, made of stones or carved into the rocks. The walls of crypts and sarcophagi were decorated with paintings, reliefs, and inlays. They applied ornaments, depicted mythological plots, scenes real life. Together with the deceased, they put things that belonged to him: jewelry, dishes, weapons, vessels with incense, terracotta figurines and other items. In one of the Panticapaeum burials of the 3rd c. n. e., possibly the Bosporan king Riskuporides, a unique golden mask was found that reproduced the facial features of the deceased.

Researchers have long been interested in large burial mounds located in the vicinity of Kerch. They found burials of Bosporan kings and nobility with outstanding works of Greek art: gold and silver jewelry, bronze and glass items, painted and figured vases.

Golden temporal pendants of the 4th century BC are rightfully considered a masterpiece of world art. BC e. from the Kul-Oba kurgan. They are made in the form of disks, to which are attached numerous woven crossed chains connected by plates and rosettes. On a disk 7 cm in diameter there is a relief of the head of Athena in a helmet with clearly distinguishable figures of griffins, an owl and a snake. The thinnest filigree plates, rosettes, as well as the circumference of the disk are covered with granulation and blue enamel.

The most valuable finds from the excavations of the ancient cities of Crimea are presented in the collections of the State Hermitage Museum in Leningrad, the State Historical Museum and the State Museum fine arts them. A. S. Pushkin in Moscow, as well as others.

Now on the territory of Chersonese in Sevastopol and on Mount Mithridates in Kerch, reserves are organized. Every year, thousands of people come there to walk through the streets and squares of ancient cities, to get acquainted with the greatest monuments culture, it is better to know the distant past of our Motherland.

I. Kruglikova

Sevastopol. Main street and residential quarters of Chersonese

Part of the defensive wall of Chersonese Tower of Zeno

Mint of Chersonese. 3rd century BC e.

Chersonese and Roman coins. 3rd century BC e - III century. n. e. Khersones State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve

Theatrical masks Decoration of sarcophagi from the necropolis of Panticapaeum. Gypsum. I - II centuries. n. e. State Hermitage

The ruins of the Chersonesos theater. 3rd century n. e. - IV century. n. e.

Tombstone of a Roman legionnaire

Courtyard in front of the building of Chersonesos In the hall of ancient culture Stone. 2nd century n. from the archaeological museum-reserve

Khersones State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve

"Assembly of citizens of Chersonesus". Painting by artist R. Voskresensky.

Stele with the oath of citizens Chersonesos State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve of Chersonesos. Start III in. BC e.

Kerch. View of Mount Mithridates

Part of the portico public building Panticapaeum on Mount Mithridates.

The base of the column II. BC e. portico

Entrance to the Royal Mound. Kerch.

"The Abduction of the Cortex by Pluto". Fragment of the painting of the crypt of Demeter of the Bosporus king Panticapaeum. First half of the 3rd century n. e. State Hermitage

Mask from the burial of the 5th - 4th centuries. BC e. Beginning of the 1st century n. e. Riskuporida III. Gold.

Sarcophagus from Myrmekia. Marble. End of the 2nd century n. e.

Relief of the side wall of the sarcophagus State Hermitage Museum

Figured vase. Clay. 2nd century n. e. Panticapaeum.

Terracotta figurines. Panticapaeum. 5th - 3rd centuries BC e. Hermitage

Head of a statue of a Bosporus king. Marble. Panticapaeum. 1st century n. e. State Hermitage

Earring from Feodosia. Gold. 4th century BC e. Panticapaeum. 3rd century BC e. State Hermitage

Cameo ring. Gold, garnet. Gold, enamel. Mound State Hermitage Museum Kul Oba IV c BC

High pendant.

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Crypt excavations

Ruins of a Bosporan settlement near the village

Excavations of the settlement of the necropolis Nimfeya Semyonovka

Photo by V. Ginsburg, V. Gukov, A. Rasovsky. The author of the text and compiler is Doctor of Historical Sciences I. T. Kruglikova. Reviewers: Doctor of Historical Sciences G. A. Koshelenko and Candidate of Historical Sciences V. I. Isaeva. "Ancient cities of Crimea". Set of 15 color postcards. © Publishing house "Planet".

Moscow, 1984. Cover by artist O. Belozersky. Head edited by N. Boyarkin. Editor D. Grinberg.

Art editor N. Trofimova. Technical editor T. Khlebnova. 24/8a-3960. Circulation 135,000. Price 1 rub. 05 k. Order 1199. Offset printing. Paper 250 g/m2.

Order of the Red Banner of Labor Kalinin Polygraphic Plant Soyuzpoligrafprom under the USSR State Committee for Publishing, Printing and Book Trade, Kalinin, Lenin Ave., 5.

Every self-respecting person tries to study the past. With such a wealth of knowledge, we can draw conclusions about the phenomena and processes that took place in a certain area. In addition, they say that a happy future can be built only after realizing the mistakes of the ancestors.

Knowing the life and work of people who lived many years ago is also an incredibly exciting experience. All ever-existing peoples, ethnic groups, countries are interesting in their own way. A special place in science is occupied by the history of the Crimea - a beautiful peninsula that has repeatedly become the cause of disagreements between different tribes and states.

Chronological information about the ancient Crimea:

1) Paleolithic in the history of Crimea:
From 5 million years ago to the middle of the 9th millennium BC.
It includes:
Lower (early) Paleolithic periods:
- Olduvai, from 5-7 million years ago to 700 thousand years ago;
- Ashel, about 700 - 100 thousand years ago.
Middle (Mousterian) Paleolithic: from 100 to 40 thousand years BC
Upper (late) Paleolithic, from 35 thousand years to 9 thousand years BC

2) Mesolithic in the history of Crimea: from the end of 9 to 6 thousand years BC.

3) Neolithic in the history of Crimea: from 5 to the beginning of 4 thousand years BC.

4) Eneolithic in the history of Crimea: from the middle of 4 to 3 thousand years BC.

The history of the appearance of the first people
on the territory of the ancient Crimea, their appearance and range

However, the question of the existence of the peninsula itself remains open. In 1996, American geologists from Columbia University published a scientifically based assumption that the ancient Crimea was part of the land mass until about 5600 BC. e. They claimed that the Flood described in the Bible was the result of a breakthrough mediterranean sea, after which 155,000 square meters were under water. km. the territory of the planet, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and the Crimean Peninsula appeared. This version is either confirmed or refuted. But it seems quite plausible.

Be that as it may, science knows that Neanderthals already lived in the Crimea 300-250 thousand years ago. They chose the caves of the foothills. Unlike the Pithecanthropes, who apparently settled only on the South Coast, these people also occupied the eastern part of the present peninsula. To date, scientists have managed to study about ten sites that belonged to the Acheulean era (early Paleolithic): Chernopolie, Shara I-III, Tsvetochnoye, Bodrak I-III, Alma, Bakla, etc.

Among those Neanderthal sites ancient Crimea, which are known to historians, the most popular is Kiik-Koba, located near the river. Zuya. Its age is 150-100 thousand years.

On the way from Feodosia to Simferopol, there is another witness to the early history of the Crimea - the Wolf Grotto site. It arose in the era of the Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian) and belonged to a type of person who was not yet Cro-Magnon, but also differed from Pithecanthropus.

Other similar dwellings are also known. For example, at Cape Meganom near Sudak, in Kholodnaya Balka, Chokurcha in the Simferopol region, a cave near Mount Ak-Kaya near Belogorsk, parking lots of the Bakhchisarai region (Staroselye, Shaitan-Koba, Kobazi).

The Middle Paleolithic period of the history of Crimea is characterized by the development of the southern coast of the territory of the modern peninsula, its mountainous part and foothills.

Neanderthals were short and had relatively short legs. When walking, they slightly bent their knees and placed their lower limbs. The brow ridges of the people of the ancient Stone Age hung over the eyes. The presence of a heavy lower jaw, which almost did not protrude, suggests the beginning of the development of speech.

After the Neanderthals in the Late Paleolithic era, 38 thousand years ago, the Cro-Magnons appeared. They were more like us, had a high forehead without an overhanging roller, a protruding chin, which is why they are called people of the modern type. There are Cro-Magnon camps in the river valley. Belbek, on Karabi-yayla and over the river. Kacha. The ancient Crimea of ​​the late Paleolithic era was a fully populated territory.

The end of 9-6 thousand BC. e. in history it is customary to call the Mesolithic era. Then the ancient Crimea acquires more modern features. Scientists know many sites that can be attributed to this time. In the mountainous part of the peninsula, these are Laspi, Murzak-Koba VII, Fatma-Koba, etc.

Cherry I and Kukrek are the most famous historical monuments of the Mesolithic era in the Crimean steppe.

The Neolithic falls on 5500-3200 years. BC e. The New Stone Age in the ancient Crimea was marked by the beginning of the use of clay kitchen utensils. At the very end of the era, the first metal products appeared. To date, about fifty Neolithic sites have been studied. open type. During this period of the history of Crimea, there were much fewer dwellings located in grottoes. The most famous settlements are Dolinka in the steppe part of the peninsula and Tash-Air I in the mountains.

From the middle of 4 thousand BC. e. the ancient inhabitants of the peninsula began to use copper. This period is called the Eneolithic. It was relatively short-lived, smoothly passed into the Bronze Age, but was marked by a number of burial mounds and sites (for example, Gurzuf, Laspi I in the south, Druzhnoye and the last layer of Fatma-Koba in the mountainous Crimea). The so-called "shell heaps", which are located on the coastline from Sudak to the Black Sea, also belong to the copper-stone era. The area of ​​farmers of that time - the Kerch Peninsula, the valley of the river. Salgir, northwestern Crimea

Tools of labor and the first weapon in the ancient Crimea

The people who inhabited the ancient Crimea at first used stone axes. 100-35 thousand years ago, they began to make flint and obsidian flakes, made objects from stone and wood, for example, axes. Cro-Magnons guessed that with the help of crushed bones you can sew. Neoanthropes (people of the late Paleolithic era) hunted with spears and points, invented side-scrapers, throwing twigs, harpoons. A spear-thrower appeared.

The greatest achievement of the Mesolithic is the development of the bow and arrows. Found to date a large number of microliths, which were used in this era as spearheads, arrows, etc. In connection with the advent of individual hunting, traps for animals were invented.

In the Neolithic, tools made of bones and silicon were improved. Rock art makes it possible to understand that cattle breeding and agriculture prevailed over hunting. The ancient Crimea of ​​this period of history began to live a different life, hoes, plows, sickles with silicon inserts, tiles for grinding grain, yokes appeared.

At the beginning of the Eneolithic, the ancient Crimeans already thoroughly worked the stone. At the dawn of the era, even copper tools repeated the shape of pre-existing stone products.

Life, religion and culture of the inhabitants of ancient Crimea

People of the Paleolithic era initially led a wandering lifestyle, they were like a primitive herd. The consanguineous community appeared in the Mousterian period. Each tribe had 50 to 100 or more members. Active relationships within such social group gave rise to the development of speech. Battling hunting and gathering were the main activities of the first inhabitants of the Crimea. In the late Paleolithic, the driven method of hunting appeared, neoanthropes began to fish.

Hunting magic was gradually born, in the Middle Paleolithic a rite of burial of the dead arose.

From the cold climate had to hide in caves. In Kiik-Kobe, scientists found the ashes that remained after the fire. In the same place, right inside the primitive house, the burial of a woman and a one-year-old child was discovered. There was a spring nearby.

As the temperature warmed, the usual cold-loving animals disappeared. Mammoths, woolly rhinoceros, steppe bison, musk ox, giant deer, lion, hyena were replaced by previously unknown small representatives of the fauna. The scarcity of food made us think about new ways of obtaining food. As the mental abilities of the inhabitants of the ancient Crimea developed, weapons that were revolutionary for that time appeared.

With the advent of the Cro-Magnon man, the family way of the inhabitants of the ancient Crimea changes - the tribal matriarchal community becomes the basis of interpersonal relations. The descendants of the cave dwellers began to settle on the plains. New houses were built from bones and branches. They looked like huts and semi-dugouts. Therefore, in case of bad weather, it was often necessary to return to the caves, where cult worship was also held. The Cro-Magnons still lived in large clans of about 100 people each. Incest was forbidden in order to marry, men left for another community. As before, the dead were buried in grottoes and caves, next to them were placed things that were used during life. Red and yellow ocher were found in the graves. The dead were tied up. In the late Paleolithic there was a cult of a woman-mother. Art appeared immediately. The rock carvings of animals and the ritual use of their skeletons testify to the origin of animism and totemism.

Mastering the bow and arrows made it possible to go on an individual hunt. The inhabitants of the ancient Crimea of ​​the Mesolithic era began to engage in gathering more actively. In parallel, they began to tame dogs, built pens for young wild goats, horses and wild boars. The art manifested itself in rock art and miniature sculpture. They began to intervene the dead, tying them in a crouched position. Burials were oriented to the East.

In the Neolithic era, in addition to the main dwellings, there were temporary sites. They were built for the season, mainly in the steppe, and with the advent of cold weather they hid in the caves of the foothills. The villages consisted of wooden houses still looking like huts. characteristic feature This period of the history of the ancient Crimea is the emergence of agriculture and cattle breeding.

This process was called the Neolithic Revolution. Since then, pigs, goats, sheep, horses and large cattle became pets. In addition, the ancestors modern man gradually learned to sculpt earthenware. It was rough, but allowed to realize the basic economic needs. Already at the end of the Neolithic, thin-walled pots with ornaments appeared. Barter trade was born.

During the excavations, a burial was found, a real cemetery, where from year to year the dead were buried, previously sprinkling them with red ocher, decorating them with beads made of bones, deer teeth. The study of funeral gifts made it possible to conclude that the patriarchal system was born: there were fewer items in women's graves. However, the inhabitants of the Crimea of ​​the Neolithic era still worshiped the female deities of the Virgin-Huntress and the Goddess of Fertility.

With the advent of the Eneolithic, life in the ancient Crimea is radically changing - houses with adobe floors and foci. Stone has already been used for their construction. Over time, cities grew, fortifications were erected. Wall painting became more common, and three-color geometric designs were found on the chests of the time in which the ashes were buried. Mysterious vertical stelae - menhirs - is a phenomenon of the Crimean Eneolithic, probably a cult place. In Europe, they worshiped the Sun in this way.

Where are the archaeological finds representing the ancient Crimea stored?

Many archaeological finds of the ancient Crimea are preserved in Simferopol in the form of exhibits of the Crimean Republican Museum of Local Lore.

In the Bakhchisaray Historical and Architectural Museum you can see the world-famous flint products, stucco utensils and tools from the Eneolithic.

To explore the variety of artifacts of the ancient Crimea, it is worth visiting the Evpatoria Museum of Local Lore, the Kerch Historical and Archaeological Museum, the museums of Yalta, Feodosia and others. settlements peninsulas.

The history of Crimea from the Paleolithic in the form of numerous tools, various utensils, clothes, weapons, monoliths and other ancient objects is a kind of journey into the world of ancestors.

Be sure to visit the museums of Crimea!

INLIGHT

The favorable natural conditions of the Crimean peninsula and its convenient location contributed to the fact that the Crimea has become one of the cradles of mankind. Here, at the busy crossroads of international routes, the roads and destinies of many tribes and peoples intertwined.

In addition to Taurians and Cimmerians, the peninsula was inhabited at different periods by Scythians and Sarmatians, ancient Greeks and Romans, Goths and Huns - in ancient times; southern Slavs and Armenians, Pechenegs and Polovtsy, Khazars and Proto-Bulgarians, Venetians and Genoese, Tatars and Turks - in the Middle Ages. At all times the population of the peninsula was very motley.

The very first Neanderthals appeared here about 100 thousand years BC.

In 1924, during excavations in the grotto Kiik-Koba (“Wild Cave”), (in the upper reaches of the Zuya River, 25 kilometers east of Simferopol), a burial of a Neanderthal man was discovered in a special pit carved into the floor in the rocky soil. A meter from the grave pit, the remains of the skeleton of a one-year-old child were found. This was the first discovery of a Neanderthal human burial on the territory of the former Soviet Union and one of the few in the world.

After the Neanderthals, the oldest inhabitants of the Crimea, known to us from Assyrian and ancient sources, were the Cimmerians (XII century BC). Their stay in the Crimea is confirmed by ancient and medieval historians and geographical names of the eastern part of Crimea that have come down to us: Cimmerian Bosporus (Kerch Strait), Cimmerian walls, Cimmerian ford.

In the Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer describes Cimmeria as follows:

"There the Cimmerians are a sad region,
covered forever
Damp fog and haze of clouds;
never shows
Eye of the people of the radiant face
Helios..."

In addition to the Cimmerians, Taurians inhabited the peninsula at the same time. The origin of the Tauri tribes that inhabited the Crimea at the turn of the millennium still remains unclear. Who they are and where they came from in the Crimean mountains is not clear. Maybe they were the indigenous inhabitants of the peninsula, or maybe they were tribes akin to the Cimmerians, who at one time were forced to come to the Crimea from the Caucasus under pressure from the Scythian hordes. It is also not known how these people called themselves, because the word "Taurus" is a Greek word, and the Greeks called it simply the natives of the mountains, who, in their opinion, lived in the Taurus Mountains (Crimea for them was a continuation of the mountains of Southern Turkey). Accordingly, the local land was called Tauris.

According to historians, the Taurians settled here at the beginning of the first millennium, approximately in the eighth and ninth centuries. Most of of them lived on the southern coast, inhabiting the territory from Kush Kai to Feodosia. But there were settlements to the north, up to Simferopol. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a defensive wall two meters thick, stretching from Eklisi to the Alma River, made of large stones, built by representatives of these tribes.

Many prominent historical figures mention the tribes of the Taurians in their writings.

The "father of history" Herodotus, who first told about them, wrote that it was a warlike, courageous and cruel tribe. According to Herodotus: the Tauri sacrifice to the Virgin the shipwrecked and all the Hellenes who are captured on the high seas...”

Another interesting message about the Taurians of the historian Polien (II century AD): “The Taurians, having undertaken a war, always dig up the roads in their rear; having made them impassable, they enter the battle; they do this so that, not being able to run, they can win or die.”

Other Greek historians, such as Diodorus, Tacitus, Ammianus, do not deviate from the then stamp, and also characterize them as murderers and pirates. The historian Strabo, describing Taurida in his Geography, writes that they gather in the bay of Simbolon (Balaklava), go on sea raids along the coast and attack ships. Although, in truth, archaeologists have not found any evidence of the piracy of the Taurians, only evidence of ordinary settlement activities.

The Taurians settled along the banks of the rivers, creating small fortified, walled settlements. In addition, the Tauri tribes also liked to live in natural caves, like Tash Aira and Kizil Koba caves.

In the fifth century BC, Greek colonists came to the peninsula and founded Chersonese. In addition, in the seventh century BC, the Scythians came to the Crimea, having chosen the northern Black Sea region. Both of them often crossed paths with the Taurians, contacting and even settling down together.

Periodically, the Taurians tried to subjugate alternately the Bosporus, then Chersonese, then the Cimmerians and later Romans. In turn, the Taurians occasionally raided Greek and Scythian settlements. From the first century AD, the Taurians fell under the influence of the Scythians, in most cases the tribes in these times are called Tauro-Scythians. A little later, in the third century, the Scythians rebuilt the capital of the state - Scythian Naples, firmly seizing control over the northern Black Sea region. The assimilation of the Crimean population of Tauris and Scythians begins. Together they fight against the troops of Diaphantus, the Pontic commander. By the fifth century, the Taurians disappear as independent tribes, becoming part of the population of Scythia.

The Cimmerians on the Crimean peninsula were replaced by the tribes of the Scythians, who migrated from Asia in the 7th century BC and formed a new state in the steppes of the Black Sea region and part of the Crimea - Scythia, stretching from the Don to the Danube.

The Scythians were divided into four tribes. Scythians lived in the basin of the Bug River - pastoralists, between the Bug and the Dnieper there were Scythian farmers, to the south of them - Scythian nomads, between the Dnieper and the Don - royal Scythians. Crimea was also the territory of the settlement of the most powerful tribe of the Scythians - the royal ones. This territory was called Scythia in ancient sources. Herodotus wrote that Scythia is a square with sides, 20 days long journey.

More than once fate pushed the Scythians against the Greeks of the Black Sea cities and the Aegean Greeks. This happened especially often under the great Greek commanders Philip II and his son Alexander the Great. Under them, the Greek armies came close to the borders of Scythia.

In one of the battles with the troops of Philip II of Macedon in 339 BC, the most powerful king of the Scythians, Atei, died at the age of 90.

In 331, the Greek commander Zopyrion invaded the Black Sea region and laid siege to Olbia. The Scythians, allies of the Olviopolites, came to their defense. The Greeks suffered a crushing defeat and were forced to return to Thrace.

The Scythian state in the Crimea lasted until the second half of the 3rd century AD and was destroyed by the Goths, who appeared here (according to legend) from Scandinavia.

The stay in the Crimean steppes of the Goths did not last long. Under the powerful onslaught of the Huns in the 4th century AD, they were forced to go to the Crimean mountains for saving passes, where they gradually mixed with the descendants of the Taurus-Scythians. The historical monuments of that period include the so-called cave cities located in the Bakhchisarai region and in the region of Sevastopol.

Thus, the population of Crimea at the beginning of our era consisted of descendants of the Cimmerians, Taurians, Scythians, Greeks, Sarmatians, Alans and Goths.

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

The formation of Greek city-states in the 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 referred to by the term "resettlement". However, what made the Greeks leave their native places and go where they had to start life anew?

First, there was a population explosion in Greece during this period of history. The overpopulation of Hellas gave rise to the beginning of migration processes. Secondly, the Greeks were sorely lacking in 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 strata of the population and interethnic tensions.

At first, the Hellenes, pampered under the warm sun, did not like the relatively cold local climate, and the inhabitants of the Crimea inspired fear. 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 Pontus Euxinus (“hospitable sea”) appeared, and the history of Crimea began to take on a different character.

The Greek city-states of the Crimea were built by immigrants from Miletus. Less often - by settlers from Heraclea Pontus. However, scientists managed to find on the peninsula traces of the habitation of the Greeks, who arrived from Colophon, Ephesus and Theos. The area of ​​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 the Crimea were predominantly slave-owning republics with a democratic way of life. The polis model allowed the city and its chora to coexist organically, made such settlements independent and viable units.

The Greek city-states of Crimea had three traditional branches of power for our days, they could solve all internal problems and independently choose state bodies. Legislative power they represented the people's assembly, the executive - colleges 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 the Crimea were highly specialized.

The first Greek city grew up in the east of Crimea, its name is Panticapaeum.

Kerch. The ruins of Panticapaeum - the first Greek city-state on the territory of Crimea	In the center of the picture K.F. Bogaevsky "Feodosia" (1930) - Quarantine Hill - the alleged place of the foundation of the Greek city-state, the traces of which are now hidden by the layers of subsequent civilizations. The Genoese fortress of Kafa is depicted on the Quarantine Hill.

Over time, several more large settlements were erected on the peninsula: Chersonesus, Kerkinitida, Kalos-Limen, Nymphaeum, Feodosia.

The Greek city-state of Chersonese: the ruins of a residential area (Gagarinsky district of Sevastopol)	The ruins of the Greek city-state of Kalos-Limen (north-western coast of Crimea)

The largest Greek state association The Crimean peninsula of ancient times - the Bosporus kingdom - appeared as a result of constant confrontations with local barbarians, it will be discussed separately.

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

Greek city-states under the influence of Panticapaeum

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

Founded by the Milesians, it soon fell under the influence of Athens and, accordingly, entered the Delian symmachy, which was eventually defeated in the struggle against Sparta. Nymphaeus broke away from Athens and handed over his fate to the Spartocids and the Bosporan kingdom. More than once the city was destroyed (especially catastrophically by the Goths), more than once artifacts were taken away in our time, so archaeologists did not get so much. But even 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 latter, 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 both by the enemy and by earthquakes. Under the Byzantines, during the reign of Justinian I, a basilica was installed in Tiritaka, the ruins of which were examined during an archaeological expedition.

Among all the Greek city-states of Crimea, Acre is the most attractive, all because this policy has almost completely gone under water as a result of transgression, raising the water level of the Black Sea. This city was not as big as Panticapaeum, its main building was the port. As a result of underwater archaeological expeditions, walls, towers, building foundations, many small items and a rich collection of coins were found.

From the west, the Greek port city-states were constantly attacked 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, already at the end of the third century AD, the defenders left it.

The history of Crimea from antiquity is a constant search for allies and a regular struggle for survival. Who were the Crimean Greeks afraid of? Their relations with the Taurians who inhabited the peninsula were changeable. At first, the Crimean natives were perceived by the Hellenes only as a pirating people, capable of killing a stranger in order to sacrifice him. In the places of settlement of the Taurians, almost no objects made by the Greeks were found. This means that trade relations between peoples did not exist.

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

Greek settlers tried to live peacefully with the Scythian neighbors, brought rich gifts to the barbarian kings, and they 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 existence of the Scythian kingdom.

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

O high level Cultural life in the Greek city-states of the Crimea is evidenced by the presence of the same theaters as those that existed in the historical homeland of the Hellenes. Up to 3,000 people could be in such structures at the same time. Scientists have found and musical instruments used by the Greeks in the 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, more attention began to be paid to Apollo, the protector of the settlers.

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

Let's draw some conclusions. The ancient colonization of the 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 immigrants from Miletus, Heraclea Pontica, Colophon, Ephesus and Theos were republics with three branches of government. Among them, only one monarchy stands out - the Bosporan kingdom. The first Greek city in the Crimea - Panticapaeum. It appeared in the 7th century. BC e.

A century later, the Nymphaeum was built. Then Tiritaka, Acre, Ilurat, Kitey, Kimmerik, Pormfiy, Mirmekiy, Zenon Chersonese, 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 erected Tauric Chersonesus, which managed to conquer Kerkinitida and Kalos-Limen. The Crimean Greeks got along with the Taurians, Scythians, Sarmatians, who also lived on the peninsula. From the 1st century BC e. the authorities of the Greek city-states of the Crimea were forced to submit to Rome. Chersonesus lasted longer than all other Greek policies and became a stronghold of Byzantineism in the Crimea.

INLIGHT / olegman37

VI-V centuries BC. e. - the time when Scythian tribes dominated the expanses of the Crimean steppes, and newcomers from Hellas mastered the coast. Natives of Miletus founded Theodosia and Panticapaeum, on the site of which Kerch is now located. Chersonese, whose remains are located on the territory of modern Sevastopol, was built on the site of the Taurus settlement by the Greeks who came from Heraclea. The Greeks turned the ancient settlement of the Sinds into the once flourishing Gorgippia, which was part of the Bosporan kingdom. The remains of the streets of Gorgippia can still be seen in Anapa today.

Chersonese Tauride and the Kingdom of Bosporus

By the middle of the 5th century BC. e. Two Greek states were formed on the Black Sea coast - the slave-owning republic of Tauric Chersonesos and the autocratic Bosporan kingdom. Under the rule of Chersonese, the western territories united - now the cities of Evpatoria (other Kerkinitida), Chernomorskoe, Kalos-Limeni are located there. The city was surrounded by powerful stone fortifications.

The capital of the Bosporus kingdom was located in Panticapaeum. The city's Acropolis towered on Mount Mithridates. Archaeologists found near ancient acropolis Tsarsky and Melek-Chesme mounds, several stone crypts and other most valuable monuments of architecture and material culture of the Bosporan kingdom.

Crimea in ancient sources

Together with the Greek colonists, who founded hundreds of settlements (polises), the art of building ships, growing olive trees and the vine, to build majestic temples, stadiums and theatres. In monuments ancient literature Many lines are devoted to Crimea. In the Iliad and the Odyssey, Cimmeria is mentioned, completely unreasonably called a sad country in which clouds and damp fog reign. The Crimean material served Euripides as the basis for creating the drama Iphigenia in Tauris. The father of history Herodotus wrote about the Taurians and Scythians in the 5th century BC. e.

Neapolis Scythian

By the end of the III century BC. e. Scythian territories began to shrink under the onslaught of the Sarmatian tribes. The capital of the Scythian state was Neapolis - Scythian Naples, which arose on the Salgir River near modern Simferopol.