Due to the fact that there is often confusion among my readers due to the scant information about the country of Pontus, which is often unfairly ignored in history textbooks and popular science literature, before continuing the story of my trip there in August 2013, decided to give a brief geographical overview of this region. Fortunately, this is not at all difficult to do. The idea of ​​writing a book about Pontus has been brewing in my head for a long time, so some initial sketches have already been made. All that remains is to bring them into a simplified readable form and post them in the form of a post. To make reading not boring at all, I decided to present a number of photographs of Pontic nature.

Pontus is a country, or historical region, located in the northeast of Asia Minor on the southern coast of the Black Sea. Pontus borders on the following historical regions: in the west - with Paphlagonia, in the southwest - with Cappadocia, in the southeast - with Lesser Armenia, in the east - with Colchis (Georgia).

Briefly speaking about the Greek history of Pontus, the Greeks appeared here in the 8th century BC, which is at least known precisely from the founding date of Trebizond - 750 BC. For me, there is no doubt that the Greeks’ acquaintance with the Black Sea and the Pontic country occurred much earlier, as evidenced by ancient Greek myths, which are often unfairly ignored by scientists as an important source of information. One should not discount myths, because it was thanks to myths that Troy and Mycenae were discovered, which until recently, in the 19th century, were also considered mythical cities. So, in myths we find information about the journey of the Greeks to Colchis for the Golden Fleece on the ship Argo; Pontus is located just along the route of the Argonauts.

The Greeks firmly settled here, founding a number of policies: Sinope, Amis (Samsunta), Kerasund, Trebizond and others. During the Greco-Persian wars, the Pontic cities came under Persian rule. After the defeat of the Persian Empire, an expedition of Pericles was organized from Athens to Pontus with the goal of “restoring constitutional order,” if one can joke like that.)) The campaign of Alexander the Great practically did not affect Pontus, and after the collapse of his empire, the Pontic kingdom of the Persian kings of the Mithridatic dynasty arose on the territory of Pontus , which in turn, having existed for 300 years, perishes under the blows of the Roman legions.

As citizens of Rome, the Pontic Greeks were called Romans, this self-name has been preserved to this day, the Turks call the Pontic people “rum”, and I call the language “rumja”. In the 3rd century, Christianity came to Pontus. After the division of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western and the death of the Western Roman Empire, the Eastern gradually became completely Greek, which in historical literature is called Byzantine. The Byzantine Empire was administratively divided into districts - themes. Pontus was part of the Chaldia theme. After the fall of Constantinople in the 13th century, under the blows of the Latin crusaders, the Greek Trebizond Empire of the Great Komnenos was formed on the territory of eastern Pontus, which existed for more than two hundred years and died in 1461, when the Ottoman Turks captured its capital, Trebizond, 8 years after the fall of Constantinople.

Under the rule of the Turks, the most difficult period in the history of Pontus began. Periods of religious tolerance were alternated with times of severe persecution of Christians. Under economic pressure and physical violence, some of the Christians of Pontus converted to Islam, and some became crypto-, that is, secret Christians: outwardly they were Muslims, but in their souls they kept the Christian faith, there were secret chapels and icons in their houses, and they performed Christian rituals at night. In certain areas, such as Stavri, Kromni, Imera and Sanda, there were secret Christian priests. In the 19th century, under pressure from Russia and European countries The Ottoman Empire was forced to gradually soften its attitude towards non-Muslims, and a number of decrees were issued guaranteeing freedom of religion. Secret Christians began to gradually reveal their faith, but their situation remained difficult.

During the First World War Russian empire liberated Trebizond, Argyroupolis and a number of Armenian cities from the power of the Turks, but this, alas, did not last long. The ensuing revolution and the seizure of power in Russia by the Bolsheviks led to a radical turn in foreign policy. Lenin, delirious with the ideas of world revolution, saw Kemal as an ally and provided him with significant assistance with troops, food, weapons and gold. Thanks to this help, Kemal was able to defeat the Greek army, which had already captured Smyrna and was moving towards Ankara. After the defeat of the Greeks, real terror began against the Greek and Armenian population, which began to suffer from the Turks even earlier under the Young Turks. During this genocide, about one and a half million Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians were killed.

Subsequently, a population exchange was carried out between Greece and the state that calls itself Turkey, millions of Greeks were expelled from their homes to Greece. Some of the persecuted Greeks fled to neighboring countries: Russia, Georgia, Iran and the Middle East, where a large population of them lives to this day. Today on Pontus there remains a Pontic-speaking Greek population in the areas of Tonja and Of, but they are all overwhelmingly Muslim and consider themselves Turkish citizens. This is the story of Pontus in a nutshell.

Fragmentary historical information, as well as the fact that for centuries the historical region of Pontus was both an independent state and was included as a periphery in various state entities, the boundaries of which have constantly changed, create certain difficulties in clearly defining its boundaries.

In Greek literature dedicated to Pontus, it is proposed to consider the borders of the country to be those proposed by Metropolitan of Trebizond Chrysanthos (Phillipidis) in 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference, where the issue of creating an independent Pontic Republic was discussed. This is in the administrative division Ottoman Empire, first of all, the vilayet of Trebizond (Turkish Trabzon), part of the vilayet of Sevastia in the south, namely the sanjaks (smaller administrative unit) Sebin, Karahisar, Amasya and Tokat, as well as a small part of the vilayet of Kastamoni - the sanjak of Sinop. The area of ​​Pontus within these boundaries is 71,500 square meters. km, of which 31,500 sq. km occupies the vilayet of Trebizond. Geographical coordinates countries: latitude - from 39º 45´ to 42º; longitude - from 52º to 59º.

Map of the Pontic Republic:

Pontus is a very mountainous country. The low-lying coastline in the north is very narrow; in some places the mountains come close to the sea, forming steep cliffs. More or less large flat spaces are found only in the lower reaches of the rivers Halys and Iris in the western part of Pontus. With this exception, all other areas of the country have a high altitude above sea level. Parallel to the coast of Pontus, two ridges of the North Anatolian (Pontic) Mountains cross from west to east. The first Pariadr ridge (Lazistan, Turkish Palhar Dag) divides the country into two parts. To the north of it there is a coastal zone, and to the south there is a region of highlands, the height of which in the west is 750, and in the eastern regions - over 1000 meters above sea level. To the south is the valley of the Lik River (Turkish: Kelkit Khag), the right tributary of the Iris River (Turkish: Ezil Yrmak). Further south, another ridge of the Pontic Mountains, the Antitaurus, also runs parallel to the Black Sea coastline, forming the natural border of Pontus in the south.

The Pontus Mountains are very high. In the eastern regions of the country, their peaks reach almost 4000 meters above sea level. The most high mountain- Tatus Dag - 3950 m. In the western regions the mountains are lower, the peaks do not exceed 3000 m above sea level. Another significant characteristic of the Pontic Mountains is their ruggedness, which provided the country with natural protection against attacks from land for centuries.

Northern slopes of the Pariadr ridge in the area of ​​the Vazelon monastery:

Pariadra Mountains in the Togna region:

Antitavr in the Stavri area:

Foothills of Antitaurus. Sunset at the village of Varenu:

The Pontus river system belongs to the Black Sea basin. The largest river in Asia Minor, the Galis, flows in the west of the country; its length is 960 km. It originates in the Antitaurus Mountains in the Sevastia region and flows into the Black Sea near the town of Bafra between Sinope and Amis. The lower reaches are navigable. The next major river to the east is the Iris. It also originates in the Sevastia region, passes through Amasya, then connects with its tributary Lycus, which originates in the Pariadra mountains in the Argyropol region. It flows into the sea east of Amis. As mentioned above, both of these rivers form significant plains in their lower reaches and create favorable conditions for the development of agriculture.

Further to the east follow small and fast mountain rivers: Harsiotis (Turkish Harsit), which flows into the area of ​​the city of Tripoli (Turkish Tirebolu); Pyksitis (Turkish: Degirmen Dere), originating in the Pariadra mountains south of Trebizond, where the valley of the town of Matsuki (Turkish: Macka) and the famous Orthodox monastery of Panagia Sumela are located; and the easternmost river Pontus - Akampsis (Turkish Chorokh), which originates on the eastern edges of the Pariadra ridge and flows into the Black Sea almost on the border with Georgia.

In addition to these five main rivers of Pontus, there are a huge number of small rivers and streams, the course of which is short and therefore swift.

One of the tributaries of the Piksitis River:

The Black Sea coastline on Pontus is relatively little tortuous. There are no significant bays or harbors here, and the small ones that exist are not protected from the north and northeast winds. The best harbor on Pontus is in the city of Sinope. Among the most protruding capes of the Pontic coast into the sea, the following can be distinguished: Cape Lepto (Turkish Indzhe Burnu) is located in the western part of Pontus, where the city of Sinope is located. This is the northernmost geographical point countries. The other two capes are Iasonio, a little west of the city of Kotiora (Turkish Ordu) and Cape Hiero near the town of Platana, east of Trebizond.

Sunset over Trebizond:

The climate of Pontus corresponds to three geographical areas the countries into which it is divided by the Pontic Mountains. This is a coastal area near the Black Sea; zone of high mountain pastures, "parhariya" in the Pariadra Mountains; and the third is the highland zone between the Pariadra and Antitaur ridges.

In the coastal zone, the climate is mild and humid. This is a humid subtropical zone characterized by hot summers and mild rainy winters. The wettest place on the Pontic coast is the area of ​​the city of Rizos (Turkish Rize), where the annual amount of residues is 2454 mm. In other areas it is significantly lower: in Trebizond - 782 mm, in Amis - 758, in Sinop - 691. The main amount of precipitation occurs in the winter months. average temperature in winter 8-9, in summer 22-23ºС. Spring in the coastal zone is characterized by frequent changes atmospheric pressure and changes in wind direction, as well as frequent thunderstorms. Summer is hot, but at the same time humid and cloudy. In autumn there is less cloudiness than in summer. Sunny days often give way to intermittent rain. Winters are mild, and winter temperatures rarely drop below zero. If, nevertheless, cold winters did occur, it was a real disaster for the inhabitants of the coastal strip, as livestock and cultivated trees died, routes were blocked, both sea routes due to storms and land routes due to heavy snowfalls in the mountains. The climate of the coastal strip of the eastern part of Pontus is similar to the climate of Colchis and the western Caucasus, while in the west the climate is more reminiscent of the Mediterranean.

The humid and mild climate of the Pontic coast ensures lush vegetation in this area. In the eastern part, viticulture and horticulture flourished, and to a lesser extent, the cultivation of cereals due to the highly rugged terrain. IN western regions with the wide valleys formed by the sediments of the Iris and Halys rivers, on the contrary, cereal cultivation predominated.

Narrow, with the exception of the valleys of the rivers Halys and Iris in the west, the coastal strip of Pontus, as it moves south, turns into mountains covered with dense forests. Mainly oak, spruce, pine, chestnut, birch, and beech trees grow here; in addition to them, plane trees are also found in the Amis region. In the lower zone of the foothills there is also a significant number of species of fruit trees, both wild and cultivated: apple, cherry, pear, dogwood, nuts, olives. In the area of ​​the city of Kerasunda (Turkish: Giresun), cherry trees also grow, so named by the Roman commander Lucullus after the name of the city - cerasum. Forests cover approximately 1/5 of the territory of Pontus, at least in the vilayet of Trebizond. In the past, forests occupied much larger areas, as the Greeks were forced to move to western Pontus from the interior of the country due to the closure of the Chaldia mines in mid-19th century centuries, found these areas covered with boundless forests, which they cleared with great difficulty, gaining space for crops and also for settlements.

This situation is typical in general for all regions of Europe and Western Asia, where humanity has been vigorously active and partially destroyed forest cover due to the expansion of acreage, use as building material and fuel. The decline of the forests of Pontus over the course of history is due to their use as fuel in the production of metals in the numerous mines of the Pontic region, about which we'll talk a little lower.

As you move up, the forest zones of the Pontic Mountains give way to subalpine meadows and shrubs. At approximately an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, the zone of high-mountain pastures - “parhariya” - begins. This is the second conditional climate zone of Pontus. The climate is harsh with warm but short summers and long and snowy winters. There is often fog here, and there is snow most of the year. There are practically no areas suitable for agriculture here; it is possible here only in the lowlands and basins. At the same time, high alpine pastures are conducive to the development of cattle breeding. People don't live here, only in summer months Livestock farmers come here to graze their livestock. Mainly bred rocks cattle - bulls and buffaloes, goats, sheep, as well as horses, donkeys and mules. In addition, due to the healthy mountain climate, it is also here in summer period Many Pontians came to spend their holidays. The flowering alpine plants, Pontic rhododendron and Pontic azalea, add special beauty to the nature of this area in spring. Thanks to them, Pontic honey has a slightly bitter and intoxicating taste.

Parhariya in Kromni:

Parhariya in Sanda:

The third climatic zone of Pontus is the highland plateau between the Pariadri and Antitaurus ranges, where the Lycus River flows. The climate here is sharply continental, dry and healthy. Temperature differences between winter and summer are significant. In the autumn, starting from October, strong winds blow here and it rains with snow, turning into heavy snowfalls closer to winter, which throughout history often blocked communication between the coast and the interior of Asia Minor. The soil of this area is rocky, vegetation is sparse, and there is practically no forest cover. Meanwhile, in ancient times forests predominated here too; they were depleted for the same reason stated above as in other areas of Pontus, namely mass cutting down for use as fuel in the mining and production of metals. In summer, droughts are possible, causing drying up of rivers and such unfavorable consequences for humans as the death of crops and the death of livestock.

Speaking about the climate of Pontus, it is necessary to mention that in ancient times the country was much colder than it is now. Aristotle pointed out that because of the winter cold, donkeys are not bred on Pontus, and birds migrate to more distant places in winter. southern places. Also, ancient authors noted the glaciation of certain parts of the Black Sea.

An important resource of the Pontic region is the fish stocks in the Black Sea. Fishing in all centuries has been developed in the coastal zone, as well as in the rivers of the Pontic foothills. For example, in Trebizond, the famous Black Sea anchovy was the staple food of the poorest segments of the population. In addition, due to the large catch, it was often used as fertilizer in cultivated areas.

Ore-rich lands of Kromni:

Earthquakes on Pontus, unlike neighboring Armenia, were rare; no strong destructive earthquakes were recorded in the entire three-thousand-year history of the country.

That's all for now.

PONT (ancient state) PONT (ancient state)

PONT (lat. Pontus), historical region and state in the northern part of Asia Minor, on the southern coast of the Euxine Pontus, i.e. the Black Sea.
This area was mountainous with fertile valleys. The population of Pontus was heterogeneous: the majority were Cappadocians, the rulers came from the Persians, and the Greeks lived in the coastal cities. Numerous tribes that lived there grew bread and olives, raised livestock, and mined iron and salt. They were ruled by chiefs and paid tribute to the Persian king.
In 502 BC. e. Persian king Darius I (cm. DARIUS I) turned Pontus into a satrapy, giving it to Artabazus to rule.
The first to take the title of King of Pontus was the governor of Artaxerxes II, Ariobarzanes, in the 4th century. BC e., which marked the beginning of the dynasty of Pontic kings. Under Ariobarzanes' son Mithridates I, Pontus was conquered by Alexander the Great and took part in the war with the Persians. After the death of the latter, Mithridates was killed by Antigonus in one of the wars for the succession of Alexander. Under Mithridates II, the kingdom regained its independence. The kings of Pontus sought to expand their territories and fought with neighboring Bithynia, Pergamon and Galatia for the possession of Cappadocia and Paphlagonia. Therefore, the borders of the Pontic kingdom often changed. Under King Pharnaces (reigned 190-169 BC), Sinope, a Greek colony on the northern coast of the Asia Minor Peninsula, was conquered and became the capital of the kingdom. Mithridates V helped the Romans in the 3rd (cm. Punic War PUNIC WARS) (cm. and in the war against Aristonicus of Pergamon ARISTONIK)
, for which he received Greater Phrygia into possession. (cm. The rise and fall of the Pontic kingdom occurred during the reign of King Mithridates VI Eupator(156-121 BC). Mithridates, a talented and active ruler and at the same time a cruel and suspicious despot, hated the Romans, who already controlled almost the entire Mediterranean and actively influenced the Greek kingdoms of Asia Minor. In an effort to expand the borders of his power and reorganizing the army for this, Mithridates subjugated the warlike and rebellious Scythians to his power, annexed Paphlagonia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, the Bosporan kingdom, Lesser Armenia, Colchis, and Olbia to Pontus. Residents of the conquered regions called for help from the Romans, who, taking advantage of the opportunity, entered into a fight with Mithridates; the so-called Mithridatic wars - there were only three of them - lasted with interruptions for more than 20 years, from 89 to 63. BC e. The struggle was fought with varying degrees of success, but the Romans eventually gained the upper hand, and Mithridates committed suicide by throwing himself on his sword.
Mithridates' son Pharnaces retained the Bosporan kingdom, and Pontus was united with Bithynia into one province.

encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .

• PONT (in mythology)
• PONT-Á-MONSON

See what “PONT (ancient state)” is in other dictionaries:

Pontic kingdom- (Pontus), Hellenistic state in Asia Minor in 302/301 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... encyclopedic Dictionary

Mithridates VI Eupator- (132 63 BC), king of Pontus. He fought against the Scythians; crushed the Savmak uprising in Bosporan Kingdom. He subjugated the entire Black Sea coast. In the wars with Rome he was defeated and committed suicide. * * * MITRIDATES VI EUPATORE MITHRIDATES VI EUPATEOR (Latin... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Galatia- in ancient times a country in the central part of Asia Minor. Named after the Galatian tribe. From 25 BC e. as part of the Roman Empire, then Byzantium. In the 11th century n. e. conquered by the Seljuks in the 14th century. Turks and Ottomans. * * * GALATIA GALATIA, in ancient times... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Hellenism- A; m. 1. The heyday of Greco oriental culture, which came after the conquests of Alexander the Great in the East (from the end of the 4th to the end of the 1st century BC). 2. A word or figure of speech borrowed from the ancient Greek language. ◁ Hellenistic, aya, oe (1... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

ANCIENT CITIES of the Northern Black Sea Region- ANCIENT CITIES of the Northern Black Sea region; arose during Greek colonization from the 6th century. BC e. The largest ancient cities: in the north of Tire, Olbia, Chersonesus, Feodosia, Panticapaeum, Phanagoria, Tanais; on the Caucasian coast Gorgippia, Dioscurias, ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Trabzon- (Trebizond) (Trabzon), a city and port in Turkey, on the Black Sea coast, administrative center ile Trabzon. 145 thousand inhabitants (1994). Food, cement, shipbuilding industries. Various crafts. Fishing. University. Founded in... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Galatians- Celtic tribes that invaded Asia Minor in 278 BC. e. and settled around 232 BC. e. in the central part of Asia Minor (see Galatia). * * * GALATIANS GALATIANS, Celtic tribes that invaded Asia Minor (see ASIA MINOR) in the 3rd century. BC e. At the beginning of the 3rd century. before… … encyclopedic Dictionary

Sinop- (Sinop), a city in northern Turkey, a port on the Black Sea, the administrative center of Sinop. About 20 thousand inhabitants. Food processing and sawmills. Crafts. Founded no later than the 7th century. BC e. Greek colonists. * * * SINOPE SINOPE (Sinop), Sinope… … encyclopedic Dictionary

Pitsunda- an urban-type settlement in Georgia, Abkhazia, on the cape of the same name on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, 22 km south of Gagra. 11 thousand inhabitants (1991). Seaside climatic resort; a large resort complex was created (1959 67, architect M.V. Posokhin... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Savmak uprising- uprising of the Scythian population of the Bosporan state in 107 BC. e. under the leadership of Savmak. Suppressed by the troops of the Pontic state. * * * SAVMKA UPRISING SAVMKA UPRISING, uprising of the Scythian population of the Bosporan state 107 BC… … encyclopedic Dictionary

The history of the Pontic Greeks originated in the mists of time. From the 1st millennium BC. until the 10th century The Pontic Greeks have come a long way in history. Continuing this path, the Pontic people developed and maintained their culture at a high level from Pontus Euxine, formed their own states, engaged in science and art, and were able to provide such economic development that their ports became important points, crossroads of world trade of their time.
Historical Pontus in its own way geographical location was a breakwater for the enemies of Byzantium.
Trebizond, the capital of the Pontic Empire, held out for eight years after the fall of Constantinople before being captured by the Ottomans in 1461. Under the Ottoman yoke, the endurance, self-awareness and faith of the Pontic Greeks were tested.
Pontus is one of the most beautiful corners of the earth with a mild subtropical climate, rich flora and fauna, numerous rivers, and mountain ranges. It is located at the junction of East and West in the northeastern part of the Asia Minor peninsula. Geographically, it can be divided into two parts: northern (Pontus Maritime) and southern (Continental). The border is the Parhar plateau, glorified in Pontic folklore. The Pontic land is rich in minerals. Since ancient times, deposits of gold, silver, magnesium, and other metals have been known here.
Most big cities Ponta: Sinop, Trebizond, Kerasund, Kotiora (Ordu), Samsund and others, former centers of maritime trade, “the gateway to the East.”
The first mentions of Pontus date back to the time when ancient Greek civilization began to spread its influence over the vast expanses of the Black Sea region. Story Ancient Pontus known to us thanks to myths and archaeological finds. Particularly popular in Ancient Greece there was a cycle of myths dedicated to Phrixus and Hele, the legendary hero Jason and the Argonauts’ campaign for the Golden Fleece.
During this period, the resettlement of the Ionians to the coast of Asia Minor began. Twelve Ionian tribes, having moved from the areas of modern Attica and the northern part of the Peloponnese, founded twelve cities in Asia Minor. The Ionians preserved the heritage of the ancient Greek aedi-poets, singers who played the musical instrument lyre; one of them was Homer, who lived in the 8th century. BC. on the island of Chios. The Ionians were distinguished by their unity and high level self-awareness, very highly valued their culture and language, their belonging to a highly developed civilization.
South of the city of Ephesus (Asia Minor) on the northern slope of Mount Mikalis, there was a religious center of the Ionians - the Temple of Poseidon. Ionians from all regions regularly gathered there for festivals dedicated to the god of the sea. Neighboring peoples: Leleges, Karas, Lycians, Meons and others who lived in Asia Minor were very quickly Hellenized. Later, following the Ionians, the Dorians and Aeolians began to migrate to Asia Minor.
The largest Ionian city in Asia Minor was Miletus. The inhabitants of Miletus founded most of the colonies on the Black Sea coast. They founded the city of Sinop. Sinop, in turn, created the colonies of Trebizond, Kerasund and others. The name Pontus comes from the name of the sea that washes it from the north (Pontus Euxine). In addition to Pontus, almost the entire Black Sea region was inhabited by the Greeks. Wherever the Greek went or went, he carried with him a piece of his great culture, remained faithful to the language of his ancestors, and bowed to their memory.
The development of Asia Minor, begun in the 11th - 10th centuries. BC. Ionians, their descendants the Pontians continued, moving deeper into the peninsula from the northeast. Contacts with new peoples contributed to the spread of Greek civilization in the East, and the material and spiritual culture of the Greeks themselves was enriched.
Pontus became one of the largest areas densely populated by Greeks. Neighboring tribes of non-Greek origin were gradually Hellenized. Such tribes were the Khalibs, Mossinics, Macrons (macrocephalians), Drils, Chans, who still live in Pontus, Scythians, Kerkits, Taohs. Larger peoples also lived in the neighborhood: Kurds, Laz, Armenians, Assyrians. The majority of the population of Pontus were Greeks. Greek language and way of life increasingly entered the life of the peoples of Asia Minor and the Caucasus.

Pontic kingdom

The Pontic cities were separate city-states with their own governing bodies. The inhabitants of the cities maintained their faith in the gods of Olympus and spoke the Ionian dialect of the ancient Greek language.
First Pontic king became Ariobarzanes (363-337 BC). The second king was Mithridates I (337-302 BC). Mithridates II, in the fight with the king of Thrace, loses part of his territories, but subjugates Cappadocia and Paphlagonia. The subsequent rulers of the Pontic Kingdom were: Ariovarzanis II (266-255 BC), Mithridates III (255-222 BC), Mithridates IV (222-184 BC) , Mithridates V Eupator (157-120 BC).
At the end of 120 BC. the last king of Pontus, Mithridates V Eupator the Great, ascends the throne (120-63 BC). During the era of Mithridates Eupator, the Hellenization of neighboring tribes continued at a rapid pace. The Greek language and Greek culture began to spread to Pontus. In competition with Rome, he managed to occupy Galatia (M. Asia) and Cappadocia, most of the islands of the Aegean Sea and Macedonia. Not since the time of Hannibal have the Romans had such a strong rival. During the war with Pontus, the Roman legions were led by the famous generals Sulla, Lucullus, and Pompey. In 63 BC. 69-year-old Mithridates, betrayed by his son, is defeated and, unable to gather new forces for the war, finds death in Panticapaeum (Kerch), having ordered to kill himself.
The Pontic kingdom existed for 300 years and only after a 30-year struggle fell under the blows of the mighty Rome.

The era of Rome and Byzantium

A citizen of Rome was considered one who spoke Latin and Greek and worshiped the Greek and Roman gods. It is believed that from this time on the inhabitants of the Roman Empire acquired the name Romeus, which the Pontic Greeks retain to this day. The word “romeos” comes from the Turkish word “urum” (i.e. Greek). From the 1st century BC. to the 4th century AD Pontus was part of the Roman Empire. With the division of the Roman Empire into two parts in the 4th century. AD Pontus becomes a province Byzantine Empire(IV-XIII centuries).
Byzantium is known as the Greek Empire. Pontus becomes the most important strategic point on the eastern borders of the empire. The inhabitants of the border zone were called Akrites (the heroic Akritan epic created by them is known).
The Byzantine Empire, which withstood the onslaught of the barbarians, lasted until 1453 and fell under the blows of the Ottomans.

Empire of Trebizond (1204 - 1461)

In 1221-1222 two Mongol commanders Jebe and Subudai led their troops through the Caucasus and headed to Rus'. The Empire of Trebizond lost its possessions in the Northern Black Sea region, but the main danger was approaching from the south. These were the Ottomans. The Greek states could not stop their onslaught and gradually became victims of their disunity. By the 15th century The Ottomans captured a significant part of the territory of Asia Minor and rushed to the Balkan Peninsula.
In 1204, after the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders and the weakening central government, the Trebizond Empire was formed on the territory of Pontus, which lasted until 1461. The Byzantine imperial family of Komnin came to power.
The founders of the Komnenov family were Alexei and David. Since 1185 they were at the court of Queen Tamara of Georgia. In 1204, the Komnenos, with the help of Pontic feudal lords, part of the Constantinople nobility and the soldiers of Queen Tamara, occupied Trebizond. The emperor of the newly created Pontic Empire was called the king and autocrat of the Romans, but later, at the request of the Emperor of Constantinople, the name was replaced by another: king and autocrat of Anatolia, Iberians and Peratia. The emblem of the rulers became a single-headed eagle. The influence of the Trebizond Empire extended to part of Asia Minor, the Caucasus and Crimea. Military art, spiritual culture, and trade were greatly developed here. During the Komnenos era, 3,000 churches were built on the territory of Pontus. Science has received significant development: astronomy, physics, mathematics. People from neighboring countries came to Trebizond to study.
Due to historical circumstances, the Pontic Greeks, already from late antique times, developed almost independently of the rest of the Greek ethnos. As a result, the Pontians formed their own, rather unique culture, which, although it had many common features with the Hellenic one, was also different from it in many ways.
Pontic Greek comes from the ancient Ionian dialect. Due to its relative isolation, Pontic retains many archaic features: its vocabulary and grammar have much more in common with ancient Greek than with modern Greek. On the other hand, over the long period of communication between the Pontic Greeks and other peoples of Asia Minor and the Caucasus, many words from Persian, Turkish and various Caucasian languages ​​entered the Pontic dialect. All this makes it very difficult to understand Pontic.
The culture has retained many archaic features, in particular the majority of Pontic dances, which go back to the ancient Pyrrhic dances. The widespread male dance "serra" was described by Strabo and Plato, and the male dance with daggers ("masher", "ti masheri" or "khadzharz") - by Xenophon.

Christianity and Pont.

The Greeks of Asia Minor, including Pontus, are considered the most zealous Christians. When in 961 the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros Phocas liberated the island of Crete from the Arabs, who had been there for 130 years, some of the Cretans were Muslims. Then Asia Minor and Pontic families were resettled on the island, and the Cretans again became Christians. In 1414, another 880 Pontic families were resettled to the island of Crete. The area where they settled was called Trebizond.
In the 4th century. The Panagia Sumela monastery, famous throughout the Christian world, is being built. The icon of the Mother of God, located in the monastery, according to legend, was painted by the Evangelist Luke himself. The monastery got its name Sumela from the name of the mountain on which it is located (Su Mela).
Also known is the monastery of St. John (Vazelon or Zebulon), built in 270, later destroyed by the Persians, but restored under Emperor Justinian. Also no less famous are the monasteries of St. George and Gumera. In Trebizond itself, the churches of St. Eugene (the patron saint of the city), St. Sophia, St. Basil and others were built...
During that period there were also 6 cathedrals, 1,131 churches, 22 monasteries, 1,647 churches and 1,459 clergy who were proud of the development and preservation of spiritual beliefs and general education along with the monasteries of St. Sumela, St. Gumera, St. George Peristeriot, St. John Vazelon and others.

Georgiafia

Name, area, number.
PONDOS is the name of the coastal part of the Northeast of the Asia Minor Peninsula, which stretches from Sinop to the eastern edge of the Black Sea (Batumi), with a total area of ​​71,500 km2 and a population of 2,048,250, of which 697,000 were Orthodox Greeks.
Other geographical data.
a) Landscape: at a distance of approximately 100 km. south of the coast and throughout the entire Pondos, the Pariardi (Yavur Dag) mountain range stretches from west to east, which divides Pond with the southern part of Asia Minor, leaving two main routes - the first from Amiso to Sevastia and the Central Part and the second from Trabzon to Erzurum and to Eastern direction. The main branches of this mountain range from the west: Kemer Dag (north of Amasia), Gildiz Dag (north of Sevastia), Kara Dag (north of Nikopol), Kemer Dag (east of Argyrupol), etc.
b) Rivers: the main rivers flowing into the Black Sea from west to east: Alis (Kizil Irmak), the largest river in Asia Minor separating Pond and Paphlagonia, and Irish (Gesil Irmak)

Demographic data.
a) Cities. The most important cities of Ponda were: Trebizond (Trapezus, Trabzon) with 50,000 inhabitants, of which 15,000 were Greeks, Kerasunda (Kerasuz) with 20,000 inhabitants, of which 12,000 were Greeks, Tripoli with 10,000 inhabitants, of which 3,000 were Greeks, Kotiora (Ordu) with 12,000 inhabitants, of which 6,000 are Greeks, Amisos (Samsund) with 35,000 inhabitants, of which 18,000 are Greeks, Sinop with 15,000 inhabitants, of which 4,500 are Greeks, Nikopol with 1,500 Greeks, Argyropol with 6,000 inhabitants, of which 2,500 are Greeks and Amasia with 42,000 inhabitants, of which 18,000 are Greeks.
b) Clergy - Education. Pond was divided into 6 metropolitan areas:
1) Metropolis of Trabzon with 84 schools, 165 teachers and 6,800 students.
2) Metropolis of Rhodopolis with 55 schools, 87 teachers and 3,053 students.
3) Metropolis of Colonia (Nicopolis) with 88 schools, 94 teachers and 4,900 students.
4) Metropolis of Chaldia - Kerasunda with 252 schools, 322 teachers and 24,800 students.
5) Metropolis of Neocaesarea with 182 schools, 193 teachers and 12,800 students.
6) Metropolis of Amasia with 376 schools, 386 teachers and 23,600 students.
d) In total, there were 1,047 schools with 1,247 teachers and 75,953 students operating throughout the Ponda territory. Among these schools, the Institute of Trabzon, which was a real luminary of education and morals with great fame, the Institute of Argyrupol, the Gumera Lyceum, the Kerasunda Half-Gymnasium, the Amisa Gymnasium, etc., were especially distinguished.

Of your time. It had a great influence on neighboring countries and subsequent development of the Black Sea region. All ancient states in the south modern Russia one way or another they adopted something from this power. The Pontic kingdom is known modern science much more than other similar countries. This is due to the fact that its rulers fought against Rome for a long time. There is no doubt that the threat posed by the Pontic kingdom was reflected in the internal political system of the republic.

Territory

Throughout its existence in the III - I centuries. BC. The Pontic kingdom changed its borders many times, mainly due to its own expansion. The center of the state was Northern Cappadocia on the southeastern coast of the Black Sea. In ancient times it was known as Pontus Euxine, and that is why the kingdom came to be called Pontic, or simply Pontus for short.

The character of the state was largely determined by its favorable geographical location. What territories were included in the Kingdom of Pontus? These were the lands between Central and Western Asia, the Balkans and the Black Sea region. Consequently, Pontus had trade links with all these regions, which made its rulers rich and influential. Merchants from Northern Mesopotamia and Transcaucasia came to them. Rare eastern goods brought large Pontic kingdoms were minted from gold and had a unique appearance. Archaeologists continue to find them in Turkey and Russia, Ukraine and the Caucasus.

Society

The Pontic state mixed the traditions of many peoples. Asia Minor, Anatolian, Iranian and Hellenic customs took root in this kingdom. The population was mostly engaged in agriculture, favored by a mild climate. There were relatively few cities in Pontus. They were located mainly on the Black Sea coast. These were policies that were founded by the ancient Greek colonialists.

Ethnically, the population belonged to the Cappadocians, Macrons, Khalibs, Colchians, and Cataonians. All kinds of aliens lived here, for example Phrygian tribes. There have always been many Iranian-speaking Persians in the Pontic kingdom. This whole kaleidoscope was a dangerous powder keg. Different peoples were united thanks to the great Hellenic (Greek) culture. The further east the tribe lived, the weaker this influence was. The population of the policies of the Black Sea coast remained the most Hellenized.

Founding of Pontus

The Pontic state was founded by King Mithridates I in 302 BC. By origin, he was a Persian who served the Macedonian king Antigonus. For unknown reasons, the nobleman fell into disgrace with his monarch and fled to distant Cappadocia, where he founded a new power. After his name, the entire subsequent dynasty of kings of Pontus began to be called Mithridatids.

It is worth noting the conditions against which this state emerged. The Pontic kingdom, whose history began at the end of the 4th century BC. e., arose on the ruins of the great power created by Alexander the Great. This commander first conquered Greece and then spread Hellenistic culture to most of the Middle East. His power turned out to be short-lived. It split into many principalities immediately after Alexander's death in 323 BC.

Heyday

The descendants of Mithridates I continued to strengthen and develop the Pontic state. They were helped by the political fragmentation of their neighbors and the struggle of potential competitors for influence in the region. This ancient power reached its peak under Mithridates VI Eupator, who ruled from 117 to 63. BC.

At a young age he had to flee from home country. After the death of his father, Mithridates VI's mother opposed her son taking his rightful throne. The hardships in exile undoubtedly strengthened the future king. When he finally managed to return to power, the monarch began wars with his neighbors.

Small principalities and satrapies quickly submitted to Mithridates. His contemporaries began to deservedly call him the Great. He annexed Colchis (modern Georgia), as well as Taurida (Crimea). However, the king had the most important test ahead - several campaigns against Rome. The Republic at this time was increasing its expansion to the East. She had already annexed Greece and now laid claim to Asia Minor, where the Pontic kingdom was located. Endless wars began between the two powers.

Relations with the provinces

Having created a huge state, which already resembled an empire, Mithridates was faced with a natural problem - how to keep all his acquisitions. He tried to find a balance in relations with the new provinces, giving them different statuses. For example, some small tribes of the south formally became his allies, while Colchis and Tauris became a material and raw material base for the state economy.

Most of the funds went to salaries and food for the army. This is not surprising, because the Pontic kingdom under Mithridates forgot what peace was. The Emperor made the northwestern Black Sea region the main grain supplying region. The army needed endless bread for long-distance raids into the Roman provinces.

External and social contradictions

Mithridates VI tried to enlarge the Pontic state through a policy of Hellenization. He declared himself the protector and patron of ancient Greek culture. But this course could not but lead to a conflict with another ancient power in the person of Rome. The Republic did not need the powerful Pontic kingdom on its eastern borders.

Mithridates, in addition, tried to strengthen his country by increasing the privileges of the policies. In this way he attracted the urban class to his side. But the powerful aristocracy was against such internal policies. Its representatives did not want to share their wealth and influence with the policies.

Domestic policy of Mithridates VI

Ultimately, the aristocracy gave the ruler an ultimatum. He had to support her interests or suppress a major rebellion sponsored by the deep pockets of the elite. The king, who was constantly at war with Rome, could not expose himself to being stabbed in the back. He had to make concessions to the aristocracy. They resulted in the emergence of a tyrannical class that exploited the ordinary population.

Because of this contradiction, the Pontic kingdom, whose army was built on the ancient Greek model, was in fact never able to get rid of the traits in its state structure. It is also important that this great power existed only thanks to the charismatic and powerful figure of the great king. After the death of Mithridates VI, it was bound to fall apart.

Doom of the kingdom

Today, the Pontic kingdom and its role in the history of the Black Sea region are being studied by researchers from the most different countries. But regardless of who we are talking about, every specialist pays attention specifically to the era of Mithridates VI, since under him the state reached the peak of its development.

But even this great monarch had his mistakes and difficulties that he was never able to overcome. In addition to the internal problems described above, the king had to deal with the absence of any serious allies in the fight against Rome. Behind the republic were numerous provinces of the Mediterranean - Greece, Italy, Gaul, Spain, Carthage, etc. No matter how effective a ruler Mithridates was, due to his objective capabilities he could not resist Roman expansion for long.

Death of Mithridates

In the autumn of 64 BC. The king of Pontus was able to gather a colossal army of 36 thousand people at that time and conquer the Bosporus. However, his multinational army was unwilling to continue the campaign and march into Italy, where Mithridates wanted to go to strike directly at the heart of Rome. The monarch's position was precarious and he retreated.

Meanwhile, a conspiracy was brewing in the army. The soldiers were dissatisfied with the war, and in addition, there was a man who wanted to encroach on power in the Portian kingdom. This ambitious man turned out to be Pharnaces, the son of Mithridates VI. The plot was discovered, and the son was caught. The king wanted to execute him for treason, but those close to him dissuaded him and advised him to let him go home. The father agreed.

But this act did not help to avoid a riot in the army. When Mithridates realized that he was surrounded by enemies, he took poison. It didn't work. Then the monarch persuaded his bodyguard to kill him with a sword, which was done. The tragedy took place in 63 BC. The Romans, having learned about the death of Mithridates, celebrated for several days. Now they rightfully believed that the Pontic kingdom would soon submit to the republic.

Decline and fall

After the death of Mithridates VI, Pontus fell into decline. The Roman Republic, having won the war with its neighbor, made the western part of the kingdom its province. In the east, the nominal power of the Pontic monarchs remained, but in fact they became dependent on Rome. Mithridates' son Pharnaces II tried to revive his father's power. He took advantage of the situation and attacked the republic. Pharnaces managed to recapture Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia.

However, his success was short-lived. When Caesar was freed from internal troubles, he went east to punish Pharnaces. In the decisive battle of Zela, the Romans won an unconditional victory. It was then that Latin appeared catchphrase“Veni vidi vici” - “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Julius Caesar, however, left the formal royal title in the hands of Mithridates' heirs. In return, they recognized themselves as vassals of Rome. The title was finally abolished in 62 AD. The last ruler of the Pontic kingdom, Polemon II, abdicated the throne without any resistance, since he did not have any resources to fight Rome.