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The ancient name for the Straits
of Kerch or Yenikale, connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov; the
Cimmerii (q.v.) were the ancient inhabitants. The straits are about 2.5 miles
long and 2.5 miles broad at the narrowest, and are formed by an eastern
extension of the Crimea and the peninsula of Taman, a kind of continuation of
the Caucasus. This in ancient times seems to have formed a group of islands
intersected by arms of the Hypanis or Kuban and various sounds now silted up.
The whole district was dotted with Greek cities' on the west side, Panticapaeum
(Kerch, q.v.), the chief of all, often itself called Bosporus, and Nymphaeum
(Eltegen)' on the east Phanagoria (Sennaja), Cepi, Hermonassa, Portus Sindicus,
Gorpippia (Anapa). These were mostly settled by Milesians, Panticapaeum in the
7th or early in the 6th century B. C., but Phanagoria (c.540 B. C.) Was a
colony of Teos, and Nymphaeum had some connexion with Athens - at least it
appears to have been a member of the Delian Confederacy. The towns have left
hardly any architectural or sculptural remains, but the numerous barrows in
their neighborhood have yielded very beautiful objects now mostly preserved in
the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. They comprise especially gold work, vases
exported from Athens, textiles and specimens of carpentry and marquetry. The
numerous terra-cottas are rather rude in style.
According to Diodorus Siculus (xii. 31) the locality was governed from 480 to
438 B. C. by the Archaeanactidae, probably a ruling family, who gave place to a
tyrant Spartous (438-431 B. C.), apparently a Thracian. He founded a dynasty
which seems to have endured until c. 110 B. C. The Spartocids have left many
inscriptions which tell us that the earlier members of the house ruled as
archons of the Greek cities and kings of various native tribes, notably the
Sindi of the island district and other branches of the Maitae (Maeotae). The
text of Diodorus, the inscriptions and the coins do not supply sufficient
material for a complete list of them. Satyrus (431-387), the successor of
Spartocus, established his rule over the whole district, adding Nymphaeum to
his dominions and laying siege to Theodosia, which was a serious commercial
rival by reason of its ice-free port and direct proximity to the corn fields of
the eastern Crimea. It was reserved for his son Leucon (387-347) to take this
city. He was succeeded by his two sons conjointly, Spartocus II, and
Paerisades; the former died in 342 and his brother reigned alone until 310.
Then followed a civil war in which Eumelus (310-283) was successful. His
successor was Spartocus III (303-283) and after him Paerisades II. Succeeding
princes repeated the family names, but we cannot assign them any certain order.
We know only that the last of them, a Paerisades, unable to make headway
against the power of the natives, called in the help of Diophantus, general of
Mithradates VI (the Great) of Pontus, promising to hand over his kingdom to
that prince. He was slain by a Scythian Saumacus who led a rebellion against
him. The house of Spartocus was well known as a line of enlightened and wise
princes, although Greek opinion could not deny that they were, strictly
speaking, tyrants, they are always described as dynasts. They maintained close
relations with Athens, their best customers for the Bosporan corn export, of
which Leucon I set the staple at Theodosia, where the Attic ships were allowed
special privileges. We have many references to this in the Attic orators. In
return the Athenians granted him Athenian citizenship and set up decrees in
honour of him and his sons. Mithradates the Great entrusted the Bosporus
Cimmerius to his son Machares, who, however, deserted to the Romans. But even
when driven out of his own kingdom by Pompey, Mithradates was strong enough to
regain the Bosporus Cimmerius, and Machares slew himself. Subsequently the
Bosporans again rose in revolt under Pharnaces, another of he old king's sons.
After the death of Mithradates (B. C. 63), this Pharnaces (63-47) made his
submission to Pompey, but tried to regain his dominion during the civil war. He
was defeated by Caesar at Zela, and on his return to Rome was slain by a
pretender Asander who married his daughter Dynamis, and in spite of Roman
nominees ruled as archon, and later as king, until 16 B. C. After his death
Dynamis was compelled to marry an adventurer Scibonius, but the Romans under
Agrippa interfered and set Polemon (14-8) in his place. To him succeeded
Aspurgus (8 B. C. - A. D. 38?), son of Asander, who founded a line of kings
which endured with certain interruptions until A. D. 341. These kings, who
mostly bore the Thracian names of Cotys, Rhescuporis, Rhoemetalces, and the
native name Sauromates, claimed descent from Mithradates the Great, and used
the Pontic era (starting from 297 B. C.) Introduced by him, regularly placing
dates upon their coins and inscriptions. Hence we know their names and dates
fairly well, thought scarcely any events of their reigns are recorded. Their
kingdom covered the eastern half of Crimea and the Taman peninsula, and
extended along the east coast of the Sea of Azov to Tanais at the mouth of the
Don, a great mart for trade with the interior. They carried on a perpetual war
with the native tribes, and in this were supported by their Roman suzerains,
who even lent the assistance of garrison and fleet. At times rival kings of
some other race arose and probably produced some disorganization. At one of
these periods (A. D. 255) the Goths and Borani were enabled to seize Bosporan
shipping and raid the shores of Asia Minor. With the last coin of the last
Rhescuporis, A. D. 341, materials for a connected history of the Bosporus
Cimmerius come to an end. The kingdom probably succumbed to the Huns
established in the neighborhood. In later times it seems in some sort to have
been revived under Byzantine protection, and from time to time Byzantine
officers built fortresses and exercised authority at Bosporus, which was
constituted an archbishopric. They also held Ta Matarcha on the Asiatic side of
the strait, a town which in the 10th and 11th centuries became the seat of the
Russian principality of Tmutarakhan, which in turn gave place to Tatar
domination.
The Bosporan kingdom is interesting as the first Hellenistic state, the first,
that is to say, in which a mixed population adopted the Greek language and
civilization. It depended for its prosperity upon the export of wheat, fish and
slaves, and this commerce supported a class whose wealth and vulgarity are
exemplified by the contents of the numerous tombs to which reference has been
made. In later times a Jewish element was added to the population, and under
its influence were developed in all the cities of the kingdom, especially
Tanais, societies of "worshipers of the highest God," apparently
professing a monotheism which without being distinctively Jewish or Christian
was purer than any found among the inhabitants of the Empire.
We posses a large series of coins of Panticapaeum and other cities from the 5th
century Bl. C. The gold staters of Panticapaeum bearing Pan's head and a
griffin are specially remarkable for their weight and fine workmanship. We have
also coins with the names of the later Spartocids and a singularly complete
series of dates solidi issued by the later or Achaemenian dynasty' in
them may be noticed the swift degeneration of the gold solidus through
silver and potin to bronze (see also Numismatics).
See, for history, introduction to V. V. Latyshev, Inscrr. Orae Septent,
Ponti Euxini, vol ii (St Petersburg, 1890); art. ?Bosporus' (2) by C.G.
Brandis in Pauly-Wissowa, Realencycl. Vol. Iii, 757 (Stuttgart, 1899)'
E. H. Minns, Scythians and Greeks (Cambridge, 1907). Coins: B. Koehne,
Musee Kotschoubey (St Petersburg, 1855). Religious Societies: E. Schurer
in Sitzber, d. k. pr. Akad, d. Wissenschaft zu Berlin (1897), i. pp.
200-227. Excavations; Antiquites du Bosphore cimmerien(St Petersburg,
1854, repr. Paris 1892) and Compte rendu and Bulletin de la
Commission Imp. Archeologique de St-Petersburg. (E. H. M.)
See article on Kerch and on
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