Authentic Ancient Silver Greek Chernossos Silver Hemi drachm Lion / Incuse Punch 386-336 BC

 Authentic Ancient Silver Greek Chernossos Silver Hemi drachm Lion / Incuse Punch 386-336 BC

Chersonesus (Ancient Greek: , romanized: Khersónesos; Latin: Chersonesus; modern Russian and Ukrainian:  Khersones; also rendered as Chersonese, Chersonesos, contracted in medieval Greek to Cherson ; Old East Slavic: , Korsun) is an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2,500 years ago in the southwestern part of the Crimean Peninsula. Settlers from Heraclea Pontica in Bithynia established the colony in the 6th century BC.

The ancient city is located on the shore of the Black Sea on the outskirts of present-day Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula, where it is referred to as Khersones. The site is part of the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos. The name Chersonesos in Greek means "peninsula" and aptly describes the site on which the colony was established. It should not be confused with the Tauric Chersonese, a name often applied to the whole of the southern Crimea.

During much of the classical period, Chersonesus operated as a democracy ruled by a group of elected archons and a council called the Demiurgoi. As time passed, the government grew more oligarchic, with power concentrated in the hands of the archons.^[1] A form of oath sworn by all the citizens from the 3rd century BC onwards has survived to the present day.^[2][3] In 2013 UNESCO listed Chersonesus as a World Heritage Site.^[4]

History[edit]

Greek colony[edit]

In the 5th century BC, Dorians from Heraclea Pontica on the Black Sea coast of Asia Minor founded the sea port of Chersonesos in southwestern Crimea (outside modern Sevastopol). It was a site with good deep-water harbors located at the edge of the territory of the indigenous Taurians. During much of the Classical Period, Chersonesus was a democracy ruled by a group of elected archons and a council called the Demiurgi. As time passed the government grew more oligarchic, with power concentrated in the hands of the archons. Up to the middle of the 4th century BC, Chersonesos remained a small city. It then expanded to lands in northwest Crimea, incorporating the colony of Kerkinitida and constructing numerous fortifications.

After defending itself against the Bosporan Kingdom, and the native Scythians and Tauri, and even extending its power over the west coast of the peninsula, it was compelled to call in the aid of Mithradates VI and his general Diophantus, c. 110 BC, and submitted to the Bosporan Kingdom. It was subject to Rome and received a garrison from the middle of the 1st century BC until the 370s AD,^[1] when it was captured by the Huns.

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