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Pontus (region): the story on HearLore | HearLore
Pontus (region)
Greek colonists arrived along the southern coast of the Black Sea around 1000 BC. They named this region Pontus, derived from the Greek word for sea. The ancient Greeks called the body of water Euxinus Pontos, meaning Hospitable Sea. This name first appeared in written records during the Aeschylean Persians play in 472 BC. Herodotus also referenced the term in his Histories. Before this naming, the area east of the Halys River had no specific designation. Xenophon's Anabasis provides the earliest known use of the name Pontus to describe the land itself. The region stretched from Colchis in modern western Georgia to Paphlagonia in the west. Its hinterland rose into the Pontic Alps, creating a rugged landscape that shaped local history.
Iron Age Tribes And Hittite Frontiers
Archaeological evidence from 2004 shows little has been found regarding early Iron Age groups in the region. The Hittites referred to unorganized northeastern frontier groups as Kaška. These people remained outside the reach of Bronze Age empires like Great Hatti. After the collapse of the Hittite empire, Assyrian court records noted the Kašku overran territory alongside an unknown group labeled Muški. Tiglath-Pileser I documented these movements around 1080 BC. Greek visitors later recorded names of tribes including Moskhians and Leucosyri. Other groups mentioned include Mares, Makrones, Mossynoikoi, Tibarenoi, Tzans, Chalybes, and Chaldoi. Some scholars associate the Tzans with today's Laz language speakers. Literacy was scarce until the Persian and Hellenistic eras arrived. This lack of written records makes speculation about other spoken languages difficult for historians.
When did Greek colonists arrive along the southern coast of the Black Sea to name the region Pontus?
Greek colonists arrived along the southern coast of the Black Sea around 1000 BC. They named this region Pontus, derived from the Greek word for sea.
Who created the Kingdom of Pontus and when was it established after Alexander the Great's death?
Mithridates I Ktistes created the Kingdom of Pontus shortly after 302 BC during the unsettled period following Alexander the Great's death. His descendant Mithridates VI Eupator led wars against Rome for many years under his rule.
What year did Nero constitute Pontus as a Roman province and how was it divided into districts?
Nero constituted the country as a Roman province in AD 62. It was divided into three districts: Pontus Galaticus, Pontus Polemoniacus, and Pontus Cappadocicus.
Which dynasty ruled the Empire of Trebizond and until what year did they maintain independence before Ottoman conquest?
The Komnenos dynasty ruled this political entity for over two centuries. This remnant survived until conquered by Ottomans in 1461 following the Fall of Constantinople itself.
When was the Republic of Pontus proposed at the Paris Peace Conference and why did it never come into existence?
The Republic of Pontus was proposed at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 but never came into existence. The Greek government of Eleftherios Venizelos feared its precarious position so it was included in Wilsonian Armenia instead.
Steady Greek settlements emerged by the 8th and 7th centuries BC according to archaeological findings. Eusebius of Caesarea reported a foundation date of 731 BC for Sinope, one of the oldest colonies. Scylax of Korianda provided the earliest known written description of these Greek settlements in the 7th century BC. Mythical narratives involving Jason, Heracles, and Odysseus reflect early contacts between colonists and local Caucasian peoples. By the 6th century BC, Pontus became part of the Achaemenid Empire. Local Greek colonies began paying tribute to Persian rulers. When Xenophon passed through around 401-400 BC, he found no Persians present in the region. The area formed part of the third and nineteenth satrapies of the Persian empire. Iranian influence is illustrated by the temple of Anaitis, Omanes, and Anadatos at Zela founded in the 6th century BC.
Mithridates VI And Roman Wars
Mithridates I Ktistes created the Kingdom of Pontus shortly after 302 BC during the unsettled period following Alexander the Great's death. His descendant Mithridates VI Eupator, known as the Great, led wars against Rome for many years. Under his rule, the realm included Pontic Cappadocia, seaboard from Bithynian frontier to Colchis, and parts of Lesser Armenia. He married his daughter Cleopatra to Armenian King Tigranes the Great. Despite presenting himself as a philhellene, Mithridates maintained a harem with eunuchs in true Oriental fashion. He gave all sons Persian names and sacrificed like Persian kings at Pasargadae. Appian records that he appointed satraps as provincial governors. The Romans defeated both Mithridates VI and Tigranes the Great during the Mithridatic Wars. This brought Pontus under Roman rule by 64 BC when Pompey subjugated the kingdom.
Roman Provinces And Byzantine Themes
Nero constituted the country as a Roman province in AD 62. It was divided into three districts: Pontus Galaticus, Pontus Polemoniacus, and Pontus Cappadocicus. Trajan moved Pontus into the province of Cappadocia in the early 2nd century AD. Diocletian broke up the area into smaller provinces around AD 295 following a Gothic raid on Trebizond in 287 AD. Justinian reorganized the area again in 536, dissolving Pontus Polemoniacus. Parts went to Helenopontus while others joined Armenia I Magna with its capital at Justinianopolis. By the late 10th century, the region split into themes of Chaldia and Koloneia. The Gabrades family governed Chaldia. A vast network of coastal fortresses secured the region militarily from the 11th through the 15th centuries. Anania of Shirak studied at a school established by Tychicus who returned from Constantinople in the 7th century.
Trebizond Empire And Ottoman Annexation
The Empire of Trebizond retained independence after Constantinople fell to the Fourth Crusade in 1204. This remnant survived until conquered by Ottomans in 1461 following the Fall of Constantinople itself. Geographic remoteness and adroit diplomacy allowed survival as a vassal state to Georgia and Turkic rulers. The Komnenos dynasty ruled this political entity for over two centuries. Under their rule, the empire became a renowned center of culture. Large communities of Christian Pontic Greeks remained throughout the area including Trabezon and Kars until the 1920s. Some valleys inhabited by Greeks converted voluntarily, most notably those in the Of valley. One group called Kromli numbered between 12,000 and 15,000 people living in villages like Krom and Imera. Many continued speaking their language which preserves characteristics of Ancient Greek today.
Population Exchange And Genocide
The Republic of Pontus was proposed at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 but never came into existence. The Greek government of Eleftherios Venizelos feared its precarious position so it was included in Wilsonian Armenia instead. Neither state materialized before the Pontic Greek population faced genocide and expulsion after 1922. Survivors resettled in the Soviet Union or Macedonia. This situation was formally recognized as part of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923. Official Ottoman Statistics from 1910 recorded 72.56% Muslims, 24.31% Greeks, and 3.12% Armenians in Trebizond Vilayet. Ecumenical Patriarchate Statistics from 1912 showed similar proportions with 70.33% Muslims and 25.96% Greeks. Large communities preserved their own customs and dialect until displacement occurred during the early 20th century.