Navy of the Bosporus Kingdom

Along the shores of the Bosporus of the Cimmerian (modern Kerch Strait ) and the present Taman Bay) ancient Greek cities and settlements were founded by immigrants from Hellas. They introduced the local population to the basics of shipbuilding. Favorable geographical position from the point of view of trade, navigation and naval strategy made it possible to control the passage of ships from Pontus of Evksinsky to Meotida, its basin rich in bread and back ^[1] .

Panticapaeum had a bay in which over time they equipped the harbor and built docks, designed, as Strabo wrote, “for about 30 ships ” ^[2] .

In the Asian part of the Bosporus, the largest port was Phanagoria. Strabo called it the famous and main city of the entire Asian Bosporus , “a trading point for goods brought from Meotida and the barbarian country lying behind it ” ^[3] .

Here was one of the branches of the mouth of the Gipanis River ( Kuban ), along which the trade route from the Kerch Strait to the Sea of ​​Azov passed. Upon entering the mouth of the other arm, Kepas are founded. On the high coastal plateau, located on the shores of Lake Korokondama (Taman Bay), Germonassa was founded (then Tamarha , Tmutarakan ). It was founded in the immediate vicinity of the bay, the shape of which is now greatly altered as a result of a gradual increase in the level of the Black Sea.

On the southeastern coast of Pontus of Evksinsky had access to the sea and convenient bays of Gorgippia , or Sinda harbor. Modern Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik bays served as the basis for the Hellenistic cities of Bata, Bata and Torik (Greek .ορικος) ^[4] .

The Bosporan state was aimed at supplying the sea with Athens, primarily grain. According to Demosthenes , during the reign of Levkon I on the Bosporus (389-349 BC), half of all imported bread came to Attica from here. Only through Feodosia was exported by sea to Athens 2100 thousand medim ("bags") of grain. Relations were also established with Sinope, Heracles of Pontus, Rhodes, Delos, Samos, Pergamum. Fanagoria had close ties with Heracles of Pontius, Sinope, Attica, Samos, Rhodes ^[5] .

With similar Mediterranean centers led the sea trade of Hermonass, Kepa, Patrae. Gorgippia had economic relations with Thasos, Samos , Chios. Up to the II century BC. e., there is a receipt in Gorgippia of goods from Rhodes . The foreign trade directions of Bath and Torik had much in common. In the period from VI to IV centuries. BC e. the main centers with which these peripheral cities had trade were Chios, Rhodes, Thasos. At the beginning of the V century BC. e. goods from Attica appear here.

Strabo pointed out the special commercial significance of the lower Don: “There is a city ​​named after the river / Tanais /, the largest trading place among the barbarians after Panticapaeum. At the entrance to the Bosporus of Cimmeria, the town of Mirmeky lies to the left, 20 stages from Panticapaeum. Twice further from Mirmekiy lies the village of Parthenius; here the narrowest entrance is about 20 stages; opposite this village in Asia is a village called Achilles. From here the direct route by sea to Tanais and the island at its mouths is 2200 stages ... ” ^[6]

Shipbuilding even in those days required a variety of masters. According to V.D. Blavatsky, at the docks of Paktikapei for the construction and repair of 30 ships, at least several hundred shipbuilders were required - carpenters, joiners, wood carvers. Craftsmen supplied metal fasteners, lead coating for ship hulls. The bulk of artisans engaged in the construction of marine vessels was concentrated in such large Bosporan cities as Panticapaeum, Feodosia, Fanagoria, Gorgippia, which had shipyards, docks, and convenient parking for ships.

The transformation of the Bosporus kings into large landowners allowed the Spartokids to become not only the largest suppliers of agricultural products to the foreign market, but also the main shipowners in the Sea of ​​Azov. A decree issued by the Athenian people in honor of Spartok II and Perisad I said: “The Athenian people praise Spartok and Perisad for being good men and promise the Athenian people to take care of the expulsion of bread, as their father took care ... Since they give the Athenians the same the privileges that Satyr and Levkon gave, to use Spartok and Perisad with the same privileges that the Athenian people gave to Satyr and Levkon ... Give those sailors who ask for Spartok and Perisad, and to the ambassadors to write down the names of all the sailors that they will choose from the Secretary Council a ” ^{[ 7]} .

A number of marine merchant ships were privately owned.

The speaker Isokrat spoke about the activities of the Bosporus merchant Sopei, who equipped two of his ships for commercial purposes and sent them with his son to sell goods. Satyr I asked a number of Azov shipowners to help Sopei’s son, who was in a difficult position . Known shipowners Coiran (traded with Delos), Alaturius, son of Nikon, and others.

On a marble slab found in 1908 in Anapa, the text indicated that “ during the reign of King Tiberius Julius Savromat ... to the god Poseidon under king Savromat, the son of the great Remitalk, the fias nakller erected statues and rebuilt the temple from the base, for which the king honored god and fias granting exemption from duty for a thousand artabs . " Hence, in the Bosporus cities, as can be seen from the example of Gorgippia, in the II-III centuries. n e. there were whole associations of navler-shipowners enjoying the patronage of the Basileus himself ^[8] .

Only relying on a strong fleet could ensure the loyalty of the cities of the Cimmerian Bosporus coast and control shipping routes, maintain a monopoly on the grain trade with Athens, and attempt to establish naval dominance and political hegemony on Ponte Euxinus .

The economic potential of the Bosporus kingdom in the light of the data of Aristotle (Arist., Aft. Pol., XXP, 7, XXTV, 3) made it possible to bear the costs of building military and merchant ships, and to arrange shipping lanes, ports, anchor places, and harbors. Since the reign of Levkon I ( 389 BC ), the Bosporus fleet dominated the Black Sea, allowing large-scale resettlement in the Circumpontian zone and large-scale colonization.

The size and composition of the fleet over a long history have undergone significant changes. Fluctuations in the dynamics of quantitative and qualitative growth of the Bosporus marine fleet from the 6th century BC e. on the 3rd century BC e. found reflection in the aggregate data of ancient tradition, archeology, monuments of fine art, coin finds and epigraphic sources.

According to these sources, the Bosporus fleet initially had ships of the triaconter class, but under Levkon I and Perisade I it was already trireme. The merchant fleet included cargo strongylon and holkades ploion of class phortegikos and gauloi . Under Mithridates VI Eupator, the fleet also included triers — cataphracts, diesers — dicroths, and triers — afracts. The standard ships of the Roman fleet, which settled in the Crimea district, were liburnous, and grain was transported on ships of the corbita and navis oneraria class .

According to Josephus Flavius and Tacitus , exactly 40 ships were enough to pacify the pirates and ensure control over the Pontus water area. According to this estimate, in the years 304-251. BC e. and the Bosporus fleet could consist of 40 ships of various classes and purposes: cruising, military transport, sentinels, and ships of the merchant fleet involved in transporting food and troops.

The navy was owned by the Spartokids, but was considered state. From the age of 62, Chersonesus became the base of the ships of the Roman fleet, which included cruising and transport ships - libour. But the Bosporus kingdom continued to have its fleet ^[9] .

The general management of the state fleet was carried out by the navarch of the Bosporus king. As the 193 inscription from Tanais points out, the organization of the construction and repair of ships of the military and merchant fleet, by analogy with Olbia, was controlled by strategists of certain cities of the Bosporus kingdom, obviously entering into relations of cooperation with the epimelets - special officials (RPS. - N 8970, 1052 ; 1112; 1259). Along with the state maritime authorities, private maritime communities are known. The vast majority of their activity reaches its peak in the II-III centuries. n e. These included the Olvia Nakklera Association, which corresponded with the State Nakklera College. And in Gorgippia it is a fias of persons of maritime professions, which included not only shipowners, merchants, but also government officials of the port authorities, united by a common professional activity or kinship, tasks of mutual assistance or relations with the cult of a common patron god.

As part of the Gorgippia fiasco of the time of Savromat II, there was a “ governor of the royal residence, ” who also served as the priest. This is partly evidence of the inclusion of voluntary associations in the state system and their actual merging (KBN. - N 1281-1292) ^[10] .

The fight against pirates was the concern of the kings of Bosporus. In particular, Eumel more than 23 centuries ago temporarily cleared the entire Black Sea from pirates. But it was impossible to completely free the region of Priazovye from pirates, they were even allowed to trade in the local markets.

The fresco painting by Nympheus and the tombstone from Cape Tuzla indicates the presence in the ports of the Bosporan cities of geniokh (fellow countrymen of the Abkhazians and allies) of pirate ships - kamar. This confirms the testimony of Strabo that the Bosporan rulers provided local pirates with pirates. The ideas about the appearance and structure of this local model of shipbuilding are being clarified. Among the local traditions is the fact recorded by Strabo of using them for local swimming and leather boats.

If the camara was a odnoderevka boat, then taking into account the large dredging boats of Eastern Europe, the crew of one large camara reached 25 people (Strabo) or 24 people (Gamba). Maximum - 30 people. When talking about the landing in Colchis, Xenophon also pointed to the existence of small boats: “ ... They arrived in 300 dug-out boats (monoksylos), with three people in each boat. Two of them landed ashore and were built in battle order, and one person remained in the boat. The latter sailed away, and the rest were built ... ”(Hep., Anab., V, 4, 11-12).

According to researchers, the camara indicated by Strabo had a crew of 10 rowers for 20 soldiers and, accordingly, at 25: 8 rowers plus 1 helmsman for 16 soldiers. A crew of 8 rowers corresponds to the number of oarlocks on a traditional Abkhaz boat of the 19th century.

The length of European prototypes of such vessels varied from 10–13 m to 20–25 m ^[11] .

The Bosporus fleet was involved in the war of the peoples of Scythia against the Roman Empire. Then, the Bosporus Courts ensured a naval raid under the emperor Valerian for about 256 years, in which the "Scythians" participated (some Borans ?) The ships of the Bosporus transported them along the eastern coast of the Black Sea to Pitiuntu (modern Pitsunda), where the Scythians were defeated and barely escaped on ships captured from local residents. In a more successful repeated raid, the “Scythians” Zosima plundered Pitiunt and Trabesunt (Trabzon in modern Turkey). Further, Zosima does not use the ethnonym Boran, speaking more about the Scythians.

Sometimes participants in sea voyages of this time were simply called Meotians (Azovites). The ethnic nature of boranes (seductively from Borisfen-Dnieper) is debatable ^[12]

• Boldyrev A.V. , Borovsky Ya. M. Navigation technique // Hellenistic technique: Sat. Art. / Ed. Acad. I.I. Tolstoy . - M., L .: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1948.