Ancient Greece, Early Archaic Period (c.750-546 BC), Black Sea: Greek Cities, Sinope, Trapezus, Olbia

The Black (=Euxine) Sea connects through to the Mediterranean via the Bosporus (=Istanbul Strait), the Sea of Marmara (=Propontis) and the Dardanelles (=Hellespont). These waters separate eastern Europe and western Asia. The Black Sea is bordered by Bulgaria and Romania on the west, Ukraine on the north, Russia and Georgia on the east, and Turkey on the south. Crimea to the north is a peninsula and separates the Black Sea from the Sea of Azov (=Lake Maeotis), which are connected by the Kerch Strait (=Cimmerian Bosporus).

Sinope

Sinope, founded by the city of Miletus in the seventh century BC, is situated at almost the midpoint of the south shore of the Black Sea. Located on an easily defended peninsula with two good harbours and close to the shortest crossing of the Black Sea, Sinope developed as a prosperous port of the caravan route between the Euphrates and the Black Sea. Sinope was destroyed by the Cimmerians and rebuilt before 600 BC. In c.436 BC it was freed from its tyrant Timesileos by Pericles (c.495-429 BC) and received a contingent of six hundred men to consolidate Athenian influence in 436 BC.

Trapezus

Trapezus (=Trabzon) on the southeast corner of the Black Sea is generally assumed to have been founded by Milesian colonists from Sinope, traditionally in 756 BC. It was founded as an emporium to give access to the mineral wealth of eastern Pontus and the east Anatolian kingdom of Urartu. The Cimerians captured it and used it as a base until they were defeated by the neo-Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (r.668-631 BC). Cyrus II (c.46; r.559-530 BC) captured the city c.546 BC.

Olbia

Olbia was founded in 647 BC by the Milesians on the northwest corner of the Black Sea on the right (west) bank and near the mouth of the Hypanis (=Southern Bug) River in Ukraine. It gained early prosperity from the export of wheat and was the terminus for a major trade route into central Europe. Olbia soon extended its influence and founded numerous small settlements on the lower reaches of the Bug. Particularly important was the island of Berezan.