black sea

mastership extended, based on coins discoveries,
in regions Buzău and Putna. 23 Demonstration was
also sustained by the contemporary testimony by
Trogus Pompeius/Iustinus of another Getic King –
Oroles 24 – whose domination was on the path of
Bastarns. In a large view of Centuries III-I, the
professor did not restrain to affirm the existence
of a “Pontic policy” of the Getic kings. 25
Whether, as the inscription shows, in the great
policy, Histropolitanians were looking for the support
of Getic kings from across Istros, valorization
of rural territory was based on cohabitation with
“Barbarians”, local Getae, sheltered in the city in
hard times and ready to enroll volunteers for common
defense. 26 This reference enabled Professor
D.M. Pippidi to reject the opinion, of Marxistleninist
origin, of the rural territory of Greek cities
exploitation with numerous agrarian slaves. 27
The virulent Thracian threat at the edge of centuries
III/II was not followed by a calm period, Scythia
Minor being probably the path that connected some
Bastarnic tribes with the Kingdom of Macedonia so
that these put themselves in service of kings
Philippos V, Demetrios II and Perseus.
The same Bastarnic pressure at Istros would
have pushed toward South Scythic tribes, whose
leaders are known as “kings” according to their
coins: Ailios, Kanites, Sariakes, Tanusa, Akrosas,
Charaspes. Probably, more important of them was
Kanites, mentioned also by a decree in Odessos, in
the II nd Century, regarding the Greek commerce
in the lands controlled by him. 28 It is not to be
excluded that to these times of domination by these
Scythic leaders be attributed some archaeological
discoveries of the important settlement in Albeşti,
in the Callatian chora.
The interdependency between Pontic Greek
cities, resulted from the economic unity of the
Black Sea, more and more accentuated in the
Hellenistic age, appears also during the serious
conflict that broke out in the first half of the II nd
Century B.C. between Apollonia and Mesembria
upon the port Anchialos. Thanks to the alliance,
concluded one century prior, between Apollonia
and Histria, the Milesian colony was called for
help when Mesembrians, without any war declaration,
occupied the territory and the city
Anchialos. Built by Apollonians, the stronghold and
the borough were meant to ensure their control
upon Burgas Gulf, natural outlet of some commercial
roads in the Balkans. Intervention by
Istropolitans did not delay. Long ships under the
command of admiral Hegesagoras of Monimos
����� Review of Military History �����
cooperated with Apollonians in defending the territory,
the city and the ports. Ulterior, through
common efforts by other unnamed allies, the enemy
fleet that was defending Anchialos was defeated
– a naval fight where Histrian admiral evidenced
by capturing one ship with its entire crew.
Following this victory, the allies landed under the
city assaulting and completely destroying it,
Hegesagoras was excelling through his courage
and skillfulness in leading the fighters on this occasion.
His merits were rewarded not only by coronation
with the golden wreath on the feast of
Dionysos, but also through construction of his
bronze statue, presenting him armed at the ship’s
bow, placed in the temple of Apollo Medicus (the
Healer), the decree that sanctions the facts being
fixed on the base. Apollonians’ acknowledgement
was also recorded in Histria through an inscription
on a marble stone, discovered during the archeological
excavations in 1958. 29
Fruitful affinity between Greek cities in North-
Western Pontus, martially illustrated by the above
named decree, is also registered in other epigraphic
testimonies from Histria. Here appeared inscriptions
in honor of some Tomitans, Callatians, Apollonians,
and of one inhabitant of Byzantium and Cyzic. 30 A
decree from Tomis was rewarding the merits of one
inhabitant of Tyras for sustaining the interests of
Tomitans in his city. 31 Moreover, Tomitan merchants
were welcomed in Odessos.
Despite Memnon’s testimonies, picking probably
an information contemporary to events, the
confrontation between the Callatian-Histrian alliances
with Bizantium, in the first half of the III rd
Century B.C., did not provoke the definitive collapse
of city Callatis. On the contrary, in the II nd
Century its economic role is dominant, clearly
outrunning Histria. Benefiting by an impressive
perimeter and by a not less secure port, the businesses
of merchants from Callatis flourish, different
testimonies attesting this at Tyras Olbia, Tauric
Chersones, Dyonisopolis, Apollonia, Byzantium,
Parion in Troada, Mytilene, Delos, Delfi, and Alexandria.
In the same measure are edificatory, for
the knowledge of commercial relations of the Greek
cities, the archeological discoveries of some
handcrafted products, whose provenience can be
dated based on seals or inscriptions. Among the
most precious of these testimonies there are the
sealed amphorae attesting imports from the great
centers of production – Sinope, Thassos, Rhodos,
Cnidos, Cos, of these useful pots, especially for oils,
wines and other products transported by ships.
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