Istrus and Olbia. History

The city of Miletus sent some of its residents into the Black Sea region supposedly in 657, where they established several colonies on the west and north coasts. One of the first was at Istrus (Histria) in modern Romania Dobruja, which is just south of the Danube River delta. The new colony was on the extremity of the island or peninsula in a gulf that later became the Sinoe sea lagoon and is now Sinoe Lake. An oligarchy controlled the city, and at first it was merely a conglomeration of small, one-room stone houses on marshy ground near the harbor. Evidence from excavations show the growth of the colony, as evidenced by a number of temples, including one to Aphrodite.

The colony of Istrus, whose purpose was to provide trading goods to the locals from Ionia and transport goods back from the interior, also helped in the further establishment of colonies in the Black Sea region. These other Milesian foundations included Apollonia Pontica, which was surrounded by two hostile Thracian forts, Odessus and Tomis (modern Constanta in Romania). These new colonies were independent, like Istrus from Miletus, but they provided their mother city with important goods. Istrus also established emporia, or small markets that were extensions of the colony, along the northern coast of the Black Sea, near the colony of Olbia.

One of the hallmarks of these colonies was their strong trading relationship with the local inhabitants. From archaeological remains, it is evident that the local indigenous populations continued to live separately in established suburbs to the colony at Istrus. Here, the local population, aided by the Istrians, exported into the interior of Europe oil and grain in local amphorae and received in return slaves and hides. The Istrians also established an emporium at Braila, at the bend of the Danube inland, to facilitate their access to gold and silver from the region north of the river. In 500, the city was sacked by Scythian raiders. It not only recovered but even grew, but the threat of foreign invasion only increased.

Shortly after the establishment of Istrus, more colonists from Miletus and other Greek cities under the auspices of Apollo from Delphi established the colony at Olbia on the north coast of the Black Sea. Here, at the farthest northern edge of the Black Sea where the west bank of the Hypanis (Bug) River flowed into the great estuary gulf, and twenty-three miles west of the Dnieper, the colony was situated. Olbia could control the commerce and waterways of the two great rivers, the Dniester and Dnieper that flowed from Russia and provided its citizens with access to the rich grain fields that already existed in antiquity.

The colony had a lower city on the bank of the Hypanis and the sea, while 120 feet above it was a plateau with the upper city. The lower town, now under water, probably had a population of 6,000 to 10,000 inhabitants. The upper town has remains dating to 550 and included temples to Zeus and Apollo, next to an agora near a private merchant’s house, which exceeded those found in contemporary Greece and Ionia. From material remains, especially jewelry, there are strong Scythian connections, and Herodotus reported intermarriage between the Scythians and Greeks.

Olbia had a wall surrounding and protecting the city, but it was not strong and it appears that the Scythians helped protect it. Some stories tell of intermarriage with the ruling elites, and although it is not known for sure, there was certainly close relations between the city and nearby Scythian tribes. The city used both land and river routes into the interior, as far as 200 miles inland, where Greek pottery remains have been found. It traded mainly wine and olive oil from Greece and returned with grain to the Aegean.

Grain was the main commodity from the Black Sea colonies, and their trading with the Ukraine and Moldavian plains was crucial. In addition, other agricultural products came from the region, including cattle, furs, timber, and slaves. The colony grew in power and ultimately controlled a large amount of territory and cities on the Black Sea coast. One colony, Tyras on the Tyras River (Dniester), lay between Olbia and Istrus and had close relations with both Olbia and Istrus. Olbia also controlled the modern city of Berezan on a peninsula controlling the Rivers Borysthenes and Hypanis, which met together at the Black Sea estuary. The one- room houses were set low to the ground to protect them from the harsh winter winds.

These colonies flourished during the sixth century, but at the end of the century, Darius’s Persian expedition moved north into the Danube region, threatening to curtail the colonies. The region underwent upheavals with Istrus being sacked by the Scythians in 500 after Darius had retreated. Even Olbia and Berezan were probably anxious, due to Darius potentially cutting off their access to the western markets (notably Transylvania). From the colonies on the western and northern shores, they were perhaps afraid that what had happened on the southern coast with Persian control would mean that the Black Sea might become Persian.

The defeat of Darius allowed the colonies to once again flourish, and during the time of the Delian League, they provided Athens with its grain. Its true importance can be seen in the fact that so long as Athens controlled the Black Sea grain market and trade routes, the Delian League would survive. It was only after the routes were cut off did the Athenians lose the Peloponnesian War.

Farther east of Olbia, the Milesians established other colonies. On the Cimmerian Bosporus was Panticapaeum (modern Kerch), established in 600. It too had a strong acropolis, but it also had good relations with neighboring Scythian tribes. They were ruled by hereditary leaders of the Archaeanactid family from Miletus and ultimately established the Bosporus kingdom, which lasted through the Hellenistic period.