Tanais (Sarmatia)

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Tanais ( ancient Greek Τάναϊς ) was an ancient Greek city at the mouth of the river of the same name (today the Don ) on the coast of the Pontos Euxeinos ( Black Sea ). The remains are about 30 km west of Rostov-on-Don and about 20 km north of Azov .

Early settlement by Greek colonists

An ancient Greek settlement existed early on . It was a Greek colonial city and the most northeastern advance of the Greeks. Originally it was founded by settlers from Miletus . According to Strabon (Strab. 11,2,2) it was originally a plateau in the Don river delta used by Asian nomads and Greek merchants alike. From here the merchants traded with the steppe areas further northeast. In a short time a river and seaport city developed here.

The establishment of the Emporion Tanais may have fallen during the reign of the Bosporan king Peirisades II (284–250 BC). Nevertheless, the city was not a Bosporan colony, but Greek. The Bosporan Empire also had a colony near Elizavetovka in the Don Delta, which was completely destroyed by the Sarmatians shortly after the founding of Tanais . Already around 50 years after it was founded, a polis was built above the port , which was protected by a 2.5 m wide wall. Since the beginning of the 1st century BC Tanais is likely to have been subject to the Pontic Kingdom . Around the turn of the millennium, probably in the year 8 BC. Chr. Tanais was of Polemon I. destroyed. In the following 100 years only a small remaining population remained resident.

The Roman Tanais

The Bosporan Empire and thus also Tanais had been dependent on Rome since the end of the Mithridatic Wars . Since the beginning of the rule of the Bosporan king Sauromates I (93–123 AD), Tanais has again been expanded to become an important trading town. Wide trenches were dug for fortification. Behind it, a wall up to 12 m high was built from relatively brittle limestone and sandstone. In the basement under a corner tower, amphorae with petroleum were found, which were probably used to light a beacon on the tower. This is the earliest evidence of the use of petroleum in the northern Black Sea region. The population has increased sharply since the middle of the 2nd century. Since then, the city seems to have been hit by unrest more and more. Fires even hit the city fortifications. It is possible that these riots were based on Sarmatian uprisings, because a little later inscriptions denoting officials, numerous barbaric names appear. From then on, forms of steppe cultures also appear in the finds.

Destruction in the Gotensturm

Around the year 250 AD, Tanais was destroyed by the Goths who had previously spread south from the Vistula . While the smaller settlements in the area around Tanais were increasingly plundered and destroyed since the beginning of the 3rd century, the city was apparently able to defend itself for some time. Around this time, a stele of honor was erected, which indicates a victory. A depot with 17 swords, apparently collected from a battlefield and brought into town, also points to a victory. A little later, however, Tanais also fell victim to the attacks and the residents evacuated the city. There was apparently no fighting, but the city was completely looted and burned to the ground. However, some basement rooms were not discovered by the looters and today provide important finds. After the looting, the urban area remained deserted for over 100 years.

Resettlement and end of the ancient city

The city was repopulated around the middle of the 4th century. New house forms are typical, reminiscent of Germanic long houses with combined living and utility rooms. Some of the ceramics can be assigned to the Chernyakhov culture , which is associated with East Germans and Goths. In addition, Sarmatian and Alanic shapes as well as red lacquer crockery from ancient centers remain. The well-planned layout of the new settlement shows that it is not an accidental resettlement. Rather, it indicates that the strengthened Gothic tribal association, probably including the Alans and Sarmatians, was interested in founding a trade center to reactivate the old traffic routes. Around the year 375 the Huns invaded the region and reached the Don. In Tanais, the density of buildings has increased since the last quarter of the 4th century, which can be explained by the fact that the rural population in the city sought protection from the Hunnic attacks. This phase of dense settlement continued until around 425 AD. From then on, the population initially declined. Little by little, numerous residents left the settlement and the abandoned houses fell into disrepair. This population decline can be explained by the pull caused by the westward movement of the Huns and other barbarian peoples. Finally, around the middle of the 5th century, the late antique Tanais was revived again. During this short phase, new, smaller dwellings were built into the ruined wall remains of the former houses. These houses have conspicuously rounded corners and are reminiscent of the yurts of the steppe peoples in their architectural style . The floor of the formerly larger house area served the new residents as a courtyard for their economic activities. A little later, however, the settlement is finally abandoned.

literature

Web links

Commons : Tanais  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Böttger et al .: Tainais am Don In: Fornasier, Böttger (ed.): Das Bosporanische Reich. Mainz 2002, ISBN 3-8053-2895-8 , pp. 69-85

Coordinates: 47 ° 16 ′ 6.4 ″  N , 39 ° 20 ′ 10.2 ″  E