Research Article

Pontic Athens: an Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context

Volume: 18 November 15, 2019
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Pontic Athens: an Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context

Abstract

The least significant of all ancient settlements called Athenai was located east of Trapezous on the Pontic coast. It maintained its name well into the 20th century, when its successor was renamed Pazar. That Arrian provides us with the first (surviving) description of this chorion is due to a storm that compelled him to anchor parts of the Roman fleet in its little harbour (AD 132). In the 6th century, Prokopios mentions the village only to refute the local tradition that it had been founded by its more famous namesake. Scholars have shared this skepticism and thus largely relegated Pontic Athens to footnotes or condemned it to complete oblivion. But nothing is more plausible than regarding it as a result of Perikles’ expedition to the Euxine (ca. 437/35 BC). Athenai may have a pre-history as a Milesian apoikia called Limne. Less certain is the role it played after the breakdown of Athenian thalassocracy (405 BC). It probably stood under Sinopean hegemony, before being absorbed into the Pontic kingdom in the early-2nd century BC. By then, however, Pontic Athens had shared the economic downturn of the area between Trapezous and Phasis. It lived on as a village regardless, and thus demonstrates that a polichnion could escape the historical record for centuries without ceasing to exist.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

-

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

November 15, 2019

Submission Date

August 6, 2019

Acceptance Date

October 18, 2019

Published in Issue

Year 2019 Volume: 18

APA
Coşkun, A. (2019). Pontic Athens: an Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context. Gephyra, 18, 11-31. https://doi.org/10.37095/gephyra.602897
AMA
1.Coşkun A. Pontic Athens: an Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context. GEPHYRA. 2019;18:11-31. doi:10.37095/gephyra.602897
Chicago
Coşkun, Altay. 2019. “Pontic Athens: An Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context”. Gephyra 18 (November): 11-31. https://doi.org/10.37095/gephyra.602897.
EndNote
Coşkun A (November 1, 2019) Pontic Athens: an Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context. Gephyra 18 11–31.
IEEE
[1]A. Coşkun, “Pontic Athens: an Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context”, GEPHYRA, vol. 18, pp. 11–31, Nov. 2019, doi: 10.37095/gephyra.602897.
ISNAD
Coşkun, Altay. “Pontic Athens: An Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context”. Gephyra 18 (November 1, 2019): 11-31. https://doi.org/10.37095/gephyra.602897.
JAMA
1.Coşkun A. Pontic Athens: an Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context. GEPHYRA. 2019;18:11–31.
MLA
Coşkun, Altay. “Pontic Athens: An Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context”. Gephyra, vol. 18, Nov. 2019, pp. 11-31, doi:10.37095/gephyra.602897.
Vancouver
1.Altay Coşkun. Pontic Athens: an Athenian Emporion in Its Geo-Historical Context. GEPHYRA. 2019 Nov. 1;18:11-3. doi:10.37095/gephyra.602897

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