New Mithridatic Katoikia at Bosporus
Saprykin Sergey Yu.
The article is devoted to the analysis of the evidence about a settlement Machara-Machare in the Ravenna Anonymous Periplus. This geographical work, written in the Middle Ages (7th-8th cc. AD), gives a long list of place names of the North Black Sea Coast mentioned in many other geographical and historical texts. But some of the names are to be found only in this source, and this is the case with MACHARE-MACHARA. Some attempts were made to connect this name with different places, mostly around Olbia. The author of this article puts forward many arguments in favour of connecting it with the settlement founded by Machares, son of King Mithridates Eupator, at Bosporus where he was governor in 80-68 BC before his treason during the 3rd Mithridatic war. This settlement could have been founded in Sindica close to the border with the savage tribes of the Caucasus who were living between Bosporus and Colchis, where prince Machares also ruled. Construction of the site at Bosporus under Mithridates was due to the policy of this king, who built new forts and fortresses, as well as cities, on the periphery of his kingdom. The new Bosporan settlement was presumably of ka-toikia-type, common for the Hellenistic practice of founding new cities and settlements.