Olbia is an ancient Greek city in the steppe. Olvia - an ancient Greek colony Ukraine, Mykolaiv region

At the time when colonization began modern island Berezan, it was a peninsula. And in the 7th century BC, the first colony of Greeks in the Northern Black Sea region was founded here. Like many other cities, Olbia was also founded by immigrants from the Ionian city of Miletus. Now it is the territory of modern Turkey.

Archaeologists began to excavate ancient Olbia a very long time ago, more than a hundred years ago. This settlement has always been of interest to scientists, and therefore research is still being carried out here. The discoverer of Olbia was the Odessa scientist R. Prendel, who hoped to find an older settlement here. Having accidentally stumbled upon a settlement of ancient times, he lost interest in the excavations of Olbia, but it is he who holds the championship. Later, studies of the settlement continued and found more than 500 burials. One of the tasks of such close attention to the ancient city was that they tried to protect it from the robbers who barbarously plundered the island of Berezan.

The settlement itself on the island occupies a fairly large area - more than ten hectares. In one part of it there is a necropolis, and in the south, the remains of a Turkish fortress of the 18th century have been preserved. The cultural layers in the settlement mixed with each other, but archaeologists distinguish three main periods. It is archaic, classical and roman. All of them belong to the period BC.

The most interesting and most studied period is the archaic (VI - beginning of the V century BC). Archaeologists managed to excavate a significant area of ​​the settlement and learn many interesting facts about the life of the first settlers. At first they lived in dugouts, from which rectangular or round pits have been preserved. The dugouts were small, about ten square meters, the height of the dwelling was a little more than two meters. That part of the dwelling that towered above the ground was built of wood and brick, and the floors in the house were adobe. Couches and various niches for household needs were carved inside the dugout. Amphorae were dug into the floor.

At that time, artisans already existed, and during the excavations, the remains of their workshops with various waste from production were found.

This is what the settlements looked like at first. Later, when the city grew, the dwellings and streets were remodeled. The houses became ground-based and were built on stone foundations and with brick walls. Just as buildings were erected in the metropolis. Residential and commercial houses were built in such a way as to create an inner courtyard, which was the center of the life of the whole family. This was also a Greek tradition. The houses were one-story and covered with reeds on top. Tiles were rarely used. Often in the central part of the house there was a stone altar where the gods were worshipped. At first, when Berezan was a peninsula, there was plenty of fresh water, and it was extracted from wells that were in every yard. Later, when the level of the estuary rose, Berezan turned into an island, and the water became salty.

As for burials, cremation is quite common, and children were buried in amphoras. Dishes, sometimes weapons, were added to the burial to the deceased. If it was the burial of a wealthy resident, then jewelry can also be found.

Not far from the necropolis were temples and altars dedicated to the Greek gods. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of the temple of Aphrodite from the end of the 6th century BC. The walls with which the stone altar was enclosed were preserved. Their height is 20-60 centimeters, and they were made of rubble stone. Remains of vessels and terracotta figurines were found on the floor of the temple. This is exactly what the temple of Aphrodite looked like in the metropolis of Olbia - the city of Miletus.

All these finds indicate that it was already a fairly large city. But it was not possible to find the place where the harbor was located. Although the remains of an anchor and other finds were found, indicating that the port was.

Also debatable is whether the city had defensive walls. From the side of the steppe, they should be mandatory, but studies have not confirmed this. There was an assumption that they are under water, but this hypothesis was also rejected. Over time, the relief of the island changed, and some part of the settlement was flooded with water. Underwater archaeologists examined the flooded city, but the walls were never found. Then the scientists agreed that the defensive structures were built of unbaked bricks. If so, then the remains of the walls could have been washed away by water.

As for the economy of the policy, for a long time it was believed that the Olbians were engaged in trade. Yes, trade also took place, but intermediary. And so the inhabitants of the policy were mainly engaged in agriculture.

During the excavations, many amphorae were found, which were brought from the island of Lesvos and Chios, from the city of Miletus. Tableware consisted of jugs, bowls and was painted. Mostly red and grey.

These household items were also brought from the metropolis and served as evidence that the connection between the cities existed.

Olbia is the largest political, administrative, cultural and economic center Hellenistic world. Founded in the second quarter of the VI century BC. natives of Miletus, Olbia existed as the capital of the state of the same name until the 70s of the 4th century BC. Occupying the vast territory of the lower reaches of the Dnieper Bug Estuary, the Olbian policy over time expanded its zone of influence within the North-Western Black Sea region from the right bank of the Southern Bug to the Gulf of Odessa in the west and to the Karkinitsky Gulf in the North-Western Crimea.

During the heyday of Olbia, under her patronage, there was a sanctuary on the island of Levka. The upper city of Olbia was located on a high plateau, protected from the north and west by deep beams.

On the lower plateau, coming close to the shore of the Bug Estuary, was the Lower City. Not far from it were the mouths of two large rivers that flowed into the Pont Euxinus - Gipanis (Southern Bug) and Borysfen (Dnieper).

Archaeological excavations, begun at the Olviysk settlement in the 19th century, made it possible to recreate the appearance of the ancient city. Mass construction of Olbia began already in the second half of the 6th century BC.

In the Upper City was located main square Olbia is an agora, along the perimeter of which the buildings of the city executive power were located.

Not far from the agora was also a courthouse - a dicastery. The period from the 5th century to the third quarter of the 3rd century BC was the heyday of Olbia. In the last quarter of the 4th century BC. within the agora, two temenos appeared with temple buildings and altars. At the same time, a temple dedicated to Apollo the Doctor was built here.

On the territory of the temenos, statues of gods and heroes were exhibited, honorary decrees in honor of especially prominent citizens of the city and proxenia - decrees on granting privileges in trade and citizenship rights to individual foreigners.

In the central part of the city, large stone buildings are erected by wealthy citizens. Obviously, in the first quarter of the 5th century BC. Olbia is surrounded by powerful fortress walls. In the Lower City, the Olbiopolites erected numerous residential quarters, craft workshops, warehouses and wharfs.

As materials show archaeological sites, from the second half of the III century BC. Olbia entered a period of protracted military-political crisis. In the middle of the 1st century BC. the city was destroyed by the Getic tribes, as evidenced by the traces of numerous fires and destruction.

After the Geta defeat, having become dependent on the Scythian state, Olbia in the 1st century AD. again gradually began to revive. In the II century AD. Olviopolites, once again pressed by the barbarian tribes, turn to the Roman Empire for help. The city houses the Roman garrison zone in a specially built citadel. The departure of the Roman troops from the city leads to the fact that the inhabitants finally leave Olbia.

The reconstruction of the historical past of Olbia almost until the beginning of the 1960s of the twentieth century was based solely on the results of studies of epigraphic and numismatic monuments, materials obtained during ground archaeological excavations. The first practical steps in the study of the flooded part of the Olviysk settlement were taken as early as 1902 by B.V. Farmakovskiy. He carried out cleaning of stone masonry at the very edge of the coastline and measured the proposed port facilities.

With the help of a special lifting bucket, an attempt was made to carry out underwater archaeological excavations. In 1937, in Olbia, by the forces of the Odessa rescue squad, which was part of EPRON, R.A. carried out short-term work, which set as its task the survey of the flooded part of the Lower City. After more than two decades, underwater archaeological research in Olbia was resumed by expeditions led by V.D. Blavatsky. Judging by the publications of the scientist, the start of work on the flooded part of the Olviysk settlement was preceded by the study of almost all sources of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century concerning the historical topography of the city and the interpretation of all archaeological objects ever found in the water area occupied by the Lower City.

Professor Blavatsky studied the composition and structure of bottom sediments and determined the exact location of objects related to the history of the city, drew up a detailed plan for a section of the water area adjacent to the Olbia settlement.

As a result of the survey of the water area, an uneven increase in depths at a distance of up to 100-170 meters from the coast was revealed. This was especially clearly seen opposite the northern and central sections of the Olvisky settlement. It was this circumstance that allowed V.D. Blavatsky to draw a conclusion about the actual location of the coastline in ancient times, 250-300 meters from the modern water edge in the estuary.

The method of radial search for archaeological objects under water contributed to the successful conduct of underwater reconnaissance. This method provided for a visual inspection of the bottom surface by a scuba diver, attached to the base vessel with a running cable up to 50 meters long. In Olbia, due to poor visibility, inspection of the bottom surface was carried out at safety lines 5, 10, 15 and 20 meters long. But even in this case, reconnaissance was carried out in such a way that one radius search overlapped half of the previous one.

Thus, the participants of the expedition only for one field season in 1961 managed to draw up a fairly detailed plan of the bottom of the flooded part of the Olviysk settlement with a total area of ​​about 44,600 square meters. meters.

The largest number of finds was located opposite the central part of the settlement. Here, among the numerous placers of ragged stone, it was possible to identify several accumulations of stone blocks. One such cluster, located just 50 meters from the shore, consisted of four dozen carefully crafted stone blocks. The distance between them sometimes reached 2-5 meters. The second, even larger cluster of blocks was found 110 meters east of the first.

The main efforts of archaeologists were focused on the study of the pier. Archaeologists showed increased interest in this object in the middle of the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, B.V. Farmakovsky made measurements of the “wharf” and took a profile of the bottom in the area of ​​​​its location.

V.D. Blavatsky established that this object is a large collapse of stones in the form of a stone "platform", elongated in the meridional direction, resembling a polygon with its outlines. This "platform" in many places rose above the bottom of the estuary to a height of up to 1 meter. The length of the "platform" from north to south reached 75 meters, and the width in some areas was in the range of 25-29 meters. Having completed the survey of the "wharf", V.D. Blavatsky could not draw a final conclusion regarding the purpose of this ancient stone structure.

At the same time, the eastern boundary of urban development was determined, which presumably stood at a distance of up to 230-300 meters from the modern coast. Amendments were made to the size of the territory occupied by Olbia in Hellenistic times. Together with the unflooded part of the settlement, which is currently determined within 33 hectares, the total area occupied by the city could be approximately 50 hectares.

From this followed the conclusion of V.D. Blavatsky: “Less than Panticapaeum in size, which exceeds it no less than twice, Olbia may turn out to be approximately equal to Phanagoria and somewhat larger than Chersonese. If what has been said is confirmed by further research, then it will turn out that the number of inhabitants in Olbia was much larger than can be assumed until now.

In 1964, Olbia became the object of special paleogeographic research, which had not been carried out before in any of the ancient cities of the Northern Black Sea region. A complex expedition, composed of employees of the Leningrad All-Russian Research Institute of Exploration Methods and Techniques of the Ministry of Geology and the Leningrad Branch of the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, led by K.K. Shilik, a geological and geomorphological survey of the settlement and the adjacent water area of ​​the Bug Estuary was carried out.

Archaeologists managed to establish the causes of the flooding of the Lower City. According to the results of the research, at the time the Greek colonists appeared in the Olbia region, the water level in the estuary was at least 5 meters lower than the current one.

The Nymphian transgression that followed the Phanagorian regression at the end of the 1st millennium BC. flooded most amphitheater occupied by the Lower City. During the transgression, abrasion was able to destroy the remaining traces of the cultural layer that was under water, and the constantly formed bottom currents destroyed all previously existing buildings.

When in the VI century AD. life in the city ceased, the water level in the Lima still continued to rise, reaching the edge of the New Black Sea cliff. The bathymetric map of the Olbian water area compiled in the course of the geomorphological studies carried out made it possible not only to double-check the information provided by Professor Blavatsky, but also to reconstruct the topography of the flooded part of the city.

It was found that the ancient coastline passed much further than the borders that were marked in 1961. In the III century BC. the eastern border of urban development opposite the Northern beam passed 500 meters from the modern coastline.

Opposite the central part of the Olvian settlement, this distance was less and amounted to only 400 meters.

In 1971, an underwater archaeological expedition began its work in Olbia, created at the Institute of Archeology of Ukraine under the leadership of S.D. Kryzhitsky.

The main goal was to study the so-called pier, since the purpose of this archaeological site was not established in the course of previous studies. There was no clear idea of ​​the coastal "mole", the remains of which were found near the "wharf". In view of the constantly ongoing processes of moving the bottom layers of sand, the possibility of discovering new archaeological sites was not ruled out.

Underwater work was carried out using the method of laying pits. In one of the pits there were six layers, differing in structure, layer thickness and accompanying material. The first layer consisted of untreated stones with deposited deposits in the form of sand and silt. The second consisted mainly of imported stone. It also contained fragments of Thasos amphoras dating back to the 4th century BC. In the third layer, similar in structure, we found amphora material from Chios. The fourth layer was dominated by pebbles and small cobblestones along with rounded stones of various types. Numerous fragments of amphoras of the 4th-3rd centuries BC were used as dating material. from Heraclea Pontica. The absence of ceramics in the lowest, fifth and sixth layers, testified that the stone collapse, having the Novochernomorskaya terrace as a base, until the 4th century BC. located outside the urban area.

Stratigraphic observations within the entire stone collapse made it possible to establish one more feature - it was not possible to find undisplaced cultural layers at any level.

S.D. Kryzhitsky abandoned the previously established definition of this object as a "pier". One can only assume that it was formed as a result of the destruction of the defensive complex of the Hellenistic time, since, as is known, Olbia was surrounded by fortress walls from the side of the estuary. In the process of underwater work, the point of view of a number of scientists of the 19th - early 20th centuries regarding the remains of the flooded coastal zone"mola". According to the plan drawn up by I. Blaramberg, the “mole” was a rectangular underwater object, 100 x 90 meters in size, located perpendicular to the shore. The southern tip of the "pier" was oriented towards the "wharf".

However, as it turned out in fact, in the area of ​​​​the supposed location of the “pier”, apart from randomly scattered stones and rounded ceramics, no other material was found indicating the presence of building structures. According to S.D. Kryzhitsky, “it is possible that the “mole” on the plan of I. Blaramberg could be drawn erroneously, based on reports from local residents about the presence of a bridge in the southern part of the flooded Lower City.” Studies of the ruins of the stone expanded the idea of ​​the defensive system of the city to the middle of the 1st century BC. and after the Getic invasion.

Along the alignment line of the fortress wall excavated on land in the northern part of the Lower City of Olbia, at a distance of 100 meters from the shore, underwater archaeologists were able to find a stone ruin about 60 meters long, stretched from east to west. The results of the pitting showed that the sole of this stone collapse rests on a sand cushion. The bulk of the found material consisted of processed stones of imported rocks. Judging by the shape of the stone collapse, its orientation, the presence of a large number of processed stone blocks, this place was part of the northern defensive city wall, erected in V-IV centuries BC.

The remains of cultural layers of the Hellenistic period within the collapse showed that at that time the fortifications were located among residential buildings.

The western border of the stone collapse of the fortress wall with a length of more than 70 meters was 135 meters from the coast and had a direction from west to east. This fortress wall was erected after the Getic invasion. During construction, large stone blocks were laid at the base of the wall, and the upper layers of masonry were made of polygonal slabs up to 2 meters long.

The reconstruction of the fortification system in the western section of the Lower City showed that not only the city's residential quarters, but also port facilities were under the protection of the fortress walls. These conclusions are confirmed by the archaeological material found during the study of the "amphora fields".

"Amphora fields", according to S.D. Kryzhitsky, are among no less significant objects than those that were previously identified in the flooded part of Olbia. In their appearance, they were relatively large sections of the bottom with archaeological material in the form of unrounded fragments and whole specimens of amphorae. One of the first “amphora fields” found was located 155 meters from the shore near the collapse of the northern defensive wall of the city, erected after the defeat of Olbia by the Getae. The chronological range of amphora material covers the period from the second half of the 6th century to the beginning of the 2nd century BC.

VI-V centuries BC are represented by an almost complete set of amphoras of this time. More than 70% of ceramic vessels belonged to the 4th century BC. Among the found ceramics of the III-II centuries BC. the amphoras of Chios, Sinope and Chersonesus predominated.

The discovery of this "amphora field" made it possible to establish that it was located within the port part of the Lower City, and the predominance of ceramic containers in the total mass of finds testified to the fact that until the 2nd century BC. there were storage port facilities.

At 50 meters from the first "amphora field" archaeologists discovered another "amphora field", but somewhat smaller. More than 750 large fragments of amphorae, tableware and kitchen utensils have been dated to the end of the 6th - 5th century BC. When examining this "amphora field", archaeologists noticed that among the ceramic material of the 1st century AD. mainly household items predominate: jugs with an inflated body, thin-walled goblets, molded kitchen pots, pots and amphoras with a beak-shaped rim. Probably, the "amphora field" was located in that part of the city, where, along with port buildings, there was a fairly large economic suburb.

It is possible that port and storage facilities were located in close proximity to the berths, where merchant ships arriving in Olbia could moor. This is evidenced by the discovery of stone blocks with traces of processing and a stone bollard made of shell rock. The bollard was intended for throwing and holding the mooring rope. The presence of traces of wear on the bollard testified to its long operation.

The flooded part of the Lower City explored by underwater archaeologists in the 5th-4th centuries BC. occupied an area of ​​at least 12 hectares. In Hellenistic times - 17 hectares, and in the first centuries of our era, the territory of the Lower City with the adjacent port area within the defensive walls was 6-7 hectares.

The discovered "amphora fields" testify to the existence of storage facilities and equipped berths for sea merchant ships in the immediate vicinity of the coast. Here, in the northeastern part of the Lower City of Olbia, there could also be a city market, the existence of which was mentioned by written sources.

Vyacheslav Taskaev

From the collection "Antique underwater archeology of the northern Black Sea region", Moscow, 2009

Abstract on the basics of archeology on the topic:

Greek cities Northern Black Sea region. Olvia.

Students of the 1st year of the 11th group

Faculty of History

Kolesnikova Olga

Moscow. 1998

Introduction ________________________________________________________ 2

History of excavations and study ___________________________________ 3

Ancient City_________________________________________________ 4

Pre-Getic period _____________________________________________ 5

Temenos before the defeat of the Gets ___________________________________ 7

Agora before the Geta rout __________________________________________ 9

Post-Getic era ___________________________________________ 10

Decline of the 3rd century_______________________________________________ 12

Olbia necropolis _______________________________________________ 13

The population of Olbia in the VI-I centuries BC____________________________ 14

References ___________________________________________ 16

The colonization of the Black Sea coast by the Greeks began in the middle of the 7th century BC. The first settlement was founded by them on the island of Berezan.

Ancient Olbia was settled by the Greeks in the middle of the 6th century BC. In the same VI, as well as the V century BC. the Greeks founded Panticapaeum (VII century BC, now Kerch), Phanagoria ( Taman Peninsula), Feodosia, Chersonesos (near Sevastopol), Tyra and many other cities.

The reasons for colonization were the contradictions in ancient Greek society between the supporters of land ownership and tribal nobility. Convinced of this confrontation, they had to move to new territories. This flow of migrants was supplemented by farmers forced out by slaves. The bulk of the settlers in Olbia were Milesians, as well as residents of other cities in Greece.

Olbia was located at the mouth of the Bug and the Dnieper, there were fertile and rich lands around the city. The Greeks most often settled on the site of already existing settlements. Therefore, some archaeologists believe that Olbia was founded on the site of an older settlement.

The ancient city was surrounded by a number of Scythian tribes. To the east lived the Scythians farmers. Directly adjacent to Olbia were the Pollimedes, whom Herodotus called the Hellenic-Scythians. To the north and northwest were the Alazons. Relations at that time with the Scythian tribes were very good, which was explained by mutual trade and economic benefits.

However, in the III century BC. the picture is changing. The surrounding tribes were opposed to Olbia. Often the Scythians of the Sarmatians undertook military raids on the city.

The location of Olbia was established by Russian scientists - Academician Pallas during his scientific expedition to the south of Russia in 1794 (the work on this expedition was published in 1801) and Pavel Sumarokov, who published the book "Journey through the Crimea and Bessarabia in 1799 ". The description of the area in 1819 was made by P.I. Koppen. The first excavations were carried out by Sukhtelen in 1801, and more significant work was carried out in 1847 and 1853 on behalf of the Moscow Archaeological Society A.S. Uvarov. The following studies were done by Zabelin and Tizehausen in 1873. They outlined the boundaries of the city, the burial ground and obtained ancient dishes, utensils, coins.

It should be noted the publication of the work of V.V. Latyshev in 1885 containing inscriptions from Olbia. However, despite all this, research throughout the 19th century was only episodic.

During the first half of the 20th century, 37 expeditions visited Olbia. They can be divided into two periods: from 1901 to 1915 and the Soviet one. The first period is associated with the name of B.V. Farmakovsky, who carried out scientifically delivered field work with fixing the results. His task was also to find out the topography of the city, its boundaries, defense systems, the nature of buildings, etc. In 1901-1903, Farmakovsky excavated the central part Upper city, where a large rich house of the 3rd-2nd centuries BC was found. In 1903, excavations were carried out in the south-west of the city, in the north-west of the city, on Zayachaya Balka. In 1905-1906, the northern border of the citadel was opened. The scientists also excavated more than 1,500 burials of the Olbian burial ground.

In the Soviet period, excavations were resumed after the Second World War by Professor S.A. Semyonov-Zuser.

The relief of the area on which ancient Olbia was located determined the shape of the fortress in the form of an irregular triangle. Olbia occupied a plateau of three parts: Upper city, Middle part (slope) and Lower city. Part of the Lower City is now under water.

The history of Olbia is divided into two periods, the boundary of which is the Geta defeat in the middle of the 1st century BC.

There is still no single point of view on the date of the founding of Olbia. Some researchers speak of the turn of the 7th-6th centuries BC, others believe that the city was founded at the beginning or during the 6th century BC.

Excavations have shown the singularity of ceramic fragments of the last quarter of the 7th century BC. and the mass character of materials dating back to the 6th century BC.

In the VI century BC. the entire territory of the Upper City was mastered, with the exception of the northern part, occupied by the Necropolis. The northern border of the city apparently passed just north of the Zeus mound, where the remains of dwellings of the 6th-early 5th centuries BC were unearthed. In its southern borders, the city reached Zayachaya Balka.

The growth of the city also came from the south. By the end of the VI century BC. The lower city passed to the borders of the Northern beam.

In the second half of the VI century BC. in the Upper City, Temenos and Agora appear on the line of the main street.

At the turn of the VI-V centuries BC. there is a residential area in the suburbs with an area of ​​1500 m 2 . The dwellings were mostly dugouts of a rectangular shape. In the floor of some of them, recesses from the corner and central pillars have been preserved. Imported ceramics of the late 6th-5th centuries BC were found in dugouts. and terracotta figurines. In addition to the dugouts in the southern part of the suburb, the remains of a structure slightly buried in the ground were discovered. In the VI century BC. it consisted of one room, and at the beginning of the 5th century BC. - out of four. In the central room adjoined from the north was a room with an ashpit, from the east - a pantry for storing wine and olive oil. In the western room there was adobe utensils. Yu.I. Kozub interprets this complex as a sanctuary, believing that the ash pan is an altar, and the platform had a cult significance.

Time of the 5th century BC and the third part of the 4th century BC. - the heyday of Olbia. Herodotus reported that in the first half of the 5th century BC. defensive walls were built. The northern line of defense of the city of the 5th century BC. coincided with the border of the city of the VI century BC. In the 5th century BC. the city takes on a new look, in accordance with the developed layout, which in some places corresponds to the hippodama system, but in general does not have clearly defined squares.

The district of citywide significance, in the immediate vicinity of the Agora and Temenos, continued to be intensively built up. Until the middle of the 5th century BC. there were still dugouts in the outskirts of the city.

From the last quarter of the 4th century BC. the second stage of economic and political prosperity begins. This was reflected in the new growth of the chora, the development of local production, the revival of trade relations, and intensive construction. The city of the Hellenistic era, the most fully preserved, makes it possible to recreate individual urban ensembles, the layout of houses, and urban facilities as a whole.

In the IV century BC. the city expands and occupies the territory of the Necropolis of the VI-V centuries BC. near the North Bay. The northern line of defense is being built in accordance with the borders. According to A.N. Karaseev was created by the Olviopolites in the 6th century BC. vaults that stretched from the North Gate to the West.

In the outskirts, where mostly artisans lived, the houses had from three to eleven rooms. The improvement of houses was supplemented by the presence of water tanks, which were especially needed in the Upper Town. The cisterns were dug into the mainland and their walls were covered with hydraulic mortar. Their depth reached 7-8 meters. In the Lower City, all houses had wells. The improvement also includes the presence of water pipelines in the yards, which diverted water into the city highways.

So far, only local ceramics testify to ceramic production. On the development of foundry production - numerous finds of casting molds, especially in layers of the 4th-3rd centuries BC.

By the end of the 4th century BC. Olbia entered a period of protracted crisis. Most of the settlements on the chorus of Olbia cease to exist. Relations with neighbors are deteriorating, as a result of which walls are being built along the coastline. The construction of public buildings is stopped. By the end of the II century BC. ends its existence Temenos and Agora. In the middle of the 1st century BC. Olbia was destroyed by the Getae, as evidenced by the traces of numerous fires recorded by excavations in various parts of the city.

The excavations of Temenos began in 1951. In 1955, the eastern fence was opened and the entrance from the side of the "eastern" Agora street. Building remains of Temenos from the 6th century BC have come down to us in fragments. This is a stone path, preserved for 20 meters, which led from the Agora to the sacred grove. A small grove of planted trees occupied the northern half of the currently uncovered territory of Temenos. To the east of the "sacred" path stood the earliest altar of Temenos, from which only the plinth has come down to us. To the south of the altar there was a square building, 4.80 x 4.80 meters in size. Only the lower row of log masonry has been preserved. It is difficult to say whether it was a temple. The entrance to the building was from the west. In the 5th century BC. the building is being rebuilt. In the grove itself, there were probably small religious buildings, which include an oval depression, which was later filled with a very dense rammer. So far, we can only say that already in the last quarter of the 6th century BC. sacred services connected with the cult of Zeus, Athena, Apollo Delphinius were performed here. A large number of materials of this time testify that even then the cult site was the center of the spiritual life of the Olviopolites. The approximate border of the sanctuary is determined in the south by early depressions in the mainland, in the north and west it apparently coincided with the later border.

In the 5th century BC. there is an intensive development of Temenos, which gave it a completely different look. Instead of a scattered and unformed sanctuary, where a significant place was given to "sacred" trees and other objects characteristic of the early Greek religion, a complex appears clearly limited by buildings. By the 5th century BC. include the construction of the limestone main altar next to the pre-existing altar, the temple of Apollo Delphinius and the altar for the burning of sacrifices located among the still preserved grove. To the north of the burning altar, the remains of another altar were found, of which only the base has survived. Grove in the 5th century BC was reduced at the expense of the temple.

There is no doubt that on the site of the temple of Zeus in the northwestern part of Temenos, there was an earlier temple. There, in the western part, there was a large stone reservoir for collecting rainwater.

In the last quarter of the 4th century BC. Temenos is being rebuilt again. The main reason was the low position compared to the city places of worship. The entire level of Temenos was raised, after which new construction began. The temple of Apollo Delphinius was the first to be built. The new temple was much larger and occupied not only the area of ​​the old one, but also part of the buildings adjacent to it. Only the remains of a layered foundation have reached us from this temple, the width of which was 16 meters, and the length was at least 30-35 meters.

In the III century BC. a new temple was built in the northwestern part of the sanctuary, oriented to the southeast. This temple was dedicated to Zeus.

During the Hellenistic period, another square building was apparently built. To supply Temenos with water, a huge cistern about 9 meters deep was built to the north of the exit, greatly expanding towards the bottom. The cistern was filled with rainwater, probably collected from the roof of the new temple of Apollo Delphinius. Even to the north, a larger workshop for the manufacture of terracotta figurines was being built on the site of an earlier metalworks workshop.

In front of the entrance to the Temenos of the Hellenistic period, a small area of ​​​​20x20 meters was arranged, in the middle of which there was a reservoir.

Temenos began to collapse long before the defeat of Olbia by the Getae in the middle of the 1st century BC. The main altar of the sanctuary was completely destroyed.

We do not have direct data that could indicate what events in the history of ancient Olbia could be associated with the destruction of the fundamental structures of Temenos. Most likely, the temples were dismantled during the subordination of Olbia to the state of the late Scythians in the second half of the 2nd century BC.

The excavations of the Agora began in 1946 and continued systematically until 1953. This was followed by a break, and in 1958 work resumed in the southeastern part. In 1959, an opening of the northeastern part of the city square was undertaken.

One of the most important results of the excavations last years is the discovery of the remains of the Great Stoa. It was a very fundamental structure, the length of which reached 45 meters, and the width in the first construction period was 14.5 meters, in the second - 17.5 meters. Initially, it seemed that the Stoa, which separated Temenos from the Agora, was two-aisled and that southern half it was intended for the Agora, and the northern one for Temenos. And when three separate layered foundations were opened inside the Stoa in 1958, located along the same axis, it became obvious that there was a nine-column colonnade inside. As a result of the discovery of the Great Stoia, the border of the Agora of the Hellenistic period was clarified.

Excavations of the northeastern part revealed buildings with trading complexes of the 4th-2nd centuries BC. The remains of a complex hydraulic system built in the 5th century BC were also found. From it survived: a stone reservoir, a semi-basement stone building, a round mine, 3 meters deep, an underground passage, two wells.

A complex of the 4th-2nd centuries BC was also explored, where three basements were discovered, stone walls selected in the 1st century AD. 133 coins were found in one of the cellars. Accumulation of coins in any particular part of the room was not observed. They were evenly distributed over its entire area. All coins of Olbian minting. Borysthenes predominate.

The scarce ceramic material of the new Hellenistic complex was close to pottery from the backfill. We meet the same products of the Pergamon workshops of the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. - fragments of black-lacquer vessels, lutheriums with carved ornaments. Fragments of brown-lacquered "Megar" cups. On one of them, a kirbya is partially preserved. The thin-walled black-lacquer ceramics stand out.

Thanks to the excavations, it was found out that the Bolshaya Stoya was not the northern border of the entire Agora, but only the design of a square free from buildings.

One of the most interesting is a fragment of a Tennian crater dating back to the 4th century BC. The excavations of the Agora also yielded the remains of inscriptions on marble slabs.

After the Geta defeat, the population returned to Olbia at the request of the Scythians, who were interested in the emergence of the city as a trading and intermediary center. The choir of Olbia begins to revive. Judging by the message of Dion Chrysostom, a large number of non-Greek people settled in the city, which had a significant impact on the culture of Olbia. The appearance of the city is changing dramatically, and its area is shrinking.

The line of the walls of the 1st century AD. indicates an artificially dug ditch, on the site of which a second transverse beam later formed. Traces of the wall were recorded on the Upper Plateau, excavated in 1908. Some idea of ​​the wall is given by its remains discovered in the Lower City. Several rows of foundations with stone facing have been preserved. The width of the wall (only 1.7 meters) does not correspond to the scale of the 5th-4th centuries BC.

The dwellings of the Olviopolites were built close to the wall. These were one-room semi-basement buildings with hearths and adjacent stone walls. They were stretched out in one row between the defensive wall and a narrow street with south side. To the buildings of the 1st century AD. they also include an altar made of wood, erected on the site of a destroyed marble one. This is evidenced by dark round spots - traces of the installation of wooden supports that surrounded the limestone altar. This altar repeated the shape of the earlier one, slightly exceeding its dimensions. Being outside the city wall by the end of the 1st century AD. the altar stopped working. At the end of the 1st century AD. The temple of Zeus was erected in the city. By the middle of the 1st century AD. production facilities were built in the Temenos region: two pottery kilns, a winery and a large granary. At the turn of the I-II centuries AD. wineries were established in the western part of the Agora. The production area was protected from the north by a dug moat - the first line of defense of the post-Getic Olbia. The creation of an economic region speaks of the revival of Olbia in the 1st century AD. Several districts with pottery workshops testify to the development of pottery. One such area grew up in the Upper City, away from the walls, on the abandoned outskirts of the Hellenistic era. Another district with pottery kilns was created in the Lower City, near its line of defense. In the pottery area near the Northern beam, five kilns for firing vessels were opened. From one of them, in the best condition, came the furnace compartment with pillars in the center and part of the firing chamber, 1.2 meters in diameter. Of the two ovens, one, round in shape and small in size, served for the manufacture of vessels, the other, rectangular 2x3 meters, for the manufacture of tiles. Traces of almost square pillars have been preserved. Ingots for molding rounded calipters and pieces of defective tiles were found.

The pottery district in the Lower City began to function in the 1st century AD. and lasted until the end of the 3rd century AD.

A large granary 2x3 meters with stone necks was covered with slabs. The granary of the Upper City stops functioning at the turn of the 1st-2nd centuries AD.

However, it was in the territory of Temenos. The granary consisted of pits cut into the mainland with their base. The meaning of the pits became clear after finding out the patterns in their location. Covers began to be found in their mounds. One of the pits miraculously reached us in complete safety. It was closed with a stone lid, lying on a stone lining of a rounded neck. Its walls turned out to be branched passages of rodents. It is clear that it was filled with grain.

From winemaking on the territory of Temenos, only the bottoms of three tanks and the weight of a lever press have survived. From the winery on the west side of the Agora we have the remains of two sites and three tanks. The remains of a winery in the northwestern part of the Upper Town have been preserved. Despite the economic upsurge in the 1st century AD. The foreign policy situation created an unstable situation in the city. At the end of the 1st century AD. Olbia turned out to be again, albeit for a short time, dependent on the kings of Forzai.

By the 2nd century AD Olbia achieves economic growth. The outlying district in the Lower City is being improved. Drainage ditches are being built along its streets. The construction of public buildings is underway: educational institutions, baths, a portico. Houses are getting bigger. In one of them, a room with a mosaic floor made of multi-colored pebbles was found. Another house had eight rooms, one of which served as a shop. A large house has been opened in the Upper Town.

Particular attention in the second century was paid to the construction of defensive walls and the reconstruction of old ones. When the Olbiopolites oppressed by the barbarians turned to the Romans for help, a fortified citadel was built in the southern part of the city. Its northern wall was 3 meters. It was built from slabs 1.5 meters long. The towers, the remains of which we have, were located at the main entrance, to which a street led, which preserved the direction of the main thoroughfare until the Geta period. The towers to the east of the gate were different from those of the main entrance. The northern wall of the citadel, the remains of which have come down to us, was accompanied by a moat along its entire length.

Inside the citadel, the remains of two buildings associated with the stay of the Roman garrison were discovered.

A collapse of a large building has been preserved near the northern wall. In one of its rooms there was a cistern. The basement floor of seven large rooms has been opened. On the territory of the citadel around the main entrance, the ruins of monumental slabs from the temple of Apollo Prostate were discovered. The definition of them as belonging to the temple was made by Farmakovsky, on the basis of the accumulation here of cult inscriptions dedicated to Apollo.

In the second century, the pottery district in the Lower City grew. Round-shaped kilns with a diameter of 2 meters were opened for the manufacture of vessels and small items, and large rectangular kilns with two supporting pillars, similar to the kiln for firing tiles, opened outside the city wall.

In the II century AD. wineries continue to operate in the Upper Town. Instead of the old granary, a new one is being built, including more than a hundred pits.

In the area of ​​the northern defensive wall of the city on the territory of the Lower Plateau, at the turn of the 1st-2nd centuries AD. bakeries are set up. Its semi-oval building with an area of ​​290 m 2 adjoined East Street and had seven rooms. stands out central room with a large oval oven. Two pithoi were found in the northern half of the building. One of them served to store flour, the second - for water. In the western part were living rooms. A number of outbuildings were erected outside the city.

All production facilities cease to exist in the first half of the 3rd century AD. Life also comes to a standstill in most of the settlements of the Olbian chora. The minting of Olbia coins ceases. In the III century AD. do not build new buildings. From the buildings of the 4th century AD. only the remains of a blacksmith shop have been preserved.

The Olviopolites could not resist the ever-increasing onslaught of nomadic tribes. In the 4th century A.D. residents left the city.

The area of ​​the necropolis was approximately equal to that of the city. A large number of mounds, concentrated mainly at the outer borders, gave grounds for naming the Olbian necropolis "the tract of a hundred graves." The necropolis was crossed by a series of country roads that ran from the northern and western city gates. Other roads divided the territory of the necropolis into a number of sections. The historical topography has not yet been fully elucidated, but it can be said that the burials of the 6th-5th centuries BC. were concentrated to the west of the northwestern edge of the settlement, occupying at that time the northern outskirts of the city of the Hellenistic era. In the 5th century BC. the territory expands significantly to the west of Zayachya Balka, and from the end of the 4th century BC. - to the north of it. From the II century BC. until the first centuries A.D. they were buried mainly on the western slope of Zayachaya Balka, as well as in an abandoned part of the city of the pre-Getic era.

The main rite of burial of Olbia was the laying of a corpse. Burial took place in graves three types: unpaved, undercut and crypts. Ground graves were a rectangular well 1-3 meters long, 0.35-1.55 meters wide, let into the mainland to a depth of 0.70-2.70 meters. In side-pit graves, burial was carried out in a rectangular niche dug in the first of the walls of the well, which was then laid with stone, mud or amphoras. The depth of the graves is 1.15-3.20 meters, the length is 1.20-3.10 meters, the width is 1 meter, the height of the lining is 0.30-1 meter. The land crypts were distinguished by their large size and by the fact that gentle or stepped dromos led to them from the surface. Opposite the entrance, a rectangular chamber with a rounded vault was cut out, which was also closed with stone slabs after the burial. The depth of the crypts is 2-7 meters, the length is 3.50-3.80 meters, the width is 1.50-2.50 meters. In some crypts there were couches.

In Hellenistic times, small crypts were built. The two best preserved are the first under the Zeus Mound, and the second is the crypt of Eurysivus and Arete (2nd century AD). There are also burials of babies in amphoras.

The orientation of the graves is different. Mostly west-east. The position of the dead is extended on the back. Crooked rare. Burials were made in wooden coffins and their bottom was usually covered with grass or resin. Along with the cremation in Olbia, especially in the early period, there was cremation. Separate cases of cremations were recorded within the city. Of interest are the remains of two bonfires in a circle of amphorae.

During the excavations of the necropolis, a huge number of various items were found: vases, weapons, jewelry, amulets, coins, amphoras, etc. There are bones from pieces of meat placed in the grave. Extremely few tombstones have been found, but Farmakovsky believed that they were plundered in antiquity. In terms of types of burials and rituals, the necropolis of Olbia is basically similar to the necropolises of Greek cities.

The problem of the composition of the population of Olbia is still not sufficiently developed. All kinds of written and archaeological sources should be used here. Among the actual written sources, i.e. texts of the authors, only one contains a direct indication of the population of Olbia - the Borysthenitsky speech of Dion Chrysostom. Much more extensive material is contained in epigraphic sources. In some cases, the inscriptions contain quite specific data about the population of Olbia. There are several inscriptions where the name corresponds to the place of birth. These are mostly inscriptions about foreigners. There is some indicative information only about the ruling elite of society, but data about ordinary Olviopolites also occur, although they are rare. A significant part of the townspeople is Greek. In the first centuries of our era, Roman ones are found among them. There are also not quite clear Jewish or Persian names.

The huge predominance of Greek names in the Olbian inscriptions of the 4th-1st centuries BC. causes the assumption that only or almost only Greeks lived in Olbia of this period. But it's not. Undoubtedly, the names found in the inscriptions do not reflect the composition of the population. IN Lately an attempt was made to find out the composition of the population of Olbia according to archaeological data. For Olbia of the period of interest to us, the presence of non-Greek elements in the composition of the population is established in two ways: by examining the burials of the city necropolis and by studying production. The Olbian necropolis gives especially significant results. The fact of the presence in it of graves with non-Greek burial rites cannot be in doubt. This applies primarily to the group of crouched burials. In addition to the burials, other burials can be indicated by the hockey player, whose belonging to the Scythians is also probable, and sometimes indisputable. Among them are characteristic burials of the so-called Scythian warriors with inventory typical of the Scythian period - a sword, arrows, a quiver. With other groups of burials, which are referred to as non-Greek, it is more difficult. Neither the presence of plant litter, nor the presence of wooden ceilings, nor things in the Scythian style can in themselves serve as a sign that speaks of the non-Greek origin of the buried. The type of burial cannot be considered an indisputable sign of this kind.

The presence of non-Greek elements in the composition of the population of Olbia is evidenced by some features of Olbian production. The most characteristic in this regard is the metallurgical industry. The manufacture of bronze art products in molds, and not chasing, is, undoubtedly, a local technique that existed in the Northern Black Sea region both in the Scythian and even in pre-Scythian times. Probably the Greek masters influenced the appearance of the products of the Scythians. Non-Greek production is also reflected in something else: for example, in the performance of some Greek ornaments by the master not understood.

As for the Scythian ornaments of items made in Olbia, this fact is interesting as an indicator of the connection between Olbia and the Scythians, but it can hardly be considered as evidence of the presence in Olbia of the Scythian population who used such things. Things of this kind were made, obviously, for their sale in Scythia, which is confirmed by the cases of finds of these things in the territory of Scythia. A certain number of them could have been used in Olbia, but not necessarily by the Scythians living there.

Summing up, we should note that the population of Olbia in the first centuries of the city’s existence was certainly not purely Greek: this is evidenced by the presence in the necropolis of burials with non-Greek rituals and handicraft production. As for the role played by the non-native element in the political administration of the state, it was most likely insignificant, since the inscriptions do not in any way reflect the belonging of the non-Greek population to the ruling elite.

The presence of non-Greek names in the inscriptions in the first centuries of our era makes us recall the message of Dion Chrysostomos about “crowds of barbarians” who flooded into the city restored after the Getic invasion. This radically changes the ratio between the Greek and non-Greek population of the city. Non-Greeks begin to hold public office together with the descendants of the Greeks, and in no less numbers.

1. Knipovich T.N., article in "Materials and research on the archeology of the USSR" No. 50, 1970

2. Levi E.I., "Olbia: the city of the Hellenistic era"

3. "Archaeology of the USSR: ancient states of the Northern Black Sea region"

4. Slavin L.M., "The ancient city of Olbia"

5. "Temenos and Agora"

Ancient Greece, the Greek colonies of the Northern Black Sea... It seems that it is somewhere very far away in time and space, that all this was left in distant ancient Greece... But when you find yourself in a place where the life of a large ancient Greek metropolis was once in full swing , suddenly you realize that geographically it is very close, only in time, maybe a little further ... Here it is, this very land, here stood the temple of Zeus, here is the temple of Apollo, here, probably, the theater, traded here, lived here People...

Olbia - one of the four largest ancient Greek city-colonies of the Northern Black Sea region - existed for more than 2500 years. In ancient Greek, ΟλβІα is happy. Some Greek authors call Olbia Borisfen, and the inhabitants of the city - Borysfenites by the name of the river Borisfen (as the Greeks called the Dnieper). Olbia was founded by Greek settlers from Asia Minor from the city of Miletus in the 6th century BC. BC. At this time, the Greeks actively mastered large spaces along the shores of the Mediterranean, Black and Azov seas.

The geographical location of Olbia, abandoned by people and lost in time, was forgotten by the world for many centuries. It was established by Russian scientists at the end of the 18th century. Now it is the neighborhood of the village of Parutino, Ochakovsky district, Mykolaiv region of Ukraine. It is 30 kilometers to Ochakovo (there is just the estuary flows into the Black Sea), about 40 kilometers to Nikolaev and about 100 kilometers to Odessa.

They say that the name of the village "Parutino" comes from the word "destroyed". Village on the ruined. But people settled near the ancient ruins... no one settled on the site of Olbia, there was a ruined city.
Now Olvia is the National State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve of Ukraine.

The Greek settlers liked the place on the high bank of the Bug estuary not far from its confluence with the Dnieper estuary. This is not the very coast of the Black Sea, about 40 kilometers from here to the sea. From Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea), you first need to climb up the Borisfen (Dnieper), and then go a little to the left up the Hypanis (Southern Bug). But the Bugsko-Dneprovsky estuary itself, with its expanses and a distant line of the other coast, looks quite like a sea bay. And the other side of the Dnieper Estuary looks like a thin thread on the horizon even on a good day. With not very good visibility, it is not visible at all.

The northern Black Sea region in those days was the possession of the Scythians. The settlers had to either fight or negotiate with them. It was useless to fight the Scythians. Tradition says that when the Greeks landed on the shore, they immediately met the Scythians, who were given wine to drink. The Scythians liked the wine very much and they allowed the Greeks to settle here.

And later, when the Milesians turned to the oracle with a request to approve the withdrawal of a new settlement to this area, its natural wealth was already well known. Therefore, the oracle easily predicted a happy fate for the founders of the policy and their descendants, calling their colony the Happy City.

Throughout its history, Olbia has been closely associated with the metropolis and with other Greek colonies. She traded with Greece, was a member of the Athenian Maritime Union. She had a great cultural influence on the surrounding world of the Scythians, Sarmatians and other peoples of the Northern Black Sea region.

The place chosen for the city was very successful, as it had natural defensive lines. The high triangular plateau was surrounded on both sides by deep ravines; the Upper City was located here. The slopes of the plateau were surrounded by an amphitheatre, the Lower City, protected from the third side by an estuary.

The Olbian state was a classical Greek policy. The city was a cultural, political, trade and craft center, agricultural settlements were within its sphere of influence. It was a democratic slave republic. Women, foreigners, semi-free groups and slaves had no citizenship rights.

The main imports were wine, olive oil, ceremonial utensils, fabrics, jewelry, art objects.

The spiritual culture of the inhabitants of Olbia was highly developed. The gods who were especially worshiped had their temples and sanctuaries - Apollo, Zeus, Athena, Cybele, Hermes. In addition, the cults of Demeter and Kore-Persephone, Pluto, Dionysus, Artemis, Achilles, Hercules, Dioscuri, Hekate, etc. were widespread here. Satyrs, Silens, Kabirs, demons, maenads, muses and other less significant deities were widely revered.

Olbia had its own philosophers, scientists, poets, musicians. Some of them are named in written sources - the philosopher Bion Boristhenit, the philosopher - the Stoic of Spheres, the philosopher and historian Posidonius. There was a theater in the city. The Olviopolites were actively involved in sports.

During its heyday, the area occupied by the city was 50 hectares. Over 20 thousand people lived here.

The mountainous and valley parts of Olbia were surrounded by strong walls and defense towers. The city itself was built up with stone houses with tiled roofs. The richest of them were decorated with frescoes, mosaics, columns.

The squares and streets of the city were paved with stone slabs, decorated with statues of gods and heroes, portraits of honored citizens carved in stone, and marble slabs with city-state decrees.

The first dwellings of the Olviopolites were dugouts. Later, houses are built of mud, on stone foundations, with patios. The roofs are covered with adobe and tiles.

The windows and doors of the rooms overlooked the inner courtyard, only blank walls and fences looked out onto the street. Houses, closely adjacent to each other, formed quarters of several houses.

The streets of the residential quarters of Olbia were very narrow, literally 2-3 meters, the city authorities even looked to ensure that the street doors opened inside the house, and not outside, so that they would not block the passage and travel along the street.

In the center of the upper city was located the agora - the main city square, on which stood a seven-room public building for religious ceremonies and merchant meetings, the walls of which were covered with painted plaster, a monumental altar and artificial stone reservoirs.

Around the agora were the buildings of the state institutions of Olbia, the gymnasium, the theater and the hippodrome. Temenos adjoined the agora from the north - sacred place with temples, shrines, altars and altars.

The surviving parts of the Temple of Zeus have been preserved.

central altar

The inhabitants of Olbia worshiped Apollo - a richly decorated temple and a sacred grove were dedicated to him. During the excavations, an altar was found - this is a great success and an archaeological rarity.

There was also a water supply system from clay pipes in the city. Remains of a complex hydraulic system built in the 5th century BC have been discovered. From it survived: a stone reservoir, a semi-basement stone building, a round mine, 3 meters deep, an underground passage, two wells.

When the Olbiopolites oppressed by the barbarians turned to the Romans for help, a fortified citadel was built in the southern part of the city. The remains of its walls have been excavated on the outskirts of the city.

Two stone crypts - the family tomb of Evresivy and Aretta and the mound of Zeus - are so well preserved that you can even go underground, inside the crypt.

There are two museums on the territory of the reserve. One contains stone exhibits - in one form or another preserved columns, statues, bas-reliefs, tombstones ... Similar exhibits also lie in the open.

The second museum contains objects of art and everyday life, stone inscriptions...

The Olviopolites begin to mint their own coin - first in the form of copper arrows, then dolphins, then round asses with images of Athena, Medusa Gorgon, Demeter. Coins can also be seen in the museum.

And ancient jewelry looks quite modern.

More household items of the inhabitants of the ancient city

The most glorious page in the history of Olbia was the successful opposition to its troops of Alexander the Great. The emperor planned to create his empire by uniting all the lands around the Black and Caspian Seas. The campaign to the East through the Eurasian steppes was led by the commander Zopyrion in 331 BC.
The siege of Olbia, about 330, which the historian Macrobius reports, found the city in a difficult situation. It was almost impossible to stand against the best army in the ancient world in little Olbia.
Macrobius writes that "the Borysthenites, besieged by Zopyrion, freed the slaves, gave citizenship rights to foreigners, changed debt obligations and were able to withstand the siege of the enemy."

Archaeological finds also revealed to us the history of betrayal: near Olbia, an amphora ostracon was found - a letter transmitted through the Olbian resident Nikofan to Zoopirion with a proposal to help in capturing the city. The betrayal was revealed: the archaeological confirmation of this is the collective burial of 52 people, stoned and shot with a bow. It was probably the execution of traitors.
Unable to capture Olbia, the enemy troops were forced to retreat. According to a Roman writer of the 2nd c. AD Justin, Zopyrion died, "paying for the reckless start of a war with an innocent people", somewhere on the Danube.
The defeat of Zopyrion forced Alexander the Great to abandon his previous plans to capture the Northern Black Sea region.

During its existence, Olbia was part of the Athenian Maritime Union, and later - part of the Pontic state of Mithridates Eupator. Left to its own devices after the fall of Mithridates, Olbia around 50 B.C. was subjected to a terrible defeat by the Getae, led by King Burvista.
After the Geta pogrom, the city ceased to exist for some time. But soon the Greeks, who fled during the attack of the Getae, reappeared in Olbia. But the city never reached its former heyday.

Once in Olbia, you experience an amazing feeling: around - the steppe - alive, singing with the voices of birds and whispering its stories with tall grasses ... and - stones.

Cold and dead, frozen here forever. What are they silent about? What did they see and what do they remember? A story frozen in time and stone...

The ancient city is impressive - where else in our country can you wander through the ruins, which are more than 2500 years old?
If you close your eyes and relax, you can mentally see the vibrant life of the Happy City... We will see temples rising from the ruins, a noisy sacred grove, a screaming marketplace, citizens slowly walking along the streets...
And continuing life...

Photos taken from the Internet

(Greek Olbia)

the ancient slave-owning city-state, located on the right bank of the Bug estuary; another name is Borisfen (from the Greek name of the Dnieper river). The remains of O. are located near the modern village of Parutino, Ochakovsky district, Mykolaiv region. The lake was founded at the beginning of the 6th century. BC e. immigrants from the Greek city of Miletus. The city owned land on both banks of the Bug estuary with many rural settlements. O. itself was located on two river terraces (Upper and Lower City) and during its heyday (5-3 centuries BC) occupied an area of ​​about 50 ha. The city was surrounded by a stone defensive wall with towers, in the southern part there was an additional fortification - the citadel. O. was planned into rectangular quarters with straight streets; in the center of the Upper City was the agora - trade area, who served and community center, and temenos - a sacred site with temples and altars; in the Lower City there were craft quarters and a port. Metalworking, ceramics, jewelry, and other crafts were developed, serving the city market and the neighboring Scythian tribes, who had trade relations with O.. From them, O. received cattle, bread, skins, and other products, which she exported to Greece, as well as slaves. Wine, olive oil, ceramic and metal products, art and luxury items were brought from the Greek states. O. issued silver, copper, and sometimes gold coins. The supreme power belonged to the people's assembly and the elected council, the executive power was exercised by colleges of annually replaced elected officials - archons, strategists, foreign policy, had a special friendly treaty with its metropolis - Miletus. In 331 BC e. O., together with the neighboring Scythians, repelled the attack of Zopirion, the commander of Alexander the Great. In the 2nd half of the 3rd-2nd centuries. BC e. O. experienced a deep crisis associated with the general crisis of the polis system and with the intensification of the hostility of the surrounding tribes. In the 2nd century BC e. became dependent on the king of the Crimean Scythians Skilur. After the defeat of the Scythian kingdom by the troops of Mithridates VI Eupator (See Mithridates VI Eupator), king of Pontus, at the end of the 2nd century. BC e. became part of the empire of Mithridates. In the middle of the 1st c. BC e. the city was destroyed by the tribes of the Getae (See Getae), led by Berebista. Restored O. of the first centuries AD. e. was much smaller and did not play the same role. In the 2nd century n. e. a Roman garrison was placed in O., and at the beginning of the 3rd century. The city was incorporated into the Roman province of Moesia Inferior. Life in O. apparently ceased in the 4th century. n. e. Archaeological research The lake and the burial ground surrounding it were occasionally carried out in the 19th century and have been carried out systematically since 1901 (the most significant excavations were by B. V. Farmakovskii in 1901–15 and 1924–1926). The territory of the ancient city has been declared a nature reserve.

Lit.: Latyshev V.V., Studies on the history and state system of the city of Olbia, St. Petersburg, 1887; Farmakovsky B., Olvia, M., 1915; Slavin L. M., The ancient city of Olbia, K., 1951; his, Here was the city of Olbia, K., 1967; Olvia, vol. 1-2, K., 1940-58; Olvia, Temenos and agora, M. - L., 1964.

D. B. Shelov.

• - Olbĭa, Όλβία, 1. strong fortress at the Pamphylian Gulf, not far from the Cataract River. Strab. 14,666; 2. a Milesian colony and a rich trading city at the confluence of Borysthenes with Hypanis, 240 stadia from the mouth ...

  Real Dictionary of Classical Antiquities

• - , a Milesian colony near the mouth of Gipanis and Borisfen, in the 5th and 4th centuries. BC e. - a thriving center of trade and fishing, had connections with the Scythians. In 60 O. was conquered by the Dacian king Burebista ...

  Dictionary of antiquity

• - Borisfen, - ancient Greek. city-state on the Bug Estuary. Main settlers from Miletus and other Ionian cities in the 1st half. 6th c. BC e. In its heyday, 5-3...

  Soviet historical encyclopedia

• - a colony of the Ionian city of Miletus. The Greeks, who lived in their own Greece and Mal. Asia, O. was called Borisfen, or the city and port of the Borisfenites. Pliny reports two more names for O.: Olbiopolis and Miletopolis ...
• - an ancient Greek city on the right bank of the Bug River, a colony of the Ionian city of Miletus ...

  Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron

• - an ancient slave-owning city-state, located on the right bank of the Bug estuary; another name - Borisfen ...

  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - an ancient city on the banks of the Dnieper-Bug estuary; remains at the Parutino, south of Nikolaev...

  Big encyclopedic dictionary

• - "...

  Russian spelling dictionary

"Olvia" in books

Borisfen (Olvia - Happy)