Tanais is an ancient city at the mouth of the Don River. History of Tanais Tanais - Italian colony

The story of Tanais is amazing and at times mysterious. Here the destinies of the numerous peoples who inhabited these lands were intertwined in close unity. Scythians, Sarmatians, Greeks, Polovtsy... There are also legends about the Amazons in these places.

So what kind of city is this, Tanais? Did the Amazons really live here, or are these all myths? Is it true that there was once a thriving ancient city at the mouth of the Don? Let's try to find answers to these and other questions in this post.

1000 years before the beginning of the new era, the wide expanses of the coast of Lake Meotia (now the Sea of Azov) and the lower reaches of the rivers flowing into it were occupied by the Cimmerians.

400 years later, the Cimmerians were forced out of their homes by the warlike Scythian nomads, who came to the bottom steppes from Asia. The Scythians were skilled warriors. Very quickly they managed to subjugate vast territories up to the Syrian borders of Egypt. But soon the Sarmatians, related to the Scythians, came to the south of Russia.

At the turn of the V-IV centuries. BC. Relations between the Scythians and Sarmatians begin to deteriorate. Gradually, the Sarmatians managed to oust the Scythians from the fertile pastures of the bottom region in the Crimean steppe. The warlike Sarmatians (Sauromatians) differed from the Scythians in that women wielded weapons equally with men. Women could also lead their people.

There is a beautiful legend about one such Sarmatian woman.

“In the family of the tribal leader Amor and his wife Grena, they were expecting their first child that night. The future fate of the entire family depended on the gender of the child. And then from the main tent a delighted exclamation was heard: “The leader has a daughter!” "Daughter!" – It was like the rustling of leaves in the wind swept around. There was no doubt. Now the tribe will be ruled by a woman.

The girl was named Lysippa, which meant “fearless”, “brave”. From the very first days of her life, the girl lived up to her name. Her favorite toy was her father's old sword. Gren's mother was very proud of her daughter and tried to pass on to her everything that she knew.

By the age of 14, the girl had mastered writing, the secrets of local magic and healing, martial art and combat strategy. Then she began to participate in the armed campaigns of her people.

At 16, the young maiden became the high priestess of several Sauromatian tribes. But the affairs of the priestesses were of little interest to Lysippa. She preferred to solve military issues. And then Amor makes a responsible decision - to hand over the reins to his daughter. Without thinking twice, Lysippa agreed.

Her first task in the place of leader was to travel to distant countries to conclude profitable alliances with other tribes. She took the same warrior girls with her and set off along the steep coast. Lysippa learned from the locals that the river along which they were walking was called Amazon, which in an unknown dialect meant “river of a woman-ruled people.” The leader really liked this name.

- Only we, Sauromatian women warriors, can live on the banks of a river with such an amazing name! – she declared.

Local men were amazed by her beauty, but no one even dared to approach her. Lysippa returned home as a queen. Literally immediately upon arrival, she began to plan an even longer journey to conclude new alliances. A month later, Lysippos army set out for the unknown lands of the upper Amazon, where the Greeks lived.

The Greek supreme leaders were amazed by the wisdom, beauty and art of diplomacy of the young Sauromatian queen. They were even more amazed by her ability to sit proudly in the saddle and skillfully wield a weapon. From the warriors accompanying the queen, the Greeks learned that the army had arrived from the steppes near the Amazon. It was then that the first legends appeared about the Amazons inhabiting the shores of the Amazon near Lake Meotia.

According to the laws of Hellas, the union of tribes had to be supported by the marriage of noble persons. Lysippa had no intention of getting married, but she still liked one of the Allied soldiers. His name was Berossus. Long conversations under the moon grew into passionate love for the young people. But the young people were never destined to be together. The alliance was concluded. Lysippa and her army returned home, where life went on as usual.

Soon after the death of her parents, the brave Amazon had a son. They proposed to name the boy Tanais, which meant “born of the river.” This is how the young heir to the throne, Tanais, appeared in Sauromatia.

He grew up to be a strong and healthy baby. From early childhood he was modest and hardworking. By the age of fourteen, he had fully mastered the martial art. It’s just that the lack of paternal upbringing fostered arrogance and cynicism in the young man. Despite all the shortcomings, the mother doted on her handsome offspring. The only thing she could not forgive was excessive flirtation with girls. Lysippa believed that her son would become a real warrior who would not be ashamed to hand over the throne, despite the fact that two more daughters were growing up in the family.

One day, on the banks of the Amazon, Tanais saw a group of girls. He approached them and started a dialogue. The prince liked one of the beauties so much that he immediately wanted to be with her. To which he received a reproachful answer: “The prince stopped hanging around with commoners. The laws of Sauromatia prohibit this.”

The angry young man went to his mother, wanting to convince her to rewrite the laws. However, the conversation did not go well. The mother did not support her son's intentions.

The young man's heart was torn into pieces. His mother insulted his royal and masculine dignity, the sudden outbreak of love was doomed... The prince did not sleep all night, and in the morning he saw a group of warriors from his mother’s personal guard at his tent.

- She decided to arrest me? This will never happen! If there is no free love on this earth, then there is no point in living here! — with these words, the narcissistic young man jumped out of the tent and went to the steep bank of the Amazon.

The rising sun glowed over the steppes. Having looked into the bright scarlet veil for the last time, Tanais spread his arms and rushed down.

Having learned about the death of her beloved son, Lysippa immediately hurried to where everything happened. In grief and sadness, she looked up at the sky and said: “From now on, the waves of the Amazon will bear the name of the great prince Sauromatia Tanais.”

The death of her son changed the queen very much. She rearmed the army, began to carry out frequent raids on neighbors more often, and introduced strict military discipline. The army returned to its native places less and less often, going further into the mountains. In one of the fierce battles, the elderly queen was seriously wounded and soon died. Her life’s work was continued by her younger daughters, further strengthening the glory of female warriors.”

Years later, the fame of Queen Sauromatia reached Greece and Rome. Passed from mouth to mouth, stories about the female warrior became increasingly surrounded by new myths and legends. At the end of the 4th century. Ancient philosophers and historians became fascinated by legends about the warrior Amazons. The great Homer was the first to tell the whole world about the beautiful Lysippa and her son in his famous “Iliad”. This is how the people learned the myth about the beautiful prince Tanais.

Over time, the Greeks began to be attracted by the shores of distant Tanais. In the 3rd century. BC. Hellenes from the Bosporan kingdom (now Eastern Crimea) equipped their ships and went to the barbarian tribes to establish trade relations.

Here, on the right bank of the Dead Donets, in the past the main branch of the mouth of the Tanais River, they founded their settlement of the same name. Very quickly, the ancient city at the mouth of the Don became the largest trading center in the northern region of the inhabited world. Here the Greeks traded with the nomads of the Don and Azov regions. Gradually, the ancient culture of the Hellenes became closely intertwined with local color, new traditions and customs emerged, which provided the basis for the development of many peoples of our country.

The city of Tanais during antiquity

Tanais, like other ancient cities, experienced periods of rapid growth and prosperity, followed by periods of complete oblivion. It existed for almost eight centuries from the 3rd century. BC. until the middle of the 5th century. AD

During the period of its existence, the fort was destroyed twice. The first time was in 237 AD. The Goths, 140 years later, the restored city was destroyed by the Sarmatians. Afterwards, he was never able to fully recover. Therefore, by the 5th century. the settlement fell into disrepair.

In the Middle Ages, the river slightly changed its course. Along with the river, people left to the south. Venetian merchants settled here. Near the mouth of the Don, they founded the Tana trading post, control over which later passed to the Genoese, who built a Genoese fortress here.

During the time of the Cumans, the colony received the abbreviated name Tang. The Polovtsians remained in the settlement.

In 1395, Tamerlane's troops completely destroyed the walls and razed the city to the ground. In the 15th century the Tang colony was partially restored, although a little to the south, on the site of modern Azov.

Under Peter I, the ancient city finally ceased to exist. And the settlement near the old ruins received its modern name - Nedvigovka. Ukrainian immigrants began to settle here. Later the Cossacks joined them.

In 1823 Tanais was rediscovered, now as an archaeological site. The first to search for the ancient city at the mouth of the Don was a corresponding member of the Paris Academy, Colonel I.A. Strempkovsky. It was he who suggested that a Greek settlement should be looked for on the site of modern Nedvikovka. However, Strempkovsky never received support from the tsarist authorities. The idea of finding a Greek city fell into oblivion.

The site of Tanais in the 21st century

Later, Nicholas I came to the imperial throne. The sovereign's special passion was the treasures of the mounds. It was by his highest order, 30 years after Strempkovsky’s research, that a research expedition was sent to the Don steppes. It was headed by Moscow University professor P.M. Leontyev, later his work was continued by Baron V.G. Tiesenhausen.

Leontyev mercilessly dug through 20 mounds, but did not find anything valuable in them, because they had long been plundered by treasure hunters. Without losing hope of success, Leontyev began to excavate the site. Excavations were carried out haphazardly, using a destructive search method, which caused enormous damage to the ancient settlement. The professor hoped to excavate an ancient city with rich Greek architecture at the mouth of the Don, but with each layer of soil removed he realized that his ideas were more myth than reality.

Having finally lost hope of finding valuables, Leontyev declared that there was no Greek settlement in Nedvigovka. Excavations were completely stopped and abandoned.

Since the 70s XIX century Until the revolution, local residents stole antique stones for their own needs. Many houses and barns were built in Nedvigovka from these historical stones.

And only with the advent of Soviet power, all ancient monuments were declared the property of the state, protected by Soviet law.

In 1955, the Lower Don archaeological expedition, consisting of employees of the USSR Academy of Sciences, students and professors of Rostov University and employees of the Rostov Local Lore, began the scientific study of the ancient settlement. At the end of the 50s, the excavated settlement and burial mound were recognized as a protected area. And in 1961, the first and largest archaeological museum-reserve in Russia was opened here, with a total area of more than 3,000 hectares.

Today Tanais is one of the largest and northernmost points of ancient Greek civilization.

Tanais - this word was left to us by the Greeks. This is what they called the “eighth river” in the country of the Scythians, “which flows into a remote corner of Lake Meotia (Sea of Azov) and separates Scythia from the land of the Sauromatians.”

In the 8th century BC. The settlement of Greeks in the Mediterranean basin began, called the “great Greek colonization.” As a result, already in the VI-V centuries. BC. Greek cities and settlements appeared on the northern coast of the Black Sea. The largest were Olbia - on the banks of the Dnieper-Bug estuary, Tire - at the mouth of the Dniester, Chersonesos - in the area of modern Sevastopol, cities on both banks of the Kerch Strait, which later united into the Bosporan kingdom with the capital Panticopean - on the site of Kerch.

The Greeks first entered Scythia in the 7th century. BC. Following the Greek sailors, Greek colonists moved to the lands of the Scythians. For the Greeks, Scythia was a land steeped in legend, an area that Homer described in his Odyssey as “eternally covered with damp fog and mist of clouds. The face of the radiant Helios never appears to the eyes of people there... From time immemorial, a joyless night surrounds those who live there.”

Among the last areas developed by Greek colonists was “the most remote corner of the Maeotian lake.” In the 7th century BC. The Greeks founded a small trading post here, not far from the mouth of the Don, on the territory of modern Taganrog. Subsequently, a large fortified settlement arose here in the area of the modern village of Gorodishche, not far from the village of Elizavetinskaya (Azov region). The settlement existed from the end of the 5th to the 3rd centuries. BC.

To expand and strengthen trade ties with local tribes, the Bosporan Greeks in the 3rd century. BC. a new city was founded at the mouth of the Tanais River (Greek name for Don). Since its founding, Tanais for 700 years has been the main outpost for advancing deeper into the steppes and expanding trade with the Volga region and individual tribes.

“The city of Tanais is the largest trading place among the barbarians after Panticapaeum, founded by the Hellenes who owned the Bosporus. The city serves as a common place for Asian and European nomads and for those coming along the lake from the Bosporus; the first deliver slaves, skins and various other goods of the nomads, while others in return bring clothes, wine and other items characteristic of a civilized way of life on ships. In front of the city, at a distance of one hundred stadia, lies the island of Alopecia, which has a mixed population; There are other islands nearby on the lake. Tanais is two thousand two hundred stadia from the mouth of Maeotis, if you sail straight north, and if you sail along the coast, it will be a little more.” (Strabo, 1st century AD)

For the first time, the ruins of this city, located 35 km from Rostov-on-Don, near the Nedvigovka farmstead, on the right bank of the northern branch of the Don delta of the Dead Donets, were examined by archaeologist Ivan Alekseevich Stempkovsky in 1823. I.A. Stempkovsky concluded: “The remains of this city exist to this day on the designated side, ten miles from the sea, near the Don village of Nedvigovka. Here, on an elevated and steep bank of the river, I found traces of an acropolis, or citadel, very similar to the Olbian one, but a little smaller. This fortification is surrounded by a deep ditch and in some places on the rampart there are heaps of earth and stones showing the base of the towers. Scattered everywhere are fragments of ancient clay vessels called amphorae and usually found wherever the Greeks had their settlements; and beyond the ditch, the entire surrounding area for a long distance is covered with pits, heaps of earth and ash, and many large and small mounds...

Judging by all these features, it is impossible not to recognize these ruins as the remains of an ancient Greek city. And this city cannot be other than Tanais.”

In 1853, an archaeological expedition led by P.M. Leontyev discovered marble slabs with inscriptions in Greek. The inscriptions mentioned the name of the city of Tanais and its inhabitants, the Tanaites.

In 1954, an expedition led by D.B. Shelov, as a result of excavations of ancient Greek Tanais, established the time of the formation of the city. Tanais arose 2300 years ago, in the 3rd century. BC.

Founded by the Greeks, the city of Tanais consisted of three parts. The main territory was a rectangle with sides 225_240 m, which was surrounded by powerful defensive walls up to four meters thick with towers and a deep ditch, partially carved into the rock.

On the western side, the main quadrangle was adjacent to an urban area of 200-150 m, also protected by stone walls, but without towers. Here life continued until the turn of our era. Along the banks of the Donets in the west of the walls of the settlement there were economic suburbs with shipyards, workshops and warehouses. To the east of the walls of the fort there are suburban Scythian settlements.

Opposite Tanais, on the river bank, there was probably a coastal harbor area. To the east and west of the city, directly outside the defensive structures, there was a ground burial ground where the Greek inhabitants were buried, and to the north there was a burial mound where the Scythian-Sarmatian inhabitants were buried.

In the city center there was a complex of public buildings and temples: Apollo, Artemis, and other Greek deities. In the northeastern part of the city there was a complex of a national temple for the Scythian inhabitants. Their beliefs were apparently close to those of the Zoroastrians. In ancient times Tanais was the only powerful cult center for hundreds of kilometers. In terms of the power of its energy, Tanais is an ancient and active Place of Spiritual Power. According to the system of the Lords of Karma, its Power is +30, that is, the maximum for the surface of the Earth. That is, it is very effective to conduct meditations, seminars, classes on spiritual practices, and the work of contactees here.

Residential areas run between the central and western walls. The streets are narrow. The masonry of the walls is careless, the stones are not hewn. The inside of the house is covered with clay. Each house had an altar with gods, usually made of clay, sometimes stone and bronze. The layout of the houses resembled Greek ones: several living rooms, utility rooms. All have access to a courtyard paved with stone. In the courtyards there are wells and utility pits for storing supplies. The utensils and furniture were wooden.

The Greek influence in Tanais was felt in everything in the first century and a half of its existence: the general layout of the city, Greek elements in the burial ritual (burial in amphorae, burning of the bodies of the dead and burial in urns).

The population of Tanais was heterogeneous and during the first century of the city's existence it consisted of two large groups - the Hellenes and the Scythians. In the II-I centuries. BC. Greeks and Tanait-Scythians lived in the city. Trade was the main occupation of the population. In the III-I centuries. BC. was probably carried out on the basis of non-monetary commodity exchange. Most of the money discovered in the layers of the city dates back to the 1st century. AD Until the first centuries. AD the main connections of Tanais with the cities and states of Greece, Asia Minor, the islands of the Aegean Sea, as well as Kherson and the Bosporus are traced.

Wine, oil, dishes, handicrafts and jewelry were imported to Tanais, agricultural and livestock products, and slaves were exported. In addition to trade, residents were engaged in fishing, which in the early period of the city’s existence was the main branch of the economy; agriculture, cattle breeding. Handicraft production was developed.

Taking advantage of the distance from the Bosporan kingdom, Tanais strove for independence and complete independence and did not want to obey the Bosporan rulers. As a result, at the turn of our era, the city was sacked by the Bosporan king Polemon for disobedience. Polemon plundered a rich trading city to intimidate and pacify its inhabitants. The history of Tanais in the first centuries of our era did not find an echo in the ancient literary tradition, therefore scientists owe information about the life of Tanais to archaeological excavations or random finds at the Nedvigov settlement. These are actually archaeological monuments: ruins of residential, economic, religious, defensive structures, burial complexes, ceramics, metal utensils; numismatic material; dozens of lapidary inscriptions. In the first centuries AD, life in Tanais centered on the eastern area of about five hectares, converted into an almost square-shaped fortress. Defensive walls with towers were erected around the city, and a deep ditch was built.

During excavations, a city gate was discovered in the middle of the northern defensive line; corner towers of the fortress. Near the defensive walls there were houses that included residential and utility premises. Houses were built of stone. The rooms had adobe floors and fireplaces; The walls are covered with clay coating.

During the excavations, many fragments of ceramics were found: fragments of light clay amphorae with double-barreled handles, Kos and Rhodian amphorae, molded dishes, and red-glazed ceramics. Household items, eernova, terracotta lamps, seine weights, and coins of the 3rd century were found. from R.H., iron nails, spindle whorl. In II and trans. floor. III centuries AD the city reached its peak. Archaeological materials give us an idea of different aspects of the economic life of the city. Agriculture was one of the prominent sectors of the Tanais economy. Entire grain processing complexes have been found. The grain was stored either in thick amphoras made of red and pink clay or in pithoi. The most common grain crop was barley, with wheat playing a more modest role. A prominent place in grain farming was occupied by spelt (embellox wheat) and millet.

Of the agricultural implements in Tanais, only iron sickles and hoes were found. Grain processing was carried out using stone grain grinders and millstones. During the excavation of some premises, archaeologists discovered significant flour mills that used different types of mills at the same time. In the same rooms where grain was ground, bread was also baked. Ovens for baking bread, amphorae with flour, millet, barley, wheat, and rye were found in the houses. Excavations indicate that the inhabitants were engaged in cattle breeding. They raised cattle: cows, oxen, bulls. From small livestock - sheep and goats. Fishing was of great importance in the economic life of the Tanai people. Bones and scales of commercial fish: catfish, carp, bream, pike perch are found in the cultural layer and in garbage dumps of the 1st-3rd centuries. n. e. Residents of the city fished both in the Sea of Azov and in the channels of the river delta.

Crafts also developed in the city. The most significant area of application of non-agricultural labor was construction and stone masonry. The construction of residential buildings and defensive structures, the paving of streets and courtyards, the creation of cisterns, wells, drains, the construction of industrial and utility buildings, the design of funeral monuments - all this required a large amount of work by masons. Often the residents of Tanais built their houses themselves. Basically, rough and primitive stone processing techniques were used. But skilled stone craftsmen and stone carvers also worked in the city, creating products in the traditions of ancient art, such as a marble relief depicting the armed horseman Tryphon. In the swift movement of the horse, the fluttering cloak, the details of clothing and weapons, the features of the artistic ancient tradition are preserved. Along with masons, carpenters and joiners played an important role in construction. Beams and rafters were made from wood to support roofs, door panels and gates. Poplar, aspen, oak, ash, and pine were used in the construction of Tanais. Wood was used to make furniture, many household items, and boats. In Tanais, processing of bone and horn was also common. Knife handles and linings were made from these materials. The existence of iron-making, bronze-casting and glass-making crafts is evidenced by molds for casting vessels, jewelry and mirrors, crucibles...

In the first centuries AD, Tanais had its own handicraft ceramic production. There were ceramic kilns. Archaeologists have found a lot of molded clay dishes: pots, jugs, bowls, lamps and religious objects - incense burners. In Tanais, a city surrounded by nomads with their developed cattle breeding, a city, according to Strabo, which exported animal hides and skins, furrier-leather and saddlery industries were developed.

Many goods were imported to Tanais from different centers of the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions. It is not for nothing that the famous ancient geographer Strabo calls it the largest “marketplace” after Panticapaeum, where trade deals were concluded between “barbarians” - nomads and the Bosporan Greeks. A variety of circular dishes made on a potter's wheel were delivered. Amphoras with wine and olive oil were brought. In the III-I centuries. BC. Black-glazed ceramics, bowls with medallions, painted with plant and relief ornaments came to the city from Greece. Especially many expensive imported items are found in graves with rich burials discovered near the city - on the acropolis. These are gold hryvnias, medallions, plaques, rings, earrings with the heads of lions, lynxes, figurines of hedgehogs, a pendant in the form of the goddess Nike, and various beads. The inhabitants of Tanais inherited a love of jewelry from their nomadic ancestors. In the first centuries of our era, red varnish ceramics were imported from the centers of Asia Minor; many terracotta figurines and lamps were made in Bosporus workshops. A glass bottle in the shape of the head of Dionysus and a bone toilet box with a relief depiction of a mythological scene were probably made in Syrian workshops. Beads and amulets in the form of scarabs, sphinxes, and frogs were brought from Egypt. Trade ties were established with the Italian and Western Roman centers, from there came glass and bronze artistic products, metal utensils, often decorated with figured handles, lamps topped with horse heads, panthers, actor masks, brooches - brooches in the form of rhombuses and a hare, decorated with colored enamel and small figurines on stands depicting Apollo with a quiver behind his back, Hermes and a seated Satyr. These figurines are excellent examples of miniature bronze sculptures from the first centuries AD. The administrative structure of Tanais in the first centuries AD, its position in the system of the Bosporan state and social life in the city can be traced according to the Tanais inscriptions of the 2nd-3rd centuries. AD

Tanais belonged to the possessions of the Bosporan kings, who governed the city through their ambassador-legates, who bore the title of presbet of the king. They were appointed and removed at the will of the king and had to exercise general supervision over the life of the most remote city in the possessions of the Bosporan kings. The functions of the presbet included taking care of the defense capability of Tanais. Either representatives of the Bosporan nobility who had already proven themselves in administrative activities in the central regions of Bosporus, or people from the local aristocracy who had gained the trust of the king, were appointed to the post of royal presbet in Tanais.

In the city itself there was a republican organization of power, usual for Greek city policies. The positions of leaders with executive functions were elected, elections were held annually. But most often these positions were occupied by close relatives.

In the inscriptions of the 2nd-3rd centuries. AD the archons Tanaites and Hellenes (Hellinarchs) are mentioned. Archons are elected officials in the city's magistracy who govern the city and are in charge of various sectors of the economy. At the head of the city government there was always one Hellenarch and several Tanaite archons. These officials had almost equal rights and jointly performed common functions. In Tanais, the institution of epimeleia, honorary guardianship of city affairs, was widely used. Epimeletes, whose number ranged from three to nine, supervised the construction work. In the public life of Tanais, a significant role was played by Tanais religious unions - fias or synods. All free adult men living in the city were members of religious synods. In the first centuries AD the population was mixed. There was no clear division between Hellenes and Tanaites. In the inscriptions of the 2nd century. AD Greek names are found - Demetrius, son of Apollonius, Geoaclides, son of Heraclides; names of local origin - Khofarm, son of Sandarkhiya, etc.; names of mixed type - Faldaran, son of Apatony.

In the middle of the 3rd century. Tanais was destroyed by the tribes of the Gothic Union, was not restored for more than a hundred years and lay in ruins. The attack, apparently, was sudden; the residents abandoned it without even having time to take away expensive and valuable things. Only at the end of the 4th century. life in the city resumed. But Tanais did not reach its former power even at the beginning of the 5th century. ceases to exist.

Now on the site of the ancient city there is an archaeological museum-reserve; residential areas and defensive structures have been preserved on its territory for inspection. The exhibition presents many finds discovered during excavations.

Tanais on the Russian River

The city received its name from the great river Don (Tanais), at the mouth of which it was located. Don and Tana/Tanais are forms of one word, which, judging by the Iranian and ancient Indian languages, once meant “river” among the Aryans. Another ancient name of the Don - Sinu (reinterpreted as Blue Water in the Middle Ages) also has analogues in Sanskrit: Sind, Sindhu - also means “river”. The word “Don” is included in the names of other rivers in Eastern Europe (Dnieper - Danapr, Danube), but only the Don was simply called “River”. In the early Middle Ages - the Russian River (the same name was sometimes attributed to the Volga).

Tanais is probably one of the most mysterious cities in the Azov-Black Sea region. It is unknown who founded it. Rumor attributes this act to the Bosporans, but... it turns out that the city, which existed since the 3rd century. BC e., was not initially subordinate to Panticapaeum. He entered the Bosporan kingdom only after the war at the turn of the century. e., when it was devastated by the troops of King Polemon (a protégé of Rome, soon overthrown by his citizens).

If we keep the thesis “Tanais is Hellenistic city", then a strange conclusion follows from this: early Tanais was "independent Greek political body opposing to those around barbaric tribes" 148. But how long would such an “independent organism,” cut off from its base, be able to “resist” - or would it be immediately swept away by a strong Sarmatian state?

Let's figure out whether it is even possible to apply such bold terms as “Greek” or “Hellenistic” city to Tanais.

In its appearance and type of development, Tanais differs little from other cities on the Black and Azov Sea coasts of the ancient era. But this doesn’t mean anything: after all, Naples, the capital of the Crimean Scythians, looks the same. What special, characteristic did the excavations of Tanais yield? First of all, it is ceramics. Numerous amphorae of the Greek type were discovered - both imported from the Bosporus and local ones. But the household utensils of the townspeople, found in large quantities, were different, representing handmade ceramics. This molded pottery (hemispherical in shape, like a pot and a regular jug with a tapering neck) was of local origin. The same ceramics were common in the Bosporan kingdom (in Panticapaeum, Phanagoria, Tiritaka, Myrmekia) 149.

The same Bosporan molded ceramics also finds analogies in the North Caucasus, the Kuban region, and the Lower Volga region. The same applies to the “grey-clay polished” ceramics of the late Tanais: it is widespread in the Don region, and in the Kuban region, and in the Volga region, and in the Dnieper region, in the North-Western Crimea and in Olbia (according to D. B. Shelov). Modeled ceramics belonged to the local, “barbarian” population. Another thing is clear: it was widespread in the “habitat of the Sarmatians.” In any other case, the conclusion would be drawn: MOLDED CERAMICS OF TANAIS AND OTHER AZOV-BLACK SEA CITIES BELONGED TO THE SARMATIANS. But not this: “To draw any conclusions about the connection between molded ceramics and a certain ethnic group of the population at the present time prematurely… Let us note that the most common types of Tanais vessels find analogies over a very large territory and therefore cannot be associated with any specific ethnic group” 150.

Still would! If in this case the “ceramic criterion” that archaeologists are so fond of referring to was applied (household utensils serve as a clear identifier of ethnicity), it would turn out that all the supposedly “Greek” North Pontic cities were in fact entirely populated... by Sarmatians! It turns out that very big the territory is covered with Sarmatian molded ceramics (what can you do: Russia is so big). There are too many cities in this area. And it is too reminiscent of Sarmatian molded ceramics of the 2nd–3rd centuries. n. e. Slavic, such as it is known in the early Middle Ages.

It is not without interest to find out what kind of people lived in Tanais and why they sculpted “Sarmatian” ceramics. The inhabitants of Tanais were divided into two groups, called "Hellenes" and "Tanaites", and each of them was ruled by its own archons. But it has been established that the differences between these two groups were not ethnic in nature. Apparently, both townspeople were Sarmatians, since even “the Hellenic archons themselves sometimes bore non-Greek names and probably came from among the Hellenized native nobility” 151. Most likely, the citizens of Tanais were called Hellenes, who included themselves in the field of Greek culture - unlike their brothers who remained faithful to the ancient foundations.

The famous slab of Tryphon, found in Tanais, can give an idea of who the “Archons of the Hellenes” really were. Judging by the Greek inscription, the slab depicts a certain “Tryphon, son of Andromenes.” But " despite the Greek name, it is undoubtedly Sarmatian... Dressed in a plate armor, with a helmet on his head, Tryphon sits half-turned on his horse, holding a long and heavy spear at the ready with both hands... One might think that this plate was embedded in the masonry of the tower itself or the defensive wall adjacent to it, and that Tryphon took part in construction of these fortifications" 152.

We add that names like Tryphon or Andromen can hardly be considered borrowed from the Greeks. It is well known that names of this type (the same “Tryphon”, names with “andr” - Andrey, Alexander) have long been popular in Rus'. If we recall that the Dorian elite of ancient Greece had a northern, Danube-Black Sea origin, then a big question arises: wasn’t the “nominal set” characteristic of them originally brought to Greece from the banks of the Don? Didn't the Greek and Meoto-Sarmatian Azov names belong to the same tradition? (Correct observation. Most of the “Greek”, “Jewish”, “Roman” names are actually included in the listed secondary pseudo-ethnic formations by the Rus - for example, Ivan is by no means from “Iohanaan” - both are from the pronoun “he, en”, which gave the original form “yan” - “yan, ian, joann”, etc.; also Anna, Yana - comes from the pronoun “she” - dialectal “ena, yana” The original names of the Russians, introduced into the isolated and peripheral ethnic groups, later. , in the Middle Ages, returned to us in a distorted form - such that we often do not recognize them. And this is no wonder, few people even now can recognize the Russian Ivanko in the anglicized “Ivanhoe”, and Yarun in the Arabic “Harun ar-Rashid”. from Rus' or, more precisely, Yarun Rusid - Yarun the son of Rus, although everyone knows that “Russia” and “Rosh” are Russia, Rus', and, say, Zeus Kronid is Zeus the son of Kron. Confused by Russophobic political strategists and charlatans from historical science. , sometimes we don’t see the obvious - Note Yu. D. Petukhova.)

Late Scythian settlements and residential complexes

You can check whether there were real Hellenes in Tanais or not. The answer to this question is provided by anthropological research 153 . They identified two types of population in the city: 1) “long-headed Caucasoid with a narrow and short face” and 2) “short-headed Caucasian with a somewhat flattened face.” The second type, as established, is purely Sarmatian (similar to Siberian). Maybe the first one is Greek? But when comparing it with ancient Greek, “the difference is clearly visible.” But the first type of inhabitants of Tanais shows great similarities with the indigenous population of the Azov region - with the Sindians and Meotians. The local origin is also indicated by the burial ritual of people of the first type - crouched burials, a ritual that developed in Southern Russia back in the Stone Age. Of course, it was not the Greeks who were buried in this way, but the indigenous inhabitants of the Lower Don region.

Studies of the necropolis of Tanais did not find any slabs with images of the deceased and inscriptions, usual for Greek burials. All features - dugout coffins-decks, burial mounds - are of local, Meoto-Sarmatian origin 154. (The same features of burials were also characteristic of the Slavs of the early Middle Ages...) The ritual of cremation, which was sometimes found in Tanais in the first centuries of its existence, should not be attributed to the influence of the Greeks. Among the indigenous inhabitants of the Eastern Azov and Black Sea region, the Meotians (as opposed to the purely steppe Sarmatians), this ritual was maintained from ancient times until the early Middle Ages, as evidenced by sources of the 10th century.

The ancient clothing of the Tanaitians has not been preserved, but its metal parts - fasteners (the so-called brooches) have remained. These brooches have long served archaeologists as a “trace”, unmistakably indicating the path of movement of peoples. Early, even 2nd–1st centuries. BC e., the type of Tanais brooches are the so-called spring brooches. Archaeologists find them in cities “with a highly barbarized population (Naples, Tanais) or on the barbarian periphery of ancient centers (Kuban, Azov region).” Greek brooches in the Northern Black Sea region are “very poorly known from archaeological materials”! 155 If we remove useless and completely unscientific expressions such as “barbarians” and “barbarian periphery”, then this phrase means: THE ANCIENT POPULATION OF TANAIS WERE THE SCYTHIANS AND SARMATIANS - THE SAME WHO LIVED IN THE CRIMEA, IN THE AZOV REGION, IN THE KUBAN.

The conclusion is simple. THERE WERE NO GREEKS AT ALL IN TANAIS. There were almost no permanent merchants. There is every reason to believe that TANAIS WAS FOUNDED BY THE SARMATIANS AND AT THE FIRST TIME WAS DIRECTLY PART OF THE SARMATIAN STATE. Therefore, sources do not mention before the 1st century. n. e. about his subordination to the Bosporus.

Finds of flint tools “testify to the emergence of a settlement on the site of Tanais long before the formation of the city here.” The wedge-shaped stone hatchet dates back to the turn of the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. e. “This find indicates the PRESENCE OF LIFE AT THE SITE OF TANAIS AT ALL TIMES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE BRONZE AGE” 156.

It turns out that Tanais did not arise in the Sarmatian era, but had a more ancient tradition. It was not "founded", but developed into a city due to natural causes from an ancient settlement. So ancient that its roots go back to the “proto-Aryan” era.

Tanais is amazing not only for its deep antiquity, but also for its long-distance connections. Glass vessels of good quality were discovered in the city. They were made right there, on the spot, but had a distinct and well-known “Cologne type” in late antiquity (III–IV centuries). The main centers for the production of glass of this type were in the Rhine Valley; From there there was export throughout the Roman Empire, Central and Northern Europe.

A workshop producing “Cologne glass” was discovered in the Bakhchisarai area. There is local production based on foreign models; “It is possible that visiting glassblowers worked in Tanais” 157. Obviously, there were direct connections with Germany.

On Germany as a source of cultural “innovations” in the Lower Don and in the Black Sea-Azov region of the 3rd–4th centuries. fibulae also indicate. VI–III centuries n. e. Tanais brooches resembled those forms characteristic of the Northern Black Sea region in general and the Bosporan kingdom in particular (it was at this time that Tanais became part of the Bosporus). And in the 3rd century. n. e. There was a change in the type of brooches: their analogues are found in the south-eastern Baltic region, the Lower Vistula culture, Slovakia, Moravia, and the Elbe. The same thing was observed throughout the North Pontic zone - judging by the finds in Crimea, brooches of Central European shapes were made locally and not imported.

“Cologne” glass and Baltic-Germanic brooches appeared in Tanais in the first half of the 3rd century. n. e., when the Gothic Empire arose in the Black Sea region. This state, founded by a dynasty from Scandinavia, was formed by the forces of the Central European Vends. Archeology confirms this: both glass and brooches point to Germany rather than Scandinavia as the source of cultural influence ( Vendian Germany at the beginning of the century. e. was not German speaking).

It is known from sources that an alliance has advanced towards Tanais Heruli, which medieval sources identified with Gavolians, one of the Slavic-Vendish peoples of Northern Germany 158. Since the Tanais brooches were quite different from the Black Sea, actually “Gothic” ones, it is clear that they were precisely “Herulian” 159.

On the other hand, in Tanais III–IV centuries. Brooches of the Eastern Sarmatian type are also found. During this era, the city was located on the border of two large state formations - the Gothic Empire of the Black Sea region, formed by the “Germanic” Vends, and the Volga-Don kingdom, founded by the Sarmatian Alans. The proximity of the Gothic empire became fatal for Tanais. Around 250 AD e. the city was destroyed, obviously, during the Gothic-Alan wars. After the pogrom, the city was restored in the 330s and finally died at the end of the 4th century. as a result of the invasion of the Huns. A number of sources mention the fall of Tanais. In some of them he appears under a different name. Byzantine, Arab and Persian authors testify to the city of “RUSSIA”, which stood at the mouth of the Don and was destroyed by the Goths and Huns 160. Apparently, this was the city of Tanais, which had a second name, the same as Tanais, Don - Russian River.

City races of warriors on chariots. Silver dish from a Scythian burial mound. In Tavria, the influence of the so-called “Greek” diaspora was especially noticeable. Among the Scythians, like Skilos, there were many adherents of the “Greek” fashion. They ordered utensils from artisans of the “Greek” diaspora. But to conclude from this that the Black Sea cities were “Greek colonies” is absurd. For example, let’s say that if archaeologists of the distant future find artifacts marked “made in China” on the site of Moscow, this does not mean that Moscow was a Chinese colony

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Few people know that in the Rostov region there is a real... Greek city! More precisely, his excavations, what is left of him. The city of Tanais (Greek Tanaїs and Tanaїs), founded at the beginning of the 3rd century. BC e. Greeks from the Bosporan state. The city played an important role in the development of trade by sea.

Whoever lived on this land: Scythians, Amazons, Greeks, Venetians, Polovtsian tribes and of course we, Russians. But, first things first.

The Legend of Tanais

A little more than a couple of thousand years ago, judging by the notes of Greco-Roman historians, beautiful Amazons lived on the Don land. They cultivated the land themselves, and when wartime came, they took up arms. In order to freely wield weapons, poor women even had their right breast burned out (to make it easier to throw a spear). In those distant times, the Don River was called the Amazon. One day, the Amazon Lysippe and the warrior Berossus had a son, Tanais. The boy grew up and turned into a beautiful young man who was fluent in weapons and various types of martial arts. To devote his life to military affairs, Tanais adopted chastity. Meanwhile, the goddess of love, Venus, fell in love with a young man. He is zero attention. The wounded goddess punished Tanais with love for her mother. The guy could not stand the test and threw himself from a high hill into the river. Since then the river has been called "Tanais".
And then, after the name of the river, the City was named.

So, one sunny summer day by car from Rostov-on-Don we set off on a “back to the past” adventure. The narrow Rostov-Taganrog highway, poplars along the road and heat, heat... Before reaching the city of Taganrog, we turned at the sign for Tanais, which was impossible to pass.

Leaving the car at the entrance to the protected area, we bought tickets at a small, lonely ticket office and delved (literally) into studying history.

The first thing that shocks you about this place is the high sky, the endless free steppe and an excellent overview of the surrounding area (due to its location), privacy, and absence of people.
The second is the realization that you are on the ancient Hellenic land, glorified by Homer himself.

The territory of Tanais is about 3 thousand hectares, the largest excavation area in Russia. Work here has been carried out since the mid-19th century and continues to this day.

The first thing we decided to do was explore the museum; it itself is small and “not rich”. Unfortunately, everything that was interesting and golden was taken to large museums.

The first hall of the museum is dedicated to the history of the city and its commercial purpose. Particular attention is paid to amphora imports. The main nature of the occupations of the Tanaites: crafts, agriculture, cattle breeding. The section “The Conquest of Tanais by Polemon” is adjacent to a corner with life-size reconstructions of military vehicles of the ancient era (eutychon and onager), finds of parts of weapons and military clothing are also exhibited here and a small diorama "Arrangement of military vehicles on the watchtower."

The themes of “Trade” and “Crafts” are extensively presented in the second hall of the museum. The third hall of the museum presents the “Tanaite Religion” and “Necropolis of Tanais.” The fourth hall is an exhibition hall.

I would like to note that Polovtsian tribes also lived in this territory, who left behind a large number of statues of Babas, who hold something like a bowl in their hands. According to legend, a Polovtsian woman was installed near the burial ground, facing the sun. The soul of the deceased was supposed to move into stone sculptures.

In the reserve you can see a reconstruction of a Polovtsian house made of clay and straw. In extreme heat, the temperature inside such a house is about 20 degrees. We took advantage of this for relaxation.

After visiting the museum, we went to see the most interesting thing - ancient excavations. In this place you can independently climb the excavations and feel the special spirit of this place.

I don’t recommend digging, you might get fined.
Of course, you won’t see Greek columns or squares on the territory. Everything is quite simple - houses made of stone, closely packed to each other, the buildings are chaotic. The archaeologists who were the first to discover the ancient settlement, like us, were very upset, as they expected to find countless treasures here. But it turned out that the treasures had already been found and taken away more than once by someone.

The city was razed to the ground several times and burial grounds were plundered. For the last 100 years, local residents have also been taking it away to make stones for their household plots, since the reserve is poorly guarded.

The territory is divided into so-called “quarters”, near each of them there is a sign with a plan of the area: here was the pool, and here is the square.

You can also see the restored Roman bridge structure and even walk on it.

After walking through the excavations through a hole in the fence, we went for a walk around the Nedvigovka farm and went down to a tributary of the Don - the Northern Donets.
Silence, absence of people... only a passing train disturbed the prosperity on this earth.

Who really destroyed Tanais?

In the 40s 3rd century n. e. T. was completely destroyed by the tribes that were part of the alliance led by the Goths.

I didn't want to leave this place at all. But new adventures awaited us...

How to get there:
village Nedvigovka, Rostov region, about 40 km from Rostov-on-Don along the Rostov-Taganrog highway