Pages: 433-444 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.55086/sp264433444

The article deals with individual episodes of the Bosporan-Roman War of 45—49 in the context of numismatic evidence (a gold coin of Mithridates III of the Bosporus, found in situ in 2013 within the destruction layers of the Artesian settlement). The authors believe that the obverse depicts the Bosporan king himself, which is directly indicated by the inscription ВАСIΛΕΩС—MIΘPIΔATOY. The reverse also depicts a king or leader of an allied barbarian tribe (possibly with a family tamga), apparently a relative of Mithridates (his co-ruler?), who did not betray him during a difficult period and joined him in the fight against the Romans. Most likely, this is Zorsines, the king of the Siraces and an ally of Mithridates III of the Bosporus. According to the authors, the Bosporan king deliberately transported such coins to his supporters in the European Bosporus, as a clear demonstration of the barbarians’ swift support for those who remained loyal to their king. The new hypothesis explains, firstly, the ferocity of the battles and the particular tenacity of the rebel king’s supporters, and secondly, the reason for the previously unclear geography of the military operations. It is no coincidence that the Romans, who with the help of ships immediately broke through to the center of the Bosporan territory, first established control over the coast of the Kerch Strait, fortifications in the Crimean Cis-Azov region (in case of barbarians crossing the ice in winter) and the passes in the Uzunlar defensive line. They captured all those places through which Mithridates III’s barbarian allies could break through to the European Bosporus.

Keywords: Bosporan Kingdom, Mithridates III of the Bosporus, Bosporan-Roman War of 45–49, Pharnaces, Asander, Aspurgus, Siraces, Aorsi, Aspurgiani

Information about authors:

Sergey Yartsev (Tula, Russian Federation). Doctor of Historical Sciences. Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University. Lenin Ave., 125, Tula, 300026, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0001-5532-211X

Elena Shushunova (Tula, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University. Lenin Ave., 125, Tula, 300026, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: 0000-0003-0237-4383

Zhang Qilin (Tula, Russian Federation). Master’s degree student. Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University. Lenin Ave., 125, Tula, 300026, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]