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In the second half of I c. BC, Chersonesus managed to defend its independence in a struggle with Bosporus’ kings and established direct contacts with the Roman imperial administration. After a detachment of Chersonesus warriors had supported Rome in the Bosporus-Roman war, these ties got strengthened, which was apparently demonstrated by the campaign of T. Plauto Silvanus. The campaign defeated the barbrians who threatened the city, and the Romans started building a forpost on the Ai-Todor cape.
The second stage of the Roman military presence in Taurica begins in the middle – second half of 40s of II c., when Chersonesus and its suburbs were occupied by the Roman troops, and the civil society was granted the rights of an eleuteria. All this led not only to an economic rise, which lasted for about one hundred years, but also enhanced the Roman military and political position in Taurica.
From the second half of 40s of II c. and until the third quarter of III cc., Chersonesus remained a large base of the Roman military presence, where except the land forces, there were ships of the Roman navy. In the second half of II c., the city was a residence of the military tribune, who was in charge of all Roman troops in Scythia and Taurica. The debris discovered on the territory of Chersonesus’ citadel testify that the Roman military led here large-scale construction activities. They built barracks, thermae and several buildings which functioned for over a hundred years.
The Roman troops were also deployed in other places in Taurica. This testifies that the imperial administration led a consecutive policy during the second half of II – third of III cc., aimed not only at protection of the allied Chersonesus state, but also at gradual exploitation of the adjacent territories.
In the second quarter of III c., the worsened situation on the Danube and the Empire’s need for reserves to fight back the barbarian invasions made the Roman troops to abandon not only Taurica, but also Chersonesus. In about 250, the Roman troops again settle in Chersonesus for some time, and after the permanent Roman garrison had been removed from there by the central administration in the third quarter of III c., Chersonesus was rendered financial aid, as the centre became the only reliable outpost of the Empire in the whole Northern Black Sea area.