On the Two Names of the Capital of Bosporus Cover Image

О двойном наименовании столицы Боспора
On the Two Names of the Capital of Bosporus

Author(s): Evgeny Alexandrovich Molev
Subject(s): History
Published by: Нижневартовский государственный университет
Keywords: Bosporus; Pontus; Panticapaeum; Archaianaktids; Spartokids; Polis

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the history of the two names of the capital of the Bosporus state, Panticapaeum and Bosporus. The author briefly describes the research of his predecessors and gives his assessment of the origin and understanding of both toponyms. A special attention is paid to the main source in this question, the Bibliotheca historica of Diodorus Siculus. Archaeological, epigraphic, and numismatic sources related to each of the two names are also considered. The author identifies the names of the capital of Bosporus, given in the writings of ancient authors, epigraphic and numismatic monuments, and provides them a brief description, which allows specifying the time of appearance and duration of the existence of both names. In conclusion, the author gives an explanation of the reasons for the phenomenon, so unusual for the ancient world, when the names of the polis and the city diverge.