?
Херсонес Таврический: границы и элементы полиса в конце V ‒ IV в. до н.э.
CHERSONESUS TAURICA: BOUNDARIES OF THE POLIS AND ITS
ELEMENTS IN THE LATE 5TH – 4TH CENTURIES BC
This article studies the spatial structure of the polis of Chersonesus, the interrelationship of its elements and dependence of their relative arrangement on geographical features of the Heracleian Peninsula, i.e. the area where the city of Chersonesus and its chora were located. The main territorial elements of the polis were the city itself;
the stronghold in the isthmus of the Lighthouse (Mayachny) Peninsula; the road between the city and the stronghold; landplots in the Lighthouse Peninsula and – later – in the remaining territory of the Heracleian Peninsula. These elements made sense only in their mutual relationship and on condition of their simultaneous functioning
(from the end of the 5th c. and during the 4th c. BC). The stronghold in the isthmus of
the Lighthouse Peninsula (identified as Strabo’s “ancient Chersonesus”) is described
as a phrourion of Chersonesus. Its aim was to maintain control over the territory
which was originally populated by the Tauroi. The phrourion marked the western
boundary of the polis and, therefore, helped to control the area between the city and
the Lighthouse Peninsula. The definition as a phrourion is due to the fact that this site
is undoubtedly a stronghold, as it has fortification walls with towers. Further, it is situated at a certain distance from the city, but, due to its geographic location, can belong only to Chersonesus and cannot be an independent settlement. It can be stated with assurance that the phrourion was divided in two areas by a crosswall, i.e. the diateichisma discovered by Pechenkin. The fortification walls defended not only the lower,
inhabited, part of the isthmus, but the whole of its territory. The fact that the elevated
area of the isthmus was not built over and not inhabited, but was nevertheless walled
off and had a temple, allows us to define this area as an acropolis of the phrourion.
After the whole territory of the Heracleian Peninsula had been divided into plots, the
phrourion naturally lost its original fortificatory significance. This may explain why
by the time of Strabo it was ruined: its fortifications could simply become decrepit
and were dismantled. The article also reconstructs the temple in the acropolis and puts
forward a hypothesis that this temple could be used as a treasury.