Chersonesus

Chersonesus
Χερσόνησος
Херсонес
St. Vladimir's Cathedral overlooks the extensive excavations of Chersonesus.
Chersonesus is located in Sevastopol
Chersonesus
Shown within Sevastopol
Chersonesus is located in Ukraine
Chersonesus
Chersonesus (Ukraine)
Chersonesus is located in Russia
Chersonesus
Chersonesus (Russia)
Alternative nameChersonese, Chersonesos, Cherson, Korsun
LocationGagarinsky District, Sevastopol
RegionTaurica
Coordinates44°36′42″N 33°29′36″E / 44.61167°N 33.49333°E / 44.61167; 33.49333
TypeSettlement
Part ofNational Reserve "Khersones Tavriiskyi"
Area30 ha (74 acres)
History
BuilderSettlers from Heraclea Pontica
Founded6th century BC
AbandonedAround 1400 AD
PeriodsClassical Greece to Late Middle Ages
CulturesGreek, Roman, Hunnic, Byzantine
Site notes
Excavation dates1827
ManagementThe National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos
Websitewww.chersonesos.org
Official nameAncient city of Tauric Chersonese
Part ofAncient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora
CriteriaCultural: (ii), (v)
Reference1411
Inscription2013 (37th Session)
Area42.8 ha (0.165 sq mi)
Buffer zone207.2 ha (0.800 sq mi)
Websitechersonesos-sev.ru

Chersonesus,[a] contracted in medieval Greek to Cherson (Χερσών), was an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2,500 years ago in the southwestern part of the Crimean Peninsula. Settlers from Heraclea Pontica in Bithynia established the colony in the 6th century BC.

The ancient city was located on the shore of the Black Sea on the outskirts of present-day Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula, where it is referred to as Khersones. The site is part of the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos. The name Chersonesos in Greek means "peninsula" and aptly describes the site on which the colony was established. It should not be confused with the Tauric Chersonese, a name often applied to the whole of the southern Crimea.

During much of the classical period, Chersonesus operated as a democracy ruled by a group of elected archons and a council called the Demiurgoi. As time passed, the government grew more oligarchic, with power concentrated in the hands of the archons.[1] A form of oath sworn by all the citizens from the 3rd century BC onwards has survived to the present day.[2][3] In 2013 UNESCO listed Chersonesus as a World Heritage Site.[4]


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  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference EB1911 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Syll. 360: The oath of the citizens of Chersonesos". attalus.org. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  3. ^ Vladimir F. Stolba, The Oath of Chersonesos and the Chersonesean Economy in the Early Hellenistic Period, in: Z.G. Archibald, J.K. Davies & V. Gabrielsen (eds.), Making, Moving and Managing. The New World of Ancient Economies, 323-31 BC. Oxford: Oxbow 2005, 298-321.
  4. ^ Claus, Patricia (2022-12-01). "Ancient Greek City of Chersonesus in Crimea Founded 2,500 Years Ago". greekreporter.com. Retrieved 2023-05-09.

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