Cimmerian Bosporos, Phanagoria
Circa 4th- 3rd centuries BCE
AE 13mm 2.69g
Obv: bearded head of satyr right
Rev: ɸA, bow and arrow
SNG BM Black Sea 992-4; MacDonald 157
When Cyrus the Great came along in Persian, the inhabitants of Teos didn’t stick around to see what happened. Instead, in 543 BCE, the headed north and founded Phanagoria, named after one of the colonists.
In the 4th century BCE, the Bosporan Kingdom took over the area, but Phanagoria wound up its main center, and it flourished from trading with the inland Skythian tribes.
Later on, Phanagoria wisely remained loyal to Rome and was besieged unsuccessfully by Pharnakes II of Pontos. At the end of the reign of Mithridates VI, an insurgency broke out against him and compelled his sons to surrender. For these acts, the city was shown clemency by Rome and allowed to remain intact for its loyalty. The city remained flourishing until the 4th century CE, when it was destroyed by Huns.
Queen Gepaepyris of Bosporus
334-335 BE=37/38-38/39 CE
AE 12 units, 9.00g 24.69mm
Obv. ΒΑCΙΛΙCCHC ΓΗΠΑΙΠΥΡΕΩC Draped and diademed bust of Gepaepyris to right
Rx. Veiled head of Aphrodite Apatura to right, wearing kalathos; in left field behind head, IB (denominational mark)
MacDonald-306
Ex coll. of Prof David MacDonald, 2025
Citizens of Teos flee from the Persians to found Phanagoria.
Phanagoria comes under the monarchy of the Archeactides.