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.
Citizens of Teos flee from the Persians to found Phanagoria.
Phanagoria comes under the monarchy of the Archeactides.