ROME AND BOSPORAN KINGDOM: MILITARY CONTACTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE INTERRELATIONS BETWEEN TWO STATES IN I–IIND CENTURY A. D.

Abstract

The Bosporan Kingdom started its accession into the Roman Empire’s sphere of influence before the beginning of the 1st century AD, namely after the end of war of Mithridates VI of Pontus with Pompeius in 63 BC. Bosporan Kingdom turned dependent on the Roman Republic and since that time became an important “friendly kingdom” in the north-eastern part of the antique world. The Roman expansion in this region narrowed not to the direct conquest of the northern Black Sea region but to subordination of the foreign policy of city-states and armed forces of antique civilization centers in this region. This also relates to Bosporus for which Roman military commanders and emperors applied different methods, due to certain historical conditions, such as sea blockade, military incursion, throne occupation, transformation to allied country similarly to the near border eastern kingdoms of Hellenistic East. The Bosporan Kingdom was not independent in its foreign policy, in spite of its own independent administrative and legal administration, taxation, partially independent military and political spheres. It was conditioned by the weakness of its citizens in the process of conflicts with Rome to a lesser extent and more by their necessity to have a powerful ally in confrontation with the barbarian world – Barbaricum. The importance of the Bosporan Kingdom for Rome is proved with it being a factor of support for military and political stability in Black Sea region. The conclusion is drawn that interrelations between Rome and the Bosporan Kingdom in 1st–2nd century AD in military aspect were beneficial for both sides: the empire secured its north-eastern borders from the Sarmatians raids, the Bosporan rulers received a guarantee of saving the country from the invasion of the surrounding barbarian world.

Keywords

• Боспорське царство, Боспор, Римська імперія, Рим