Sea connecting, sea dividing. Sea life-giving, sea lethal. Role of sea in life of the people of Crimean Cherson in late Antiquity/the early Byzantine period

0428371 - SLÚ 2015 eng C - Conference Paper (international conference)
Čechová, Martina
Sea connecting, sea dividing. Sea life-giving, sea lethal. Role of sea in life of the people of Crimean Cherson in late Antiquity/the early Byzantine period.
2014.
[Annual conference on underwater archaeology of the DEGUWA e.V. IN POSEIDON’S REALM XIX, Life by water and waterside,. Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruldingen (DE), 21.03.2014-23.03.2014]
Institutional support: RVO:68378017
Keywords : Crimean Cherson * Late Antiquity * Early Byzantine Period
Subject RIV: AB - History

Located at the edge of the classical world, sea always played a significant role in the lives of the people of Cherson. The sea separated Cherson from the Empire; Crimea was considered as a distant territory, suitable for exiling inconvenient people. On the other hand, concerning an enemy attack, the distance from Crimea to Constantinople was uncomfortably short and Cherson itself was a few times threatened from the sea.To be safe, mighty walls were built around the city. Furthermore, the sea provided people of Cherson with food, which helped to develop the city and so the position at the sea supported local economy. Nor the social aspect of living on the other (“barbarian”) coast of the Black Sea should be missed. In my paper I will summarize how the sea influenced policy, economy and social life of the people of Cherson and I will describe certain peculiarity of the city given by the specific “overseas” location of Cherson in relation to the Byzantine Empire.

Located at the edge of the classical world, sea always played a significant role in the lives of the people of Cherson. The sea separated Cherson from the Empire; Crimea was considered as a distant territory, suitable for exiling inconvenient people. On the other hand, concerning an enemy attack, the distance from Crimea to Constantinople was uncomfortably short and Cherson itself was a few times threatened from the sea.To be safe, mighty walls were built around the city. Furthermore, the sea provided people of Cherson with food, which helped to develop the city and so the position at the sea supported local economy. Nor the social aspect of living on the other (“barbarian”) coast of the Black Sea should be missed. In my paper I will summarize how the sea influenced policy, economy and social life of the people of Cherson and I will describe certain peculiarity of the city given by the specific “overseas” location of Cherson in relation to the Byzantine Empire.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0233780