goods luxury and wealth had brought into use at Athens.

The

The southern seat of ancient civilisation, founded by Greek emigrants from Heraclea, had generally a republican form of government, for though a king is occasionally mentioned, the chief of the senate is intended. The little territory occupied by these colonists, now a world-renowned site, included the city of Chersonesus, often called Cherson, a name which the Russians have transferred to a town on the Dnieper. At a subsequent date, Eupatorium was built in the district. Its limits also comprised the temple-crowned Cape Parthenium, with the Portus Symbolorum and the Ctenus of Strabo. former is undoubtedly the present inlet of Balaklava, so accurately described by the geographer, and the latter, the harbour of Sebastopol. The settlers connected the upper extremities of these two inlets with a trench and wall, as a protection from incursions of the barbarous natives, and the rude tribes from the north, who were repeatedly intruding into the peninsula. Very considerable remains of this fortification were extant between Inkerman and Balaklava at the commencement of the present century, and vestiges are still visible. In a similar manner, the Bosphorans defended their territory, and

defined its limits.

Traces of a wall extend from the neighbourhood of Kaffa to the Sea of Azof at Arabat. The boundary shifted as the kingdom declined and the people lost ground, till a rampart still existing near Kertch, separated a mere neck of land from the rest of the country. It now serves as a halting-place and shelter for the caravans in tempestuous weather, who take their stations to the east or west of the mound, according to the direction of the wind.

The history of the Greeks in both parts of the peninsula is a complete blank through extended periods. But eventually, being pressed upon by the interior tribes, they were compelled to have recourse for help to Mithridates of Pontus. This monarch, commonly styled the Great, and a great man after the fashion of the Czar Peter of Russia, sent his general, Diophantes, with an army, to the assistance of the applicants, who fixed his head-quarters at Cherson. For its protection, after signally chastising the barbarians, the commander built a fortress,—the usual nucleus of a city,-probably selecting some advanced position towards the interior, and called it Eupatorium, in honour of his master, who had also the name of Eupator. Mithridates finally added the whole country to his hereditary dominions, having

obtained possession of the Bosphoran crown by voluntary cession from Parysades II. It became his asylum in distress, and the scene of his death. The Pontic king, an indomitable foe to Rome, maintained a contest of twenty-seven years with the forces of the Western Republic, in order to expel them from the Lesser Asia, and bring all the nations round the Euxine and Ægean seas under his own control. This object was pursued with unconquerable resolution, in spite of repeated defeats. But, being overcome by Pompey, he fled into the wild mountain fastnesses between the Euxine and Caspian, and safely effected a passage through them to the Bosphoran peninsula, establishing himself at Panticapæum, a region too distant and little known for his antagonist to follow him. Here, though old and afflicted with an incurable ulcer, Mithridates bated not "a jot of heart or hope," but conceived the daring project of marching westward round the shores of the Euxine, gathering the wild tribes of the Sarmatians and Getæ to his standard, and throwing these accumulated masses upon the frontiers of the Roman state, acting over again the part of Hannibal. An earthquake which destroyed whole towns and villages, interrupted his preparations; and the disaffection of his followers, upon the design transpiring,

terminated his own career. Pharnaces, his favourite son, to whom he had devised the crown, conspired against him; the whole army and people of Panticapæum joined the rebel; and Mithridates, who had fled for refuge to a strong tower, preferred the alternative of death to dethronement and captivity. Poison failing to take effect, he called in the aid of one of his mercenaries, who despatched him with the sword, B. C. 63.

The parricide, Pharnaces, in order to secure himself upon the throne, sent an embassy to Pompey, with offers of submission and hostages for his fidelity. The general accepted his overtures, and granted him the kingdom, with the title of friend and ally of the Roman people. But, being tempted to invade the Lesser Asia, in order to recover the wide dominions of his father, he was routed by Cæsar in the decisive action near Zela, the result of which was made known by the famous laconic sentence, "I came, I saw, I conquered." Succeeding Bosphoran kings derived their regal authority from Rome, being either nominated or approved by the emperors. The dependence is acknowledged by their coinage and style. Polemon I., originally a priest of a temple in Rome, was indebted for the throne to Mark Antony and Augustus. The coins of Sauromates I. repre

sent the regalia sent from Rome for his coronation. Rhescuporis I. adopted the surname of Tiberius, out of compliment to the contemporary emperor. Cotys, who reigned in the time of Nero, took the title of Neron-Cotys. A coin of Rhescuporis II., his successor, exhibits his own effigy on one side, the reverse having the head of Domitian. There are similar memorials of Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Severus, and Caracalla. But Roman influence in the country was at all times limited, owing to its distance from the seat of authority and an isolated geographical position.

The Chersonites, soon after the fall of Mithridates, became independent of his weak successors, though subject to Rome, and continued their republican form of government. This attitude seems to have been encouraged by the emperors as a check upon

the neighbouring state.

The members of the senate were styled "Fathers of the city." Their president had the title of "Chief." He was the high magistrate in time of peace; the general in time of war. The people acquired importance by their industry, commercial spirit, and naturally strong position. Our own experience of Sebastopol illustrates the latter fact; for the great fortress-town and war-port of modern times stands nearly upon the site of the

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