The Beginning of Messambria Pontica

Abstract

The foundation of Messambria Pontica has been debated for more than a century. Some questions still remain unanswered while some answers need revision due to the developments in research. Among these questions are the date of Messambria’s foundation, the composition of its ἄποικοι, the identity of its historical founder, the polis’ relations with local Thracian tribes, etc. Recent studies on various topics that concern these questions, including new archaeological evidence, provide some possible interpretations of already known sources. Generally speaking, these interpretations both challenge and confirm some of the ideas that have gained acceptance in the literature. Interpretations discussed in this article concern when the apoikia was founded, what the impact and nature of the ἔποικοι was, what the name of Messambria means, and what its larger tribal environment looked like based on the latest archaeological research.