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The Kingdom of Pontus or Pontic Empire was a state of Greek and Persian origin,〔http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/pontus〕 they may even have been directly related to Darius the Great and the Achaemenid dynasty.〔 It was founded by Mithridates I in 281 BCE and lasted until its conquest by the Roman Republic in 63 BCE. The kingdom grew to its largest extent under Mithridates VI the Great, who conquered Colchis, Cappadocia, Bithynia, the Greek colonies of the Tauric Chersonesos and for a brief time the Roman province of Asia. After a long struggle with Rome in the Mithridatic Wars, Pontus was defeated, part of it was incorporated into the Roman Republic as the province Bithynia et Pontus and the eastern half survived as a client kingdom. As the greater part of the kingdom lay within the immense region of Cappadocia, which in early ages extended from the borders of Cilicia to the Euxine (Black Sea), the kingdom as a whole was at first called 'Cappadocia by Pontus' or 'Cappadocia by the Euxine', but afterwards simply "Pontus," the name Cappadocia being henceforth restricted to the southern half of the region previously included under that title. ==Features of Pontus== (詳細はPontic Alps which ran parallel to the coast. The river valleys of Pontus also ran parallel to the coast and were quite fertile, supporting cattle herds and millet, along with fruit trees including cherry (named for the city of Cerasus), apple and pear. The coastal region was dominated by the Greek cities such as Amastris and Sinope, the latter which became the Pontic capital after its capture. The coast was rich in Timber, fishing and the olive trade. Pontus was also rich in Iron and silver, which were mined near the coast south of Pharnacia, steel from the Chalybian mountains became quite famous in Greece. There are also copper, lead, zinc and arsenic. The Pontic interior also had its fertile river valleys such as the river Lycus and Iris. The major city of the interior was Amasia, the early Pontic capital, where the Pontic kings had their Palace and royal tombs. After Amasia and a few other cities, the interior was mainly dominated by small villages. The kingdom of Pontus was divided into districts named Eparchies.〔Crook, Lintott & Rawson "THE CAMBRIDGE ANCIENT HISTORY VOLUME IX. The Last Age of the Roman Republic, 146-43 B.C.", p. 133-136.〕 The division between coast and interior was also cultural. The coast was mainly Greek and focused on sea trade. The interior was occupied by the Anatolian Cappadocians and Paphlagonians ruled by an Iranian aristocracy which went back to the Persian empire. The interior also had powerful Temples with large estates. The gods of the Kingdom were mostly syncretic, with features of local gods, Persian and Greek Deities. Major gods included the Persian Ahuramazda who was termed Zeus Stratios, the Moon god Men Pharnacou and Ma (interpreted as Cybele).〔Cambridge Ancient v. 9, p. 137.〕 Sun gods were particularly popular with the royal house being identified with the Persian god Ahuramazda of the Achaemenid dynasty, both Apollo and Mithras were worshipped by the Kings. Indeed, the name used by the majority of the Pontic kings was Mithridates which means "given by Mithras".〔David Ulansey, "The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries", p. 89.〕 Pontic culture saw a synthesis between Greek and Iranian elements, though the most Hellenized parts of the Kingdom were surely the coastal regions, already Greek in themselves. Epigraphic evidence also shows extensive Hellenistic influence in the interior. By the time of Mithridates VI Eupator, Greek was the official language of the Kingdom though Anatolian languages continued to be spoken in the interior. The Pontic Kings though they claimed descent from the Persian royal house generally acted as Hellenistic kings and portrayed themselves as such in their coins, mimicking Alexander's royal stater.〔B. C. McGing "The foreign policy of Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus", p. 10-11.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kingdom of Pontus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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