ROMANS IN RUSSIA

The Bosporan Kingdom and the neighbouring Roman Provinces

Regnum Bospori: a large Client State of the Roman Empire.

Боспорское царство - великое «государство-сателлит» Римской империи

Il Regnum Bospori, un importante satellite dell' Impero Romano

Le Royaume du Bospore, un important état client de l' Empire Romain

Konigreich Bosporus, ein wichtiger Satellit des Roemischen  Kaiserreichs.

Asander and Dynamis were the ruling monarchs of the Regnum Bospori until Caesar commanded a paternal uncle of Dynamis, Mithridates, to declare war on the Bosporan Kingdom and claimed the kingship for himself. Asander and Dynamis were defeated by Caesar’s ally and had gone into political exile. However after Caesar’s death in 44 BC, the Bosporan Kingdom was restored to Asander and Dynamis by Octavian . Asander ruled as an Archon and later as King until his death in 17 BC. After the death of Asander, Dynamis was compelled to marry a Roman called Scribonius, but the Romans under statesman Marcus Agrippa  set Polemon I(16 BC - 8 BC) as King of Pontus  in his place. Polemon married Dynamis in 16 BC and she died in 14 BC. Polemon ruled as King until his death in 8 BC. After the death of Polemon, Aspurgus, the son of Dynamis and Asander, succeeded Polemon.

The Bosporan Kingdom of Aspurgus was a "Client State" of the Roman Empire, helped by Roman garrisons. Aspurgus (8 BC - 38) founded a line of kings which endured with certain interruptions until 341. Aspurgus adopted the Roman names "Tiberius Julius" because he received Roman citizenship and enjoyed the patronage of Augustus and Tiberius. All of the following kings adopted these two Roman names followed by a third name, mostly of Pontic or Thracian origin , but also of local origin .

The kings adopted the "Pontic Era" introduced by Mithridates VI, which started with 297 BC; this era was used to date coins. Bosporan kings struck coinage throughout the kingdom period .  Their kingdom covered the eastern half of Crimea and the Taman peninsula, and extended along the east coast of the Azof Sea  to the mouth of the Don, a great market for trade with the interior.

They carried on a perpetual war with the native tribes, and in this were supported by their Roman suzerains, who even lent the assistance of garrison and fleet. The Bosporan Kingdom was incorporated as a part of the Roman Province of Moesia Inferior from 63-68. In 68, the new Roman Emperor Galba had restored the Bosporan Kingdom 

At one of these periods (255) the Goths and Borani were able to seize Bosporan shipping and raid the shores of Anatolia.

Besides influencing the Regnum Bospori, Romans controlled the town of Tyras (present days Tiraspol, capital city of the Republic of Transdnistria) .

Latin influence is strongly felt in the Romanian and Moldovan languages spoken in that area. Moreover, Russian rulers often were pleased in making reference to Roman cultural and political traditions, which is self evident in the denominations “Tsar’” (“Caesar”),Tsar’stvo “Kaiserreich”),Tretij Rim”Third Rome” (“Translatio Imperii”), “Imperator”, “Imperija” (“Imperium”), and, even, by constrast,”Respublika” (“Res Publica”).

Paradoxically, Roman words are present in Russian more than in many other Slavonic languages ( the names of the months;  “avion” instead of “zrakoplov”;"aeroport" instead of "aerodrom"; “kanikuli” instead of “odmor”; “Italija” instead of “Wlochy”; “Germanija”  instead of “Njemacka”; "President" instead of "predsedvik"; "Universitet" instead of "Sveuciliste", a.s.o.).