Abstract:

The ancient literary sources mention seven important small ancient ports which are Boon (Perşembe), Zephyrion (Zefre), Kordyle (Akçakale), Hermonassa (Akçaabat), Hyssos (Araklı), Athenai (Pazar) and Apsarros (Gonio) on the shores of the Eastern Black Sea extending from present-day Ordu to Georgian border in Hellenistic and Roman periods. Apart from these ports, there were two major ports called Trapezous and Phasis in the same region. Trapezous and Phasis had greater potential compared to the smaller ports due to their strategic location and their being located at the beginning of the ancient roads reaching the inner regions. Also, these ports had been vital for people who were active in the region in terms of commercial and military activities considering the geography of the Eastern Black Sea Region in which mountains extends parallel to the coast and there are no islands to take shelter on. This study aims to explore the narratives about small ports in the Eastern Black Sea Region during the Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman ages with a focus on the work of Arrianus who visited the region in the 2nd century AD as well as other ancient sources.

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