Paphlagonia
Paphlagonia (Latin Paphlagonia, Greek Παφλαγονία) was an ancient area of north-central Anatolia, on the Black Sea coast, located between Bithynia and Pontus, and separated from Galatia by an extension to the east of the Bithynian Olympus. According to Strabo, the Parthenius River formed the western boundary of the region, ending in the east by the Halys River.
Etymology
According to Hebrew tradition and Flavius Josephus, Paphlagonia is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Riphath, who was a son of Gomer, who in turn was the son of Japheth, whom he gave birth to, around the VIII a. C., to some Celtic tribes that migrated to eastern Europe. Another possibility is that the name Paphlagonia is connected to the place name Blaëne ultimately related to the name given by the Hittites to the region Palā.
History
Hittite Period
The oldest Hittite sources refer to the region as the "land of Palā" and it was one of the three regions into which the Hittite Empire was divided (the other two being Luwiya to the south, and the country of Hatti in the south). the center of the empire). Later Hittite texts rarely mention it, because the region had declined in importance, perhaps due to attacks by the Kaskas from the northern mountains which caused serious problems for the Hittites throughout their history.
The language of Palā was not the Hittite language, but an indigenous language related to Hittite called Palaitan. It is possible that around the XIII century a. C., or even earlier, Palait was extinct as a spoken language.
Pre-Hellenic Period
In the IX century B.C. C. the kingdom of Phrygia is formed, whose territorial expansion would include the territory of Paphlagonia. This kingdom was subjected to attacks by the Cimmerians, an equestrian people from the North Caucasus, who also attacked the kingdom of Urartu. The pressure of the Cimmerians brought down the kingdom of Phrygia, which was replaced by Lydia as the hegemonic power in central Anatolia. King Alyates of Lydia conquered the territory of Paphlagonia extending his kingdom to the left bank of the Halys River in 585 BC. C. A short time later Cyrus II the Great of Persia would defeat Croesus of Lydia in the battle of Pteria (546 BC), passing Paphlagonia and the entire kingdom of Lydia to be a Persian province. Persian rule would last until the invasion of Alexander the Great, who in 334 BC. C. arrived at the city of Gordio and occupied Paphlagonia.
Hellenic Period
After Alexander's death, Paphlagonia came under Hellenistic rule, although there were periods when it was politically independent from the kingdoms of the Diadochi. Paphlagonia continued to be ruled by local princes, until it fell under the rule of the Kingdom of Pontus, being subjected for some periods by the independent kingdom of Bithynia. The Greek city of Sinope however remained independent until 183 BC. C. Later both Bithynia became a Roman province in 74 a. C. and a little later also Ponto.
Roman and Byzantine rule
Pompey united the coastal districts of Paphlagonia and most of Pontus to the Roman province of Bithynia, though the interior of the country remained in the hands of native princes until the local dynasty died out and all of Paphlagonia was incorporated into the Roman Empire. The name was kept by geographers, although its borders were not clearly defined.
Later in the V century d. C., a province of Paphlagonia was created under the Byzantine Empire. In the VII century d. C. Paphlagonia became part of the theme of Opsikión and later of the theme of Boukellarion, before being divided in two around 820 to once again form an administratively separate province (Thema of Paphlagonia).
Places in Paphlagonia
In this region, the city of Sinop (in honor of Sinope) stood out, where Diogenes the Cynic was from among others.