ABSTRACT
In the specialist literature and even in student textbooks, the Black Sea area and Greek trade with this region are mainly presented in a very simple way: that the Greeks colonised the Black Sea because they lacked food and natural resources and, consequently, imported grain, metals, slaves, etc. from the Pontic region. This can be summarised in the words of J. Fine:
Greek colonisation of the Black Sea was of great importance for subsequent Greek history. A huge area, rich in metals, timber, grain, fish and many other products, was thus opened to a Greek world, whose resources in raw materials and food products were inadequate for the constantly growing population. The necessity to pay for those imports stimulated the activity of Greek craftsmen – especially the potters and metal-workers
(Fine 1983, 81)