The "Chersonesus Tauricus" of Antiquity, shown on a map printed in London, ca 1770

Taurica (Greek: Ταυρίς, Ταυρίδα, Latin: Taurica) also known as Tauris, Taurida, Tauric Chersonese, and Chersonesus Taurica was the name of Crimea in Antiquity. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1254x760, 218 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1254x760, 218 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... It has been suggested that Greco-Roman be merged into this article or section. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... 1770 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Motto: Процветание в единстве - Prosperity in unity Anthem: Нивы и горы твои волшебны, Родина - Your fields and mounts are wonderful, Motherland Capital Simferopol Largest cities Simferopol, Eupatoria, Kerch, Theodosia, Yalta Official language Ukrainian. ... It has been suggested that Greco-Roman be merged into this article or section. ...

Etymology of the name

The Greeks named the region after its inhabitants, the Tauri. As the Tauri inhabited only mountainous regions of southern Crimea at first the name Tauris was used only to this southern part, but later it was extended to name the whole peninsula. Sometimes Taurica is referred to as Tauric Chersonese or Chersonesus Taurica. This name is Greek for the "Tauric peninsula" (Chersonese literally means "peninsula"). This variant of the name should not be confused with the city of Chersonesos. The Tauri were the original inhabitants of the southern coast of Crimea, inhabiting the Crimean Mountains and the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the Black Sea. ... The remains of the city of Chersonesos Chersonesos (Greek: , Latin: , Ukrainian: , Russian: ; see also List of traditional Greek place names) also known as Chersonese, Chersonesos, Cherson, Khersones and Korsun was an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2500 years ago in the southwestern part of Crimea, known then as Taurica. ...

Greek legends about Tauris

According to Greek legends, Tauris is the place to which Iphigeneia was sent after Artemis rescued her from the human sacrifice her father was about to perform. The goddess swept the young princess off to Tauris where she became a priestess at the Temple of Artemis. Here, she was forced by the Taurian king Thoas to perform human sacrifices on any foreigners who came ashore. See the plot of Iphigeneia in Tauris for more details. The sacrifice of Iphigenia by the Illioupersis Painter Iphigeneia (, also Iphigenia and sometimes Iphianassa) was a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology. ... The Artemis of Versailles, a Roman copy of the marble sculpture of Leochares, now at the Louvre Artemis (Greek: nominative , genitive ), in Greek mythology was daughter of Zeus and of Leto and the twin sister of Apollo. ... The so-called Mask of Agamemnon. Discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 at Mycenae. ... The site of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in Turkey: Some stacked remnants recreate columns, but nothing remains of the original temple The Temple of Artemis (in Greek — Artemision, and in Latin — Artemisium), also known as Temple of Diana, was a temple dedicated to Artemis completed around 550 BC... Iphigeneia in Tauris (in Greek: ) is a drama by the playwright Euripides, written sometime between 414 BC and 412 BC. It bears much in common with another of Euripides plays, Helen, and is often described as a romance, a melodrama, or an escape play. ...

Chronology

Taurica was inhabited by a variety of peoples. The inland regions were inhabited by Scythians and the mountainous south coast by the Taures, an offshoot of the Cimmerians. Greek settlers inhabited a number of colonies along the coast of the peninsula, notably the city of Chersonesos near modern Sevastopol. Scythian warriors, drawn after figures on an electrum cup from the KulOba kurgan burial near Kerch. ... The Cimmerians (Greek Κιμμέριοι, Kimmerioi) were ancient equestrian nomads who, according to Herodotus, originally inhabited the region north of the Caucasus and the Black Sea, in what is now Russia and Ukraine, in the 8th and 7th century BC. Assyrian records, however, first place them in the region of Azerbaijan in... The remains of the city of Chersonesos Chersonesos (Greek: , Latin: , Ukrainian: , Russian: ; see also List of traditional Greek place names) also known as Chersonese, Chersonesos, Cherson, Khersones and Korsun was an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2500 years ago in the southwestern part of Crimea, known then as Taurica. ... now. ...

In the 2nd century BC eastern part of Taurica became part of the Bosporan Kingdom, before being incorporated into the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC. (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 2nd century BC started on January 1, 200 BC and ended on December 31, 101 BC. // Coin of Antiochus IV. Reverse shows Apollo seated on an omphalos. ... The Bosporan Kingdom, which was located on the Crimea peninsula, existed in the time of the Roman Empire. ... The Roman Empire is the name given to both the imperial domain developed by the city-state of Rome and also the corresponding phase of that civilization, characterized by an autocratic form of government. ... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 1st century BC started on January 1, 100 BC and ended on December 31, 1 BC. An alternative name for this century is the last century BC. The AD/BC notation does not use a year zero. ...

The land of Tauris and its rumored customs of killing Greeks are also described by Herodotus in his histories, Book IV, 99-100 and 103. Bust of Herodotus Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: , Herodotos Halikarnasseus) was a Dorian Greek historian who lived in the 5th century BC (484 BC - ca. ... The Histories of Herodotus by Herodotus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. ...

See History of Crimea for more details.

Modern name

Taurica was eventually renamed by the Crimean Tatars, from whose language the Crimea's modern name derives. The word "Crimea" comes from the Crimean Tatar name Qırım, via Greek Krimeia (Κριμαία). The Crimean Tatars (Qırımtatar (aka Qırım, Qırımlı and Qırım türkü), Pl. ...

Russian governorate

After the annexation of Crimea in 1783 Russian authorities made an attempt to revive the ancient name, and former lands of the Crimean Khanate were organized into Taurida Governorate. But this name was used only in the official documents and "Crimea" remained a common name for the country. 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Taurida Governorate (Russian: , Ukrainian: , Crimean Tatar: ) was a historical governorate of Russia that is now part of Ukraine. ...

Following the 1917 October Revolution, Taurida governatory was reformed as the Taurida Soviet Socialist Republic (Russian: Советская Социалистическая Республика Тавриды - Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika Tavridy) briefly in early 1918 before being overrun by the World War I Central Powers. After the reassertion of Soviet control in 1921, the governatory was divided between the peninsular Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic under the Russian SFSR and the mainland portions which accrued to the Ukrainian SSR. 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Bolshevik (1920), by Boris Kustodiev. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia Serbia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul von Hindenburg Reinhard... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Triple Alliance. ... Motto: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Russian: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthem: The Internationale (1922-1944) Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital (largest city) Moscow None; Russian de facto Government Federation of Soviet Republics  - Last President Mikhail Gorbachev  - Last Premier Ivan Silayev Establishment October Revolution   - Declared 30... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Крымская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика) (October 18, 1921—June 30, 1945) was created as part of RSFSR within the Crimean Peninsula, its capital being Simferopol. ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Socialist republics/ Communist state Last Chairman of the Supreme Council Boris Yeltsin Area  - Total  - % water 1st in former Soviet Union 17,075,200 km² 0. ... State motto: Пролетарі всіх країн, єднайтеся! Official language None. ...

See Taurida Governorate for more details. Taurida Governorate (Russian: , Ukrainian: , Crimean Tatar: ) was a historical governorate of Russia that is now part of Ukraine. ...

Modern use of the name

Since 1921 the name Taurida has no official status in Crimea and is used almost only in historical context. However, some institutions of the republic still use it, e.g. Taurida National University (the main university in Crimea).