Trabzon and Its Surroundings Under Byzantine Domination (VI-XII. Centuries)

The history of Trabzon, one of the important settlements of Anatolia, dates back to the 8th century BC in the light of written sources. This ancient city has become one of the most remarkable cities on the Black Sea coast of Anatolia thanks to its geographical location, its port on the trade routes and its mountainous structure that provides natural protection. The scarcity of archaeological data has caused almost no information to be obtained about the prehistoric period of Trabzon and its surroundings. However, the arrival of Miletus colonists to the Black Sea coasts ensured the beginning of a new period in the history of the region. Information about Trabzon and its surroundings began to be given in written sources together with the colony activities.
Western researchers have linked the name Trabzon to the arrival of Miletus colonists based on ancient period sources. At this point, the name Trabzon has been tried to be explained by establishing a connection with the Greek language and interpretations that are not based on real data have been made. However, the studies conducted to explain the name “Trapezus” in the Greek language are insufficient. In our opinion, the name "Trapezus" in ancient sources is not a new name, but is an adaptation to the Greek language of a name that was used before the Milesians and does not appear in the sources.