Ancient Greek legends tell that the shore of ancient Tomis was terribly cursed. Medeea of the Legend of the Golden Fleece, it says, had murdered her children and herself on stones of the shore of Tomis. A series of Greek colonies have been formed here, including today’s Constanţa, the former Tomis.
During the 2nd century BC, Dobrogea has been conquered by the Roman legions. This is a time, when the importance of the town grew – it had some fortifications and some canonns (that gave it some independence), so that it became the Capital of all Greek colonies of the Western shore of the Black Sea, or what used to be then called the Pontus Euxinus. It was fortunate also because Histria, the town immediately to its North was at the time in decay. Because of the circular currents of the Black Sea, which brought sand from the mouths of the Danube, have closed its port, leading Histria into decay.
The 1st century BC, however, Tomis falls in Roman hands, its economic importance and power not being diminished. It thus had commercial vessels connectig the city with the Greek world, later the Roman world and finally with the Christian Roman world. So it comes, that Greek and Roman influences of Arts and Fashion arrives here too, albeit somewhat delayed. The new rich of the time ordered in Milet and Rome copies of important sculptures for their graves. Having the models, local artist start imitating and adapting the new models. It is this way, that the cross and Christ’s Lamb are shown also on local elements of pagan art.
It is also the Roman period, when Ovidius, the Roman poet has been exiled to Tomis. Here he writes two books of poems, the Sad Poems and the Sea Poems, where he complains about missing Rome and of the bitter-cold winters that he suffers here.
Later, under Barbarian times, Tomis decays. It is again mentioned during Turkish times, period from which we have an engraving of the French painter Béarn, that shows the town at that time. When Dobrogea became Romanian, under Carol I, Constanţa saw again an increase in commercial importance. The King intended to extend the Romanian Maritime Service up to the Indies. In the 1930s, Constanţa became the most important port of the Black Sea between Odessa and Istanbul.
Unfortunately, little remains to be seen from the ancient city, as most of it is now covered by the modern city. There are though some remnants that remind us of the old Greek and Roman times, as it is the Roman mosaicum and the thermal baths.
For ready-made tours, check out the site of 3 MT Tours or write them an email.
Other links you may wish to follow:
The Roman Mosaic in Tomis
Wine tasting at Murfatlar