Histria was in the beginning a really big citadel, its fortifications enclosing 35 hectare, the biggest area that has been ever inhabited. Apart from these first fortifications, three temples, one of Zeus, one of Aphrodite and one of an unknown god, date back to the beginnings of the second half of the 6th century. It kept close commercial ties with the big Greek cities from the South – Milet, Rhodos, Corinth and Athens. At home, its people start to use valuable metals, make glass and especially to produce local ceramics, in order to boost the economic power of the new colony. At the end of the 6th century BC, Histria is being destroyed.
Normal life is taken up again in the 5th century BC, when a new defence wall is being raised, the fortification, however, is being halved. It is this classical period, when the area outside the fortifications is also inhabited, when Histria takes up democracy in its Athenian meaning, a time when this population fought for its rights. Now it enters the Athenian Maritime Liga and in exchange for its corn, beef, fish and honey (exported to Piraeus), they bring in Attic Ceramics. The local production of ceramics is reoriented, so that it produces the needed containers that were normally imported. This evolution gives Histria the possibility to print its own money, which soon became generally accepted among the other colonies at the Black Sea and even farther into the Geto-Dacian territories.
The citadel is being destroyed anew during the 4th century BC, with the first Schythian invasion, together with the uprising of the citadels at the Black Sea against the Macedonian ruling (under Lysimachos) of Dobrogea. Unfortunate as it was twice by now, it continues to be so during the Hellenistic Age (3rd century BC – 1st century AD), that was most probably the time when it gets yet another blow: its port becomes sanded, which impedes all its connections by sea with the outside world. Histria becomes the Capital of a district of agriculture, becoming more and more dependent on its neighbours, the Getians. It is a period of economic decay, from which Histria recovers somewhat until the end of the 6th century AD. It then gets a final blow during the 7th century AD, when its inhabitants start moving out of the city. Adding to all this, was the water shortage in Histria, fresh water being brought from a distance of some 30 km.
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