Colchis

Colchis was a state in Caucasus (Middle East) that lasted from c. 600 to 101 BCE, about 499 years. Its people spoke Kartvelian languages (Georgian).

Kingdom on the eastern Black Sea, the land of the Golden Fleece in Greek myth. Greek trading towns grew on its coast, and Mithridates VI of Pontus absorbed it around 101 BCE.

See Colchis on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

c. 600 to 101 BCE

Duration

499 years

Type

State

Region

Caucasus, Middle East

Language family

Kartvelian

Capital

Phasis, Vani

Came from

• Colchian culture c. 1700 to 600 BCE

Became

• Lazica (Egrisi) c. 100 to 697 CE

Events in Middle East during its time

• 587 BCE Destruction of Jerusalem
• 539 BCE Cyrus takes Babylon
• 331 BCE Battle of Gaugamela

Neighbours in Middle East

• Parthian Empire 247 BCE to 224 CE
• Achaemenid Empire 550 to 330 BCE
• Empire of Alexander the Great 334 to 312 BCE
• Kingdom of Saba c. 1000 BCE to 275 CE
• Greek cities of Asia Minor c. 1050 to 129 BCE
• Kingdom of Iberia (Kartli) c. 302 BCE to 580 CE
• Phoenician city-states c. 1200 to 332 BCE
• Himyarite Kingdom c. 110 BCE to 525 CE
• Roman Anatolia 133 BCE to 395 CE
• Kingdom of Judah c. 930 to 587 BCE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Carthage c. 814 to 146 BCE, North and West Africa
• Roman Republic 509 to 27 BCE, Europe
• Greek city-states c. 800 to 338 BCE, Europe
• Xiongnu Empire c. 209 BCE to 93 CE, Central and North Asia
• Ptolemaic Kingdom 305 to 30 BCE, North and West Africa
• Western Han 202 BCE to 9 CE, East Asia
• Athens 508 to 322 BCE, Europe
• Maurya Empire 322 to 185 BCE, South Asia
• Qin dynasty 221 to 206 BCE, East Asia
• Empire of Alexander the Great 336 to 323 BCE, Europe

Questions