Pontus: An Overview
Axenos Pontos (inhospitable sea) was the name given to the body of water we know today as the Black Sea. It was later renamed Efxinos Pontos (friendly sea). The name Pontus eventually came to identify the north coast of Asia Minor stretching from Sinope in the west, as far as the Georgian border to the east; a land of high mountains, deep valleys and natural harbors. Greek merchants first established trading posts along this shore some 3,000 years ago; outposts that grew into villages, towns and cities.
