Apsilae

 ( Historical Ethnic Groups Of Russia ) 

The Principality of Apselia was an ancient polity located on the Black Sea coast of the northwest Caucasus near the estuary of Kodori river. The earliest known historical references to Apselia are from the writings of Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) and Flavius Arrian (2nd century CE), who referred to the region as Apsilae (Greek: Αψιλαι).Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Book 6.Flavius Arrian, Periplus of the Euxine Sea.

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History The first known record of the Apsilae occurs in the writings of Pliny of the 1st century AD, as well as of Arrian in the 2nd century ().

The legal and cultural foundations of Apselia were established during the reign of King Julian (Julianus). During the Roman Empire period, under Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE), Apselia became its official administrative region. The Cambridge Ancient History.

However, by around 730 CE, Apselia came under the control of the stronger Abasgia

Alexander Mikaberidze (2015). 9781442241466, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. . ISBN 9781442241466

, and by the second half of the 8th century, the region of Apsilae disappears from historical records. Apselia eventually became part of the Kingdom of Abkhazia after the inclusion of additional territories. Kingdom of Abkhazia, Encyclopaedia Britannica.

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Important settlements The settlements of Sukhumi and Tibeleos (associated with Tsebelda by George HewittGeorge Hewitt, "The Abkhazians: Handbook", p. 56) were located in Apselia.

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Identity The region has been a subject of political and ethnic debate, with scholars questioning whether the Apsilians are the ancestors of the modern-day Abkhazians or the Georgians.

Graham Smith (1998). 9780521599689, Cambridge University Press. . ISBN 9780521599689

Barbara A. West (2010). 9781438119137, Infobase Publishing. . ISBN 9781438119137

The Apsilae may have been the ancestors of the Abkhaz people (in Abkhaz language Аҧсуаа, Apswa).

They may have descended from the ancient Zygii people who settled in the Black Sea region.

Their culture is known as the Tsebelda culture, marked by well-developed local manufacturing of metal products and tools.

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