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Bithynia (; ) was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Paphlagonia to the northeast along the Pontic coast, and Phrygia to the southeast towards the interior of Asia Minor.
Hellenistic Bithynia was an independent kingdom from the 4th century BC. Its capital Nicomedia was rebuilt on the site of ancient Astacus in 264 BC by Nicomedes I of Bithynia. Bithynia was bequeathed to the Roman Republic in 74 BC, and became united with the Pontus region as the province of Bithynia and Pontus. In the 7th century it was incorporated into the Byzantine Opsikion theme. It became a border region to the Seljuk Empire in the 13th century, and was eventually conquered by the Ottoman Turks between 1325 and 1333.
According to Strabo, Bithynia was bounded on the east by the river Sangarius (modern Sakarya River), but the more commonly received division extended it to the Parthenius, which separated it from Paphlagonia, thus comprising the district inhabited by the Mariandyni. On the west and southwest it was separated from Mysia by the river Rhyndacus and on the south it adjoined Phrygia and Galatia.
It is occupied by mountains and forests, but has valleys and coastal districts of great fertility. The most important mountain range is the (so-called) "Mysian" Olympus (), which towers above Bursa and is clearly visible as far away as Istanbul (). Its summits are covered with snow for a great part of the year.
East of this the range extends for more than , from the Sakarya River to Paphlagonia. Both of these ranges are part of the border of mountains which bound the great tableland of Anatolia, Turkey. The broad tract which projects towards the west as far as the shores of the Bosporus, though hilly and covered with forests—the Turkey Ağaç Denizi, or "The sea of Trees"—is not traversed by any mountain chain. The west coast is indented by two deep inlets, the northernmost, the Gulf of İzmit (ancient Gulf of Astacus), penetrating between into the interior as far as İzmit (ancient Nicomedia), separated by an isthmus of only about from the Black Sea; and the Gulf of Mudanya or Gemlik (Gulf of Cius), about long. At its extremity is situated the small town of Gemlik (ancient Kios) at the mouth of a valley, communicating with the lake of Iznik, on which was situated Nicaea.
The principal rivers are the Sakarya River which traverses the province from south to north; the Rhyndacus, which separated it from Mysia; and the Billaeus (Filyos), which rises in the Aladağ, about from the sea, and after flowing by modern Bolu (ancient Bithynion-Claudiopolis) falls into the Euxine, close to the ruins of the ancient Tium, about northeast of Heraclea Pontica (the modern Karadeniz Ereğli), having a course of more than . The Parthenius (modern Bartın), the eastern boundary of the province, is a much less considerable stream.
The valleys towards the Black Sea abound in fruit trees of all kinds, such as oranges, while the valley of the Sangarius and the plains near Bursa and Iznik (Nicaea) are fertile and well cultivated. Extensive plantations of mulberry supply the silk for which Bursa has long been celebrated, and which is manufactured there on a large scale.
Later the Ancient Greece established on the coast the colonies of Cius (modern Gemlik); Chalcedon (modern Kadıköy), at the entrance of the Bosporus, nearly opposite Byzantium (modern Istanbul) and Heraclea Pontica (modern Karadeniz Ereğli), on the Euxine, about east of the Bosporus.
The Bithynians were incorporated by king Croesus within the monarchy, with which they fell under the dominion of Persian Empire (546 BC), and were included in the satrapy of Phrygia, which comprised all the countries up to the Hellespont and Bosporus.
His son and successor, Nicomedes I, founded Nicomedia, which soon rose to great prosperity, and during his long reign ( BC), as well as those of his successors, Prusias I, Prusias II and Nicomedes II (149–91 BC), the kings of Bithynia had a considerable standing and influence among the minor monarchies of Anatolia. But the last king, Nicomedes IV, was unable to maintain himself in power against Mithridates VI of Pontus. After being restored to his throne by the Roman Senate, he bequeathed his kingdom through his will to the Roman Republic (74 BC).
The coinage of these kings show their regal portraits, which tend to be engraved in an extremely accomplished Hellenization style.
Bithynia attracted much attention because of its roads and its strategic position between the frontiers of the Danube in the north and the Euphrates in the south-east. To secure communications with the eastern provinces, the monumental Sangarius Bridge was constructed around 562. Troops frequently wintered at Nicomedia.
During this time, the most important cities in Bithynia were Nicomedia, founded by Nicomedes, and Nicaea. The two had a long rivalry with each other over which city held the rank of capital.
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