Since ancient times, there have been several routes along the southern coast of Crimea through the main ridge of the Crimean mountains. Many trails were paved by locals, Taurus and Greeks, and Roman legionaries laid stone roads across the pass.
The ancient Roman road "Via militaris" in the Crimea connected the second half of the 1st century AD. e. two large Roman garrisons - Chersonesos and the Kharax fortress on Cape Ai-Todor, passing along the coast through the Devil's Ladder (Shaitan-Merdven) pass to the Baydar Valley and further through the Roman fortress Symbolum portus Simbalon along the Balaklava harbor in Chersonesos.
According to the testimony of the ancient Greek historian Strabo, the military fortress Palakion (Plakia), that is, Balaklava, was founded in 112-110. BC e. Scythian kings to fight the commanders of the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator. The Scythian fortress Palakion was founded before the arrival of the Greeks, and before the arrival of the Romans in Taurida.
In the 1st century A. D. e. Pliny the Elder in his "Natural History" when listing the surrounding cities of Chersonesos calls "Symbolum portus" (Natural History, IV, 86).
The Greek language belongs to the Indo-European group of languages, the basis of which is the Vedic Sanskrit of the Rig-Veda, it is from here that the word Shema comes - "siMha" - powerful; Bala - "-bala" - power, strength. About the harbor "Symbolum portus" - "Powerful power" or "Strong power" port.
Pass "Devil's ladder" (Shaitan-merdven) is a pass over Gurzuf, Vasil-bogaz near Yalta, Gaspra-bogaz in the region of Mount Krestovaya, Eski-bogaz over Simeiz, Baydarsky pass. However, the most remarkable among them in natural and scenic respect and the shortest way from the South Bank to the Yaila plateau is the "Devil's Staircase". The main ridge of the Crimean Mountains decreases in the area of the village of Mukhalatka, forming a wide depression. A path goes through it, leading through the pass at an altitude of 578 meters to the northern slope of the mountain range. This mountain road across the pass was used by Roman legionnaires, who laid a road from Chersonesus to the Kharax fortress on Cape Ai-Todor.
Promotional video:
Old Roman road in Crimea - Spirads, January 2013.
Now you can see several sections of the Old Roman road, all of them are small, but along them you can trace the entire path through the Shaitan-Merdven pass, connecting the foothill areas with the southern coast of Crimea:
"Via militaris", starts from the village of Kalenda (now the village of Podgornoye) - the Kalendskaya trail goes towards the Black Sea through the Devil's Ladder pass. (in Tat. Shaitan-Merdven).
The second section "Via militaris" Mordvinovskaya road was preserved near the village of Orlinoe.
The third section “Via militaris” has been preserved near the village of Rodnikovoe, then the path leads through the Karadag forest tract to the Baydar valley.
From the village of Podgorny "Via militaris" went straight to the village of Shirokoe Roman road crossed the Baydarskaya valley, then climbed the slope of Mount Simnali and further up and down the low mountains, where steep slopes were overcome by serpentines, and led to the village of Morozovka. Further "Via militaris" went along the right bank of the Chernaya river, along the Kara-Koba valley, and from there to the Tauric Chersonesos.
The first attempts of the Roman Empire, undertaken in the early 40s of the 1st century, to take control of the Bosporus kingdom ended in failure. In the 60s of the 1st century, the Greek Chersonesos himself turned to Rome for help, since he could not independently defend the city and repulse the Scythians. The Roman Empire took advantage of the situation to strengthen its influence in Taurida and the Black Sea region.
The Roman military garrison was headed by the legate of the Roman province of Moesia, Tiberius Plautius Silvanus, who commanded the XI Claudian, I Italic, V Macedonian legions and 40 ships of the Rabbinic squadron, which settled in the Quarantine Bay.
In addition to Chersonesos, an outpost of the Roman army in the Crimea, it was decided to build another military fortress to control the vast territories of Taurida. The choice fell on the former military fortress of the Taurus at Cape Ai-Todor, the Roman fortress was named Kharax, and new fortifications were erected.
Communication between the Roman fortresses was carried out by sea, but this route was clearly not enough due to the frequent sea storms and hurricanes that often raged on the Black Sea in autumn and winter. The soldiers of the Roman garrison set about building a land road that was reliable in any weather.
Old Roman Road - Spirads, January 2013.
In many places of the old Roman road, embankments have been preserved, retaining walls - "krepids" - characteristic technologies of "shoulder fastening" during the construction of Roman roads in mountainous areas.
The Old Roman road was the shortest road, connecting the sea coast with the valleys of Taurida. Not only the Romans used the Roman road, but also the local inhabitants of Taurus (Greek * Ταυρο-ρως), Greeks and Scythians. Roman legionnaires more than once fought with the inhabitants of Taurida, the locals fiercely resisted the Romans and often ambushed and attacked the road.
In the 240s A. D. e. The Roman legionaries left the Charax fortress, and the old Roman road remained in the Crimea. You can still walk the Calendarsky trail, and in fact, Roman legionaries walked along it 1775 years ago.
In some places along the route of the Roman "Via militaris" you can see a solid cobblestone pavement, but this is already the merit of the inhabitants of the Baydar Valley, who for hundreds of years have maintained the road in good condition, and in return were exempt from paying taxes.
The Calendarsky Trail has been used for centuries as a path for pack animals carrying loads. The Kalendskaya trail is paved here and there with solid cobblestones, it goes uphill, winding through a dense forest, periodically comes out to a cliff on the Devil's stairs.
The deep ruts from the wheels of the carts, which for a thousand years have cut into the rocky surface of the Old Roman road, are best seen on the yaila to Kilse Burun. On the trail, among the stones, you can find fragments of ancient Greek ceramics dating back to the 1st century AD and fragments of medieval ceramics.
Roman road in Crimea - Kalendskaya trail.
Researchers of the Kalendskaya trail do not doubt that the path itself existed on the Kilse-Burun yayla before the arrival of the Romans in Taurida, however, the legionnaires strengthened the mountain trail of the "barbarians" and laid a real road along it and provided its protection. Roman road guards - beneficiaries, monitored movements on the Roman road and warned the Roman garrison about an ambush and the danger of collisions with the warlike Taurus.
Old Roman Road - Spirads, January 2013.
Place names
How is the toponym Calendar translated? Calendar, in Vedic Sanskrit from the root of the word kala - kāla - kolo, circle of life, moment in time, space, time-calendar, eternal cycle of life. Most of the ancient calendars are circular and circular, or wheel.
To protect the roads in Tavria, fortresses were built at the beginning of the Kalendskaya trail, and on the southern side of the Devil's Staircase. The high walls of the fortress were closed in a circle, therefore the fortresses were called “kale”. A fortress in the Crimea Yeni-Calais, a city in France Calais in the Pas-de-Calais.
Some researchers believe that the name of the Crimean village of Kalenda refers to the time the Romans stayed in the Crimea, when the main base of the troops and navy in the 1st century AD. e. was the Greek Chersonese for the Roman legionaries.
In 1820, A. S. Pushkin and his companions climbed the old Roman road along the "Devil's Staircase", heading to the St. George Monastery, which is near Sevastopol.