chersonese

[Latin chersonēsus, from Greek khersonēsos : khersos, dry land + nēsos, island.]

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Chersonese (chersonēsos, ‘peninsula’). 1. Thracian Chersonese (Gallipoli), projecting into the north-east of the Aegean Sea, separated from Asia Minor by the Hellespont. It was important as a wheatgrowing district and more especially because it lay on a main route between Europe and Asia and so controlled the corn-supply from the Crimea. It was acquired by the elder Miltiades c.560 BC and remained a family possession until the younger Miltiades abandoned it to the Persians in 493 BC. After the Persian Wars the Athenians planted cleruchies there. It was threatened by Philip II of Macedon, and this threat was one of the chief grounds of hostility between Athens and Macedon. It was finally ceded to Philip in 338 BC.

2. Tauric Chersonese, in the Black Sea, the modern Crimea.