Apsilae
Principality of Apselia | |||||||||
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| c. 1st century CE–730 CE | |||||||||
The region of Apselia in the 1st century CE | |||||||||
| Other languages | Abkhaz, Greek (possibly) | ||||||||
| Religion | Pagan, later Eastern Orthodox Christianity | ||||||||
| Historical era | Ancient, Classical, Medieval | ||||||||
• Established | c. 1st century CE | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 730 CE | ||||||||
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The Principality of Apselia was an ancient people and region located in the area corresponding to modern-day Abkhazia, along the Black Sea. The Apsilians are believed to have descended from the ancient Zygii people who settled in the Black Sea region. The earliest known historical references to Apselia are from the writings of Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) and Flavius Arrian (2nd century CE), who referred to the region as Apsilae (Greek: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).
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 an official administrative region. However, by around 730 CE, Apselia came under the control of the stronger Abasgoi Principality, 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.
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. They are also considered to be the ancestors of the Apsuas, a subgroup of the Abkhazian people.