Object description

Histria or Istros , was a Greek colony or polis near the mouths of the Danube , on the western coast of the Black Sea. Histria is derived from the Latin word "Hister", meaning "Danube", the river the city was located near, and "-ia", a suffix added to a word to signify that it was a location or place, as in Gallia or Iberia. Altogether Histria means "On the Danube", "Located near - The Danube". It was the first urban settlement on Romanian territory when founded by Milesian settlers in the 7th century BC. It was under Roman rule from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD. Invasions during the 7th century AD rendered it indefensible, and the city was abandoned. In antiquity, it also bore the names Istropolis, Istriopolis, and Histriopolis .