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based on agriculture, timber and iron. Its major tities included such metropolises as NICOMEDIA,
NICAEA and Prusa. It was governed as a senatorial province, with the seat at Nicomedia on the Black Sea,
though the Nicaeans repeatedly tried to gain that advantage.
Beginning with Trajan, special legates, based in Nicomedia, were appointed to aid in the administration
of Bithynia, rooting out corruption among civil servants, auditing city accounts and suppressing political
movements and Christianity. Bithynia's political environment is understood more clearly than virtually
any other province because of the writings of PLINY THE YOUNGER, who served as the first legate
from 109 A.D. Pliny constantly communicated with Rome, especially with Trajan, and proposed building
a canal for Nicomedia, along the coast, and a series of aqueducts, though neither project was ever
completed. The legates in Bithynia exercised greater imperial control and were given the right to examine
the accounts of the free cities of Anisus and CHALCEDON, a temporary but significant authority.
Marcus Aurelius finally redesignated Bithynia as an imperial province. Another famous Bithynian
politician was the philosopher Dio Chrysostom (DIO COCCEIANUS), who represented his native Prusa
in a delegation to Trajan at his accession in 98 A.D. He requested from the emperor the right to a larger
city council, permission to redevelop the city and a waiver on taxes, which was denied, not surprisingly.
Bithynia was not immune to the decline of imperial power in the 3rd century. Starting in 256 A.D., a
terrible seaborne invasion of GOTHS devastated much of the province. Chalcedon, Nicomedia, Prusa and
Nicaea were all captured and plundered. By the late 3rd century, Diocletian rejected the Roman
establishment and made Nicomedia his capital for a time. Constantine the Great, however, was most
responsible for Bithynia's role in the Eastern Empire. He created CONSTANTINOPLE and favored
Nicaea, where he held the great council in 325 A.D.
Nicaea was the appropriate location for a Christian council. Bithynia was the gateway for Christianity into
Europe, and Pliny had written of the new sect in his province. Its popularity increased, and with
Constantine was legitimized. During the era of the Christian Empire, the Bithynian bishops were
involved with the Arian heresy (see ARIANISM). Because of the territorial grants made by Nicomedes,
the province was also known as Bithynia-Pontus. Of note is the terrible earthquake that flattened
Nicomedia on August 24, 358 A.D Under the Late Empire, Bithynia was part of the Eastern provinces and
was spared some of the ravages that befell the West.
¤ BLACK SEA Body of water that washes what were the northern shores of the province of BITHYNIA
and the rest of Asia Minor, and the Caucusus, Thrace, Moesia and Scythia. The Black Sea was of
considerable importance to the Romans because of its location and because of the economic activity
centered upon it.