Tanais

Tanais (Greek:Τάναϊς Tánaïs; Russian:Танаис) was an ancient Greek city in the Don river delta, called the Maeotian marshes in classical antiquity. The delta reaches into the northeasternmost part of the Sea of Azov, which the Greeks called Lake Maeotis. The site of ancient Tanais is about 30 km west of modern Rostov on Don. The central city site lies on a plateau with a difference up to 20m in elevation in the south. It is bordered by a natural valley to the east, and an artificial ditch to the west.