Cherson (theme)

Theme of Cherson (Klimata) Χερσῶν, θέμα Χερσῶνος (τὰ Κλίματα)
Theme of the Byzantine Empire
ca. 833/840–1204
Map of the Theme of Cherson within the Byzantine Empire in 1000 AD.
Capital	Cherson
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	ca. 833 or 840
• Destruction of Cherson	988/989
• Controlled by the Empire of Trebizond	after 1204
Preceded by Succeeded by Khazars Perateia
Today part of	Territory of Ukraine, occupied by Russia[1]

The Theme of Cherson (Greek: θέμα Χερσῶνος, thema Chersōnos), originally and formally called the Klimata (Greek: τὰ Κλίματα), was a Byzantine theme (a military-civilian province) located in the southern Crimea, headquartered at Cherson.

The theme was officially established in the early 830s and was an important centre of Black Sea commerce. Despite the destruction of the city of Cherson in the 980s, the theme recovered and prospered, enduring until it became a part of the Empire of Trebizond after the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire in 1204.