Athenian influence has been strong among the Bosporus cities after the second half of the fifth century; Athens controls local trade until 404 BCE and will remain the chief customer of the Bosporus' food and other exports throughout the fourth century.

Satyrus I (r. 433 BC - 389 BCE) and the other Spartocid rulers of the Bosporus kingdom had been honored by awards of Athenian citizenship because they had promised to provide Athens with wheat, as their predecessor Leucon had done before them in the mid-fifth century.

These rulers (as inscriptions show) call themselves archon when dealing with their Greek subjects but king when describing their authority over the native population.