Early dedicatory inscriptions from the Greek colonies on the Black Sea (graffiti and inscribed clay disks, these possibly being votive offerings, from Olbia, the area of Berezan Island and the Tauric Chersonese) attest the existence of a heroic cult of Achilles from the sixth century BC onwards.
ˈɜːli dˈɛdɪkətˌoːɹi ɪnskɹˈɪpʃənz fɹʌmðə ɡɹˈiːk kˈɑːləniz ɔnðə blˈæk sˈiː ɡɹɐfˈiːɾi ænd ɪnskɹˈaɪbd klˈeɪ dˈɪsks, ðiːz pˈɑːsᵻbli bˌiːɪŋ vˈoʊɾɪv ˈɔfɚɹɪŋz, fɹʌm ˈɑːlbiə, ðɪ ˈɛɹiə ʌv bˈɛɹɛzən ˈaɪlənd ænd ðə tˈɔːɹɪk tʃˌɜːsoʊnˈiːz ɐtˈɛst ðɪ ɛɡzˈɪstəns əvə hɪɹˈoʊɪk kˈʌlt ʌv ɐkˈɪliːz fɹʌmðə sˈɪksθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi bˌiːsˈiː ˈɑːnwɚdz.