The Scythians are an ancient people who lived on the territory of modern Russia. They were strong fighters - neither the Persians nor the Roman Empire managed to conquer them. Where did the Scythians disappear and who are now the descendants of this famous people? Let's figure it out.
At first, the Greeks only called nomads that name, but then the name stuck. And, for example, the army of Prince Oleg, where there were many Slavic warriors and Varangians, the Greeks also called "Great Scythia". Hence the confusion that for many years the Scythians were considered the ancestors of the Russians. In fact, the Scythians have their own unique history.
Scythians lived on the territory of Ukraine and Russia. This was the north of the Black Sea region (the land around the Black Sea). The Greeks described the land of the Scythians as "strange, where there is always snow." This, of course, was an exaggeration, but the Greeks themselves clearly did not like our climate.
Families among the Scythians were on the principle of a commune. The wives and children of the tribes were common, as such classical marriages were rare. Women were treated well, respectfully.
And they really loved to drink! The Scythians did not dilute alcohol and drank in one gulp, which surprised the Greeks! In Sparta, the expression "Pour in the Scythian way" was even used. Naive Greeks, they would have seen how people drink today, if they were surprised that you can drink wine undiluted. Scythians and Greeks disliked each other. The Greeks considered the Scythians to be barbarians, and the Scythians of the Greeks to be spoiled sissies.
The Scythians had a real cult of gold. It seems to be no wonder, who doesn't love gold and wealth? But the Scythians directly adored him, and the gold they found was collected and saved, instead of spending on improving their life or expanding the army.
And what were they like in appearance? The Scythians, according to the description of Herodotus, were more reminiscent of the northern peoples. They were densely built ("fleshy, but no muscle"). The women looked like men. And all the Scythians are red.
Moreover, many Scythians had endocrine problems. According to the study of finds in the burials of the Scythians, many of them suffered from the Morgagni-Stuart-Morel syndrome. This is a whole spectrum of endocrine problems, including diabetes and excess hair in women. Often leads to obesity, depression and a specific shape of the forehead, since the frontal bone in patients thickens from the inside.
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Military qualities
In Greek mythology, the Scythians were the descendants of one of the sons of Hercules. Apparently this association was due to their fighting qualities.
The Scythians were serious fighters and made full use of their experience as nomads. Fighting the enemy with arrows is their favorite tactic. Scythian weapons:
Akinak sword. A short sword, the length of the blade is only 40 cm. In fact, it is a long dagger.
Akinak sword.
Combat bows and arrows with bronze tips. This is the main weapon of the Scythians. Bows were masterful. The tips were often smeared with poison.
Light bows. Small Scythian bows of 60 cm each went down in history as one of the most effective types of remote weapons.
Scythian bow with characteristic bends at the ends.
They, unlike classical Russian or European ones, were easily tensioned and springy. They could even arm women and children, who with such bows were full-fledged combat units.
Darts and spears. The weapon is more serious, with iron tips. The Scythians were very fond of spears. They used both light and assault - 3 meters long.
Battle ax or mace. This melee weapon against warriors is more serious, where a simple dagger cannot cope.
Armor. The flexible leather armor of the Scythians was very effective. They covered them with metal scales. It was not easy to pierce such armor, while it was very light.
Scythian Wars
Greeks and Scythians vied for dominance in the Black Sea region. Moreover, the Scythians were luckier. They were the first to capture Media - a rich developed state, which was located on the territory of modern Iran. The Scythians drove out the Cimmerians - also an ancient nomadic people who controlled the Transcaucasus.
The Scythians also learned to fight off the best armies in the world easily. The Persian king Darius, who, perhaps, had the most powerful army of that time, went to the lands of the Scythians. But here the Scythians took by cunning - without engaging in a direct fight, they circled around the Persian troops, firing at them with bows. And try to catch them in the steppe! As a result, Darius, having lost part of his troops and time, returned back with nothing.
Approximately the same thing happened with Alexander the Great. Came to the land of the Scythians, chased them across the steppe. He lost part of the army from the fire of archers and returned with nothing.
The sunset of the greatness of the Scythians
For several centuries, this happened naturally. What the best armies of the world could not do with one offensive was decided by years of confrontations with neighbors. They were driven out of the steppes by their neighbors, who gradually seized part of the territories. Neighbors - the same nomadic tribes: Sarmatians, Sakas, later - Alans. This was not a one-time seizure - rather, a systematic absorption, because the Scythians mixed with these peoples.
And the Scythians, as a people, at the beginning of our era remained only in the Crimea. There they switched from a nomadic lifestyle to a "Hellenized" one. They began to build cities, engage in agriculture. Traders from Greece began to come to the Scythian cities, many remained to live in this fertile land.
One of the main cities was Scythian Naples, which was located on the outskirts of present-day Simferopol.
Collapse of the empire
In this state, the Scythians could live for a long time, but in the 3rd century the warlike Goths came. These tribes declared war on everyone at once. They easily destroyed fortresses and one by one the Scythian cities fell.
The Scythians were divided into two camps. Most of them went to the mountains to escape the invaders. And the rest joined the army of the Goths and went to the Roman Empire. The history was completed by the Huns - another invaders who came to the place of the Goths. The Scythians, as an independent people, ceased to exist.
Now some historians believe that modern Chechens and Ossetians are the descendants of the very Scythians, Alans and Sarmatians who went to the mountains, fleeing the raids of the Goths and the Huns.
