The Androphagi were an ancient Scythian tribe whose existence was recorded by ancient Greco-Roman authors.
51-535: The Androphagi were closely related to the Melanchlaeni and the Budini . The name Androphagi is a Latinisation of the ancient Greek name Androphagoi ( Ancient Greek : Ἀνδροφάγοι ), which meant "Man-Eaters." This name is a descriptive one based on this tribe's practice of cannibalism , and their own tribal name is unknown. The Androphagi lived in the region to the east of the middle Dnipro river, especially in
102-702: Is derived from the Scythian endonym [Skuδa] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) , meaning lit. ' archers ' which was derived from the Proto-Indo-European root skewd- , itself meaning lit. ' shooter, archer ' . This name was semantically similar to the endonym of the Sauromatians, *Saᵘrumata , meaning "armed with throwing darts and arrows." From this earlier term [Skuδa] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help )
153-646: Is referred to in scholarship as the "Late Srubnaya" culture. From the Caucasian steppe, the tribe of the Royal Scythians expanded to the south, following the coast of the Caspian Sea and arrived in the Ciscaucasian steppes, from where they settled in eastern Transcaucasia until the early 6th century BC. The Royal Scythians were finally expelled from West Asia in the c. 600s BC , after which, beginning in
204-585: The Androphagi and the Budini . The name Melanchlaeni is a Latinisation of the ancient Greek name Melankhlainoi ( Ancient Greek : Μελάγχλαινοι ), which meant "Black-Cloaks." The Greek name might have been a translation of an ancient Iranic name meaning "those who wear black garments," whose later form, Sawdarata , was recorded in Ancient Greek as Saudaratai ( Ancient Greek : Σαυδαραται ; Latin : Saudaratae ). The Melanchlaeni lived in
255-627: The Melanchlaeni , the Sula group of the Scythian culture contained an important element of the Srubnaya culture in its substratum, although there were some differences between the Donets and Sula groups. Melanchlaeni The Melanchlaeni , also known as the Saudaratae , were an ancient Scythian tribe whose existence was recorded by ancient Graeco-Roman authors. The Melanchlaeni were closely related to
306-679: The Pontic Scythians , were an ancient Eastern Iranic equestrian nomadic people who had migrated during the 9th to 8th centuries BC from Central Asia to the Pontic Steppe in modern-day Ukraine and Southern Russia , where they remained established from the 7th century BC until the 3rd century BC. Skilled in mounted warfare , the Scythians replaced the Agathyrsi and the Cimmerians as
357-478: The "Animal Style" art, which had until then been considered to be markers of the Scythians proper. This broad use of the term "Scythian" has however been criticised for lumping together various heterogeneous populations belonging to different cultures, and therefore leading to several errors in the coverage of the various warrior-nomadic cultures of the Iron Age-period Eurasian Steppe. Therefore,
408-529: The 3rd century AD, last remnants of the Scythians were overwhelmed by the Goths , and by the early Middle Ages , the Scythians were assimilated and absorbed by the various successive populations who had moved into the Pontic Steppe. After the Scythians' disappearance, authors of the ancient, mediaeval, and early modern periods used their name to refer to various populations of the steppes unrelated to them. The name
459-623: The 9th to 8th centuries BC, a significant movement of the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian Steppe started when another nomadic Iranic tribe closely related to the Scythians from eastern Central Asia, either the Massagetae or the Issedones , migrated westwards, forcing the early Scythians to the west across the Araxes river. Over the course of the 8th and 7th centuries BC, the Scythians migrated into
510-685: The Caspian Steppe constituted the latest of the two to three waves of expansion of the Srubnaya culture to the west of the Volga. The last and third wave corresponding to the Scythian migration has been dated to the 9th century BC. The expansion of the Scythians into the Pontic Steppe is attested through the westward movement of the Srubnaya-Khvalynsk culture into Ukraine. The Srubnaya-Khvalynsk culture in Ukraine
561-635: The Caucasian and Caspian Steppes in several waves, becoming the dominant population of the region, where they assimilated most of the Cimmerians and conquered their territory, with this absorption of the Cimmerians by the Scythians being facilitated by their similar ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles, after which the Scythians settled in the area between the Araxes, the Caucasus and the Lake Maeotis . The section of
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#1732851516265612-589: The Cimmerians by the Scythians being facilitated by their similar ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles, after which the Scythians settled in the area between the Araxes, the Caucasus and the Lake Maeotis . The section of the Scythians from whom the Androphagi originated participated in this migration, and had established itself in Ciscaucasia around c. 800 BC . From their base in the Caucasian Steppe, during
663-762: The Eurasian steppe and forest steppe extending from Central Europe to the limits of the Chinese Zhou Empire, and of which the Pontic Scythians proper were only one section. These various peoples shared the use of the "Scythian triad," that is of distinctive weapons, horse harnesses and the "Animal Style" art. The term "Scytho-Siberian" has itself in turn also been criticised since it is sometimes used broadly to include all Iron Age equestrian nomads, including those who were not part of any Scythian or Saka. The scholars Nicola Di Cosmo and Andrzej Rozwadowski instead prefer
714-613: The Greek plural-forming suffix -τοι was added to the name. The name of the 5th century BC king Scyles ( Ancient Greek : Σκυλης , romanized : Skulēs ) represented this later form, Skula . The name "Scythians" was initially used by ancient authors to designate specifically the Iranic people who lived in the Pontic Steppe between the Danube and the Don rivers. In modern archaeology,
765-661: The Melanchlaeni all wore black clothes, from which was derived their name, which meant "black-cloaks." The burial rites of the Melanchlaeni were connected to those of the Late Bronze Age cultures which had preceded them in the region of the middle Donets river, including the Bondarikha culture . The Melanchlaeni appear to have lived in a precarious situation, as evidenced by the large number of weapons found in their graves and their many defensive earthworks. The Donets group of
816-548: The Melanchlaeni and Budini suggests that these two tribes might have engaged in ritual cannibalism similarly to the Androphagi. The Melanchlaeni archaeologically belonged to the Scythian culture , and they corresponded to its Donets group, which extended over the basin of the upper Donets river in the Eastern European forest steppe zone. The Donets, Sula and Vorskla groups of the Scythian culture, respectively corresponding to
867-534: The Melanchlaeni and the Androphagi were closely related tribes. When the Persian Achaemenid king Darius I attacked the Scythians in 513 BC, the Scythian king Idanthyrsus summoned the kings of the peoples surrounding his kingdom to a meeting to decide how to deal with the Persian invasion. The kings of the Budini , Gelonians and Sarmatians accepted to help the Scythians against the Persian attack, while
918-405: The Melanchlaeni were closely related tribes. When the Persian Achaemenid king Darius I attacked the Scythians in 513 BC, the Scythian king Idanthyrsus summoned the kings of the peoples surrounding his kingdom to a meeting to decide how to deal with the Persian invasion. The kings of the Budini , Gelonians , and Sarmatians accepted to help the Scythians against the Persian attack, while
969-529: The Melanchlaeni, Androphagi , and Budini , are sometimes grouped the Zolnichnaya (that is "Ash-Mounds") culture because of the presence of several zolnyk ( зольник ), that is ash mounds containing refuse from kitchens and other sources, near dwellings. The three groups of the Zolnichnaya culture were closely related to each other, with the Vorskla group nevertheless exhibiting enough significant differences from
1020-443: The Pontic Scythians. The Sula group of the Scythian culture which corresponded to the Androphagi was part of an area of Iranic toponymy and hydronymy. Herodotus of Halicarnassus claimed that the Androphagi were the only ones who practised cannibalism among the peoples living near Scythia, which seems to be confirmed by the intact and unbroken human bones of seventeen individuals which were found along with cut and broken animal bones in
1071-464: The Pontic Steppe becoming fully complete by the 7th century BC. Archaeologically, the westwards migration of the Early Scythians from Central Asia into the Caspian Steppe constituted the latest of the two to three waves of expansion of the Srubnaya culture to the west of the Volga. The last and third wave corresponding to the Scythian migration has been dated to the 9th century BC. The expansion of
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#17328515162651122-515: The Pontic steppe pushed a Scythian splinter group to the north, into the region of Donets-Kramatorsk, where they formed the Vorskla and Sula-Donets groups of the Scythian culture, of which the Donets group corresponded to the Melanchlaeni, the Sula group to the Androphagi , and the Vorskla group to the Budini ., with all of these groups remaining independent from the Scythians proper . Of these groups,
1173-556: The Saka of Central Asia. Early modern scholars tended to follow the lead of the Hellenistic authors in extending the name "Scythians" into a general catch-all term for the various equestrian warrior-nomadic cultures of the Iron Age-period Eurasian Steppe following the discovery in the 1930s in the eastern parts of the Eurasian steppe of items forming the "Scythian triad," consisting of distinctive weapons, horse harnesses, and objects decorated in
1224-472: The Scythian culture which corresponded to the Melanchlaeni was part of an area of Iranic toponymy and hydronymy. The Melanchlaeni appear to have spoken a dialect of the Scythian languages . Unlike the dialect of the Pontic Scythians, where the sound /d/ had eventually evolved into /l/, the dialect of the Melanchlaeni had retained the sound /d/, as attested by their Iranic name, Sawdaratā . The remains of intact human bones discovered in seven earthworks of
1275-449: The Scythian culture, of which the Donets group corresponded to the Melanchlaeni , the Sula group to the Androphagi, and the Vorskla group to the Budini , with all of these groups remaining independent from the Scythians proper . This splinter group arrived in the forest-steppe region in part from the Kuban region, but for the most from northern Ciscaucasia. Of these groups, the Androphagi and
1326-451: The Scythians from eastern Central Asia, either the Massagetae or the Issedones , migrated westwards, forcing the early Scythians to the west across the Araxes river. Over the course of the 8th and 7th centuries BC, the Scythians migrated into the Caucasian and Caspian Steppes in several waves, becoming the dominant population of the region, where they assimilated most of the Cimmerians and conquered their territory, with this absorption of
1377-579: The Scythians from whom the Melanchlaeni originated participated in this migration, and had established itself in Ciscaucasia around c. 800 BC . From their base in the Caucasian Steppe, during the period of the 8th to 7th centuries BC itself, the Scythians conquered the Pontic and Crimean Steppes to the north of the Black Sea up to the Danube river, which formed the western boundary of Scythian territory onwards, with this process of Scythian takeover of
1428-457: The Scythians into the Pontic Steppe is attested through the westward movement of the Srubnaya-Khvalynsk culture into Ukraine. The Srubnaya-Khvalynsk culture in Ukraine is referred to in scholarship as the "Late Srubnaya" culture. From the Caucasian steppe, the tribe of the Royal Scythians expanded to the south, following the coast of the Caspian Sea and arrived in the Ciscaucasian steppes, from where they settled in eastern Transcaucasia until
1479-623: The Scythians to return to Scythia with the Persians pursuing them. By the 4th century BC, most of the Melanchlaeni migrated to the south, where the settled around the Greek city of Pontic Olbia , where the Protogenes inscription , written sometime between 220 and 200 BC, mentioned them as the Saudaratae, which was a Hellenisation of their original Iranic name. According to the Protogenes inscription,
1530-450: The Scythians to return to Scythia with the Persians pursuing them. The ancient Greek author Herodotus of Halicarnassus described the Androphagi as wearing Scythian-type clothing, and speaking a "peculiar language." The Androphagi were largely engaged in agriculture and farming, and hunting was of lesser importance among them. The "peculiar language" of the Androphagi might have been a dialect of Iranic language different from that of
1581-602: The Scythians, the Thisamatae , the Saudaratae, and the Saii were seeking refuge from the allied forces of the Celts and the Germanic Sciri . The Saudaratae were still living around Pontic Olbia in the 1st century BC. Herodotus of Halicarnassus described the Melanchlaeni as being distinct from the Scythians while still following the same lifestyle as them. Herodotus also claimed that
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1632-472: The Srubnaya culture was among the first truly nomadic pastoralist groups, who themselves emerged in the Central Asian and Siberian steppes during the 9th century BC as a result of the cold and dry climate then prevailing in these regions. During the 9th to 8th centuries BC, a significant movement of the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian Steppe started when another nomadic Iranic tribe closely related to
1683-447: The Sula and Donets groups that the latter two are sometimes grouped together as a Sula-Donets group distinct from the Vorskla group. The earliest Scythians had belonged to the Srubnaya culture , and like the Sula group of the Scythian culture which corresponds to the Androphagi, the Donets group of the Scythian culture contained an important element of the Srubnaya culture in its substratum, although there were some differences between
1734-2010: The Sula and Donets groups. Scythians West Asia (7th–6th centuries BC) Akkadian (in West Asia) Median (in West Asia) Phrygian (in West Asia) Urartian (in West Asia) Thracian (in Pontic Steppe) Ancient Greek (in Pontic Steppe) Proto-Slavic language (in Pontic Steppe) Ancient Mesopotamian religion (in West Asia) Urartian religion (in West Asia) Phrygian religion (in West Asia) Ancient Iranic religion (in West Asia) Thracian religion (in Pontic Steppe) Pontic Steppe Caucasus East Asia Eastern Europe Northern Europe Pontic Steppe Northern/Eastern Steppe Europe South Asia Steppe Europe Caucasus India Indo-Aryans Iranians East Asia Europe East Asia Europe Indo-Aryan Iranian Indo-Aryan Iranian Others European The Scythians ( / ˈ s ɪ θ i ə n / or / ˈ s ɪ ð i ə n / ) or Scyths ( / ˈ s ɪ θ / , but note Scytho- ( / ˈ s aɪ θ ʊ / ) in composition) and sometimes also referred to as
1785-421: The Zolnichnaya culture were closely related to each other, with the Vorskla group nevertheless exhibiting enough significant differences from the Sula and Donets groups that the latter two are sometimes grouped together as a Sula-Donets group distinct from the Vorskla group. The earliest Scythians had belonged to the Srubnaya culture culture, and, like the Donets group of the Scythian culture which corresponds to
1836-571: The dominant power on the western Eurasian Steppe in the 8th century BC. In the 7th century BC, the Scythians crossed the Caucasus Mountains and frequently raided West Asia along with the Cimmerians. After being expelled from West Asia by the Medes , the Scythians retreated back into the Pontic Steppe in the 6th century BC, and were later conquered by the Sarmatians in the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC. By
1887-399: The early 6th century BC. The Royal Scythians were finally expelled from West Asia in the c. 600s BC , after which, beginning in the later 7th and lasting throughout much of the 6th century BC, the majority of the Scythians migrated from Ciscaucasia into the Pontic Steppe , which became the centre of Scythian power. The retreat of the Royal Scythians from West Asia into
1938-538: The early Scythic peoples of the Central Asian steppe had customs and beliefs connected to ritual cannibalism. Trade relations between the Androphagi and the ancient Greek colonies on the northern shores of the Black Sea had been established in the 6th century BC. The Androphagi archaeologically belonged to the Scythian culture , and they corresponded to its Sula group, which was the largest Scythian culture group of
1989-426: The eastern European forest steppe zone. The Donets, Sula and Vorskla groups of the Scythian culture, respectively corresponding to the Melanchlaeni , Androphagi, and Budini , are sometimes grouped the Zolnichnaya (that is "Ash-Mounds") culture because of the presence of several zolnyk ( зольник ), that is ash mounds containing containing refuse from kitchens and other sources, near dwellings. The three groups of
2040-471: The kings of the Agathyrsi , Androphagi , Melanchlaeni, Neuri , and Tauri refused to support the Scythians. During the campaign, the Scythians and the Persian army pursuing them passed through the territories of the Melanchlaeni, Androphagi, and Neuri, before they reached the borders of the Agathyrsi, who refused to let the Scythian divisions to pass into their territories and find refuge there, thus forcing
2091-418: The kings of the Agathyrsi , Androphagi, Melanchlaeni , Neuri , and Tauri refused to support the Scythians. During the campaign, the Scythians and the Persian army pursuing them passed through the territories of the Melanchlaeni, Androphagi, and Neuri, before they reached the borders of the Agathyrsi, who refused to let the Scythian divisions to pass into their territories and find refuge there, thus forcing
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2142-608: The kitchen refuse of seven Androphagi earthworks. However, traces of similar ritual cannibalism are recorded from seven earthworks of the Melanchlaeni and Budini, as well as in the Smiela kurgan 15, which was one of the earliest burials of the Tiasmyn group of the Scythian culture. The Sauromatians who lived in the Urals and the lower Volga, and Massagetae and Issedones to the east of the Urals, practised similar ritual cannibalism, suggesting that
2193-405: The later 7th and lasting throughout much of the 6th century BC, the majority of the Scythians migrated from Ciscaucasia into the Pontic Steppe , which became the centre of Scythian power. The retreat of the Royal Scythians from West Asia into the Pontic steppe pushed a Scythian splinter group to the north, into the region of Donets-Kramatorsk, where they formed the Vorskla and Sula-Donets groups of
2244-537: The narrow use of the term "Scythian" as denoting specifically the people who dominated the Pontic Steppe between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC is preferred by Scythologists such as Askold Ivantchik . Within this broad use, the Scythians proper who lived in the Pontic Steppes are sometimes referred to as Pontic Scythians . Modern-day anthropologists instead prefer using the term "Scytho-Siberians" to denote this larger cultural grouping of nomadic peoples living in
2295-422: The period of the 8th to 7th centuries BC itself, the Scythians conquered the Pontic and Crimean Steppes to the north of the Black Sea up to the Danube river, which formed the western boundary of Scythian territory onwards, with this process of Scythian takeover of the Pontic Steppe becoming fully complete by the 7th century BC. Archaeologically, the westwards migration of the Early Scythians from Central Asia into
2346-471: The population of the Srubnaya culture containing a significant element originating from the Siberian Andronovo culture . The population of the Srubnaya culture culture was among the first truly nomadic pastoralist groups, who themselves emerged in the Central Asian and Siberian steppes during the 9th century BC as a result of the cold and dry climate then prevailing in these regions. During
2397-652: The region to the east of the middle Dnipro river, especially in the basin of the Donets river . The neighbours of the Melanchlaeni were the Neuri and the Scythian tribe of the Aroteres to the west, and the Scythian tribe of the Paralatae to the south. The Scythians originated in the region of the Volga-Ural steppes of Central Asia , possibly around the 9th century BC, as a section of
2448-510: The term "Scythians" is used in its original narrow sense as a name strictly for the Iranic people who lived in the Pontic and Crimean Steppes, between the Danube and Don rivers, from the 7th to 3rd centuries BC. By the Hellenistic period, authors such as Hecataeus of Miletus however sometimes extended the designation "Scythians" indiscriminately to all steppe nomads and forest steppe populations living in Europe and Asia, and used it to also designate
2499-485: The use of the term "Early Nomadic" for the broad designation of the Iron Age horse-riding nomads. While the ancient Persians used the name Saka to designate all the steppe nomads and specifically referred to the Pontic Scythians as Sakā tayaiy paradraya ( 𐎿𐎣𐎠 𐏐 𐎫𐎹𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎱𐎼𐎭𐎼𐎹 ; lit. ' the Saka who dwell beyond the (Black) Sea ' ), the name "Saka" is used in modern scholarship to designate
2550-474: The valley of the Sula and some smaller rivers. The neighbours of the Androphagi were the Neuri to the west and the Scythians to the south. The Scythians originated in the region of the Volga-Ural steppes of Central Asia , possibly around the 9th century BC, as a section of the population of the Srubnaya culture containing a significant element originating from the Siberian Andronovo culture . The population of
2601-433: Was derived: The Urartian name for the Scythians might have been Išqigulu ( 𒆳𒅖𒆥𒄖𒇻 ). Due to a sound change from /δ/ ( / ð / ) to / l / commonly attested in East Iranic language family to which Scythian belonged, the name [Skuδa] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) evolved into Skula , which was recorded in ancient Greek as Skōlotoi ( Σκωλοτοι ), in which
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