The Scythians of Dobrudja

From: george knysh
Message: 12441
Date: 2002-02-23

One of the successor states to the classical Scythian
Kingdom was the "Little Scythia" which arose in
northern Thrace (Dobrudja) ca. 250 BC. According to
Strabo, its population base was made up of the masses
of Scythian emigrants from areas west of the Dnipro r.
who left their previous abodes to escape the
relentless pressure of Sarmats and other incoming
peoples, and who were not interested in combining with
those Scythians who had concentrated around the cities
of the Lower Dnipro and in the Crimea. Pliny notes
that the Scythians of Dobrudja were primarily
"Aratores", i.e. Aukhata. Their state lasted for
approximately 150 years until it was destroyed (so the
leading theory holds) by the Bastarnae. The area of
this state continued to be known as "Scythia" for
hundreds of years, and was so designated in Roman
administrative lists.==== The kings of this "Little
Scythia" were more hellenized than those of the Crimea
and the Lower Dnipro, judging by their appearance in
surviving coins.
Six royal names are known:

KANIT

KHORAPS

APROS

SARIA

ELI

TANOUS

Analysis welcome.

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