Scythia

Quick Facts: Who was Scythia?

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Scythia

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Ancient geographic region encompassing the Pontic steppe, inhabited by nomadic Iranian peoples.

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Origins & Early Life

Scythia (UK: , also US: ) or Scythica (UK: , also US: ) was a geographic region defined in the ancient Graeco-Roman world that encompassed the Pontic steppe. It was inhabited by Scythians, an ancient Eastern Iranic equestrian nomadic people. The names Scythia and Scythica are themselves Latinisations of the Ancient Greek names Skuthia (Σκυθία) and Skuthikē (Σκυθική), which were themselves derived from the ancient Greek names for the Scythians, Skuthēs (Σκύθης) and Skuthoi (Σκύθοι), derived from the Scythian endonym *Skuδa. The territory of the Scythian kingdom of the Pontic steppe extended from the Don river in the east to the Danube river in the west, and covered the territory of the treeless steppe immediately north of the Black Sea's coastline, which was inhabited by nomadic pastoralists, as well as the fertile black-earth forest-steppe area to the north of the treeless steppe, which was inhabited by an agricultural population. The northern border of this Scythian kingdom were the deciduous woodlands, while several rivers, including Don and Dnipro, flowed southwards across this region and emptied into the Black Sea.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Between the 9th and 5th centuries BCE, the climate in the steppes was cool and dry, which was a catalyst for the emergence of equestrian nomadic pastoralism in the northern Pontic region. The climate became warmer and wetter during the 5th century BCE, which allowed the steppe nomads to move into the steppes proper. In these favourable climatic conditions, grass grew abundantly on the treeless steppe and permitted the nomadic Scythians to rear large herds of cattle and horses. The country which the Greeks named Hylaea (Ancient Greek: Ὑλαία, romanized: Hulaía, lit. 'the Woodland'), consisting of the region of the lower Dnipro river along the territory of what is modern-day Kherson and the valleys further north along the river, was covered with forests.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Conditions in the southern lands near the shores of the Black Sea were propitious for agriculture. Before the arrival of the Scythians, this region of the Pontic Steppe was dominated by the Agathyrsi, who were nomadic Iranic people related to the Scythians. The Scythian migration pushed the Agathyrsi westwards, away from the steppes and from their original home around Lake Maeotis, and into the Carpathian region. Beginning in the late 4th century BCE, another related nomadic Iranic people, the Sarmatians, moved from the east into the Pontic steppe, where they replaced the Scythians as the dominant power of the Pontic steppe. Due to the Sarmatian invasion "Sarmatia Europea" (European Sarmatia) replaced "Scythia" as the name for the region.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Scythia

True or False: “Did the Scythians maintain undisputed dominance over the entire Pontic steppe throughout their history?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The Scythians were eventually replaced as the dominant power in the Pontic steppe by the Sarmatians beginning in the late 4th century BCE.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Scythia