There is a widespread misconception that the Scythians were the Iranian tribes that migrated to the area north of the Black (Euxine) Sea around seventh century B.C. But we read in the most prominent work of Roman historian Orosius: “One thousand three hundred years before the founding of the City, Ninus the first king of the Assyrians, as my opponents themselves wish to call him, because of his lust for power waged war abroad, and throughout all Asia for fifty years carried on a bloody life by warfare; starting from the south and the Red Sea, to the extreme north, he laid waste and dominated the shores of the Euxine [Black] Sea; and he taught barbaric Scythia, until then unwarlike and inoffensive, to stir up its dormant ferocity, to realize its strength, and to drink, not as heretofore the milk of domestic animals, but the blood of men* finally to conquer while she was being conquered.”[1] The City Orosius is talking about is Rome whose founding date is 753 B.C. Adding 753 and 1300 equals 2053 B.C. and this is the date when Ninus started his war campaign. And it is imporant to see that the Scythians are mentioned in that period of time. Second important quote from the same source is this:
“Four hundred and eighty years before the founding of the City, Vesozes, the king of Egypt, eager to engage in war with the South and the North (regions separated by almost the whole heaven and the whole sea) or to annex them to his kingdom, first declared war upon the Scythians. He had previously sent ambassadors to bid them obey his laws. In answer, the Scythians told the ambassadors that Vesozes, who was already an extremely wealthy king, had stupidly undertaken war against a poor people and that he himself ought to fear this war more than they, because it was clear that the uncertain issues of the struggle promised only losses instead of rewards. They further declared that they would not await his attack, but would on their own initiative go forward to plunder his army.
There was no delay, for deeds followed these words. First the Scythians forced Vesozes himself to flee back in terror to Egypt. Then they attacked his army, which was now without a leader, and captured all of its war equipment. If they had not been prevented by the swamps from entering Egypt, they would have ravaged that entire country. Returning at once they exacted tribute from Asia, whose people had been the victims of repeated slaughter and massacre and which was now in a state of complete subjection. They remained at war in Asia for fifteen years until they were recalled by the demand of their wives, who threatened to allow their neighbors to become the fathers of their children unless their husbands returned.”
753 plus 480 gives us 1233 B.C. and an important fact in this story is that after the years in Asia, the Scythians returned home. In the 13th century B.C. the Scythians were already the power that defeated Egypt and dominated Asia, but their home was in Scythia, north of the Black Sea. How do we know that the Scythians were a Northern race? The same Orosius:
“In those days also the heat was so continuous, oppressive, and intense, that it is said that the sun, after passing through the regions of the heavens outside of its regular course, did not visit the earth with its warmth but scorched it with fire. Neither the Ethiopians, who were more used to heat than other peoples, nor the Scythians, who were unaccustomed to it, could endure this raging heat beating down upon them”
The Scythians were more accustomed to cold, not to heat.
If the Scythians were NOT of Asian (“Iranian”) origin, where did they come from? Their burial customs point to the Yamnaya Culture.
For more insights about Scythia, check the Royal Scytia, Greece, Kyiv Rus book.
