Dr. Owen Rees

So if we stick to the Greek perspective, we can talk about the Scythians as a group. Archaeologically, we cannot. We'll talk about that in a minute. But the Greeks very much saw the Scythians as a group, but made up of little, for want of a better word, tribal groups. So what they're describing are the nomadic or semi-nomadic groups north of the Black Sea and moving east.

I mean, they didn't know about it, the Greeks, but you and I would go as far as Siberia. So that's how far east we're kind of looking. There's also names associated with the Scythians through other cultures as well. So I think you've done a podcast on the Saka.

I mean, they didn't know about it, the Greeks, but you and I would go as far as Siberia. So that's how far east we're kind of looking. There's also names associated with the Scythians through other cultures as well. So I think you've done a podcast on the Saka.

I mean, they didn't know about it, the Greeks, but you and I would go as far as Siberia. So that's how far east we're kind of looking. There's also names associated with the Scythians through other cultures as well. So I think you've done a podcast on the Saka.

And also brings us down into sort of Persia and Iran. That's the group that are talking about the Sakai. So that kind of geographically gives you an idea. But in terms of names, in terms of who we're talking about, we're talking about Scythians, we're talking about the Sakai, we're talking about another group that gets talked about are the Chimerians.

And also brings us down into sort of Persia and Iran. That's the group that are talking about the Sakai. So that kind of geographically gives you an idea. But in terms of names, in terms of who we're talking about, we're talking about Scythians, we're talking about the Sakai, we're talking about another group that gets talked about are the Chimerians.

And also brings us down into sort of Persia and Iran. That's the group that are talking about the Sakai. So that kind of geographically gives you an idea. But in terms of names, in terms of who we're talking about, we're talking about Scythians, we're talking about the Sakai, we're talking about another group that gets talked about are the Chimerians.

All of these are sort of loosely associated with this big label of Scythian, which really kind of means foreign nomadic group to the north and east that we don't really know a lot about.

All of these are sort of loosely associated with this big label of Scythian, which really kind of means foreign nomadic group to the north and east that we don't really know a lot about.

All of these are sort of loosely associated with this big label of Scythian, which really kind of means foreign nomadic group to the north and east that we don't really know a lot about.

In terms of writing, most of our evidence comes from external groups to the Scythians. You're right, the Greeks, Romans to an extent. They're our main sources describing the culture because they're fascinated with it. It's a real other culture. So they tell us a lot. We've got to kind of wade through that and see what's a bit exaggerated and what's plausible and piece two and two together.

In terms of writing, most of our evidence comes from external groups to the Scythians. You're right, the Greeks, Romans to an extent. They're our main sources describing the culture because they're fascinated with it. It's a real other culture. So they tell us a lot. We've got to kind of wade through that and see what's a bit exaggerated and what's plausible and piece two and two together.

In terms of writing, most of our evidence comes from external groups to the Scythians. You're right, the Greeks, Romans to an extent. They're our main sources describing the culture because they're fascinated with it. It's a real other culture. So they tell us a lot. We've got to kind of wade through that and see what's a bit exaggerated and what's plausible and piece two and two together.

But also we have evidence from sort of Mesopotamia and sort of the Persian Empire as well. So, you know, the various large inscriptions from like Darius the Great and Cyrus and all these kind of people. They make mention to these groups as well.

But also we have evidence from sort of Mesopotamia and sort of the Persian Empire as well. So, you know, the various large inscriptions from like Darius the Great and Cyrus and all these kind of people. They make mention to these groups as well.

But also we have evidence from sort of Mesopotamia and sort of the Persian Empire as well. So, you know, the various large inscriptions from like Darius the Great and Cyrus and all these kind of people. They make mention to these groups as well.

So we do have sort of different cultural perspectives on the Scythians, but always from the sense that they are the other, that they are the different group, and that they are being sort of judged accordingly to that.

So we do have sort of different cultural perspectives on the Scythians, but always from the sense that they are the other, that they are the different group, and that they are being sort of judged accordingly to that.

So we do have sort of different cultural perspectives on the Scythians, but always from the sense that they are the other, that they are the different group, and that they are being sort of judged accordingly to that.

Yeah, we do. And this is where, I mean, ultimately with any conversation about the Scythians, you'd either, if you get a historian like me, you'll get a lot of conversation about how the Greeks and how the sort of the settled world, shall we say, that kind of city building, urbanized cultures, how they view the Scythians. An archaeologist would give you a very different story.