Ariantas (Scythian: Ariyā̆nta;[1] Ancient Greek: Αριαντας, romanized: Ariantas; Latin: Ariantas) was a king of the Scythians, who, in order to learn the population of his people, commanded every Scythian to bring him one arrow-head. With these arrow-heads he made an enormous brazen or copper vessel,[2] which was set up in a place called "Exampaeus", between the rivers Borysthenes and Hypanis. This was important because the total number of Scythians had always been difficult to determine, because of their nomadic behaviors.[3]

We know of Ariantas only from one single passage in Herodotus.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Schmitt, Rüdiger (2003). "Die skythischen Personennamen bei Herodot" [Scythian Personal Names in Herodotus] (PDF). Annali dell'Università degli Studi di Napoli l'Orientale [Annals of the University of Naples "L'Orientale"] (in German). 63: 1–31.
  2. ↑ Hinge, George (2003). "Scythian and Spartan Analogies in Herodotos' Representation: Rites of Initiation and Kinship Groups". In Bilde, Pia Guldager; Højte, Jakob Munk; Stolba, Vladimir F.; Shcheglov, A. N. (eds.). The Cauldron of Ariantas: Studies Presented to A.N. Ščeglov on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday. Black Sea Studies. Vol. 1. Aarhus University Press. p. 55. ISBN 9788779340855. ISSN 1903-4873. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  3. ↑ Dewald, Carolyn (1993). "Reading the World: The Interpretation of Objects in Herodotus' Histories". In Rosen, Ralph Mark; Farrell, Joseph (eds.). Nomodeiktes: Greek Studies in Honor of Martin Ostwald. University of Michigan Press. p. 55. ISBN 9780472102976. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  4. ↑ Herodotus, Histories 4.81

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William (1870). "Ariantas". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. p. 283.

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