Iranians and Greeks in South Russia (Ancient History and Archaeology)

370 Pages·2012·16.48 MB·English

%-
&
IRANIANS GREEKS
IN
SOUTH
RUSSIA
BY
M- ROSTOVTZEFF, Hon.
D.Litt.
PROFESSOR IN THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
MEMBER OF THE RUSSIAN ACAPEMY OF SCIENCE
I i
*&&*
OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
1922
Oxford University Press
London Edinburgh Glasgow Copenhagen
Nets York Toronto Melbourne Cape T&tm
Bombay Calcutta Madras Shanghai
Humphrey Milford Publisher to the University
PREFACE
THIS
book is not intended to compete with the valuable and
learned book of Ellis H. Minns on the same subject. Our aims
are different. Minns endeavoured to give a complete survey of
the material illustrating the early history of South Russia and of the
views expressed by both Russian and non-Russian scholars on the
many and various questions suggested by the study of that material.
I do not mean that Minns' book is a mere compendium. In
dealing with the various problems of the history and archaeology of
South Russia Minns went his own way his criticism is acute, his
;
views independent. Nevertheless his main object was to give a survey
as full and as complete as possible. And his attempt was success-
ful. Minns* book will remain for decades the chief source of informa-
tion about South Russia both for Russian and for non-Russian
scholars.
My own aim is different. In my short exposition I have tried to
give a history of the South Russian lands in the prehistoric, the proto-
historic, and the classic periods down to the epoch of the migrations.
By history I mean not a repetition of the scanty evidence preserved
by the classical writers and illustrated by the archaeological material
but an attempt to define the part played by South Russia in the
history of the world in general, and to emphasize the contributions
of South Russia to the civilization of mankind.
In doing so I was obliged to use every kind of material, especially
the rich archaeological evidence furnished by the South Russian
excavations. Notwithstanding this dominant use of archaeological
material, my book is not a handbook of South Russian archaeology,
nor is it an investigation of one section in the history of Oriental and
classical art. I have tried to write history, using the archaeological
PREFACE
viii
evidence in the same way as I should use, and have used, in this book
written documents or literary sources. Such an attempt is not new.
Many eminent scholars have employed this method in attempting to
write the history of the ancient Orient in general and of its different
parts. The same method should be used more widely in historical
surveys of the Roman provinces, as of course it has been used for
the history of Gaul by Camille Jullian, for the history of Africa by
Stephane Gsell, for the history of Britain by the late Francis Haver-
field, for the history of Belgium by Franz Cumont, and for the history
of Germany by many writers, and especially by H. DragendorfL
But I should like to call for a more rational use of archaeological
material than has been usual hitherto. For me archaeology is not
a source of illustrations for written texts, but an independent source
of historical information, no less valuable and important, sometimes
more important, than the written sources. We must learn and we are
gradually learning how to write history with the help ofarchaeology.
South Russia, with its enormous wealth of archaeological material,
presents a favourable opportunity for such an experiment. The
results of my historical investigations are of course far from final or
complete. We know but little of the history and archaeology of
Central Asia and of the Iranian world. The scientific exploration of
the Caucasian lands and of the upper course of the Euphrates is still
in its infancy. The mystery of the early history of Asia Minor, and
especially of its north-eastern part, has just begun to dispel. And
it is precisely these lands which provide the key to the leading
phenomena of the early history of South Russia. If I have succeeded
in showing the importance of these connexions for the development
of South Russia, and the importance of South Russia for under-
standing the main features of the civilization of these lands both in
the early and in the later period, during the rule of the Scythians
and that of the Sarmatians in the South Russian steppes, I shall
consider the main part of my task accomplished. I do not deny the
importance of the Greek influences in South Russia, but at the same
time I do not regard South Russia as one of the provinces of the
PREFACE
ix
Greek world. South Russia has always been, and remained even in
the Greek period, an Oriental land. Greek influence in South Russia
was strong, it is true, but the current of Hellenism met another
current there, an Oriental one, and it was this which finally carried
the day, and in the period of the migrations spread all over Western
Europe. The attempt to hellenize the South Russian steppes was
not a complete success much more successful was the attempt to
;
orientalize the semi-Greek world of the northern shores of the Black
Sea. In the civilization which the Sarmatians, the Goths, the Huns
brought with them to Western Europe it is the Orient which plays
the leading part the Greek, the Western, and the Northern elements
;
are of but secondary importance. Such is the leading idea of my book.
My
book was written not in Russia but in England and in France*
The proofs were corrected in America. In writing it I was unable
to recur constantly to the original sources preserved in the Russian
museums, as I should if I had been in Russia. Nor was I able to
consult friends and colleagues, still in Russia, on many questions
which they would have helped me to elucidate. Unfortunately
Russia is closed to mc for a long time to come. This explains why
I have been obliged to quote from memory many books and articles
which formed part of my private library in Petrograd. It also explains
the choice of illustrations. Most of them are reproduced from photo-
graphs which I brought with me from Russia. But some of them
I was obliged to take from photographs and drawings already pub-
lished in printed books. I am very much obliged to the Cambridge
University Press and to Dr. Ellis H. Minns for permission to use
some of the drawings, and one of the maps, from the work of Minns.
But, generally speaking, in the choice of my illustrations I have tried
to avoid reproducing well-know-n objects, especially if they have been
published by Minns, and to figure, for the most part, such monuments
as are either unpublished or published in an unsatisfactory way.
For permission to reproduce unpublished objects my warmest thanks
are due to Dr. D. G. Hogarth, Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum,
to Sir Hercules Read and Mr. G. F. Hill, Keepers of the British
b
PREFACE
x
Museum, to Mr. Edmond Pettier, Keeper of die Louvre, to Mr.
Ernest Babelon, Director of the Cabinet des MedaiLes at Paris,
to Mr. Edward Robinson, Director of the Metropolitan Museum,
and to Mrs. E. Meyer, of New York.
The text of my book was written partly in French, partly in
English, For the translation of the French part and for a thorough
revision of the English I am indebted to the self-sacrificing kindness
of Mr, D. Beazley. I cannot find adequate words to express my
J.
warm thanks to that accomplished scholar for his help. He assisted
me also in reading the proofs and in arranging and composing the
illustrations. I also owe a great debt ofgratitude to Dr. Ellis H. Minns,
who read the proofs of my book.
But for the scientific spirit of the staff of the Clarendon Press
my book could never have been published in such beautiful form
and with so many illustrations.
The index was compiled by my wife, Mrs. S. RostovtzefT.
I dedicate my book to some living and many dead friends. To
these men I am indebted for what I know about the history of South
Russia.
Madison (Wis.), ILSA.
November 1921.
CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTORY
I.
. . f
II. THE PREHISTORIC CIVILIZATIONS .15
.
III. THE CIMMERIANS AND THE SCYTHIANS IN
SOUTH RUSSIA (EIGHTH TO FIFTH CEN-
TURIES
B.C.)
35
IV. THE GREEKS ON THE SHORES OF THE BLACK
SEA, DOWN TO THE ROMAN PERIOD
61
. .
V. THE SCYTHIANS AT THE END OF THE
FOURTI AND IN THE THIRD CENTURY
I B.C. 83
THE SARMATIANS
VI.
113
VII. THE GREEK CITIES OF SOUTH RUSSIA IN
THE ROMAN PERIOD
H7
VIII. THE POLYCHROME STYLE AND THE ANIMAL
STYLE
,8,
IX. THE ORIGIN OF THE RUSSIAN STATE ON
THE DNIEP.ER.......
2ro
BIBLIOGRAPHY
223
INDEX
239
.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATES
I. Clay figurines of Scythians from Cappadocia, 4th to 3rd cent. B.C.
i, 2, 4. Ashmolean Museum. 3. Louvre,
II. Bronze pole-tops from Cappadocia. British Museum and Louvre.
III. Two engraved silver vases from Maikop. Third millennium b.c.
Hermitage, Petrograd.
IV. 1. Gold diadem. 2-4. Massive gold and silver figures of bulls.
5-7. Gold plaques sewn on cloth. From Maikop. Third
millennium B.C. Hermitage, Petrograd.
V. 1, 2, 4. Axe, arrow-heads, belt-clasp (all bronze) from a Taman
grave. 7th cent, bx. Hermitage, Petrograd. 3. Bronze pole-
top from Cappadocia. British Museum, 5. Bronze statuette
of a horseman from the Kuban. Hermitage, Petrograd.
VI. Engraved and gilt silver mirror. From Kelermes, Kuban. 6th
cent, b,c. Hermitage, Petrograd,
VII. Two gold cups from Kelermes, Kuban. 6th cent. B.C. Hermitage,
Petrograd.
VIII. i, 2. Iron axe and iron sword with wooden scabbard, all covered
with gold. From Kelermes, Kuban. Hermitage, Petrograd,
3. Iron dagger and scabbard, covered with gold. Shumeyko'a
Farm,near Romny. Kiev,ArchaeologicalMuseum. 6th cent.B.C,
IX, 1. Gold pectoral of a scale-corslet. 6th cent. B.C. From
Kclermcs, Kuban. Hermitage, Petrograd. 2. Gold ornaments
inlaid with amber. 6th cent. B.C. From Kelermes, Kuban,
Hermitage, Petrograd,
X, Bronze pole-tops and a bronze bell. From the Kuban, 6th to
5th cent. B.C. Hermitage, Petrograd.
XL
A. Bronze ceremonial axe from Bactria. B, Bronze ceremonial
axe from Hamadan, Persia. C. Bronze axe from Van, Armenia.
D, E. Two bronze axes from Persia, British Museum.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
XIV
XII. Silver and gold rhyta from the * Seven Brothers * on the Kuban,
5th cent, B,c, Hermitage, Petrograd.
XIII. Gold ornaments of wooden rhyta from the * Seven Brothers ' on the
Kuban. 5th cent. B.C. Hermitage, Petrograd.
XIV. Greek bronze breastplate. From Elizavetinskaya on the Kuban.
4th cent, b,c. Hermitage, Petrograd.
XV. 1. Gold bracelet. 2. Silver bracelet. 3. Silver kylix with engraved
and gilt emblema. 1 and 3 from the c Seven Brothers ' on the
Kuban, 2 from the Taman peninsula. 5th to 4th cent. B.C.
Hermitage, Petrograd.
XVI. 1. Engraved chalcedony scaraboid, Persian. 2, 3. Gold and gold-
plated earrings, 4. Gold necklace. From Nymphaeum, Crimea.
5th cent. B.C. Ashmolean Museum.
XVIL 1. Painted clay vase from, the Taman peninsula. 2* Gold necklace
from Chersonesus. Late 5th or early 4th cent. B.C. Hermitage,
Petrograd.
XVIII. 1 . Earrings from Theodosia, Crimea. Hermitage, Petrograd. 2-4.
Gold garment plaques from Chersonesus, Crimea, Hermitage,
Petrograd. 5. Gold coins of Panticapaeum. British Museum
and Louvre. 4th cent. B.C.
XIX. Gold comb from the Solokha * tumulus. 4th cent. B.C. Hermitage,
'
Petrograd.
XX. Silver cup and gold patera from the ' Solokha ' tumulus. 4th
cent. b.c. Hermitage, Petrograd.
XXL
1. Gorytos * (bow and arrows case) covered with silver, from the
'
* Solokha * tumulus. 4th cent. B.C. Hermitage, Petrograd.
2, 3. Silver amphorae from the * Chertomlyk ' tumulus (lower
Dnieper). 3rd cent. B.C. Hermitage, Petrograd.
XXII. Electrum vase from the * Kul-Oba ' tumulus, near Kerch. 4th to
3rd cent. B.C. Hermitage, Petrograd.
XXIII. t- Gold plaque of the tiara from the * Karagodeuashkh ' tumulus on
the Kuban, 2. Fragments of the rhyton of Merdjany in the
Kuban region, 3. Gold clasp of a belt or diadem from the
' Kul-Oba ' tumulus, near Kerch. 4-6. Gold plaques sewn
on garments, from various tumuli on the lower Dnieper,
to 3rd cent. B.C. Hermitage, Petrograd.