AMYRGIANS
Scythia
and Parthia in about 170 BC (before the Yuezhi invaded Amorges and
Bactria)
Approximate
historical map of the spread of the spoke-wheeled chariot, 2000
– 500 BC
The
Amyrgians were the Scythian tribe in closest proximity to Bactria
and Sogdiana. They were named for their king Amorges (not to be
confused with Amorges, son of Pissunthnes, leader of a Carian rebellion
in 413 BC).
Name
:
The Amyrgians were called Saka haumavarga ("Haoma-drinking
Scythians") in Old Persian, which is a reinterpretation of
the personal names Amorges and (H)omarges. The Greek form of their
name was Amyrgioi.
History
:
According to Ctesias, the Amyrgians were conquered by Cyrus the
Great, who took Amorges prisoner. The wife of Amorges, Sparethra,
collected an army of 300,000 men and 200,000 women, made war upon
Cyrus, taking as prisoners Parmises, the brother of Amytis, and
his three sons, who were subsequently released in exchange for Amorges.
Cyrus's good treatment of Amorges prompted the Saka to submit to
the Persians. Amorges or Thambradas went with Cyrus to Lydia.
The
Amyrgians fought under Cyrus in the Battle of Thymbra of 547 BC.
Sparethra’s forces later helped Cyrus conquer yet another
opponent: Croesus, whom Cyrus ordered to be set on fire. He eventually
changed his mind, and Croesus fell in line behind Cyrus, going on
to give him terrible advice that would bring about his demise.
Gallery
:
Map
of the Median Empire, 600 BC. Amyrgians populated the northern fringes
of the Empire reaching from Krazania (Krorän) and India to
Europe, e.g. Škudra
Sogdians
on an Achaemenid Persian relief from the Apadana of Persepolis,
offering tributary gifts to the Persian king Darius I, 5th century
BC
Iron
Age gold cup from Marlik, kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York City
Golden
necklace of three Swarg (Swastikas) from Marlik, kept at the National
Museum, Tehran
Amyrgian-Sogdian-Aryan
chariot made during Achaemenid Empire (550 – 330 BC)
A
gold coin of Diodotus of Bactria, ca. 250 BC
Language
:
Amyrgian language was from the Eastern Iranian group, and it was
closely related to modern Pashto and Munji, with both of which it
shares the distinctive feature of d > l consonant shift.
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Amyrgians