Barry Cunlife - The Scythians

Asia Minor Central Asia Altai–Sayan China
Arzhan 1
714 Kimmerians on northern frontier of Urartu
707 Kimmerians defeat Rusā
c.676 Scythian king Battuta seeks to marry
Esarhaddon’s daughter. Esarhaddon kills
Scythian ally Ishpakai
677 Kimmerians destroy Phrygia and under
King Dugdamme attacks Lydia, Sardis
(652), and the Greek cities of Ionia
– Scythian king Madyes fights Medes and
Assyrians and reaches borders of Egypt
Arzhan 2
612 Scythians present at sack of Nineveh
– Median king Cyaxares (625–585) kills
Scythian elite at feast
590–585 War between Medes and Lydians.
Scythians side with Medes.
530 Cyrus moves against Massagetae
led by Queen Tomyris but is
beaten and killed.
520–519 Darius campaigns against the
Sakā whose king, Skuka, is
captured.
336–321 Alexander conquers Persian Empire
300–240
Pazyryk
176/160 Yuezhi and Wusun oust Sakā
from Issyk Kul region and drive
them south into Iran. Huns
advance on Massagetae
110–80 Sakā settle in India
133 Advance of
Han against
the Xiongnu