Anacharsis - a Scythian Sage of the Antique World

Shavlohova Elena Sergeevna- Doctor of History, Professor of the chair of Humanities and Regional Studies, Academy of Marketing and Social-and-Information Technology-IMSIT(Krasnodar).

“Scythia dilating to the East is adjoined by Pontus to the one side and Riphean Mountains to the other, its rear is bordered on Asia and Phasis river. It is very broad and wide. There are no boundaries between the peoples. They aren’t engaged in agriculture. They have neither houses nor other habitations or even stationary abode as they shepherd cattle and goat and habitually roam across the untilled prairies. Their wives and children follow them in a leather covered carts which provide them a shelter from the rains or cold weather in winter and serve them as a dwelling. Their main nutrition is milk and honey. Although they suffer from a permanent cold weather, they don’t use woolen cloth and wear only animal’s and rodent’s skins.”[1,Pompey Trog, p.30] This is where Anacharsis- a great sage of the Antique World was born – in Scythia.

Anacharsis lived in 7-6 century BC. He came from a royal lineage and was one of the most prominent personalities of Great Scythia. Anacharsis was the Scythian, the son of the Monarch Gnurus and the brother of the Monarchs Savliy and Kaduit. His diplomatic achievements to the glory of Scythia are diverse. His ingenious remarks were used by other diplomats as well as by antique and medieval philosophers. During his long journeys he took notice of other peoples’ way of living and talked about various processes in Hellas. Once an Athenian reproached Anacharsis of his Scythian ancestry. Anacharsis replied: “My native land is a blemish of mine and you are disgrace to your native land.” He disrespected intemperate talks, although he revered eloquence. And to the question what is good and bad in a person, he answered right away “Speaking”.

Herodotus sometimes got down to disparaging Scythians, but the philosopher’s name was already well known in the ancient world at the time when the "Father of History" lived. “There are no eminent people among the Scythians, except for Anacharsis. Among all peoples that are known to us, only Scythians possess one of the most important to human life arts. They don’t give a chance to salvation to any enemy having attacked their country.” [2, Herodotus, IV, 70].

The fact that not only Herodotus knew Anacharsis but he was also famous to contemporary readers can be confirmed by the next phrase from the general characteristic of Euxeinos Pontos –“there is no tribe near the Pontos which would stand out for their wisdom, and we don’t know a sage apart from Scythian tribe and Anacharsis”. There is a special chapter “Scythian Anacharsis” in the work of Diogenes Laërtius “Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers”. He writes in this chapter: “The Scythian Anachacharsis was the son of Gnurus and the brother of Kaduit, the Scythian Monarch. His mother was Greek, therefore he spoke both languages. He wrote about Scythians and Hellenic customs, about the means to make life cheaper and 800 military poetries. Possessing an outstanding freedom of speech he triggered formation of a proverb about “Scythian way of life”[3]

During the philosophers’ discussion devoted to the ways of managing a home one of the collocutors noticed with a laugh that Anacharsis had no home but had just a nomad cart. To this the Scythian sage replied that a home is unlikely to be a product of bricklayers and carpenters’ work or a magnificent decoration, it is rather to be the ones who inhabit it – children, spouses, friends, servants and the others, that is arranged in cooperation, reasonably and with a common sense even in the ant-heap or a bird’s nest could be described as nice and happy home.

The fame of the Scythian sage was so great that ancient Greeks attributed him with creation of a fire tinder, a marine anchor with two teeth and a potter’s wheel. His witty answers became proverbial. After learning that a ship board was four fingers in width, Anacharsis said that four fingers separates seamen from death. To the question what ships are safer he answered: “Beached”. When he was asked whether there are more people alive or dead he questioned: “But what should I consider sailing?”

“A body is a tool of a soul, and a soul is a tool of the Creator” – Anacharsis asserted. Therefore he preferred common sense, simplicity and balance of the nature created by God to the laws and values of the human society.

Anacharsis left abundant heritage saved due to the efforts of ancient writers. This information is valuable not only for philosophers; these data are of a great interest because of its historical and ethnographic material. It helps to get a spirit and historical atmosphere of that time, to understand the daily domestic routine of Scythians and criteria of their spiritual and moral values. Anacharsis’s biography and his wanderings are described in many sources. However we would like to emphasize the exceptional actuality of Anacharsis’s statements and expressions at present time.

References (transliterated)

1. Readings of the history of the Ossetian people. Sanakeev M.P, Vol.1, Tskhinvali, Publisher "IRYSTON», 1993, P.41

2. Kozaev A.I. Anaharsis. Tskhinvali, 1982.

3. Smirnov A.P. The Scythians M., 1966.

4. Agbunov M.V. « Journey to the mysterious Skythia. » M.,Science, 1989.

5. Grakov B.M. The Scythians. M., MSU, 1971.