Scythes
(Σκύθης).
1. Tyrant or ruler of Zancle in Sicily, about 494 B. C. The Zanclaeans had sent to Ionia to invite colonists to join them in founding a new city on the Καλὴ Ἀκτή, or north shore of Sicily, and the offer had been accepted by a large body of Samians, together with some fugitives from Miletus; but when they arrived at Locri, Scythes, at the head of the Zanclaeans, was engaged in hostilities against the Sicels, and the Samians were persuaded by Anaxilas of Rhegium to take advantage of his absence, and occupy the city of Zancle itself. Hereupon Scythes called in the assistance of his ally, Hippocrates, tyrant of Gela, but the latter proved no less perfidious than the Samians, and immediately on his arrival threw Scythes himself and his brother Pythogenes into chains, and sent them prisoners to Inycus, while lie betrayed his allies the Zanclaeans into the hands of the Samians. Scythes, however, contrived to make his escape to Himera, and from thence repaired to Asia, to the court of Dareius, king of Persia, where he was received with much distinction, and rose to a high place in the king's favour. He afterwards revisited his native city, but again returned to the Persian court, where he died at an advanced age, and in the possession of great wealth, while he enjoyed general esteem for the probity of his character (Hdt. 6.23, 24; Ael. VH 8.17). It is remarkable that Herodotus, while he designates Anaxilas and Hippocrates as tyrants (τύραννοι) of their respective cities, styles Scythes king (βασιλεύς) or monarch (μούναρχος) of the Zanclaeans.
2. The father of Cadmus, tyrant of Cos, mentioned by Herodotus (7.163), is supposed by K. O. Muller (Dorians, vol. i. p. 193, note) to be identical with the preceding [Cadmus]. The subsequent removal of Cadmus to Zancle certainly gives much probability to the conjecture. Valckenaer and Larcher, however (ad Herod. 6.23, 7.163) consider him to have been another person of the same family. [E.H.B]
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…Scepsius Scipiones Scipiones duo Cn. Cornelius Scipio cos. eiusque frater P. cos. praeterea v. Cornelius Scythes, Scythicus. Semele lex Sempronia Sempronius Gracchus, C. tr. pl. . Sempronius Gracchus, Ti…
M. Tullius Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes
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…, mercibus ademptis in vincla mercatores esse coniectos et in vinclis civis Romanos necatos esse arguo. si haec apud Scythas dicerem, non hic in tanta multitudine civium Romanorum, non apud senatores, lectissimos civitatis, non in foro…
Cicero, in Verrem
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…suppetant, cum procul ab his omnibus rebus absit, cur pecuniam magnopere desideret vel potius cur curet omnino an Scythes Anacharsis potuit pro nihilo pecuniam ducere, nostrates philosophi facere non poterunt illius epistula fertur his verbis Anacharsis Hannoni salutem…
M. Tullius Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes
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…nefas redituraque numquam, Libertas ultra Tigrim Rhenumque recessit, Ac, toties nobis iugulo quaesita, vagatur, Germanum Scythicumque bonum, nec respicit ultra Ausoniam vellem, populis incognita nostris, Vulturis ut primum laevo fundata volatu Romulus infami…
Lucan, Pharsalia
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…legationes saepe missae sunt non visae ante id tempus apud quemquam Romanorum ducem. Nostram amicitiam appetiverunt per legatos Bastarnae Scythaeque et Sarmatarum qui sunt citra flumen Tanaim et ultra reges, Albanorumque rex et Hiberorum et Medorum. Ad me…
Caesar Augustus, Res Gestae
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…vitam et mores hominum ostendere. Rem me professum dicet fors aliquis gravem. Si Phryx Aesopus potuit, Anacharsis Scytha Aeternam famam condere ingenio suo Ego, litteratae qui sum propior Graeciae, Cur somno inerti deseram patriae decus Threissa…
Phaedrus, Fabulae
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…Argis Persea, Lampsaco Priapum, Thebis Euhion Ilioque Vestam, Thymbrae Delion, Arcadem Lycaeo, Martem Thracibus ac Scythis Dianam, quos fecere deos dicata templa, tus, sal, far, mola vel superfluarum consecratio caerimoniarum .…
Sidonius Apollinaris, Carmina
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…inde ad Tanaim alium amnem recta plaga attinent. Tanais Europam et Asiam medius interfluit. Nec dubitatur, quin Scythae, qui Parthos condidere, non a Bosphoro, sed ex Europae regione penetraverint. Urbs erat ea tempestate clara…
Curtius Rufus, Quintus, Historiae Alexandri Magni
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…quondam septingenta milia aetate militari, atque eo cum exercitu regem Rhamsen Libya Aethiopia Medisque et Persis et Bactriano ac Scytha potitum quasque terras Suri Armeniique et contigui Cappadoces colunt, inde Bithynum, hinc Lycium ad mare imperio tenuisse .…
Tacitus, Annales
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…extenuabat dolor, amicos in consilium advocari iubet. Terrebat eum non hostis, sed iniquitas temporis Bactriani defecerant, Scythae etiam lacessebant, ipse non insistere in terra, non equo vehi, non docere, non hortari suos poterat…
Curtius Rufus, Quintus, Historiae Alexandri Magni
- his imprisonment by Hippocrates: Hdt. 6.23, Hdt. 6.24, Hdt. 7.163
- Hdt. 4.10