Piunov R. Herodotus, Athens, Olbia, and Scythia (2026)

Piunov R. Herodotus, Athens, Olbia, and Scythia // Scientific Bulletin of the Izmail State University of Humanities Section «Historical sciences». — 2026. — No. 73. — P. 15–27. DOI: 10.31909/26168774.2026-(73)-2.15-27

Аннотация

This article examines certain aspects of the relations between Olbia, Scythia, and Athens during the 5th century BC and attempts to reappraise the role of Herodotus within these interactions. Regarding the characterisation of Olbian-Scythian relations, it is proposed that the abstract term ‘protectorate’ be replaced by the more comprehensive ‘suzerainty without institutional integration’. It is further suggested that from the 5th to the early 3rd century BC, these relations involved not only the δῶρα of the Olbiopolites to the Scythian kings, but also the maintenance of a royal ἐπίτροπος within the polis and the payment of φόρος, sustained by regular civic τελῆ ἐς τοὺς Σκύθας. Furthermore, the possibility is raised that the revolt on Euboea in 446 BC triggered a chain reaction: the Periclean party’s first attempt to monopolise grain supplies from the North Pontic region to Hellas; the conspiracy against the Scythian king Scyles; and the 445 BC grain crisis in the Athenian market. Separately, it is suggested that both the resolution of this grain crisis in Athens and the subsequent active commercial and political interaction between Athens and the Bosporus – dating from Pericles' Pontic expedition - were linked to Herodotus' mission to Scythia, which was primarily diplomatic, or mediatory, in character. The hypotheses presented in this article are based solely on indirect evidence which, naturally, may be subject to controversial interpretations across a broad spectrum, and which may ultimately be either corroborated or refuted by further research.

Ключевые слова

Olbia, Scythia, Olbian-Scythian relations, Herodotus, the epigraphy of the Northern Black Sea region, τέλος, the ancient history of Ukraine