Arimaspi ( dr. Greek Ἀριμασποί , lat. Arimaspi ) - a mythical people in the far north-east of the ancient world. According to Herodotus , these were one-eyed people (which is what the word “arimasp” means in the Scythian language), constantly fighting with griffins in an effort to take away the gold protected by those. A number of researchers believe that behind the Arimaspas the idea of the real-life South Siberian nomadic Scythian people of the Bronze Age may be hidden [1] .
Description of Herodotus
The source of information about the Arimaspas was the incomplete epic poem by Aristeus, son of Kaistrobius from Prokonnes, “The Epic about the Arimaspas” (or “Arimaspius”), the content of which gives some idea of the Scythian story by Herodotus (“History.” IV. 13-16). Aristeus, inspired by Apollo, allegedly arrived in the country of the Issedon and wrote down stories about their northern neighbors - Arimaspas, vultures (grips or griffins ) and Hyperboreans .
According to Aristeus, the Arimaspians live north of the Issedon, and north of them live the vultures guarding the gold, and the Arimaspas fight with both of them. Moreover, the Arimaspians expelled the Issedons from their country, those, in turn, expelled the Scythians, and those of the Cimmerians. Herodotus also gives an explanation (apparently it is also taken from Aristean's poem) of the word "arimasp", which in Scythian means "one-eyed" ("arima" - unit, "spu" - eye).
Other references
The Arimasps are also mentioned by other ancient writers (both geographers and tragic poets), but all their messages directly or indirectly go back to Aristei Prokonnesky and they do not add anything new to Herodotus’s message. The exception is Aeschylus , reporting that the Arimasp "live near the gold-bearing Pluto stream" (" Chained Prometheus ", 805–806). Late Antique writers begin to identify the Arimasp and the Hyperboreans.
Notes
- ↑ D.V. Cheremisin, A.V. Zaporozhchenko. "Sacred centers" of Eurasia in Altai, on the Yenisei and the legend of arimasp and vultures in modern interpretations // Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS (Novosibirsk). The results of the study of the Scythian era of Altai and adjacent territories. - Barnaul, 1999 .-- S. 228-231 . Archived on October 26, 2014.