Greeks were ignorant of the part of the world which lay beyond; or had a very imperfect knowledge of it; they often comprehended this too under the same denomination. Many, however, did not extend their ideas so far; but looked upon the coast above-specified to have been the boundary northward of the habitable world. Hence we read of extremum Tanain, ultimam Scythiam, and Καυκασον εσχατοεντα; Caucasus the boundary of the world. And although upon the return of the Greeks, who had followed the fortunes of Cyrus the younger, some insight might be supposed to have been gained into those parts; yet it amounted to little in the end; as no correspondence was kept up; and the navigation of the Bosporus was seldom attempted. Hence it happened, that, till the conquests of Lucullus and Pompeius Magnus, 5 Δια δε Κολχις Ποντε και γαίης επικέκλεται εσχατίησιν. Apollon. Rhod. 1. 2. v. 419. Extremum Tanaïm si biberis, Lyce. Horat. 1. 3. od. 10. Χθονος μεν εις τηλερον ήκομεν πεδον, Σκύθην ες οίμον, αβατον εις ερημιαν. #sch. Prometh. v. 1. Plato speaks of earth being extended from Gades to the river Pharis. Phædon. p. 109. Herodotus was uncertain where Europe terminated. L. 4. c. 45. Colchidem Græci, non Homericis solum temporibus, sed pluribus etiam seculis post, orbis nostri ad orientem terminum esse credebant. Vossius de Idolatriâ. 1. 1. c. 24. p. 177. these countries were to the north-east the limits of geographical knowledge and even of these parts the accounts were very obscure and imperfect. Yet, however unknown they had lain for ages, there was a time when the natives rendered themselves very respectable. For they carried on an extensive commerce; and were superior in science to all the nations in their neighbourhood. But this was long before the dawning of learning in Greece: even before the constitution of many principalities, into which the Hellenic state was divided. They went under the name of Colchians, Iberians, Cimmerians, Hyperboreans, Alani. They got footing in Paphlagonia, upon the Thermodon; where they were called Amazonians, and Alazonians: also in Pieria, and Sithonia, near Mount Hæmus in Thrace. These were properly Scythic nations: but the antients, as I have beforementioned, often included under this name all that lay beyond them; whatever was unknown, even from the Cronian and Atlantic seas one way, to Mount Tabis and the Corean sea the other. • Άπαντας μεν δε της προσβοῤῥες κοινως οι παλαιοι των Ἑλληνων συγγραφεις Σκυθας και Κελτο-Σκυθας εκαλεν. The antient writers of Greece used to include all the northern nations in general under the name Strabo. I. 11. p. 774. of Scythians and Celto-Scythians. In this they went too far: yet the Scythic nations were widely extended, and to be met with on very different parts of the globe. As they are represented of the highest antiquity, and of great power; and as they are said to have subdued mighty kingdoms; and to have claimed precedency even of the Egyptians; it will be worth our while to inquire into the history of this wonderful people; and to sift out the truth, if possibly it may be attained. Let us then try to investigate the origin of the people denominated Scythians, and explain the purport of their name. The solution of this intricate problem will prove of the highest importance; as we shall thereby be able to clear up many dark circumstances in antiquity and it will serve for the basis of the system upon which I proceed. To me then it appears very manifest, that what was termed by the Greeks Σκυθα, Σκυθία, Σκυθικα, was originally Cutha, Cuthia, Cuthica; and related to the family of Chus. He was called by the Babylonians and Chaldeans, Cuth; and his posterity Cuthites and Cutheans. The countries where they at times settled, were uniformly denomina 7 Cusistan in Persis was called Cutha, or the land of Cuth. See Joseph. Antiq. 1. 9. c. 14. p. 507. 8 ted from them. But what was properly styled Cutha, the Greeks expressed with a sigma prefixed; which, however trifling it may ap pear, has been attended with fatal consequences. Whence this mode of expression arose is uncertain it has universally obtained; and has very much confounded the history of antient times, and of this people in particular. In short the mistake reaches in its consequences much farther than we may at first apprehend; and being once detected will be the means of explaining many difficulties which cannot otherwise be solved; and a wonderful light will be thrown on the remoter parts of history. As the Scythic colonies were widely dispersed, So Yan was by the Latines rendered Sylva; iπTά, septem; spπw, serpo; and from åλs, años of Greece was formed sal, and salum. The river Indus was often called Sindus. Plin. N. H. 1. 6. p. 319. colis Sindus appellatur. Indus ab in- dea was styled Sur, Zoup and it is so rendered by Syncellus. Εν χώρα των Χαλδαίων, εν Σουρ τη πόλει. p. 95. The Elli, those priests of the sun at Dodona, were called Selli. The Alpes Cottia are by Procopius styled Exeria. De Bello Goth. 1. 2. p. 457. And Lycophron, speaking of the Alps in general, instead of Αλπια opn, calls them Σαλπια, Salpia. Και Σαλπιων βεβωσαν οχθηρων παγων. ν. 1361. This letter is used by the Welch as an aspirate and has, undoubtedly, been introduced by many nations for the same purpose. I will take them in their turns, and shew that they were all of them Cuthic; that the people upon the Indus were of the same origin as those upon the Phasis and Thermodon; and that the natives of Bætica in Iberia were related to both. That the Boeotians and Athenians were in a great measure Cuthian, I have endeavoured already to prove; and what I term Cuthian, was by them undoubtedly styled Scythian. Hence Anacharsis the Hyperborean plainly maintained that the Athenians were apparently Scythic; which national characteristic he must have observed in their language and manners. παντες Έλληνες σκυθίζεσι. where this people settled, a like similitude will be found in their rites and customs, and a great correspondence in their original history, and all this attended with a manifest analogy in the names of persons and places, and in the language of each nation, as far as we can arrive. 9 Εμοι δε, φησιν ὁ Ανάχαρσις, In all other countries, It may be said, if by Exubia, Scythia, we are to understand Cuthia, and by Exuba, Cuthai or Cutheans, the same should obtain in all histories of this people; for the like mistake would be observable in the accounts transmitted in the accounts of Chaldea and Babylonia, whence this people first caine, as well as in those of Egypt, 9 Clem. Alexandr. Strom. 1. 1. p. 364. |