Tuesday, May 12, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org
Near Eastern Sources
Assyrian, Babylonian, and Near Eastern witnesses to Scythians, Cimmerians, Medes, and the northern frontier.
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Texts
Assyrian Annals on Ishpakai, Bartatua, and MadiusEsarhaddon's annals name Ishpakai the Scythian, while Assyrian oracles and Greek testimony preserve the neighboring Scythian royal line of Bartatua and Madius.Assyrian Oracles on Bartatua and the ScythiansNeo-Assyrian extispicy queries ask whether Bartatua, king of the Scythians, will keep faith with Esarhaddon after receiving an Assyrian princess.Nabonidus Cylinder — Cyrus, Astyages, and the Umman-MandaNabonidus' cylinder inscription says Marduk raised Cyrus against Astyages, king of the Umman-manda, and that Cyrus carried him away in captivity.