| “ | Every man is its own chief enemy.
— Anacharis, Scythian philosopher
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” |
In antiquity, Scythian or Scyths (Greek: Σκύθαι) were terms used by the Greeks to refer to heterogeneous groups of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who dwelt on the Pontic steppe. However, the name "Scythian", and the related word Saka (in Persian), was also used to refer to various peoples seen as similar to the Scythians, or who lived anywhere in a vast area covering present-day Central Asia, Russia, and Ukraine—known until medieval times as Scythia. They have been described as "a network of culturally similar tribes."
The historic European Scythians spoke an ancient Iranic language, and throughout Classical Antiquity dominated the Ponto-Caspian steppe, known at the time as Scythia. By Late Antiquity, the closely-related Sarmatians came to dominate the Scythians in the west. Much of the surviving information about the Scythians comes from the Greek historian Herodotus in his Histories and Ovid in his poem of exile Epistulae ex Ponto, and archaeologically from the depictions of Scythian life shown in relief on exquisite goldwork found in Scythian burial mounds in Ukraine and Southern Russia.
The ultimate "origins" of, both, Scythian culture and historic groups remains a focus of academic discourse, however, the rise of the Scythians was likely to have been multifactorial and polycentric. What is certain is that, during the Iron Age, a broadly similar "Scythian culture" flowered in a vast zone from the eastern European steppe to the Altai Mountains.
Battle vs. Saxon Warrior (by MilenHD)[]
Saxons: 
Scythians: 
Near at river creek four Saxons were preparing their camp for the night. Not far away were four Scythians, two of them were on horseback and two were on foot and the first thing they noticed were the Saxons near the river creek and saw them having two horses. The other two Scythians who were on feet needed horses too, so the Scythians hatched a plan to attack, kill the Saxons and take their horses. The Scythian's leader raised his bow and gave a loud war shout and the Scythians charged at the Saxons.
The Saxons heard them and the two Saxons wielding their swords charged at the Scythians with the other two following them with their gigantic shields and spears in hands. As both groups were charging against each other, a Scythian fired his bow and arrow and killed a Saxon warrior by piercing his throat, knocking him from his horse.
The infantry Saxons threw their spears at the Scythians on horseback, missing both of them and as the Scythians fired their bows at them, only to get their arrows stuck in their shields. As the infantry Scythians continued their their assault with their bows, they were forced to change to their axes since the Saxons were getting closer to them and all of their arrows were blocked and as the approaching Saxons grabbed their spears and threw them again at the infantry Scythians, this time hitting a Scythian warrior in the stomach killing him in place, only for the Saxon to lose his head to a Scythian axe from the horse rider.
As the Scythian rider turned and charged at the Saxon horseman who was wielding his sword and both came clashing axe against sword, with the Scythian's neck dripping blood and after few steps of his horse, the Scythian warrior felt from his horse. The Scythian who was on foot saw the charging Saxon on horseback trying to decapitate his neck with his sword and as the Saxon was incoming closer, the Scythian threw his spear and pierced the Saxons abdomen, knocking him from his horse and killing him.
As the Scythian turned, the last thing he saw was a Saxon swinging his Dane axe at him and crushing his chest, killing him instantly. As the Saxon turned and saw a the last Scythian riding his horse with spear in his hand ready to pierce him. The Saxon swung his axe and killed the horse with his axe, sending Scythian flying few meters and crash landing, meanwhile breaking his spear. As the Scythian got up and used his last arrow to fire at the Saxon, hitting his arm and forcing him to drop the Dane axe. As both warriors pulled their short swords and charged at each other. The Scythian's acinaces and Saxon's seax clashed and as the Saxon tried to slash the Scythian's chest, he only knocked few scales of his armor and the Scythian's next attack was a stab to the heart of the Saxon.
As the Saxon spat blood and his lifeless body felt down, the Scythian raised his bloody acinaces and gave a mighty war cry.
Expert's Opinion[]
The Scythians had better armor and weapons than the Saxons, plus even the smallest involving of horses will give the Scythians a victory, due to them being a horse people and were the Mongols of the Ancient world. Add the fact that the Saxons used opportunities from the falling Roman Empire and the tribal Celts to create kingdoms, while the Scythians forged by themselves a empire of the Ancient World.
To see the original battle, weapons and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Peltast (by The Deadliest Warrior)[]
A Thracian Peltast creeps through the forest, javelin in hand, on the watch for a meal for the evening and any potential enemy soldiers. He finds the threat in the Scythian infantryman walking by, who holds his bow in his hand. The Thracian throws the javelin but misses.
Startled, the Scythian looks wildy around, drawing out an arrow and notching it to the blowstring. Seeing the Thracian, he lets loose an arrow but the Thracian holds up a small round shield and the projectile bounces harmlessly off. The Thracian leaps over a boulder and charges the Scythian, who barely has time to pull out his sagaris before the Thracian slashes at him with his rhomphaia. The Scythian clutches a wounded arm and angrily whacks the Thracian in the shoulder, also drawing blood.
Both warriors back up a few paces and stare the other down. Charging one another again, the Scythian flips the Thracian onto his back, knocking the Rhomphaia away. The Thracian fumbles in his belt pouch and pulls out his sica sword, while the Scythian holds a spear high in the air. As he plunges it down, the peltast rolls to the side and slashes at the spear embedded in the soft earth with his sword, cutting it in two.
The Scythian resorts to using his dagger while the Thracian takes out a large heavy mace. A heavy swing breaks the Scythian's right leg and the infantryman cries out in agony. He limps forward, punching the peltast in the face, and lunges forward with his dagger. The blade goes quick and deep into the Thracian's unprotected neck, and the peltast drops the mace, stunned, and falls to his knees. The Scythian whips the dagger out of his adversary's neck and just as quick, plunges it into his chest. The Thracian slumps over on his side, dead. The Thracian gives a cry of pain, rage, and victory, and limps off into the forest.
Expert's Opinion[]
The superior melee capabilities of the Scythian warrior, coupled with his more resilient armor, led him to victory.