The Perception of Barbarian Scythians in Archaic and Classical Greek thought (8th–4th Century BCE)

Traces of the concept of barbarian, used by Herodotus in the 5th century BC to describe non-Greek speakers, can be seen from the Archaic Period onwards. In Homer's epic poem the Iliad, which recounts the Trojan War, the adjective Barbarophonos, meaning "those who speak strangely," is used to describe the Carians, allies of the Trojans. In this work, which recounts the first contacts between East and West in epic fashion, foreignness is limited to linguistic differences. Greek identity, which began to take shape in the Archaic Period through language, religion, ancestry myths, and a sense of belonging to city-states, became more pronounced in the Classical Period with the Persian-Greek Wars, and the idea of Panhellenism, defined by Herodotus with an emphasis on common language, religion, and culture, gained prominence. During this process, the Persian threat sharpened the Panhellenism ideology, and the negative view that developed against the Persians led to the transformation of the concept of barbarism and its perception as "the other." In this context, the lifestyles, languages, and cultures of foreign societies were defined in terms of their differences from Greek culture. However, over time, negative adjectives such as "luxury-loving," "ignorant," "uncivilized," "savage," and "despotic" became stereotypical and were attributed to barbarian societies. It is known that the Greeks encountered foreign societies as a result of their Great Colonization Activities (750-550 BC), and it is seen that the first contacts with the Scythians, who would represent the "barbarians" in this region, were established with the colonization activities directed towards the Northern Black Sea. Thanks to the peaceful relations established between the two societies in the region, trade and mutual interactions came to the fore. Thus, it has been observed that information and representations of the Scythians are included in ancient Greek written and visual sources. This study aims to evaluate the similarities and differences between the Greeks' perception of the barbarians and the "barbarian" Scythian society living in the northern Black Sea region by examining the construction and development of the barbarian in the ancient Greek world within a historical process. To this end, data on the Scythians found in Greek written and visual sources from the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods were prioritized, and the information obtained was supported by archaeological findings and modern sources. In ancient Greek sources, the Scythians are generally depicted as a nomadic society engaged in archery and horsemanship. Although the Scythians were sometimes described in negative terms such as savagery, excessiveness, and effeminacy, they were also known for their military skills and invincible image. With the colonization process initiated by the Greeks in the Northern Black Sea region, cultural interaction between the two societies increased through mutual trade relations and marriages. Indeed, the Scythian figures depicted in Greek vase paintings in the 6th century BCE seem to confirm this interaction. The Scythian figures, depicted in Greek vase paintings with their archer identities and distinctive appearances, consistent with Herodotus' account of the Scythians, appear in various scenes in these vase paintings. These images may indicate the position and function of the Scythians in Athenian society. In conclusion, the Scythians, like the Persians, did not pose a direct threat to the Greek world; instead, cultural interaction was established in accordance with mutual interests. Therefore, it is difficult to say that the Greeks considered the Scythians to be completely barbarian.