Scythia Minor

Scythia Minor

Scythia Minor, "Lesser Scythia" (Lang-el|Μικρά Σκυθία, "Mikrá Skythia") was in ancient times the region surrounded by the Danube at the north and west and the Black Sea at the east, corresponding to today's Dobruja, with a large part in Romania and a smaller part in Bulgaria.

The earliest description of the region is found in Herodotus, who named Scythia the region starting north of the Danube Delta. In the 2nd century BC decree of Histria honouring Agathocles, the region already was named as Scythia, while the earliest usage of the name "Scythia Minor" ("Mikrá Skythia") is found in Strabo's early first-century "Geography".

By the 7th century BC, several Greek colonies were built on its Black Sea shore, and the Greek reports state that the lands were inhabited by Thracians, from which later the Getae (Daci) tribe would branch out. During later times, the area also witnessed Celtic and Scythian invasions. It was part of the kingdom of Dacia for a period, after which the region was conquered by the Roman Empire (becoming part of the Moesia Inferior province. During Diocletian's reforms, it was split from Moesia as a separate province of "Scythia", being part of the Diocese of Thrace. After the partition of the Empire in 395, the province was retained by the Byzantine Empire. It retained the name Scythia Minor, until the region's loss during the early 7th century to the migrating Slavs and Bulgars. After that, the Classical name fell out of use.

ee also

*List of ancient towns in Scythia Minor

References

*"Dicţionar de istorie veche a României" ("Dictionary of ancient Romanian history") (1976) Editura Ştiinţifică şi Enciclopedică, pp. 536-537


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Scythia Minor —    See Dinogetia; Dobrudja; Scythians …   Historical dictionary of Byzantium

  • List of ancient towns in Scythia Minor — This is a list of towns in Scythia Minor that were mentioned in ancient writings. ee also*List of ancient Thracian cities *List of Dacian cities *Peuce Island …   Wikipedia

  • Scythia — In Classical Antiquity, Scythia (Greek polytonic|Σκυθία Skuthia ) was the area in Eurasia inhabited by the Scythians, from the 8th century BC to the 2nd century AD. Its location and extent varied over time but usually extended farther to the west …   Wikipedia

  • SCYTHIA Parva — quae et Scythia Europaea, et alias Cimmeriae dicta fuit, pars fuit Australis Sarmatiae Euopaeae, versus Pontum Euxinum et Maeotidem paludem. Eius pars fuit in Taurica Chersoneso ubi Tauri Scythae: pats vero extra inter Bugem lacum Maeotidemque… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • SCYTHIA Pontica — Plut. pars Mysiae inferioris, Euxino mari adiacens, Ferrar. Eadem dicta parva, et minor Iornandi. Baudrando provincia fuir Illyrici Orientis, seu potius Imperii Constantinopolitani, inter ostia Danubii fluvii ad Boream, Pontum Euxinum ad Ortum,… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Meanings of minor planet names: 1001–1500 — This is a list of the sources of minor planet names. Those meanings marked with an asterisk (*) are guesswork, and should be checked against Lutz D. Schmadel s Dictionary of Minor Planet Names or Paul Herget s The Names of the Minor Planets… …   Wikipedia

  • TARTARIA Minor — seu Precopensis, vulgo la petite Tartarie, seu Krimsky, et Nahaisky, regio est Europae inter Pontum Euxinum ad Meridiem, paludem Maeotidem ad Ortum, Moscoviam ad Boream, et Podoliam atque Volhiniam provincias Poloniae ad Occasum ubi alias parva… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Moesia — Römische Provinzen in Südosteuropa (1. Jahrhundert n. Chr.) Moesia (griechisch Μοισία Moisia, Μυσία Mysia, deutsch Mösien bzw. Moesien …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Origin of the Romanians — History of Romania This article is part of a series Prehistory …   Wikipedia

  • Quaestura exercitus — The Quaestura exercitus was a peculiar administrative district of the Eastern Roman Empire with a seat in Odessus established by Emperor Justinian on May 18, 536. [Velkov, p. 62. In 536 (May 18) a peculiar administrative district was created… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”