- Sagartians
The Sagartians ("Asagartiya", Old Persian "Aš-ša-kar-ti-ia", Assyrian KUR"Sa-ga-ar-ta-a-a", Greek Σαγαρτιοι)were an ancient Iranian tribe, dwelling in the
Iranian plateau . Their exact location is unknown; they were probably neighbors of theParthians in northeastern Iran. According to Herodotus (1.125, 7.85) they were related to thePersians (Southwestern Iranian), but they may also have entered a political union with theMedians (Northwestern Iranian) at some point (J. van Wesendonk in ZII 9, 1933, pp. 23f.). Ptolemy (6.2.6) locates them in Media, whileStephanus of Byzantium claims that there was a peninsula in the Caspian Sea called "Sagartía". They were nomadic pastoralists, their main weapon being thelasso (Herodotus 7.85).It is unclear whether they are identical to the "Zikirti" mentioned by
Sargon II as inhabitants of northernZagros in the late 8th century BC. They may have been granted the district ofArbela by Median kingCyaxares as a reward for their aid in the capture ofNiniveh (J. Markwart, "Untersuchungen zur Geschichte von Eran" II, Leipzig, 1905, p. 228). According to Herodotus (3.93), the Sagartians belonged to the 14th Satrapy of theAchaemenid Empire . A Sagartian delegation appears among the tribute bearers on theApadana relief.References
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Encyclopedia Iranica [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v2f7/v2f7a035.html]External links
* [http://www.livius.org/saa-san/sagartia/sagartia.html Livius]
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