The image of Queen Tomyris is very popular in literature. A huge number of tales, legends, entire epics have been preserved. Author's works of art were also written, one of which was staged a ballet. Queen Tomyris is usually presented as a beautiful woman, swarthy, full-haired, with a great mind, experience and will. Also in the image of this heroine there is always the tragedy of a mother who lost her beloved only son. Despite the fact that Queen Tomiris ruled the land of the Saks for a very long time, her history remains relevant, since these events are not only historically, but also literary interesting. There are opinions that it is the leader of the Sakas who is the prototype of the Amazons in Greek mythology (it even agrees that many Saka warriors deprived themselves of the mammary gland for the convenience of owning a bow, but this does not apply to Tomyris personally).
Who are the Saki
The widest information about the Saka people has come down to the present day thanks to Herodotus, the father of our entire history. So, about three thousand years have passed since the Queen Tomiris ruled the Saks in the endless steppes. Saks then wandered, judging by the legends, from the Danube to the Altai itself -small Iranian-speaking tribes. The steppe expanses were inhabited by people whom the Greeks called centaurs born in the saddle, and Herodotus writes that Hercules himself was the son of the Saka king.
The lands were so vast that no one could conquer them. The Saks did not have a regular army, but the population was warlike and mobilized instantly, and women in military art were in no way inferior to men. The strength of the spirit of the Saka warriors terrified the enemies, and inspired their batyrs to exploits. One of the best was Queen Tomyris. Songs were composed in different places, where the leader of the Saks was called Tumar and even Tamar.
Leader
The Saka queen Tomiris (she is also called the queen of the Massagets, and massaget is "mas-saka-ta" - in translation means a large horde of Saks) was a descendant of the Scythian leader Ishpakai, the great-granddaughter of the ruler of the Scythians Madius and the daughter of the legendary Spargapis. The ringing of weapons and hostilities were familiar to her from childhood, her father raised his daughter alone, and therefore he always took him with him, and many times he had to run away from the chase together on his father's good horse.
She got her own horse at the age of five, and the first short sword - akinak - at six. And the mind of Tomiris, the queen of Saka, had a chamber. After her death, three rulers were needed simultaneously for the Saka kingdom. Flexible military strategist with great authority. It is not in vain that in 1906, a newly discovered asteroid was named in honor of the queen of the Massagetae Tomiris. Her memory lives on for thousands of years. The biography of Tomiris, the Queen of Saka, has this.
People from legends
One of the Massagetae tribes was called the Derbiks, and it was there that Tomyris was chosen as leader when her husband died. Her marriage was also interesting and deserves a separate word, but the information in different epics differ significantly from each other. In addition to the heroic handsome Rustam, whose wife was the future queen of the Massagetae Tomiris, a lover is also mentioned - a certain Bakhtiyar, who became a traitor in the most important of the battles. In a word, the literary image of the ancient ruler is especially rich and interesting.
While the true daughter of the Saka people was growing up, Iranian Achaemenids were actively expanding in Central Asia, led by the notorious Cyrus. Cyrus the invincible, the one who was defeated by Queen Tomyris. She did. And this was due to the fact that the Saka tribes, who were not accustomed to submit to anyone, were gradually affected by the expansion. By this time, the queen's son had already grown up and became a warrior.
Amazons and centaurs
Sak tribes, nomads in the boundless expanses of Asia - an even more vivid image for both history and literature. These beautiful and very warlike people, dashing riders and excellent shooters became the prototypes of the heroes of many mythical tales. Not only the Amazons came to Greece from the Asian steppes, but also the centaurs. The Greek military leaders described the Scythian attack as cunning and unexpected. The army sees an approaching herd of horses, very similar to wild or wild, and suddenly in front of the very ranksspearmen on horseback riders appear and attack warriors unprepared to repel the attack.
Saki knew how to hide on the back of a horse at full gallop so that they were absolutely invisible. So the Greeks endowed the Scythians with the properties of centaurs. And, since the Saka women behaved in the same way in battle - completely on a par with men, the Greeks talked about the tribes of the Amazons - supernaturally beautiful women, brave and strong. The biography of Queen Tomyris fully confirms these stories, except that she did not donate her breasts. The Greeks are skillful storytellers, however, sometimes they get confused in their testimony.
What the Greeks said
Some ancient sources speak of the Saks as hospitable, noble, ingenuous, honest and brave people. Others argue that all Scythians are irreconcilable and cruel, cowardly and insidious. In principle, there is nothing particularly contradictory and incomprehensible in these characteristics, since the situation dictates behavior, and each one must be considered separately. But in one and only all the sources - both Greek and Iranian - converge. When they say that the Saks are unusually freedom-loving and exceptionally talented in military affairs. Naturally, it is impossible to compare the way of life of the Greeks and Saks, Iranians and Saks. Their philosophy was too different. Even from Iranian, although somewhere the languages are similar, and the people are kindred.
But the Saki are not one people. This is an association of numerous Scythian tribes. They have a communal life structure, leaders are only elected - without the rightinheritance. These are shepherds wandering in small groups - this is perhaps the most accurate description. Small tribes sometimes temporarily merge into one in two, three, then just as freely disperse each in his own direction. In the era of the reign of Queen Tomiris, there were four fairly large associations in total that controlled their tribes. Territories are vast, there was enough space for everyone. But in the face of any common danger, the Saks were able to very quickly gather into one huge and formidable tribe. During the war or during natural disasters, one leader was elected - a general one, and all the tribes obeyed him implicitly. The queen of the Scythians Tomyris was once chosen as such a ruler.
King Cyrus
The steppes, where the freedom-loving Saks roamed, bordered on one side with the gradually gaining strength of Achamenid Iran. And there on the throne sat the king of kings, the son of Cambyses, the founder of the Persian state, but who did not survive its heyday, which lasted almost until the arrival of Alexander the Great. King Kiravush, King Cyrus, the king of the sun (as his name is translated). He has already conquered almost half the world, only leaving Egypt for the future, because the Central Asian Sakas on the new borders of his state were too hard on him.
Kir was a talented commander and a good diplomat, as well as an exemplary Zoroastrian (although his body was never burned). The founder of the Achaemenid cult, identical to the cult of the pharaoh, then experienced only joyful and only victorious events. Iranian culture showed unprecedented growth. Cyrus stood at the originsanother cult - the Aryans, the most blessed of the nations.
Shepherds
Who are these nomadic Saks compared to the Iranians? With the same success it is possible to compare the Romans with the Gauls. Saki are shepherds, what to take from them, except for skin and meat? True, Saki mercenaries are very good at fighting. (By the way, the Sakas really made good money from time to time in this way, since they were excellent riders and shooters. The leaders of the tribes also supplied manpower to those who wished.)
The religion of the Saks was the most primitive. They worshiped the spirits of their ancestors and nature - the sun, thunder, wind and the like, they had neither priests nor temples. Even behavioral norms were not established: the tribal council decided what was bad and what was good, as the dead ancestors would say. And in Iran - an advanced religion for those times with perfect mechanisms of dualism that have survived to this day. (That's how Freddie Mercury died a Zoroastrian).
Confrontation
The Persians managed to force the conquered peoples to build wonderful palaces in Iran. And each Persian knew how to grow a garden himself, this business is considered blessed. Even the king of kings Cyrus willingly worked with the earth and was proud of the fruits of the pomegranate along with military victories. The Iranians strictly adhered to the rules of social behavior formed long ago, where the hierarchy was strictly observed. And the Sakas did not want to know all this, they behaved as they saw fit, and they had no subordination. The Iranians behaved proudly and arrogantly with foreigners, and with each other were diplomatic andkind, because they considered the Iranians the best people of all. In this, the Saks were exactly the same: proud and rude, they recognized only their own. The Iranians did not consider the barbarians to be human, while the Sakas considered the Iranians to be cowards, cunning and arrogant deceivers.
In a word, they did not succeed in peace. Cyrus was forced to start a campaign against the Massagetae, which became fatal for him. It was the summer of 530 BC, so count the century in which Queen Tomiris ruled the Saks. Herodotus wrote in detail about this campaign. How, having crossed the Araks, the army of Cyrus suffered a crushing defeat. True, historians consider many facts from this narrative not quite reliable, but how beautifully the biography of the Queen of the Sakas Tomiris sounds with them! The fact is that it is known for certain where Cyrus is buried - in Pasargadae. There, Alexander the Great admired his remains at one time. Perhaps Tomiris did not force the head of the enemy to drink blood. However - literature!
Legend
According to legend, Cyrus originally wanted to defeat the Derbyks with diplomacy and sent a caravan loaded with jewels and ambassadors to the queen to establish diplomatic relations. It was the ambassadors who were supposed to make an alliance with the Saks. Cyrus liked the fighting qualities of these excellent hired warriors, and the war was supposed to be big - with Egypt. The aged Cyrus even decided to marry again and invited Queen Tomyris to marry him. Cheater Cyrus: Iranian laws allow only males to reign, and therefore, becoming her husband, he would also pocket the vast lands of the Saks. However, the queen was notdumber. She suggested another option for an alliance.
Cyrus has a daughter Atossa, Tomiris has a son Sparangoy, so marry them for the good of peace and prosperity. But Cyrus did not want a savage saka to become his heirs. An heir has already been chosen, and Atossa is engaged. Such a good move on the part of the wild queen not only amazed, but also infuriated Cyrus: what did she think of herself, doesn’t she understand that the empire of Cyrus is huge and powerful, and no one can call them Saki, they didn’t even study geography. Moreover, Queen Tomiris clearly made it clear that the Saks laugh at the Persians, and not only do not consider them worthy opponents in an open field. And an ultimatum followed: either the Saks obey, or they cease to exist. Tomyris replied that she did not want to shed blood at all. According to legend, Cyrus replied that he was thirsty and wanted to drink the blood of the Saks. So be it.
Image is nothing
Cyrus is the ruler of half the world, Persia is a superpower, how can one maintain status if not by war? After all, the same insult was inflicted by the shepherd's queen. Cyrus has already prepared another cage (he loved to carry the conquered kings in cages behind him, even Croesus himself traveled in a similar one). So that the Sakas do not set a bad example for others, they must be immediately (they put a maximum of two weeks for the entire operation - almost Barbarossa!) To grind them into powder. Yes, the Persians have never seen such a war. The Saks had nothing: no cities, no fortresses, no fortifications - what to besiege, how to conquer this "nothing"? And the army is not given in hand. Mobile Scythian detachments will fly in, bite and hide. Saki did not take big fights. There are no more than five hundred people in the detachment, but there are many hundreds of such detachments.
Herodotus describes this war as follows: a small detachment of Saks attacked the Persians at night when they were resting. Five hundred shepherds managed to slaughter several thousand of the regular army and force that army to retreat in disarray. That is, all values remained abandoned. Including food and wine. The biggest trouble is that all the Sakas were teetotalers without exception. Alcohol was tried for the first time. The Persians, after all, probably ran away not far, grouped up and will now return. But the wild people got to the feast. They liked the wine too much. And in the morning the Persians didn’t even let me hangover. And this detachment was headed by the son of Tomiris - Sparangoy.
Final
However, the shepherds did not calm down, the Saka partisans began to sting the Iranian army more and more often and more and more painfully. The Persians began to grumble and yearn for a general battle or home - they were tired, the war turned out to be long. For one detachment, which seemed a little more numerous, the whole army tagged along. Didn't catch up. But ended up in the desert without food, water and guides.
And after a while, exhausted from thirst, the long-awaited large army covered the Persians. Tomiris was at the head of it - she sat on a snow-white mare. The Iranian army was defeated, and Cyrus died in battle. Further, the legend says that Tomyris collected a fur full of blood and dipped Cyrus's head into it with the words: "Did you thirst for blood? Drink!"
