Sagartians

A Sagartian, Apadana, Persepolis.

Behistun relief of Tritantaechmes. Label "This is Tritantaechmes. He lied, saying 'I am king of Sagartia, from the family of Cyaxares.'"

The Sagartians (Latin: Sagartii; Ancient Greek: Σαγάρτιοι Sagártioi; Old Persian: 𐎠𐎿𐎥𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 Asagartiya "Sagartian"; Elamite: 𒀾𒐼𒋼𒀀𒋾𒅀 Aš-šá-kar-ti-ia, Babylonian: 𒆳𒊓𒂵𒅈𒋫𒀀𒀀 ^KURSa-ga-ar-ta-a-a) were an ancient Iranian tribe, dwelling in the Iranian plateau. Their exact location is unknown; they were probably neighbors of the Parthians in northeastern Iran. According to Herodotus (1.125, 7.85), they were related to the Persians (Southwestern Iranian), but they may also have entered a political union with the Medians (Northwestern Iranian) at some point (J. van Wesendonk in ZII 9, 1933, pp. 23f.). Ptolemy (6.2.6) locates them in Media, while Stephanus of Byzantium claims that there was a peninsula in the Caspian Sea called Sagartía. They were nomadic pastoralists, their main weapon being the lasso (Herodotus 7.85).

It is unclear whether they are identical to the Zikirti mentioned by Sargon II as inhabitants of northern Zagros in the late 8th century BC. They may have been granted the district of Arbela by Median king Cyaxares as a reward for their aid in the capture of Niniveh.

According to Herodotus (3.93), the Sagartians belonged to the 14th taxation Province of the Achaemenid Empire. A Sagartian delegation appears among the tribute bearers on the Apadana relief. Herodotus also mentioned in the seventh book of his histories that the Sagartians provided 8,000 horsemen for King Xerxes' massive army during the Persian king's invasion of Greece in 480 BC.

History and description

Schmitt notes that Herodotus’ statement that the Sagartians were “Persian in speech” may be supported by the Old Persian name form of Sagartian ruler Ciçantaxma, although the same individual claimed descent from the Median king Cyaxares. Schmitt also observed that both the Sagartian rebel Ciçantaxma and the Median pretender Fravartiš (Phraortes) claimed descent from Cyaxares, suggesting that there may once have been a political association between the Sagartians and the Medes. The Sagartians were primarily nomadic pastoralists whose principal weapon was the lasso, suggesting that their grazing territories were not permanently fixed. Sagartian equipment was similar to that of the Pactyans, while also sharing characteristics with the Persians. According to Herodotus, they provided a contingent of approximately 8,000 cavalrymen for the army of Xerxes I during his invasion of Greece. He records that they fought without bronze or iron armor, relying instead on leather ropes equipped with nooses, which they used to entangle enemy soldiers or horses during combat.

The Sagartians were also listed by Herodotus among the peoples of the fourteenth satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire, together with the Sarangians, Thamanaeans, Utians, Mycians, and other groups. This satrapy appears to have extended across parts of eastern and southeastern Iran.

Location

The location of Sagartia has been debated. An Old Persian inscription of Darius I from Persepolis, lists ‘‘Asagarta’’ among eastern regions of the empire, alongside Chorasmia, Parthia, Sogdia, Bactria, India, and Maka. This evidence has led many scholars to associate the Sagartians with eastern Iran, particularly regions connected with Sistan and the southeastern Iranian plateau.

Claudius Ptolemy located the Sagartians in Media near the Zagros Gates, while Stephanus of Byzantium mentioned a peninsula called Sagartia in the Caspian Sea, although the value of this testimony is uncertain.

Other scholars have proposed a western location. In the 19th century, some historians attempted to identify the Sagartians with places mentioned in Neo-Assyrian sources, such as Zakrute or Zigirtu, placing them in or near Media and the northwestern Iranian regions. These identifications have remained uncertain, as the similarity of names alone does not establish a direct connection.

The account of Darius I’s inscription at Behistun, which mentions a Sagartian rebel named Ciçantaxma (Greek: Tritantaechmes), has also been used in arguments for a western location. Ciçantaxma rebelled in Sagartia, claimed descent from the Median king Cyaxares, and was defeated by a Median commander before being executed at Arbela. However, the place of his execution does not necessarily indicate the geographical location of the Sagartians themselves.

Because the Sagartians were a nomadic population, some scholars have suggested that they may have occupied different areas of Iran at different times. However, the strongest evidence connects them with the eastern regions of the Achaemenid Empire.

Later interpretations

Several attempts have been made to connect the Sagartians with later Iranian peoples. Some early scholars proposed links between the Sagartians and populations of western Iran, including speculative connections with the ancestors of the Kurds. These theories have not gained acceptance among modern historians, as there is insufficient linguistic and historical evidence to establish such continuity.

Archaeological representations

Some scholars have attempted to identify the Sagartians among the delegations depicted on the Apadana reliefs at Persepolis. Their identification remains disputed; while some researchers have supported this interpretation, others have argued that the relevant delegation represents another group, such as the Armenians.

Sources

• Potts, Daniel T. (2008). Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199330799.
• Choksy, Jamsheed K. (2020). "Yazd: a "Good and Noble City" and an "Abode of Worship"". In Durand-Guédy, David; Mottahedeh, Roy; Paul, Jürgen (eds.). Cities of Medieval Iran. Brill. pp. 217–252. ISBN 978-90-04-43433-2.
• Potts, Daniel T. (2014). Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era. London and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 1–558. ISBN 9780199330799.

External links

• Sagartians // Livius