Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 10, 2026

Ariapeithes

Ariapeithes was a king of the Scythians in the early 5th century BCE.

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Aug 10, 2026
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Ariapeithes
King of the Scythians
Reignc. 450 BCE
PredecessorIdanthyrsus (?)
SuccessorSkula
Spousesunnamed Greek woman
unnamed Thracian princess
Hupāyā
IssueSkula
Uxtamazatā
Varika
ScythianAryapaiϑah
ReligionScythian religion

Ariapeithes (Scythian: Aryapaiϑah;1234 Ancient Greek: Αριαπειθης, romanizedAriapeithēs) was a king of the Scythians in the early 5th century BCE.5

Name

Ariapeithes's name originates from the Scythian name *Ariyapaiϑah, and is composed of the terms *Ariya-, meaning "Aryan" and "Iranian," and *paiϑah-, meaning "decoration" and "adornment."1234

Life

Ariyapaiϑah had three wives, each of whom bore him one son:6

Death

Ariyapaiϑah was treacherously killed by Spargapaiϑah, the king of the Agathyrsi,7 after which Skula became the king of the Scythians, and took his stepmother Hupāyā as one of his wives.6

References

References

  1. Hinz 1975, p. 40.
  2. Schmitt 2003.
  3. Schmitt, Rüdiger (2018). "SCYTHIAN LANGUAGE". Encyclopædia Iranica.
  4. Schmitt 2011.
  5. Peter, Ulrike. "Ariapeithes". Brill's New Pauly. Brill Publishers. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
  6. Rolle 1989, p. 123.
  7. Sherwin-White & Kuhrt 1993, p. 145.
Sources

Sources

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainSmith, William (1870). "Ariapeithes". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. p. 284.