Scythian nomads were no more "barbaric" than their literate adversaries.
In fact, as Christopher I. Beckwith argues in Empires of the Silk Road, the Scythians and their Central Eurasian nomadic counterparts were far more interested in fostering peaceful trade than waging war.
The powerful chieftains required imported luxury goods (gold, silver, precious stones, silks, gilded armor) to reward the loyalty of their oath-sworn body-guard warriors. Luxury items were also given away potlatch-style to political allies.
Thus the nomads had a vested interest in maintaining peaceful trade and fostering economic prosperity.
As Beckwith notes: “But peace and prosperity were not the goals of empire builders. Their goals were uncontested, absolute power and the expansion of their territory and people under their rule to the maximum extent possible . . . .”
He goes on to note how literate empires (China, Persia, Greece) used the excuse of “barbarism” to justify invading Nomadic territories.
Yet another example of how myths and “history” (i.e: propaganda) are distorted by those who wrote them.
Have a favorite book on the Scythians or other Eurasian nomads? Please let me know!
In fact, as Christopher I. Beckwith argues in Empires of the Silk Road, the Scythians and their Central Eurasian nomadic counterparts were far more interested in fostering peaceful trade than waging war.
The powerful chieftains required imported luxury goods (gold, silver, precious stones, silks, gilded armor) to reward the loyalty of their oath-sworn body-guard warriors. Luxury items were also given away potlatch-style to political allies.
Thus the nomads had a vested interest in maintaining peaceful trade and fostering economic prosperity.
As Beckwith notes: “But peace and prosperity were not the goals of empire builders. Their goals were uncontested, absolute power and the expansion of their territory and people under their rule to the maximum extent possible . . . .”
He goes on to note how literate empires (China, Persia, Greece) used the excuse of “barbarism” to justify invading Nomadic territories.
Yet another example of how myths and “history” (i.e: propaganda) are distorted by those who wrote them.
Have a favorite book on the Scythians or other Eurasian nomads? Please let me know!
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