The image of Queen Tomiris is very popular in literature. A huge number of legends, legends, whole epics have been preserved. Authors' works of art have also been written, one of which is a ballet. Queen Tomiris is usually presented as a beautiful woman, dark-skinned, puffy-haired, with great intelligence, experience and will. Also in the image of this heroine is always the tragedy of the mother who lost her beloved only son. Despite the fact that Queen Tomiris ruled on the land of Saks for a very long time, her story remains relevant, since these events are not only historically, but also literary interesting. It is believed that the leader of the Saks 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 onions, but this does not apply to Tomiris personally).
Who are the saki
The widest information about the Saka people to this day has come thanks to Herodotus, the father of our entire history. So, about three thousand years have passed since Queen Tomiris ruled the Saks in the endless steppes. Saki then wandered, according to legend, from the Danube to Altai itself - Iranian-speaking few tribes. Steppe spaces were inhabited by people whom the Greeks called centaurs born in the saddle, and Herodotus writes that Hercules himself was the son of a 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 militant and mobilized instantly, and women in military art were not inferior to men at all. The strength of spirit of the Saka warriors terrified the enemies, and inspired their warriors for exploits. One of the best was Queen Tomiris. 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 the massaget is “mas-saka-ta” - in translation means a large horde of Saks) was a descendant of the Scythian leader Ishpakaya, the great-granddaughter of the Scythian ruler Madiya and the daughter of the legendary Spargapis. The ringing of weapons and military operations were familiar to her from childhood, her father raised his daughter alone, and therefore he always took with him, and many times had to run away from the chase together on a good father's horse.
She appeared her horse at five years old, and the first short sword - akinak - at six. And the mind of Tomiris, Queen of Saka, was a chamber. After her death, three rulers were simultaneously needed for the Saka kingdom. A flexible military strategist with great authority. Not in vain, in 1906, the newly discovered asteroid was named in honor of the Queen of Massageti Tomiris. Her memory lives on for thousands of years. In addition, the biography of Tomiris, the Queen of Saka, is available.
People from traditions
One of the Massagetan tribes was called Derbiks, and it was there that they elected the leader Tomiris when her husband died. Her marriage was also interesting and deserves a separate word, but the information in different epics is significantly different from each other. In addition to the heroic handsome Rustam, whose wife was the future Queen of the Massageti Tomiris, a lover is also mentioned - one 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 Saki people was growing up, Iranian Achaemenids actively led the notorious Cyrus in Central Asia. Cyrus is invincible, the one whom Tsarina Tomiris defeated. She was able to. And this was due to the fact that Saki tribes, who were not used to obeying anyone, were gradually affected by the expansion. By this time, the tsarina’s son had already grown up and became a warrior.
Amazons and Centaurs
Tribes of Saks, nomads on 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 so many mythical legends. Not only the Amazons came to Greece from the Asian steppes, but also the centaurs. 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 riders appear on horses in front of the very ranks of spearmen and attack the warriors unprepared to repel the attack.
Saki knew how to hide at full gallop on the horse's back so that they were completely invisible. The Greeks endowed the Scythians with the properties of centaurs. And, since Saka women behaved in exactly the same way in battle - completely on a par with men, the Greeks spoke about the tribes of Amazons - supernaturally beautiful women, brave and strong. The biography of Queen Tomiris fully confirms these stories, except that she did not donate breast. The Greeks are skilled storytellers, though sometimes they get confused in their testimonies.
What the Greeks talked about
Some ancient sources speak of the Saks as a hospitable, noble, innocent, honest and courageous people. Others argue that all Scythians are implacable and cruel, cowardly and treacherous. In principle, there is nothing particularly contradictory and incomprehensible in these characteristics, since the situation dictates behavior, and each needs to be considered separately. But in the one and only all sources - both Greek and Iranian - converge. When they say that the Saki are unusually freedom-loving and extremely talented in military affairs. The way of life of the Greeks and Saks, Iranians and Saks is naturally impossible to compare. Their philosophy was too different. Even from Iranian, although somewhere the languages are similar, and the people are kindred.
But Saki is not one people. This is an association of numerous Scythian tribes. Their way of life is communal, leaders are only elected - without the right to inherit. These are shepherds wandering in small groups - this is perhaps the most accurate characteristic. Small tribes sometimes temporarily merge together in two, three, then each just as freely disperses in its own direction. In the era of the reign of Queen Tomiris, there were only four fairly large associations that controlled their tribes. The territories are vast, there was enough space for everyone. But in the face of any general danger, the Saki knew how to very quickly assemble into one huge and formidable tribe. During the war or during natural disasters, one leader was elected - the general, and all tribes obeyed him implicitly. It was such a ruler that the Scythian Queen Tomiris was once elected.
King Cyrus
The steppes where the freedom-loving Saks wandered, on one side bordered on the gradually growing strength of Achamenid Iran. And there on the throne sat the king of kings, the son of Cambyses, the founder of the Persian power, but who did not survive its heyday, which lasted almost until the arrival of Alexander the Great. King Kiravush, King Cyrus, King of the Sun (his name is translated). He had already conquered almost half the world, only Egypt had left for the future, since the Central Asian Sakas on the new borders of his state were too much troubled.
Cyrus 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 has shown unprecedented growth. Cyrus stood at the origins of yet another cult - the Aryans, the most blessed of the nations.
Shepherds
Who are these nomadic sakas compared to the Iranians? With the same success, the Romans can be compared with the Gauls. Saki - shepherds, what to take from them, except for skin and meat? True, the Saki mercenaries are fighting very well. (By the way, the Saks did indeed make good money from time to time in this way, since they were excellent riders and shooters. The leaders of the tribes supplied the living forces to those who wished.)
Religion among the Saks was the most primitive. They worshiped the spirits of their ancestors and nature - the sun, thunder, wind and the like; they had no priests or temples. Even behavioral norms were not established: the tribal council decided what was bad and what was good, as deceased ancestors would say. And in Iran - the advanced religion of those times with the perfect mechanisms of dualism that have survived to this day. (So Freddie Mercury died a Zoroastrian).
Confrontation
The Persians managed to force the subjugated peoples to build wonderful palaces in Iran. And every Persian knew how to grow a garden himself, this work is considered blessed. Even the king of kings Cyrus willingly worked with the land and was proud of the fruits of a pomegranate along with military victories. The Iranians strictly adhered to the long-established rules of social behavior, where the hierarchy was strictly observed. And the Saks did not want to know all this, they behaved as they considered necessary, and they did not have subordination. The Iranians proudly and arrogantly behaved with foreigners, and with each other were diplomatic and amiable, since they considered the Iranians to be the best people of all. In this, the Saki were exactly the same: proud and rude, recognized only their own. The Iranians did not consider the barbarians to be people, and the Saks 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 massagets, which became fatal for him. It was the summer of 530 BC, so count in what century Tsarina Tomiris ruled the Saks. Herodotus wrote in great detail about this campaign. How, having crossed Araks, the army of Cyrus suffered a crushing defeat. True, historians consider many facts from this narrative not quite reliable, but how beautiful the biography of the Queen of Saks Tomiris sounds with them! The fact is that it is known for certain where Cyrus is buried - in Pasargada. There, Alexander the Great admired his remains there at one time. Perhaps the blood of the enemy’s head was not forced by Tomiris. However, the literature!
Legend
According to legend, Cyrus initially wanted to defeat the Derbiks with diplomacy and sent a queen loaded with jewels, as well as ambassadors, to the queen to establish diplomatic relations. It was the ambassadors who had to make an alliance with the Saks. Cyrus liked the fighting qualities of these beautiful hired warriors, and the war was supposed to be big - with Egypt. Elderly Cyrus even decided to marry again and suggested that Tsarina Tomiris marry him. Cunning Cyrus: Iranian laws allow only a male to reign, and therefore, having become her husband, he would also pocket the vast lands of the Saks. However, the queen was no more stupid. She proposed another variant of the union.
Cyrus has the daughter of Atoss, Tomiris has the son of Sparanga, and that's to marry them for the good of peace and prosperity. And Cyrus did not want the savage saka to be his heirs. The 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 enraged Cyrus: what does she think of herself, doesn’t she understand that Cyrus’s empire is huge and powerful, and nobody called the Saki to call them, even they didn’t study geography. Moreover, Queen Tomiris clearly made it clear that the Saks were laughing at the Persians, and not only did not consider them worthy opponents in the open field. And an ultimatum followed: either the Saks obey, or cease to exist. Tomiris replied that she did not want to shed blood at all. According to legend, Cyrus replied that he had a thirst, and he wants to drink the blood of the Saks. Well, 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 war? After all, the same insult was inflicted by the shepherd queen. Cyrus had already prepared another cage (he loved to take the conquered kings in cages after himself, even Croesus himself traveled in a similar one). So that the Sakas would not set a bad example for others, they should be immediately powdered. Yeah, the Persians have not 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 into the hands. Mobile Scythian units will fly over, bite and hide. The Saki did not accept big fights. There are no more than five hundred people in a 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 kill several thousand people in the regular army and make this army retreat in disarray. That is, all values remained abandoned. Including food and wine. The biggest trouble is that all the Sakas were all teetotalers. They tried alcohol for the first time. After all, the Persians probably ran back not far, grouped themselves and are now returning. But wild people seized upon a feast. They liked the wine too much. And in the morning the Persians did not even give a hangover. And the son of Tomiris, Sparangoy, headed this unhappy detachment.
The final
However, the shepherds did not calm down, the Saka partisans began to sting the Iranian army more and more often and more painfully. The Persians began to murmur and thirst for a general battle or home - they were tired, the war was long. Behind one detachment, which seemed a bit more numerous, the whole army was mated. Not caught up. But they were in the desert without food, water and guides.
And after some time, the Persians, exhausted from thirst, were covered by the long-awaited large army. Tomiris was at the head of it - was seated on a snow-white mare. The Iranian army was defeated, and Cyrus died in battle. Further, the legend says that Tomiris collected blood full of fur and dipped there Cyrus head with the words: "Have you thirsted for blood? Drink!"