SCY'THIA was a name originally given to a part of Europe, and was for a long time restricted to that country. This Scythia, which is described as a square of 4000 stadia by Herodotus (iv. 101), extending from the Liter to the Palos Mnotis, and from the sea (the Pontus) to the Melanchlreui. There is considerable difficulty iu determining the boundaries of the Scythia of Herodotus; but it may be said in general terms to have comprised the south-eastern part of Europe, between the Carpathian Mountains and the Tanais or Don. According to the account of Herodotus the Scythians were an Asiatic, perhaps a Mongol people, who were driven from their settlements to the north of the Araxes by the Massagette, and after crossing that river descended into Europe, and drove out the Cimmerians from the country, which was afterwards called Scythia. The date of their migration into Europe may be determined with tolerable accuracy, if the irruption of the Cinimerians into Lydia in the reign of Ardys (about n.e. 640) was the immediate consequence of their defeat by the Scythians. (Herod., i. 15.) The general and genuine name of the Scythiaus is said to have been Scoloti; the name of Scythie or Scythians was given to them by the Greeks. (Herod., iv. 6.) The only two important events in the history of Scythia meutioned by Herodotus are, 1st, the invasion of Media by the Scythians in the reign of Cyaxares (me. 635-595), and their conquest of Asia as far as the confines of Egypt, which they held for 28 years; and, 2ndly, the invasion of Scythia by Darius, the son of Hystaspes, iu which the Persians were unsuccessfuL In subsequent times the Scythians lost all their power. The Getai
conquered a great part of the west of their country, and the Sauromatai pressed upon them from the east; the latter people eventually obtained possession of the greater part of Scythia, and gave their name to the whole country. [Saansmt.] In the time of Pliny Hist. Nat.,' iv. 25) the Scythians had become extinct as a people : their place was occupied by the Germans and Sarmatian, and the Scythian name was confined to the most remote and unknown tribes to the north.
The name of Scythia began to be applied to the northern parts of Asia in the Macedonian period. When the Macedonians found ou the Jaxartes nations resembling the Scythians, they gave the name of Scythia to this part of Asia, and thus an Asiatic Scythia was supposed lying to the east of the true one.
In the time of Ptolemy the name of Scythia was given to the country between Asiatic Scythia and Series or China : it was bounded on tho south by India. its limits to the north were undefined. It was divided into two parts by the Imam, Hindu-Koosh, or Bolor-Tagh. The western part was called Scythia intra Imaum, and the eastern Scythia extra Imaum.