Melanchlaeni

The Melanchlänen (. AltGr Μελαγχλαῖναι, Black Coats ) moved to Herodotus (4, 20 ) north of the royal Scythians and the Sauromates and west of the Budiner on the eastern shore of Borysthenes, presumably in the forest-steppe. To the north of their settlement area the land was swampy and deserted. They were named after their black coats. They had Scythian customs adopted ( Herodotus, IV, 107), but denied the Scythians in their campaign against the Persians support.

Also Hecataeus of Miletus and Ptolemy mention this people. Ptolemy located the Melanchlänen in the neighborhood pferdefüßiger mythical creatures, the Hippopoden on.

B. Grakow it sets with the same Saudaraten that are mentioned in an inscription of the 3rd century from Olbia. The inhabitants of Olbia wore, Dio Chrysostom According black coats, as certain neighboring peoples.

The Iron Age Sula -Don culture, particularly the Donets group of forest-steppe is sometimes associated with the Melanchlänen. Grakow interprets the approximately 26 -acre estate Gorodistsche as a capital of the Melanchlänen. It has a fixed main castle and two Suburbien.

Swell

• As N, Grakow, The Scythians (Berlin 1978). (Original Скифы, Moscow 1971).

• Historical European ethnicity
• Scythians
• Ancient ethnic