Volodimir Vladko - Descendants of the Scythians

“Hm… it does sound very complicated,” Ivan Semenovich said pensively.

“Why did Skolot treat us better then, even trying to defend us against Dorbatay?” asked Lida, quite nonplussed by what she had heard; in her imagination, Skolot had already acquired the status of a friendly, likable person, who was in stiff opposition to the perfidious, malevolent soothsayer.

Dmitro Borisovich shrugged his shoulders:

“I suspect that Skolot would like to use us for his ends exactly the way Dorbatay wants to. But at the very start, when we first made our appearance here, we found ourselves in opposition to Dorbatay, thanks to Artem’s fervent defense of the captives. It’s understandable that our magnanimous gesture played into Skolot’s hands and the chieftain thought it would be advantageous to have us on his side. Dorbatay was also quick to realize that we could be an asset in his plans and moved to seize us… and he’s succeeded as you can well see.”

“So,” Artem said, “we’re tools to be used in the interests of this or that faction, right? But what if I categorically refuse to be reduced to the role of a tool and will never accept this role, what then?”

“Not only you, Artem, but none of us here would wish to accept it,” Ivan Semenovich replied instead of the archeologist. “Unfortunately, wishing is not enough in our present circumstances. We can’t do much as long as we are held here like this. So, the first thing we must do, it’s to free ourselves. Do you agree?”

“Yes, of course.”

“And to achieve this, we must use every means at our disposal. Dmitro Borisovich, there’s one thing which is not quite clear to me. What is the role of Varkan in all this? We must adopt a general line of behavior, be it as captives or free people. It does not become us to stand passively waiting to see which faction — Dorbatay’s or Skolot’s — gets the upper hand in their attempts to use us to strengthen their power.”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right, Ivan Semenovich,” Artem chimed in.

“As far as Varkan is concerned, he says he is here on orders from Skolot and on his own initiative, too,” said the archeologist after talking again to the young Scythian.

“Oh, on his own initiative too? What does that mean? Does he represent another faction fighting for power?” Ivan Semenovich asked.

“Again, it’s a rather complicated story,” Dmitro Borisovich replied, pulling his beard pensively. “You see, Skolot’s power and support lie with his warriors; similarly, those of Dorbatay lie in his numerous priesthood. But there are all sorts of people among Skolot’s supporters, including quite a few highborn young men. But there are also those who have only their personal valor to distinguish them. Skolot wants such stalwarts among his supporters, and that’s why he willingly enlists fearless young men — mostly skilled hunters — into his force, even if they are not so wellborn. Varkan is one of them. The fact that Dorbatay keeps the Scythians down…”

“Do you want to imply that Skolot, on the contrary, is against oppressing the Scythians and wants to free them from Dorbatay’s yoke?” Ivan Semenovich interrupted the archeologist, his voice full of irony. “That would be the first recorded instance in the history of mankind when a plutocrat goes out of his way to make those he oppresses happy, wiping, so to say, their tears, with his own hands.” The remark annoyed Dmitro Borisovich and when he replied, it was evident that he had taken offense:

“I wish you’d hear me out before you go jumping to unfounded conclusions. Besides, if we continue to indulge in arguments of this sort, I’ll never be able to tell you what I’ve barely understood myself.”

“I’m sorry, Dmitro Borisovich. Pray, go ahead!”

“Well, as I was saying, we’ve got quite a complicated situation here. Varkan told me that the two ruling factions have clashed more than once in the past. There are other factors that complicate the picture even further. For example: we saw a big group of captives driven back here from somewhere by the warriors. In fact, they were runaway slaves who revolted against their oppressors. The rebellion was put down, and some of the rebels ran away. Skolot’s warriors found them and brought them back. We witnessed their return.”

“Yes,” said Ivan Semenovich thoughtfully. “It is a complicated situation indeed… Incidentally, who is that blackhaired beardless man who was reassuring the captives? Do you remember, Dmitro Borisovich, the one whose words you could make out?”

“Of course I remember him! I’ll ask Varkan now.”

The archeologist spoke to Varkan, and the young Scythian smiled when he heard the question. It took him quite some time to answer. Ivan Semenovich, without being able to understand anything, caught one word that attracted his attention.

“Wait, wait a second,” he said, interrupting Varkan. “Dmitro Borisovich, it seems I heard a familiar name. What was it that Varkan just said? It was something like ‘Ronis.’ It has familiar ring, as though I’ve heard it before.”

“Yes, it’s a person’s name. As a matter of fact, the name of the man you asked about. And what Varkan is telling me is extremely interesting.”

“Go ahead, tell us!”

“In point of fact, Varkan’s story is known to me as an archeologist, in rough outline, without his having to tell me. Don’t look so puzzled, I’ll explain now. It concerns the relations of the numerous Scythian tribes with the Greek colonists who settled along the shores of the Black Sea and founded their fortified towns, like Olvia and others. You’ve heard about Olvia, haven’t you? I once told you about it. Well, getting back to the present story, the Greeks first acted as peaceable merchants, but as their settlements grew in number and size they began to put pressure on the local population. The wily, shrewd Greek merchants pushed further and further north, spreading their trade monopoly over some of the Scythian tribes, especially those who had already settled down and engaged in agriculture. The grain grown by the Scythians was exported in large quantities to Greece. Little by little, the Greek merchants made themselves virtual masters over the vast Scythian territories. They began introducing slavery, turning the free Scythians into slaves.”

“Weren’t they real aggressors and plunderers? Not only did they seize the Scythian lands, but they also made the Scythians into slaves!” the passionate Artem could not help crying out in indignation.

“To a certain extent they were, though the terms you have used are hardly applicable to them,” Dmitro Borisovich said. “Those Scythians who resented being subjugated by the Greeks migrated further north, fighting rear guard actions. These were mostly nomadic Scythians. The outcome of the clashes was often undecided, but in most cases, the Greeks, who were better armed and more disciplined, defeated the Scythians, took many of them prisoner, and made them into slaves. On the other hand, the Scythians, for their part, regularly raided the Greek colonies. Varkan said that his tribe raided even Olvia, though that was a long time ago! In most cases, the raids met with little success, because the Greek towns were well-fortified with high walls and ramparts which the raiding Scythians could not breach or take by storm. Many Scythians died in the fighting, and quite a lot were taken captive to be sold as slaves in Olvia and other Greek colonies. But on rare occasions, the Scythians managed to capture some Greeks, and they became slaves of the Scythians.”

“Right! Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!” said Artem, who was listening to the archeologist with unflagging attention.

“Maybe you’re right,” Dmitro Borisovich said. “But the Scythians never sold their slaves; they kept them for them selves. Besides, very few Greeks were captured by the Scythians since, as I’ve already mentioned, the Greeks were almost invariably on the winning side. Varkan says that this was what happened to his own tribe more than once. But once, a very long time ago, his tribe succeeded in capturing quite a few Greeks. They stayed with the tribe, their status hardly different from that of slaves. It happened such a long time ago that the memory of these events remained only in legends passed down from one generation to another. I must tell you that there’s nothing in this story that would contradict history as we know it… But I’ve just recounted what Varkan’s been telling me, and now comes something that no history books could contain…”