Massagetae

The Massagetae, or Massageteans (Greek: Μασσαγέται, Massagetai), were an ancient Eastern Iranian nomadic confederation, inhabiting the steppes of Central Asia east of the Caspian Sea, in modern-day Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, western Uzbekistan, and southern Kazakhstan. They are known primarily from the writings of Herodotus.

Etymology

About the origin of the name Massagetae, scholars have emphasized that:

Weer Rajendra Rishi wrote, "In Middle Persian the word massa means great. In Avesta massa is also used in the sense of greatness."

Location

Herodotus described the Massagetae as living on a sizeable portion of the great plain east of the Caspian Sea. He several times refers to them as living "beyond the River Araxes", which he describes as running into the Caspian. Scholars have offered various identifications for this river. Herodotus had only a limited understanding of the geography of Europe and Asia, and may have confused several rivers in his statements about the Araxes.

Customs