TOMYRIS - QUEEN OF THE SAKAS
In the first millennium B.C., vast expanses from the Danube to the Yenisei and Eastern Turkestan were roamed by related tribes, whom the Persians called Sakas and the Greeks called Scythians. It is believed that the term "Saka" meant "mighty man" (warrior). The Sakas were ancient inhabitants of the mountains and valleys of the Tian Shan. This is evidenced not only by rock paintings and individual accidental finds but also by treasures. In total, nine treasures buried by the Sakas are known on the territory of Kyrgyzstan.
In the 6th - 5th centuries B.C., the Central Asian Sakas were united into two major tribal unions: the Saka-Tigrahauda and the Saka-Haumavarga. The Saka-Tigrahauda lived in the northern regions of modern Kyrgyzstan, while the Saka-Haumavarga resided in the southern regions.
The Sakas spoke an Eastern Iranian language. Based on skulls discovered by archaeologists in Alai, Central Tian Shan, and Ketmen-Tube, it has been established that they had a Europoid appearance. Only some Sakas exhibited Mongoloid features.
It seems that the Saka-Tigrahauda was what the ancient Greek historian Herodotus referred to when he reported: "The Sakas (Scythian tribe) wore high, pointed turbans on their heads, so dense that they stood upright. They wore trousers and were armed with Saka bows and daggers. In addition, they had sagaris - battle axes."
Scholars have reliably established that the Sakas are the ancestors of modern Turkic-speaking peoples, including the Kyrgyz.
The Sakas worshipped the sky god Tengri, the Sun, and the Moon, considering the Earth-Mother and the River-Mother sacred. These beliefs of the Sakas are the basis for the names of some Siberian rivers. For example, the Lena River has an ancient Turkic name "Eleana," meaning Lena-Mother, and the Yenisei is "Ene-su" - Mother River.
The Sakas led a nomadic lifestyle, primarily engaged in animal husbandry. However, they were already aware of agriculture at that time. The Sakas - nomads were the first to manufacture and use battle chariots. From a young age, their sons and daughters were excellent horse riders, forming the strongest state of their era. They learned to smelt not only bronze but also iron.
The Sakas were distinguished by their martial spirit and bravery; they were known for their high combat qualities, especially as excellent cavalrymen. Strong and courageous, the Sakas could remain on horseback for several days in a row, sleeping with their heads resting on the horse's mane, and then participate again in bloody battles.
Saka women were engaged not only in cooking and raising children. Alongside men, they participated in battles and were equally skilled in martial arts. Preparing for future battles, they would remove their right breast in youth so it wouldn't hinder their ability to hold a spear and sabre. Women sometimes even led Saka tribes. Tomyris (Tumur) - the queen of the Saka-Massagetae, lived approximately from 570 to 520 B.C. The Massagetae are known in history as the "great Sakas."
From chronicles, it is known that Tomyris (Tumur) was the queen of the Saka tribes and had a son named Spargapises. Scholars still express conflicting opinions about which Saka king Tomyris was a widow of and who her ancestors were.
The Persian king Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great), who conquered the countries of the Middle East, Northern India, Parthia, Khwarezm, Areia, Bactria, Sogdiana, and Babylon, approached the lands of the Sakas. Cyrus knew that Queen Tomyris was a widow.
Therefore, standing on the banks of the Syr Darya River, he sends a greeting to the queen through his envoy.
- Marry me! Let your people be subject to me too, - said Cyrus, intoxicated by victory.
- If it were only about me, I would agree. But when the fate of my people is at stake, I cannot accept your proposal! - replied Queen Tomyris.
- Then name the meeting place! - Cyrus sent in his next message to the queen, angry.
- That is correct! - replied Tomyris. - You are a guest. I will not meet you at the most turbulent river. I will wait with my army, retreating three days' journey from the river. You cross your troops over the river! And then we will fight on the wide plain.
Queen Tomyris kept her promise. Cyrus, having crossed his troops over the river, headed to the meeting place.
Scholars lean towards the opinion that Cyrus's troops and Tomyris's warriors clashed in battle in the Talas Valley.
In this battle, Cyrus was killed. The severed head of Cyrus was thrown into a bag filled with blood, with the words of Tomyris: "You thirsted for blood, so drink it!" Herodotus writes in his work "Histories" that this was the most brutal of all battles in which the Sakas participated. The Persian troops, leaving the severed head of King Cyrus on Saka land, fled.
After this victory, Queen Tomyris led the great Saka country for many years.
The legend of Tomyris, told by ancient chroniclers, narrates: Persian King Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great), after conquering the states of Lydia, Margiana, Babylon, Phoenicia, Khwarezm, and Sogdiana, around 530 B.C., turned his attention to the land of the Sakas. To fight against Cyrus's powerful army, Tomyris had to gather an equally strong army. The army was assembled from all the lands of the Sakas, including Semirechye, Issyk-Kul, and the Ala-Too mountains.
Tomyris, the queen of the Sakas who roamed from the Caspian Sea to Semirechye, lived in a large twelve-part yurt covered with white felt with red and black decorative patterns. Nearby, in the center of the camp, stood a spacious blue tent that served as her residence for receptions. Even today, she sat in the tent, contemplating the course of the Elder Council meeting, where strategies and tactics were discussed in case of an aggressive invasion by the Persians.
- Soon we will know what the envoy has brought, - Tomyris said thoughtfully. - If it is peace, we will arrange a feast. But we are not afraid of war either!
Meanwhile, the envoy Isa Pehlevan sat in the reception room located near the camp on a hill, waiting for an audience.
He could not shake off Cyrus's instructions: "I send you to the Sakas living east of the Caspian Sea.
Remember! You represent me, our great Persia, its power, and my greatness. I want to know everything about the nomads - their customs and rituals, way of life, and military formations. Do not be surprised by anything you see or hear.
Be proud, inaccessible, but polite." His thoughts were interrupted by a voice. The commander of the queen's guard stood at the entrance.
- Mr. envoy, the queen can receive you.
When the envoy entered the tent, he saw the queen sitting in the center on an ivory couch, the armrests of which were adorned with golden plates depicting hunting scenes. Under the throne was an expensive red-yellow handmade carpet featuring a leopard sinking its fangs into the neck of a mountain ram.
Tomyris's slender figure was clad in slightly oversized protective armor in the form of chain mail, with golden plates protecting her chest, featuring embossed images of predatory birds and beasts. A crown of gold shone on her head. A wide leather belt cinched her slender waist.
Her proud posture, well-defined facial profile, and direct gaze all spoke of royalty, unyielding will, and nobility.
She seemed almost otherworldly, descended from the heavens to these people. This woman was renowned among the Sakas for her exceptional beauty - an elongated face with delicate features and blue eyes. A Saka sword rested on her knees, its hilt adorned with silver.
Behind the queen, in rank, stood the chieftains and noble lords. The envoy, out of habit, expressed respect, slightly bowing his head, and then, straightening up and not taking his eyes off Tomyris, began:
- My ruler, King of Kings Cyrus, sends you, queen of the steppes: "I, Cyrus, king of the four corners of the world and the universe, wish to have you, queen of the Sakas, as my wife..."
When the envoy finished, a heavy silence fell. All eyes turned to Tomyris. She spoke:
- Envoy! Tell your master. Firstly, Cyrus cannot be unaware that I am married and happy. And I do not need another, even if he is the king of kings. Secondly, it seems to me that I am not needed by Cyrus. He needs my kingdom, stretching from the Mangystau steppes to Semirechye, with its unforgettable steppe landscapes and the bitter aroma of wormwood. Thirdly, we are a peaceful people. We know how to receive guests, yielding the honorable place in the yurt according to the customs of our ancestors. But if someone arrives with a sword, we can stand up for ourselves with dignity.
During his time as an envoy of great Persia, Isa Pehlevan did not remember being spoken to like this - as equals, confident in their strength and righteousness.
Exiting the queen's tent, the envoy passed through dense ranks of Amazons guarding Tomyris. "Yes," he noted to himself, "these barbarians have adopted the experience of other barbarians, the Sarmatians." He was there on a diplomatic mission. Sarmatian girls participated in battles alongside men until marriage.
...When the envoy returned with the response, Cyrus listened attentively and said harshly:
- Well, if they do not want peace, we will subdue them by force!
...A two-hundred-thousand-strong army moved towards the Saka steppes, raising clouds of dust to the horizon. They marched quickly and soon approached the Yaksart River.
Cyrus stood and looked at the opposite bank, from where the Saka cavalry might appear. He hesitated...
If he began to cross, the suddenly appearing enemy would shoot down half of all the troops with precise arrows. And if he did not cross, they would think that the king of the universe was afraid of some semi-wild barbarians.
But a horseman appeared on the opposite bank and began to cross, soon standing before the Persians.
The messenger began, addressing Cyrus: - My queen Tomyris sends: "We want to know what brings you, king of the Persians?
If it is good, come, you will be a guest. But if it is war, it is better for you to leave. Do not think that your armada has frightened us.
We have seen worse. Lastly, Cyrus, if you want to fight me personally, I am ready; say where, on our side or where you stand. However, if you cross the river, it will mean that you have come to us with war. But we will not attack during the crossing; it is inappropriate to shed blood on the banks of the river sacred to us. We will meet you on dry land. Farewell, Tomyris."
Cyrus crossed to the opposite bank, thereby indicating that his intentions were not peaceful.
After a one-day march into the steppe, he stopped as soon as his scouts noticed the smoke of campfires and the silhouettes of Saka horsemen on the hill. After performing the first prayer and eating sacrificial sheep and bulls, the Persians began to prepare for battle.
Suddenly, trumpets sounded over the steppe, and the sound of drums was heard. The Persian army began to form up.
Commanders and sergeants rushed about. King Cyrus stood on a nearby hill and observed. Infantry took the front.
The warriors stood shoulder to shoulder, shielding themselves with shields, like a living fortress, behind them - archers, throwers, then - light cavalry. The heavy cavalry completed the formation. Off to the side of the battlefield, in a hollow, Cyrus positioned his ten-thousand-strong detachment - the elite of the Persian army.
The Persian army had barely taken its starting positions and concentrated when suddenly, like a storm, the Saka cavalry charged. It seemed that nothing could stop this rapidly moving mass. But the cavalry suddenly halted at a slight distance from the infantry - and arrows whistled towards the enemy. About a hundred Persians fell to the ground immediately.
The first Saka archers released all their arrows, gave way to the second echelon, and galloped back to their camp for more.
Now the second wave of arrows flew. Persians were falling not by hundreds, but by thousands. "Yes, there is much to learn from these barbarians," thought Cyrus, observing the battlefield.
"If my archers, who have conquered half the world, shoot with the bowstring pulled to their chest, the Massagetae pull the string to their ear with a full arm - which means greater lethal force and range of the arrow. If my warriors shoot only forward in front of them and only with their right hand, the nomads shoot equally accurately with both hands," he concluded for himself, feeling disheartened.
Seeing that the enemy's horsemen were going for another attack, Cyrus ordered: "Strike not at the horsemen, but at the horses. It is easier to deal with the foot soldiers." This had a certain effect. Many Massagetae were left on foot, although they still sent their arrows. The Persian infantry let their light cavalry through, which fiercely charged at the foot Sakas.
Reorganizing, the Persian infantry fiercely struck from the left flank, while the heavy cavalry attacked from the right. Gradually, the Persians began to push the Sakas back, especially on the left flank, forming a wedge. Cyrus was already considering sending fresh forces from the reserve to this flank to crush and drive the steppe dwellers into flight.
But Tomyris outpaced him. Observing the course of the battle, she sensed the moment when immediate action was necessary and released the camel regiment. The giant camels, roaring and moving like mountains, pushed the enemy back to their previous positions. The Persians threw heavy chariots into battle, which began to mow down the infantry and cavalry with side sickles and knives. The queen sent forward archers, spear throwers, and dart throwers, who knocked riders off their horses, causing the horses to lose control and scatter in different directions. A temporary equilibrium was established on the battlefield.
"Well, it is my turn now," thought Cyrus, donning his military armor. Dressed, Cyrus led his elite unit and advanced against the Sakas. The Persians began to push the Sakas' infantry, which was fighting to the death. All this did not escape the watchful eyes of the queen. Nearby, her impatient Amazon riders were groaning. Their horses, shifting from foot to foot, awaited the command. Tomyris hesitated.
The Sakas were defending themselves with all their might, suffering enormous losses. "It is time! Otherwise, it will be too late," the queen decided. Whispering a prayer, calling on the spirits of her ancestors for help, she drew her sword and raised her hand.
- Sisters! It is our turn now, - she shouted.
The horse Okzhetpes carried her into the thick of the battle. Behind her, a five-thousand-strong detachment of Amazons galloped, shouting: "Tomyris!"
The strike was so powerful and forceful that it toppled the first row of Persians.
Stunned by the unexpected cavalry charge and the fierce onslaught of the Amazons, the Persians lost heart.
Cyrus and his guard fought desperately in encirclement. The Sakas tightened their grip on the Persians. Seeing that he was threatened with capture, King Cyrus advanced with his sword. From his strikes fell one, then another, a third, and he wounded a fourth in the chest... But an arrow shot by Queen Tomyris struck him in the neck, severing the carotid artery. Death came instantly.
According to Saka legend, Tomyris received a serious wound in one of the battles, the arrow struck her right fourth rib.
She was brought from the battlefield and laid in the yurt. She never rose again...
* * *
The historical image of Queen Tomyris has inspired numerous legends in beautiful literary and dramatic works.
From the pages of the "historical chronicles" of ancient authors, Herodotus, Trogus Justinus, Strabo, and writers B. Jandarbekov and Ya. Ilyasov, the image of Tomyris, the leader of the freedom-loving Saka tribe, came to the ballet stage of the Kyrgyz National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after A. Maldybaev in 1982.
Despite the historical remoteness of events and heroes, the creators of the ballet "Tomyris": People's Artist of Kyrgyzstan choreographer U. Sarbagyshov, composer U. Musaev, leading ballerina of the theater, People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR, laureate of the International Ch. Aitmatov Prize Aysulu Tokombaeva managed to vividly highlight the patriotic idea of defending the native land, emphasizing the rejection of war - the "spotted death," which brings destruction and ruin to the people.
Queen Tomyris is an outstanding figure who elevated the spirit of our ancestors.
Women of Kyrgyzstan