Scythians as a Political Antithesis to the Polis in Herodotus

This dissertation explores the methods of Herodotus in presenting the nomadic Scythians not as primitive barbarians, but as an organized society built on movement and decentralization. While the Greeks believed that civilization required a permanent city-state (polis) or at least some form of settlement, the Scythians deliberately rejected walls and forts. The study argues that their nomadism was a brilliant and, most importantly, deliberate political strategy that made them completely invincible and elusive to expansionist empires. Combining a thorough literary analysis of the text with selective archaeological evidence, the project shows how these nomadic customs challenged traditional Greek notions of power and society. Ultimately, the analysis reveals that Herodotus used the Scythian world to change the standard stereotype of Greeks versus Barbarians by offering his audience a radical alternative model of freedom and sovereignty.