Sandakhshatra

Sandakshatru or Sandakuru ( or ) was the last known Cimmerian king.

Name The name of this Cimmerian king is attested in a form which can be read as either or , which are derived from a name in a Cimmerian dialect of the Old Iranian Scythian language. The linguist János Harmatta reconstructed this original Cimmerian name as , meaning "splendid son," while the Scythologist Askold Ivantchik derives the name from a compound term consisting of the name of the Anatolian deity , and of the Iranian term , usually translated as "power", "authority", "rule", "control" or similar terms (and cognate with the Indo-Aryan caste name kshatriya).

Historical background

In the 8th and 7th centuries BC, a significant movement of the nomads of the Eurasian steppe brought the Scythians into Southwest Asia. According to Herodotus, this movement started when the Massagetae or the Issedones migrated westwards, forcing the Scythians to the west across the Araxes and into the Caspian Steppe,

After succeeding his father, Sandakšatru attempted to continue Tugdammi's attacks against Assyria but failed just like his father had.

Attacks on Lydia By the later part of the 7th century BC, the western Cimmerians were nomadising in Western Asia together with the Thracian Treres tribe who had migrated across the Thracian Bosporus and invaded Anatolia. Ardys's son and successor, Sadyattes, might possibly also have been killed in another Cimmerian attack on Lydia. and in alliance with the Lydians, the Assyrians' Scythian allies under their king Madyes entered Anatolia. They expelled the Treres from Asia Minor and defeated the Cimmerians so that they no longer constituted a threat again. Following this, the Scythians extended their domination to Central Anatolia until they were themselves expelled by the Medes from Western Asia in the 600s BC. The remnants of the Cimmerians were eventually assimilated by the populations of Anatolia, and they completely disappeared from history after their defeat by Madyes and Alyattes.