Ariapeithes

Ariapeithes (Scythian: Aryapaiϑah;^[1][2][3][4] Ancient Greek: Αριαπειθης, romanized: Ariapeithēs) was a king of the Scythians in the early 5th century BCE.^[5]

Ariapeithes
King of the Scythians
Reign	c. 450 BCE
Predecessor	Idanthyrsus (?)
Successor	Skula
Spouses	unnamed Greek woman unnamed Thracian princess Hupāyā
Issue	Skula Uxtamazatā Varika
Scythian	Aryapaiϑah
Religion	Scythian religion

Name

Ariapeithes's name originates from the Scythian name *Ariyapaiϑah, and is composed of the terms *Ariya-, meaning "Aryan" and "Iranian," and *paiϑah-, meaning "decoration" and "adornment."^[1][2][3][4]

Life

Ariyapaiϑah had three wives, each of whom bore him one son:^[6]

• an unnamed Greek woman from Istria, who became the mother of Skula
• an unnamed daughter of the Thracian king Tērēs I, who became the mother of Uxtamazatā
• a Scythian woman named Hupāyā (Ancient Greek: Οποιη, romanized: Opoiē; Latin: Opoea), who became the mother of Varika (Ancient Greek: Ορικος, romanized: Orikos; Latin: Oricus)

Death

Ariyapaiϑah was treacherously killed by Spargapaiϑah, the king of the Agathyrsi,^[7] after which Skula became the king of the Scythians, and took his stepmother Hupāyā as one of his wives.^[6]