KINGS OF SKYTHIA. Skyles, circa 465-447/5 BC. AE (Bronze, 15 mm, 1.29 g, 5 h), Nikonion. Owl standing left, head facing. Rev. Large ΣK. Anokhin 571. HGC 3.2 -. Peykov G0030. SNG BM Black Sea -. SNG Stancomb -. Very rare. Slightly rough and with minor smoothing, otherwise, very fine.



Herodotus reports that Skyles was the son of the Scythian king Ariapeithes and a Greek woman, making him of mixed origin (Hdt. 4.78–80). His base of power was Nikonion, the smallest of three remote Greek poleis in the region, located on the Dniester Liman. Like its neighbors Tyras and Olbia, Nikonion was heavily influenced by its Scythian surroundings and was constantly at risk of losing its autonomy to the tribes. Nevertheless, the multicultural city was also a thriving center of trade and a major exporter of grain.