Ariantas

Ariantas was a Scythian king who reigned during the 7th century BCE. He is primarily known from the writings of Herodotus, who recounts a story about Ariantas taking a census of the Scythian population.

According to Herodotus, Ariantas, desiring to know the number of Scythians, commanded each Scythian to bring him an arrowhead. From these arrowheads, he ordered a large bronze vessel to be made, which was then set up in a place called Exampaeus.

The significance of this bronze vessel and the story surrounding Ariantas lies in its indication of early attempts at census taking and demographic estimation. While the accuracy of the method is questionable, the tale provides insight into the administrative and organizational capacities, or at least aspirations, of Scythian leadership. The story also highlights the importance of bronze as a valuable material in Scythian society, worthy of being accumulated in such a large quantity.

Ariantas' reign and the census are generally understood to have occurred sometime in the 7th century BCE, although precise dating is difficult due to the limited and often anecdotal historical sources. He remains a notable figure in Scythian history primarily due to the account provided by Herodotus.