Citation with stable link: Philip A. Harland, 'Pontic peoples: Phlyarchos on traits and customs of Thibians and Scythians (early second century BCE),' Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World, last modified March 25, 2024, https://philipharland.com/Blog/?p=19247.
Ancient authors: Phylarchos (early second century BCE), Histories = FGrHist 81 F79a-b, as cited by Plutarch, Table-talk 680e, and Pliny, Natural History 7.16-17; and F83, as preserved in the Suda lexicon, at Λευκὴ ἡμέρα = lambda 323 (link; link to FGrHist).
Comments: We know very little about the Greek author Phylarchos beyond that he wrote before Polybios (i.e before 140 BCE). There are a few ethnographic passages in the surviving citations of Phylarchos, including those below regarding peoples in the vicinity of the Black Sea. Phylarchos refers to an ancient people (perhaps legendary) known as the Thibians who were reputed to have particularly potent evil eye powers. He also preserves a supposed custom of Scythians regarding the use of white or black stones to indicate a successful day.
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[Thibians’ supposed power of the evil eye]
(F79a = Plutarch) Now, many instances of unexplained phenomena, such as the evil eye, are on record. We know, for instance, of persons who seriously hurt children by looking at them – influencing and impairing the children’s susceptible, vulnerable constitutions – but who are less able to affect the firm and established health of older persons in the same way. According to Phylarchos, the so-called Thibians, who lived near the Pontos [Black Sea] in ancient times, were deadly not only to children but also to adults. He says that those who were subjected to the glance, breath, or speech of these people, became ill and wasted away, a phenomenon apparently observed by the mixed peoples who brought slaves for sale from there.
(F79b = Pliny) Isogonos adds that there are people of the same kind among the Triballians and the Illyrians, who also enchant (fascinent) with a glance and who kill those they stare at for a longer time, especially with a look of anger, and that their evil eye is most felt by adults. Even more remarkably, they have two pupils in each eye. Apollonides also reports about women of this kind in Scythia, who are called the Bitians. Phylarchos also reports on the Thibian people (genus) and many others of the same nature in Pontus. He records their distinguishing marks as being a double pupil in one eye and the likeness of a horse in the other eye. He also says that they are incapable of drowning, even when weighed down with clothing. Damon records a people not unlike these in Ethiopia, the Pharmakians, whose sweat relieves diseases by touch. Also among ourselves Cicero states that the glance of all women who have double pupils is injurious everywhere. In fact when nature implanted in man the wild beasts’ habit of devouring human flesh, she also thought fit to implant poisons in the whole of the body, and with some persons in the eyes as well, so that there should be no evil anywhere that was not present in humans.
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[Scythian customs around the quiver and a “white day”]
(Suda, lambda 323) “White day,” meaning a good day. From the proverb speaking “of the things for a quiver.” For Phylarchos says that the Scythians, when they were about to lie down to sleep, brought their quiver. If they happened to have made it through the day unharmed, they dropped a white pebble into the quiver, but if they had a troublesome day, they dropped a black pebble. Accordingly, in the case of men who were dying, they brought out their quivers and counted the pebbles. If many white ones were found, they declared the departed fortunate. This is where the proverb “things from the quiver” comes from.
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Source of translations: H. Rackham, W.H.S. Jones, and D.E. Eichholz, Pliny: Natural History, 10 volumes, LCL (Cambridge, MA: HUP, 1938-1962), public domain (Rackham passed away in 1944, Jones passed away in 1963, copyright not renewed as well), adapted by Harland. P.A. Clement and H.B. Hoffleit, Plutarch: Moralia, volume 8, LCL (Cambridge, MA: HUP, 1969). Timothy Pepper, Suda online (link).