Citation with stable link: Philip A. Harland, 'Scythians: Theopompos on a dish made from horses’ milk (mid-fourth century BCE),' Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World, last modified March 25, 2024, https://philipharland.com/Blog/?p=18876.

Ancient authors: Theopompos of Chios (mid-fourth century BCE), FGrHist 115 F45, as cited by Hesychios, Lexicon ι 779 at ἱππάκη (link to FGrHist). .

Comments: This brief citation of Theopompos (in a later lexicon) suggests his interest in the details of northern people’s meals, in this case a specific Scythian dish made from horses’ milk.

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Hippake: A Skythian food made from horse’s milk. Some say that the Scythians use horse’s sour milk. It is drunk and eaten when it is curdled, as Theopompos says in book 3 of the same work [History of Philip].

ἱππάκη· Σκυθικὸν βρῶμα ἐξ ἵππου γάλακτος. οἱ δὲ ὀξύγαλα ἱππεῖον, ὧι χρῶνται Σκύθαι. πίνεται δὲ καὶ ἐσθίεται πηγνύμενον, ὡς Θεόπομπος ἐν γ΄ αὐτοῦ λόγου.

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Source of translation: Translation by Harland.