Editing Scythians (section)

====The reign of Ateas====
{{Multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| header            = Coin of the Scythian king Ateas
| image1            = Скіфська монета із зображенням царя Атея.jpg
| alt1              = Reverse: depicting a mounted warrior and a coin legend reading {{lang|grc|ΑΤΑΙΑΣ}}
| caption1          = Reverse: depicting a mounted warrior and a coin legend reading {{lang|grc|ΑΤΑΙΑΣ}}
| image2            = Skif atey1.jpg
| alt2              = Obverse: depicting the head of Herakles
| caption2          = Obverse: depicting the head of Herakles
| align             = right
}}

Between {{c.|360s}} and 339 BC, the Scythians were ruled by their most famous king, [[Ateas]],<ref>{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{harvnb|Harmatta|1996|p=181}}|{{harvnb|Alekseyev|2005|p=44}}|{{harvnb|Batty|2007|p=210}}|{{harvnb|Ivantchik|2018}}}}</ref> whose reign coincided with the growth of the [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|kingdom of Macedonia]] under its king [[Philip II of Macedon|Philip II]].{{sfn|Cunliffe|2019|p=55}} The main activities of Ateas were directed towards expanding {{c.|350 BC}} Scythian hegemony to the lands south of the Istros.{{sfn|Melyukova|1990|p=106}}{{sfn|Melyukova|1995|p=29}} Ateas also successfully battled the Thracian [[Triballi]] and the Dacian [[Histriani]],{{sfn|Sulimirski|1985|p=198}}{{sfn|Batty|2007|p=210}}{{sfn|Ivantchik|2018}} as well as threatened to conquer the city of [[Byzantium|Byzantion]],{{sfn|Batty|2007|p=210}} where he may also have struck his coins.{{sfn|Melyukova|1990|p=106}}

Since both Ateas and Philip had been interested in the region to the immediate south of the Istros, the two kings formed an alliance against the Histriani.<ref>{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{harvnb|Melyukova|1995|p=29}}|{{harvnb|Ivantchik|2018}}|{{harvnb|Cunliffe|2019|p=55}}|{{harvnb|Cunliffe|2019|p=150}}}}</ref> However, this alliance soon fell apart and war broke out between the Scythian and Macedonian kingdoms, ending in 339 BC in a battle at the estuary of the Istros where Ateas was killed.<ref>{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{harvnb|Sulimirski|1985|p=198}}|{{harvnb|Melyukova|1990|p=106}}|{{harvnb|Jacobson|1995|p=34}}|{{harvnb|Melyukova|1995|p=29}}|{{harvnb|Olbrycht|2000b|p=118}}|{{harvnb|Alekseyev|2005|p=44}}|{{harvnb|Batty|2007|p=211}}|{{harvnb|Ivantchik|2018}}|{{harvnb|Cunliffe|2019|p=55}}|{{harvnb|Cunliffe|2019|p=129}}}}</ref> The Scythian kingdom had lost its new territories in Thrace due to this defeat.{{sfn|Ivantchik|2018}} The power of Scythian kingdom was not immediately harmed by the death of Ateas, and it did not experience any weakening or disintegration as a result of it:{{sfn|Batty|2007|p=211}} the Kamianka city continued to prosper and the Scythian burials from this time continued to be lavishly-furnished.{{sfn|Melyukova|1990|p=107}}{{sfn|Melyukova|1995|p=29}}