Editing Scythians (section)

===Trade===
The Scythians exported iron, [[grain]] and slaves to the Greek colonies,{{sfn|Batty|2007|p=288}} and animal products, grain, [[Fish as food|fish]], [[honey]], [[wax]], forest products, [[Fur clothing|furs]], [[Hide (skin)|skins]], [[Lumber|wood]], horses, cattle, sheep, and slaves<ref>{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{harvnb|Jacobson|1995|p=11}}|{{harvnb|Jacobson|1995|pp=38–39}}|{{harvnb|Jacobson|1995|p=40}}|{{harvnb|Olkhovsky|1995|p=66}}|{{harvnb|Parzinger|2004|p=82}}|{{harvnb|Batty|2007|p=209}}|{{harvnb|Cunliffe|2019|p=125}}}}</ref> to mainland Greece on both sides of the Aegean Sea.{{sfn|Cunliffe|2019|p=125}} Also sold to the Greeks by the Scythians were beavers and beaver-skins, and rare [[Fur clothing|furs]] that the Scythians had themselves bought from the populations living to their north and east such as the [[Thyssagetae]] and Iurcae of the Ural Mountains who hunted rare animals and sewed their skins into clothing.<ref>{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{harvnb|Jacobson|1995|pp=38–39}}|{{harvnb|Harmatta|1996|p=182}}|{{harvnb|Parzinger|2004|p=86}}|{{harvnb|Cunliffe|2019|p=125}}}}</ref> Other Scythian exports to Greece included the metallurgical production of Kamianka,{{sfn|Cunliffe|2019|p=131}} Scythian horses,{{sfn|Kramberger|2014|p=28}} and Scythian mercenary mounted archers.{{sfn|Cunliffe|2019|p=53}}

The most important export was grain, especially [[wheat]],{{sfn|Harmatta|1996|p=182}}{{sfn|Parzinger|2004|p=82}} The importance of the Black Sea coast increased in the later 6th century BC following the Persian Empire's conquest of Egypt, which deprived the states of Greece proper of the Egyptian grain that they depended on.{{sfn|Cunliffe|2019|p=124}} The relations between the Scythians and the Greek colonies became more hostile in the early 5th century BC, with the Scythians destroying the Greek cities' {{translit|grc|khōrai}} and rural settlements, and therefore their grain-producing hinterlands. The resulting system saw the Greek colonies adjusting from agricultural production to trade of grain produced elsewhere.{{sfn|Ivantchik|2018}} The Scythian monopoly over the trade of grain imported from the forest steppe to the Greek cities came to an end sometime between 435 and 400 BC, after which the Greek cities regained their independence and rebuilt their {{translit|grc|khōrai}}.{{sfn|Ivantchik|2018}}

Beginning in the 5th century BC, the grain trade with Greece was carried out through the intermediary of the Bosporan kingdom.{{sfn|Parzinger|2004|p=85}} As a consequence of the [[Peloponnesian War]], the Bosporan Kingdom became the main supplier of grain to Greece in the 4th century BC, which resulted in an increase of the trade of grain between the Scythians and the Bosporans.{{sfn|Melyukova|1990|page=105}} The Scythian aristocracy became the main intermediary in providing grain to the Bosporan Kingdom.{{sfn|Melyukova|1990|page=105}}{{sfn|Parzinger|2004|p=85}} Inscriptions from the Greek cities on the northern Black Sea coast also show that upper class Greek families also derived wealth from this trade.{{sfn|Parzinger|2004|p=85}}

[[File:Skythian archer plate BM E135 by Epiktetos.jpg|thumb|An Attic [[Red-figure pottery|vase-painting]] of a [[Scythian archer]] (a police force in Athens) by [[Epiktetos]], 520–500 BC]]
The Scythians also sold slaves acquired from neighbouring or subordinate tribes to the Greeks.{{sfn|Parzinger|2004|p=93}} The Greek colonies on the northern Black Sea coast were hubs of slave trafficking.{{sfn|West|2002|p=446-447}}{{sfn|Parzinger|2004|p=86-87}}{{sfn|Parzinger|2004|p=92-93}}

Beginning in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, the Scythians had been importing craft goods and luxuries such as vessels, decorations made from previous metals, bronze items, personal ornaments, gold and silver vases, black burnished pottery, [[Hardstone carving|carved semi-precious and gem stones]], [[wine]]s, fabrics, [[oil]], and offensive and defensive weapons made in the workshops of Pontic Olbia or in mainland Greece, as well as pottery made by the Greeks of the Aegean islands.<ref>{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{harvnb|Sulimirski|1985|p=157}}|{{harvnb|Jacobson|1995|p=11}}|{{harvnb|Jacobson|1995|p=40}}|{{harvnb|Olkhovsky|1995|p=66}}|{{harvnb|Harmatta|1996|p=182}}}}</ref>

The Scythians bought various Greek products, especially [[amphora|{{translit|la|amphorae}}]] of [[wine]], and the pottery such as [[oenochoe|{{translit|grc|oinokhoai}}]] and [[kylix|{{translit|grc|kylikes}}]].{{sfn|Parzinger|2004|p=87}}{{sfn|Cunliffe|2019|p=52}}{{sfn|Cunliffe|2019|p=131}} The island of Chios in the Aegean Sea produced wine to be sold to the Scythians, in exchange of which slaves from Scythia were sold in the island's very prominent slave market.{{sfn|Cunliffe|2019|p=52}} The Scythians also bought [[olive oil]], perfumes, ointments, and other luxury goods from the Greeks,{{sfn|Jacobson|1995|p=38-39}}{{sfn|Parzinger|2004|p=88}} such as Scythian-style objects crafted by Greek artisans.{{sfn|Batty|2007|p=287-288}}

An important trade [[gold]] trade route ran through Pontic Scythia, starting from Pontic Olbia and reaching the [[Altai Mountains]] in the far east. Gold was traded from eastern Eurasia until Pontic Olbia through this route. The conquest of the north Pontic region and their imposition of a "{{translit|la|Pax Scythica}}" created the conditions of safety for traders which enabled the establishment of this route.{{sfn|Sulimirski|1985|p=157-158}} Olbian-made goods have been found on this route until the Ural Mountains.{{sfn|Sulimirski|1985|p=181}} This trade route was another significant source of revenue for the Scythian rulers.{{sfn|Sulimirski|1985|p=181}}