Cyrtians Explained

The Cyrtians or Kyrtians (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Κύρτιοι|''Kýrtioi'', Latin: Cyrtii) were an ancient tribe in historic Iran near Zagros Mountains.^[1] Based on their name,^[1] it has been suggested that they may be ancestors of the Kurds.^[2] According to Rüdiger Schmitt, they were a tribe dwelling mainly in the mountains of Atropatenian Media (Northern Zagros Mountains) together with the Cadusii, Amardi (or "Mardi"), Tapyri, and others (Strabo 11.13.3). Strabo characterized the Cyrtians living in Persia as migrants and predatory brigands.

In the Hellenistic period, they seem to have been in demand as slingers, for they fought as such for the Median satrap Molon in his revolt against King Antiochus III in 220 BC.

The Cyrtians were not connected to the Carduchi (Cordyaei, Gordyaei, Karduchoi) and the like, who lived farther west. According to Garnik Asatrian, Cyrtians were a collection of indigenous, non-Iranian tribes who only shared a nomadic lifestyle.

Sources

• Book: Potts, Daniel T.. Nomadism in Iran: From Antiquity to the Modern Era. London and New York. Oxford University Press. 2014. 978-0190600594.

Notes and References

1. G. Asatrian, Prolegomena to the Study of the Kurds, Iran and the Caucasus, Vol.13, pp. 1–58, 2009: "Evidently, the most reasonable explanation of this ethnonym must be sought for in its possible connections with the Cyrtii (Cyrtaei) of the Classical authors."
2. (Berlin). Brentjes, Burchard. Kyrtioi. en.