CIMMERIANSTamga Not KnownCimmerian, Cimvri, Cimbri, Cymro (Welsh), Cimers, Cimblers, Cimri, Κίμβροι, Κύμβροι, Gomer, Homer, Qomer, Gomorrah, Homorrah, Qomorrah, “nomadic Scythians”, and other variations. Behistun inscription calls Cimmerians Saka/Scythians. Subdivisions and ethnic affiliates Etymology: speculations abound, |
| DATELINE | |
|---|---|
| Time | Events |
| 1200 BC | Cimmerians mentioned in Homer's Oddysey (11.14), maybe about ca 1250 BC |
| 1000 | ca. 1000 to 700 BC - Cimmerians in Thrace |
| 950 | 9th or 8th century BC - Homer mentioned Cimmerians living on shores of Oceanus at edge of known world, maybe northern shores of Black Sea |
| 900 | ca 900-650 - Cimmerians maybe associated with the pre-Scythian Chernogorovka and Novocherkassk cultures |
| 800 | 8th century BC, Herodotus: Cimmerians in today's Ukraine north of Black Sea. They fled advancing Scythians and moved south across Caucasus. They ended up in today's Azerbaijan within Mannae state |
| 721 | 721-715 BC – Sargon II mentions Gamirr land near Urartu. Sennacherib mentions a land of Gamirr near Urartu |
| 714 | First historical record of Cimmerians called Gimirri in Assyrian annals in today's Azerbaijan, Cimmerians invaded Assyrian lands from so far north. Cimmerians helped Assyrian king Sargon II defeat kingdom of Urartu. Their homeland, called Gamir or Uishdish, is located in Mannae state N. of Assyria |
| 714 | 714-626 BC - Brief period of exiting activity. Cimmerians kill Assyrian king in battle, sack and destroy Phrygia and Lydia |
| 714 | Suicide of Rusas I of Urartu, after defeat by both the Assyrians and Cimmerians |
| 705 | Cimmerians rebelled against Sargon II of Assyria, Sargon ventures on expedition against Kulummu, and died in battle against them. Cimmerians extended eastward from Mannae through Mede settlements in Zagros, and then south to Elam |
| 700 | Scythians displace Cimmerians from Crimea, Cimmerians came to the region around lake Van |
| 700 | Scythians invade Thrace |
| 696 | 696-695 - Cimmerians ravage and conquer Phrygia, prompting Phrygian king Midas to take poison rather than face capture. Cimmerians sack Gordium |
| 695 | Cimmerians destroyed Phrygia. King Midas died |
| 679 | 679/678 – Gimirri under a ruler called Teushpa invade Assyria from Hubuschna (Cappadocia?). Esarhaddon of Assyria defeats them in battle |
| 679 | 679/678 - Cimmerians under their king Teushpa invade and attack Cilicia and Tabal. Assyrian king Esarhaddon defeats Cimmerians in battle near Hubushna (Cappadocia ?) |
| 676 | 676-674 – Cimmerians invade and destroy Phrygia, and reach Paphlagonia |
| 654 | 654 or 652 – Cimmerians attack the kingdom of Lydia, sack of Sardis. King Gyges of Lydia dies in battle against Cimmerians.; Cimmerians and Thracian Treres plunder Ionian Greek colonies in western Asia Minor, Greek poets Callinus and Archilochus recorded fear inspired in Ionian Greek colonies |
| 644 | Cimmerians return to Lydia and capture and occupy Sardis (except citadel) during reign of Gyges' son Ardys II. Cimmerian withdraw soon afterwards, possibly due to outbreak of plague |
| 634 | Scythians invaders in Thrace conquer Cimmerians |
| 637 | 637-626 – Cimmerians beaten back and defeated by Alyattes II of Lydia, marking effective end of Cimmerian power. They do not appear again in Asia. Possibly, Cimmerians eventually settled in Cappadocia, Gamir (Գամիրք, Gamir-kʿ) in Armenian, same as original Cimmerian homeland in Mannae |
| 515 | ca. 515 – Last historical record of Cimmerians, in Darius' Behistun inscription, as Babylonian equivalent of Persian Saka (Scythians) |
| 50 AD | Several Roman authors (Pliny ca 50 AD, Ovid ca 10 AD, etc.) locate Cimmerians near Lake Arverno (since Cimmerians are located at entrance to Hades at shores of Oceanus, and entrance to Hades was near Lake Arverno) |