Iyrcae

The Iyrcae (Ancient Greek: Ἱύρκαι) were an ancient nation on the north-east trade route described by Herodotus beyond the Thyssagetae.[1]

They were distinguished by their mode of hunting, climbing a tree to survey their game, and then pursuing it with trained horses and dogs. The reading Τυρκαι is an anachronism, and when Pliny the Elder and Pomponius Mela speak of "Tyrcae" it is also probably due to a false correction.[2]

Notes

1. Minns 1911 cites Herodotus, iv. 22
2. Minns 1911 cites Pliny the Elder, N.H. vi. 19; Pomponius Mela, i. 116

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Minns, Ellis Hovell (1911). "Iyrcae". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.