in historical texts are common names and place names that are not known in modern language.For example, the question often arises: "What is the river the ancient Greeks called Borisfen?" This article provides information about this ancient river, as well as the origin of the word itself.
ancient river
We give a general answer to the question of what the ancient Greeks called the river Borisfen.It is the ancient Greek name of the Dnieper River.
the first time this name (Βορυσθεvης) mentioned in the books of Ancient Greece in the 5th century BC - the so-called Dnieper great historian Herodotus, who described it as a Scythian "River from the north."
Roman historians gave its name - the name "Danapris» (Danapris), and the Slavs in the period of ancient Rus called this river "Slavutich".
Description ancient Borisphen
Borysthenes Herodotus wrote of the Scythians in the country as one of the great rivers, known in the ancient world.In affluent it is second only to the Egyptian Nile water is very clean and pleasant to the taste.On the banks of the ancient Dnieper was a huge number of beautiful meadows and pastures, and in the river were many fish - especially tasty were "antakai" (sturgeon), which were caught at the mouth, which is also mined salt.
origins of the Dnieper were unknown to the ancient historians, and in its lower reaches Borisfen was connected to the river Hypanis (Bug) and empties into the Black Sea ("Euxine Pont"), and at this point in the 6th century BC, the Greeks built the city of Olbia ("happy "), and residents of the city were called" borisfenitami. "
Borisfen - is part of the Dnieper
All that is said above - it is only a general answer.More specific information about what the ancient Greeks called the river Borisfen, lead to the conclusion that modern Dnepr does not quite match the information recorded by Herodotus.
fact that in ancient times from the Dnieper was a different direction.Herodotus reports that the river divides into two branches (actually Borisfen and Herr), which flow into the Black Sea, spreading to the south and east, and forming between them a large island, where there is Olbia.
Modern scholars believe that ancient river divides into two branches (South and East) in the area of present Cherkassy.
Thus, responding to a question about what the ancient Greeks called the river Borisfen, we can say that only the upper part of the existing Dnieper refers to the ancient Borysthenes (about Cherkasy).
lower part of the Dnieper River, which runs east to Dnepropetrovsk - an ancient Herr.A southern sleeves, which was called "Borisfen" does not exist today.
origin of the name of the river
Talking about what the ancient river called Borisfen should explain the meaning of the word.
Dnieper River was the main Scythia and the ancient peoples who inhabited its shores, worshiped the spirit of the great river.
Herodotus says that the Scythians considered themselves descendants Targytaya, who was the son of Zeus and the daughter of the river Borisfen.
This means that the river gave life Borisfen Scythian peoples, they saw it as their ancestor.But Herodotus does not explain the significance of the word, and the origin of the word "Borisfen" is still uncertain.
modern river
now Dnepr - is the fourth largest river in Europe and the largest river of Ukraine.
At present, the length of the Dnipro (after the construction of reservoirs and rectification of the channel) is 2201 km.
Dnepr begins its course in the Valdai Hills and ends in the estuary of the Black Sea, where the river empties after the merger with the Bug.
Knowing what river Greeks called Borisfen, we can say that the Dnieper and now the great river, which flows through the lands of the three countries - Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, and on its banks are more than 50 cities, including Kiev - the capital of Ukraine and "mother of Russian cities. "
