Некоторые замечания к образу скифской полуженщины-полузмеи у Геродота

This article analyses the image of half-woman-half-snake described by Herodotus in IV, 9. She was known to be an ancestress of the Scythians. We will also look at numerous images of a goddess who is often seen as either an iconographic variant of Herodotus’ character or a “sprouting maiden” (Rankenfrau). The analysis involves descriptions of maidens with lower part in the form of a grape plant in Lucian’s “A True Story” which obviously parodies the Herodotus’ text. Lucian also has other episodes of such caricature. For example, he references to large footprints on a rock that Dionysos and Herakles would have left (I, 7) which refers to Herodotus’ tale about Herakles footprint on a rock near the Tyras river (IV, 82). Lucian’s evidence probably confirms an opinion of historians who see “sprouting maidens” in the images of North Black Sea region goddesses.