Arrechi

Author: Laxman Burdak, IFS (R).

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Arrechi were an ancient tribe of the Maeotae, on the east coast of the Palus Maeotis.

Variants

• Arrechi (Greek: Ἀρρηχοί)
• Arrechi (Pliny.vi.7)
• Arichi

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Archi = Arrechi (Pliny.vi.7)

History

Strabo places them among the Maeotae, Sindi, Dandarii, Toreatae, Agri, Tarpetes, Obidiaceni, Sittaceni, Dosci, and Aspurgiani, among others. (Strab. l.c.)

They are probably the same as the Arichi (Greek: Ἀριχοί) of Ptolemy (v. 9. § 18).

The Arrechi is one of the Maeotae tribes, who lived in the 1st millennium BC on the east and the south-eastern coast of the Azov sea. Russian scientists, archeologists, historians and ethnographers in the Soviet period it was concluded - Maeotae this is one of the names of the tribes Adyghe people (Circassians).

In the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, in the article about the Adyghe people, it is written,"Living in the basin of the river Kuban part of the tribes (Adyghe people), as a rule, be indicated (names) of ancient historians under the collective name 'Maeotae'." In the article about the Maeotae), it says,"Maeotae were engaged in farming and fishing. Part of the Maeotae by the language was akin to the Adygs (Circassians), the part of the Iranians. In the 4th-3rd centuries BC many of Maeotae included in the composition of the Bosporan kingdom."

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions Lake Mieotis and the adjoining nations....After passing Cimmerium, the coast¹ is inhabited by the Mæotici, the Vali, the Serbi², the Arrechi, the Zingi, and the Psessi.

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1 That lying on the east of the Sea of Azof. It seems impossible to identify the spot inhabited by each of these savage tribes. Hardouin says that the modern name of that inhabited by the Mæotici is Coumania.

2 Parisot suggests that this tribe afterwards emigrated to the west, and after establishing themselves in Macedonia, finally gave its name to modern Servia. He remarks, that most of these names appear to have been greatly mutilated, through the ignorance or carelessness of the transcribers, no two of the manuscripts agreeing as to the mode in which they should be spelt.