# Saspeires

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English translation of a 1956 [Soviet](/source/Soviet_Union) map purportedly depicting the ethnic situation in the Caucasus during the 5th and 4th centuries BC. The Saspeires are positioned here to the immediate east of the [Colchians](/source/Colchians), who straddle the eastern coast of the [Black Sea](/source/Black_Sea)

**Saspeires** ([Ancient Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek_language): Σάσπειρες, [Georgian](/source/Georgian_language): სასპერები, *sasp'erebi*, other names include **Saspers**, **Saspines**, **Sapinians**, and **Sapirians**) are a people of uncertain origin mentioned by [Herodotus](/source/Herodotus).[1] According to the most widespread theory, they are a [Kartvelian](/source/Kartvelian_peoples) tribe.[2][3][4] The toponym of modern-day city [İspir](/source/%C4%B0spir) and ancient region of [Speri](/source/Speri_(region)) is thought by some to be derived from their name.[5] According to Rayfield, [Diauehi](/source/Diauehi) is mentioned in the Greek records as Taochoi, but Herodotus in 450 BC refers to them as Sasperi. the name [Sper](/source/%C4%B0spir) with a Georgian prefix of place Sa-, which evolved into the term [Iberian](/source/Kingdom_of_Iberia).[6]

The land where the [Persians](/source/Persians) live extends to [the southern sea which is called Red](/source/Erythraean_Sea); beyond these to the north are the [Medes](/source/Medes), and beyond the Medes the *Saspires*, and beyond the Saspires the [Colchians](/source/Colchians), whose country extends to the [northern sea](/source/Black_Sea) into which the [Phasis river](/source/Rioni_River) flows; so these four nations live between the one sea and the other.[7]

— [Herodotus](/source/Herodotus)

The Saspires were originally associated with the [Caucasian Iberians](/source/Caucasian_Iberians) and appear to have emerged from the [Lesser Caucasus](/source/Lesser_Caucasus) to the east.[8] The [Alarodians](/source/Alarodians), [Colchians](/source/Colchians), and Saspires were joined in one command, and all were dressed alike.[9] The Colchians themselves, were not classified as belonging to any [Satrapy](/source/Satrapy). The Colchians, however, attended the army of [Xerxes](/source/Xerxes_I_of_Persia) as auxiliaries. The incredible number of tribes of Mount Caucasus is spoken by ancient as modern historians.[10][11] According to some authors, they constituted a significant part of the population of the early Georgian [Kingdom of Iberia](/source/Kingdom_of_Iberia_(antiquity)) and played a large role in the ethnogenesis of the [Georgian nation](/source/Georgian_people).[2][4]

History of Georgia List of topics by the categories Prehistoric Georgia Legend of Kartlos Trialetian Mesolithic Shulaveri–Shomu culture Trialeti-Vanadzor culture Kura–Araxes culture Colchian culture Diauehi Mushki Ancient history Colchis Aryan Kartli Kingdom of Iberia Pharnavazid dynasty Georgia in the Roman era Artaxiad dynasty of Iberia Campaign of Pompey Iberian–Armenian War Abasgia Lazica Arsacid dynasty of Iberia Sasanian Iberia Chosroid dynasty Christianization of Iberia Middle Ages Iberian War Lazic War Principality of Iberia Umayyad invasion of Georgia Arab rule in Georgia Emirate of Tbilisi Duchy of Tao Duchy of Klarjeti Bagrationi dynasty (biblical claim) Kingdom of Hereti Kingdom of the Iberians Kingdom of Abkhazia Theme of Iberia Duchy of Kldekari Unification of the Georgian realm Kingdom of Georgia Duchy of Racha Kingdom of Kakheti-Hereti Byzantine–Georgian wars Great Turkish Invasion Georgian–Seljuk wars Georgian Golden Age Khwarazmian–Georgian wars Mongol invasions of Georgia Kingdom of Eastern Georgia Kingdom of Western Georgia Armenia within the Kingdom of Georgia Timurid invasions of Georgia Turkoman invasions of Georgia Duchy of Aragvi Georgian civil war of 1463–1490 Collapse of the Georgian realm Early modern history Duchy of Ksani Samtskhe-Saatabago Kingdom of Kartli Kingdom of Kakheti Kingdom of Imereti Georgian civil war of 1623–1658 Principality of Guria Principality of Svaneti Principality of Mingrelia Principality of Abkhazia Safavid Georgia Childir Eyalet Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti Modern history Georgia within the Russian Empire 1832 Georgian plot Gurian Republic Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic Democratic Republic of Georgia Red Army invasion of Georgia Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic Georgian civil war of 1991–1993 Russo-Georgian War History by topic Etymology Monarchs States Tbilisi Military history Wars Battles Chronology v t e

## See also

- [İspir](/source/%C4%B0spir)

- [Speri](/source/Speri_(region))

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [The Persian Army and Tribute Lists in Herodotus](https://www.jstor.org/stable/262900?seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents), A. G. Laird Classical Philology Vol. 16, No. 4 (October 1921), pp. 305–326

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-demetrios_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-demetrios_2-1) Grammenos, Dēmētrios; Petropoulos, Elias (2007). [*Ancient Greek colonies in the Black Sea 2, Volume 2*](https://books.google.com/books?id=n91nAAAAMAAJ). Archaeopress. pp. 1113–1114. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781407301129](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781407301129). Retrieved 23 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Salia, Kalistrat (1980). [*Histoire de la nation géorgienne*](https://books.google.com/books?id=decTAQAAMAAJ). pp. 30–41. Retrieved 23 June 2015.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-reisner_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-reisner_4-1) Reisner, Oliver; Nodia, Ghia (2009). [*Identity Studies, Vol 1*](https://books.google.com/books?id=gH1XAgAAQBAJ). Ilia State University Press. p. 51. Retrieved 23 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** T. A. Sinclair, "Eastern Turkey an Architectural and Archaeological Survey", Volume 2, 1989, p272.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Rayfield, Donald (2012). *Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia*. p. 18.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Herodotus, [*Histories*, Book 4, Chapter 37](http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.perseus-eng1:4.37)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Diakonoff, 1984

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Herodotus, [*Histories*, Book 7, Chapter 79](http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.perseus-eng1:4.37)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Mr. Tooke's Russia, vol. 2

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Memoir of the Map of the Countries between the Euxine and the Caspian, 1788

v t e Kartvelians Ethnic subgroups Svans Zans Mingrelians Laz people Historical subgroups Misimians Colchians Byzeres Drilae Machelones Macrones Marres Mossynoeci Phasians Sanni Tibareni Zydretae Iberians Gugars Saspeires Diauehi/Taochoi

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