- Cercetae
Cercetae — a numerous tribe located on the northeastern coast of the Pontus Euxinus (modern Black Sea) and in the foothills of the North Caucasus. The neighbors of the Cercetae were the Heniochi and Moschi. Researchers connect the name of the Cercetae with the modern Circassians. The ethnonym itself is presumably of Iranian origin or comes from the Greek κερκέτηζ — "a type of steering oar," and is a nickname given to the Toretae by the Greeks for their skill in maritime affairs. The very first mention of the Cercetae dates to the 6th century BC and belongs to Scylax of Caryanda. The second mention of the Cercetae dates to the 5th century BC and belongs to Hellanicus of Mytilene. The Cercetae are well known from the works of ancient authors — Strabo, Pliny, Ptolemy, the Anonymous, and others. Pliny, describing the coast from east to west, says: "On the coast near the Cercetae is the river Icarus, and the Aki with the city of Hierus and a river at a distance of 136,000 paces from Heraclea. Then Cape Crouni, and from it a steep height occupied by the Toretae. Further on the state of the Sindi, 65,500 paces from Hierus and the river Seherius." According to ancient authors — later, in the Hellenistic era — the Cercetae united with the related tribe of the Toretae. To the 4th century AD belongs the mention of the Cercetae made by Rufus Festus Avienus in his work "Description of the Earth's Circle." To the 5th century AD belongs the mention of the Cercetae by Pseudo-Arrian, who wrote: "Beyond the Sindi are the Cercetae, also called Toretae, a just and good people and very experienced in navigation."
The Cercetae originally (in antiquity) lived on the Black Sea coast (south of modern Novorossiysk). Later — in the 3rd-4th centuries AD — they were driven by the Goths to the upper reaches of the Laba River. L. A. Elnitsky, N. A. Chlenova, I. A. Javakhishvili, J. Kiessling, and V. V. Latyshev identify migrations of the Cercetae to regions of Colchis.
V. V. Latyshev also points to the belonging of the Laz tribe to the Cercetae: "[...] See also about the Laz in Arrian, Periplus Ponti Euxini, 15 and the note by Kiessling (Pauly-Wissowa-Kroll. Realencyklopädie der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft, VIII,1, 266) establishes their belonging to the tribe of the Cercetae, from whom they separated, having moved from a locality called Old Lazica (Arrian, Periplus Ponti Euxini, 18), during the era of the Mithridatic Wars."
VARIANT NAMES: Latin. Cercetae, Cercetii, Chireoe, Kaetai, Greek. Κερκεται, Κερκετιοι, Κεται, Russian. Kerketi, Kerketii.
Sources:
Ethnogenesis of the Abkhazians. D.A. Arshba, 2015