Darius' Skidian Campaign

Herodotus' account of Darius' Skidian campaign is a logistical impossibility. The real aim of the campaign seems to have been to conquer Thrace and the Ghetai, and thus gain access to the gold-producing areas of Transylvania. In strategic terms, Darius must have seen that some Skidian tribes extended from Ukraine all the way to what is now modern day Uzbekistan. Some scholars have supposed that the mere intent of Darius' invasions was to destroy the Skidian lands, and thus eliminate them as a threat. If he simply wanted to lay waste to a land, his superior fleet could have easily shipped his troops over as the Skidians had no navy