The Scythian name has been tentatively suggested by Ferdinand Justi and Josef Markwart to have been composed of the Iranian term *Vinda(t)- "finding, attaining" or *Vidant.
[3] The linguist Martin Schwartz has instead reconstructed the original Scythian form of Idanthursos as *Hiθāmθrauša, meaning "prospering the ally", with the final part modified into -θυρσος, referring to the composite vegetal wand of Bacchus, in Greek because the ancient Greeks associated Scythian peoples with Bacchic rites.
[citation needed] When Darius I of Persia invaded Scythia, about 513 BC, and the Scythians retreated before him, he sent a message to Idanthyrsus, calling upon him either to fight or submit.
If thou deemest thyself able to resist my arms, cease thy wanderings and come, let us engage in battle.
Last of all, in return for thy calling thyself my lord, I say to thee, "Go weep".Graeco-Roman authors confused several early Scythian kings such as Išpakaia, Protothyes, and Madyes, into a single figure, also named Madyes, who led Scythians into defeating the Medes and the legendary Egyptian king Sesōstris, before imposing their rule over Asia for many years before returning to Scythia.