Аланы на Кавказе

The Alans, a nomadic people mentioned in classical sources since the 1st century A.D., settled in the region north of the Black Sea and the Caucasus. They were not indigenous to these territories but came from the east. The Alans played a significant role in relations between the Romans and Parthians, and later between the Byzantines and Sasanians. Over their long history, Alan society underwent major changes, including conversion to Christianity in the 10th century and the establishment of the so-called medieval Alania, which fell under the onslaught of the Mongol invasion of Europe. This article examines the significance of the Alans for the Caucasus, as well as the differences in their behavior in this region compared to the West. On one hand, they displayed conservatism and adherence to tradition; on the other, a pronounced tendency toward assimilation. In the West, as with the Alans deported by the Mongols to China during the Yuan dynasty, assimilation was primarily linguistic (Alan words are rare in European languages). Yet, this people managed to preserve epic tradition, which may even have influenced the Arthurian cycle.