Tibareni

The Tibareni (Greek: Τιβαρηνοί[1] and Τιβαρανοί;[1] Tubal, Thobeles in Josephus) were a people residing on the coast of ancient Pontus referred to in Herodotus, Xenophon, Strabo and other classical authors.

Tibarenia in a map of the voyage of the Argonauts by Abraham Ortelius, 1624

They occupied the country between the Chalybes and the Mosynoeci, on the east of the river Isis, and the country was called Tibarenia (Ancient Greek: Τιβαρηνία).[1] They are mentioned as early as the time of Herodotus,[2] and were believed to be of Scythian origin.[3][4][5][6] Strabo describes them as inhabiting the mountains branching off from the Montes Moschici and Colchici, and mentions Cotyura as their principal town.[7][8] They appear to have been a harmless and happy people, who performed all their duties in a joyous manner.[3][6][9] Their arms consisted of wooden helmets, small shields, and short spears with long points.[10] Xenophon and his Greeks spent three days in travelling through their country.[11][12][13][14]

These three tribes still neighbored each other, along the Black Sea coast of Anatolia (ancient Pontus), as late as in Roman times. Tibareni, along with the other Proto-Georgian tribes were subjugated by the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th-5th centuries BC and were incorporated into the XIX Satrapy.