Scyles, or Scylas, was the son and successor of Ariapeithes, and a king of the Scythians in the time of Herodotus. His mother was a Greek woman from Istria, who taught him the Greek language, and gave him a taste for Greek culture which made him discontent with the traditional Scythian way of life. Attracted by Greek customs and ideas, he acquired a house in the Milesian colony of Olbia, where he spent a considerable part of his time, married a local woman and was initiated into the mysteries of Dionysus.

Herodotus tells us of the Scythian hatred of foreign ways and the harsh punishments inflicted on those who introduced 'alien' customs (Histories 4.76.1. When Scyles was discovered by his people to be celebrating the Bacchic mysteries, they rebelled against him and set up as king in his stead his brother, Octamasades, the son of Ariapeithes's third wife, daughter of the Thracian king Teres. Scyles fled for refuge to Sitalces - Teres's son and uncle to Octamasades - who was now king of Thrace, with a Scythian army in pursuit. Before the Thracians and Scythians could come to blows though, Sitalces surrendered Scyles to Octamasades, who had him beheaded on the spot.

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