Bayer Gottlieb Siegfried

Gottlieb Siegfried Bayer (b. January 6, 1694, Königsberg — d. February 10, 1738, St. Petersburg) was a German orientalist, who specialized in Sinology and Semitology.

He graduated from the University of Königsberg, where he studied Oriental languages, then taught Greek literature at the same university. In 1725, he was invited to St. Petersburg and was assigned to the Chair of Oriental Languages.

In 1728, his work About the Wall of the Caucasus was published. Here, on the basis of Greek, Roman and Byzantine authors, he claimed that there was a wall along the Caucasus, which protected Transcaucasia from the northern nomads. He noted that the wall was built during the time of Alexander the Great. The author also described the passes on the northern border of the Caucasus, in particular, Georgia.

Bayer published another work about the 10^th century southern borders of Russia and neighboring peoples (in accordance with Constantine Porphyrogenitus) in the “Commentaries” magazine of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IX, 1744). In this work, he also referred to Laz, Apsilae, Abasgoi, Sanigs and other peoples living in Colchis and the Black Sea coast.