shall show by many other proofs and among them also by this:—For the
support of the great king and his army, apart from the regular tribute
the whole land of which he is ruler has been distributed into portions.
Now whereas twelve months go to make up the year, for four of these he
has his support from the territory of Babylon, and for the remaining
eight months from the whole of the rest of Asia; thus the Assyrian
land is in regard to resources the third part of all Asia: and the
government, or satrapy as it is called by the Persians, of this
territory is of all the governments by far the best; seeing that when
Tritantaichmes son of Artabazos had this province from the king, there
came in to him every day an artab full of silver coin (now the artab
is a Persian measure and holds more than the medimnos of Attica 197 by
three Attic choinikes); and of horses he had in this province as his
private property, apart from the horses for use in war, eight hundred
stallions and sixteen thousand mares, for each of these stallions served
twenty mares: of Indian hounds moreover such a vast number were
kept that four large villages in the plain, being free from other
contributions, had been appointed to provide food for the hounds.
193. Such was the wealth which belonged to the ruler of Babylon. Now
the land of the Assyrians has but little rain; and this little gives
nourishment to the root of the corn, but the crop is ripened and the ear
comes on by the help of watering from the river, not as in Egypt by the
coming up of the river itself over the fields, but the crop is watered
by hand or with swing-buckets. For the whole Babylonian territory like
the Egyptian is cut up into channels, and the largest of the channels is
navigable for ships and runs in the direction of the sunrising in winter
from the Euphrates to another river, namely the Tigris, along the bank
of which lay the city of Nineveh. This territory is of all that we know
the best by far for producing corn: 198 as to trees, 199 it does
not even attempt to bear them, either fig or vine or olive, but for
producing corn it is so good that it s as much as two-hundred-fold
for the average, and when it bears at its best it produces
three-hundred-fold. The leaves of the wheat and barley there grow to
be full four fingers broad; and from millet and sesame seed how large
a tree grows, I know myself but shall not record, being well aware that
even what has already been said relating to the crops produced has been
enough to cause disbelief in those who have not visited the Babylonian
land. They use no oil of olives, but only that which they make of sesame
seed; and they have date-palms growing over all the plain, most of them
fruit-bearing, of which they make both solid food and wine and honey;
and to these they attend in the same manner as to fig-trees, and in
particular they take the fruit of those palms which the Hellenes call
male-palms, and tie them upon the date-bearing palms, so that their
gall-fly may enter into the date and ripen it and that the fruit of
the palm may not fall off: for the male-palm produces gall-flies in its
fruit just as the wild-fig does.
194. But the greatest marvel of all the things in the land after the
city itself, to my mind is this which I am about to tell: Their boats,
those I mean which go down the river to Babylon, are round and all of
leather: for they make ribs for them of willow which they cut in the
land of the Armenians who dwell above the Assyrians, and round these
they stretch hides which serve as a covering outside by way of hull, not
making broad the stern nor gathering in the prow to a point, but making
the boats round like a shield: and after that they stow the whole boat
with straw and suffer it to be carried down the stream full of cargo;
and for the most part these boats bring down casks of palm-wood 200
filled with wine. The boat is kept straight by two steering-oars and
two men standing upright, and the man inside pulls his oar while the man
outside pushes. 201 These vessels are made both of very large size and
also smaller, the largest of them having a burden of as much as five
thousand talents' weight; 202 and in each one there is a live ass, and
in those of larger size several. So when they have arrived at Babylon in
their voyage and have disposed of their cargo, they sell by auction the
ribs of the boat and all the straw, but they pack the hides upon their
asses and drive them off to Armenia: for up the stream of the river
it is not possible by any means to sail, owing to the swiftness of the
current; and for this reason they make their boats not of timber but
of hides. Then when they have come back to the land of the Armenians,
driving their asses with them, they make other boats in the same manner.
195. Such are their boats; and the following is the manner of dress
which they use, namely a linen tunic reaching to the feet, and over this
they put on another of wool, and then a white mantle thrown round, while
they have shoes of a native fashion rather like the Boeotian slippers.
They wear their hair long and bind their heads round with fillets, 203
and they are anointed over the whole of their body with perfumes. Each
man has a seal and a staff carved by hand, and on each staff is carved
either an apple or a rose or a lily or an eagle or some other device,
for it is not their custom to have a staff without a device upon it.
196. Such is the equipment of their bodies: and the customs which are
established among them are as follows, the wisest in our opinion being
this, which I am informed that the Enetoi in Illyria also have. In every
village once in each year it was done as follows:—When the maidens
204 grew to the age for marriage, they gathered these all together and
brought them in a body to one place, and round them stood a company of
men: and the crier caused each one severally to stand up, and proceeded
to sell them, first the most comely of all, and afterwards, when she had
been sold and had fetched a large sum of money, he would put up another
who was the most comely after her: and they were sold for marriage. Now
all the wealthy men of the Babylonians who were ready to marry vied with
one another in bidding for the most beautiful maidens; those however of
the common sort who were ready to marry did not require a fine form, but
they would accept money together with less comely maidens. For when the
crier had made an end of selling the most comely of the maidens, then
he would cause to stand up that one who was least shapely, or any one of
them who might be crippled in any way, and he would make proclamation
of her, asking who was willing for least gold to have her in marriage,
until she was assigned to him who was willing to accept least: and the
gold would be got from the sale of the comely maidens, and so those
of beautiful form provided dowries for those which were unshapely or
crippled; but to give in marriage one's own daughter to whomsoever each
man would, was not allowed, nor to carry off the maiden after buying her
without a surety; for it was necessary for the man to provide sureties
that he would marry her, before he took her away; and if they did not
agree well together, the law was laid down that he should pay back
the money. It was allowed also for any one who wished it to come from
another village and buy. This then was their most honourable custom; it
does not however still exist at the present time, but they have found
out of late another way, in order that the men may not ill-treat them or
take them to another city: 205 for since the time when being conquered
they were oppressed and ruined, each one of the common people when he is
in want of livelihood prostitutes his female children.
197. Next in wisdom to that, is this other custom which was established
206 among them:—they bear out the sick into the market-place; for of
physicians they make no use. So people come up to the sick man and give
advice about his disease, if any one himself has ever suffered anything
like that which the sick man has, or saw any other who had suffered
it; and coming near they advise and recommend those means by which they
themselves got rid of a like disease or seen some other get rid of it:
and to pass by the sick man in silence is not permitted to them, nor
until one has asked what disease he has.
198. They bury their dead in honey, and their modes of lamentation
are similar to those used in Egypt. And whenever a Babylonian man has
intercourse with his wife, he sits by incense offered, and his wife does
the same on the other side, and when it is morning they wash themselves,
both of them, for they will touch no vessel until they have washed
themselves: and the Arabians do likewise in this matter.
199. Now the most shameful of the customs of the Babylonians is as
follows: every woman of the country must sit down in the precincts 207
of Aphrodite once in her life and have commerce with a man who is a
stranger: and many women who do not deign to mingle with the rest,
because they are made arrogant by wealth, drive to the temple with pairs
of horses in covered carriages, and so take their place, and a large
number of attendants follow after them; but the greater number do
thus,—in the sacred enclosure of Aphrodite sit great numbers of women
with a wreath of cord about their heads; some come and others go; and
there are passages in straight lines going between the women in every
direction, 208 through which the strangers pass by and make their
choice. Here when a woman takes her seat she does not depart again to
her house until one of the strangers has thrown a silver coin into her
lap and has had commerce with her outside the temple, and after throwing
it he must say these words only: "I demand thee in the name of the
goddess Mylitta": 209 now Mylitta is the name given by the Assyrians to
Aphrodite: and the silver coin may be of any value; whatever it is she
will not refuse it, for that is not lawful for her, seeing that this
coin is made sacred by the act: and she follows the man who has first
thrown and does not reject any: and after that she departs to her house,
having acquitted herself of her duty to the goddess 210, nor will you
be able thenceforth to give any gift so great as to win her. So then as
many as have attained to beauty and stature 211 are speedily released,
but those of them who are unshapely remain there much time, not being
able to fulfil the law; for some of them remain even as much as three or
four years: and in some parts of Cyprus too there is a custom similar to
this.
200. These customs then are established among the Babylonians: and there
are of them three tribes 212 which eat nothing but fish only: and when
they have caught them and dried them in the sun they do thus,—they
throw them into brine, and then pound them with pestles and strain them
through muslin; and they have them for food either kneaded into a soft
cake, or baked like bread, according to their liking.
201. When this nation also had been subdued by Cyrus, he had a desire to
bring the Massagetai into subjection to himself. This nation is reputed
to be both great and warlike, and to dwell towards the East and the
sunrising, beyond the river Araxes and over against 213 the Issedonians:
and some also say that this nation is of Scythian race.
202. Now the Araxes is said by some to be larger and by others to be
smaller than the Ister: and they say that there are many islands in it
about equal in size to Lesbos, and in them people dwelling who feed in
the summer upon roots of all kinds which they dig up and certain fruits
from trees, which have been discovered by them for food, they store up,
it is said, in the season when they are ripe and feed upon them in the
winter. Moreover it is said that other trees have been discovered by
them which yield fruit of such a kind that when they have assembled
together in companies in the same place and lighted a fire, they sit
round in a circle and throw some of it into the fire, and they smell the
fruit which is thrown on, as it burns, and are intoxicated by the scent
as the Hellenes are with wine, and when more of the fruit is thrown on
they become more intoxicated, until at last they rise up to dance and
begin to sing. This is said to be their manner of living: and as to the
river Araxes, it flows from the land of the Matienians, whence flows the
Gyndes which Cyrus divided into the three hundred and sixty channels,
and it discharges itself by forty branches, of which all except one end
in swamps and shallow pools; and among them they say that men dwell who
feed on fish eaten raw, and who are wont to use as clothing the skins of
seals: but the one remaining branch of the Araxes flows with unimpeded
course into the Caspian Sea.
203. Now the Caspian Sea is apart by itself, not having connection with
the other Sea: for all that Sea which the Hellenes navigate, and the Sea
beyond the Pillars, which is called Atlantis, and the Erythraian Sea are
in fact all one, but the Caspian is separate and lies apart by itself.
In length it is a voyage of fifteen days if one uses oars, 214 and
in breadth, where it is broadest, a voyage of eight days. On the side
towards the West of this Sea the Caucasus runs along by it, which is of
all mountain-ranges both the greatest in extent and the loftiest: and
the Caucasus has many various races of men dwelling in it, living for
the most part on the wild produce of the forests; and among them
there are said to be trees which produce leaves of such a kind that by
pounding them and mixing water with them they paint figures upon their
garments, and the figures do not wash out, but grow old with the woollen
stuff as if they had been woven into it at the first: and men say that
the sexual intercourse of these people is open like that of cattle.
204. On the West then of this Sea which is called Caspian the Caucasus
is the boundary, while towards the East and the rising sun a plain
succeeds which is of limitless extent to the view. Of this great plain
then the Massagetai occupy a large part, against whom Cyrus had become
eager to march; for there were many strong reasons which incited him to
it and urged him onwards,—first the manner of his birth, that is to say
the opinion held of him that he was more than a mere mortal man,
and next the success which he had met with 215 in his wars, for
whithersoever Cyrus directed his march, it was impossible for that
nation to escape.
205. Now the ruler of the Massagetai was a woman, who was queen after
the death of her husband, and her name was Tomyris. To her Cyrus sent
and wooed her, pretending that he desired to have her for his wife:
but Tomyris understanding that he was wooing not herself but rather
the kingdom of the Massagetai, rejected his approaches: and Cyrus
after this, as he made no progress by craft, marched to the Araxes, and
proceeded to make an expedition openly against the Massagetai, forming
bridges of boats over the river for his army to cross, and building
towers upon the vessels which gave them passage across the river.
206. While he was busied about this labour, Tomyris sent a herald and
said thus: "O king of the Medes, cease to press forward the work which
thou art now pressing forward; for thou canst not tell whether these
things will be in the end for thy advantage or no; cease to do so, I
say, and be king over thine own people, and endure to see us ruling
those whom we rule. Since however I know that thou wilt not be willing
to receive this counsel, but dost choose anything rather than to be
at rest, therefore if thou art greatly anxious to make trial of the
Massagetai in fight, come now, leave that labour which thou hast in
yoking together the banks of the river, and cross over into our land,
when we have first withdrawn three days' journey from the river: or if
thou desirest rather to receive us into your land, do thou this same
thing thyself." Having heard this Cyrus called together the first men
among the Persians, and having gathered these together he laid the
matter before them for discussion, asking their advice as to which
of the two things he should do: and their opinions all agreed in one,
bidding him receive Tomyris and her army into his country.
207. But Croesus the Lydian, being present and finding fault with this
opinion, declared an opinion opposite to that which had been set forth,
saying as follows: "O king, I told thee in former time also, that since
Zeus had given me over to thee, I would avert according to my power
whatever occasion of falling I might see coming near thy house: and now
my sufferings, which have been bitter, 216 have proved to be lessons of
wisdom to me. If thou dost suppose that thou art immortal and that thou
dost command an army which is also immortal, it will be of no use for me
to declare to thee my judgment; but if thou hast perceived that thou art
a mortal man thyself and dost command others who are so likewise, then
learn this first, that for the affairs of men there is a revolving
wheel, and that this in its revolution suffers not the same persons
always to have good fortune. I therefore now have an opinion about the
matter laid before us, which is opposite to that of these men: for if we
shall consent to receive the enemy into our land, there is for thee this
danger in so doing:—if thou shalt be worsted thou wilt lose in addition
all thy realm, for it is evident that if the Massagetai are victors they
will not turn back and fly, but will march upon the provinces of thy
realm; and on the other hand if thou shalt be the victor, thou wilt not
be victor so fully as if thou shouldest overcome the Massagetai after
crossing over into their land and shouldest pursue them when they fled.
For against that which I said before I will set the same again here, and
say that thou, when thou hast conquered, wilt march straight against
the realm of Tomyris. Moreover besides that which has been said, it is
a disgrace and not to be endured that Cyrus the son of Cambyses should
yield to a woman and so withdraw from her land. Now therefore it seems
good to me that we should cross over and go forward from the crossing as
far as they go in their retreat, and endeavour to get the better of
them by doing as follows:—The Massagetai, as I am informed, are without
experience of Persian good things, and have never enjoyed any great
luxuries. Cut up therefore cattle without stint and dress the meat
and set out for these men a banquet in our camp: moreover also provide
without stint bowls of unmixed wine and provisions of every kind; and
having so done, leave behind the most worthless part of thy army and let
the rest begin to retreat from the camp towards the river: for if I
am not mistaken in my judgment, they when they see a quantity of good
things will fall to the feast, and after that it remains for us to
display great deeds."
208. These were the conflicting opinions; and Cyrus, letting go the
former opinion and choosing that of Croesus, gave notice to Tomyris to
retire, as he was intending to cross over to her. She then proceeded to
retire, as she had at first engaged to do, but Cyrus delivered Croesus
into the hands of his son Cambyses, to whom he meant to give the
kingdom, and gave him charge earnestly to honour him and to treat him
well, if the crossing over to go against the Massagetai should not be
prosperous. Having thus charged him and sent these away to the land of
the Persians, he crossed over the river both himself and his army.
209. And when he had passed over the Araxes, night having come on he saw
a vision in his sleep in the land of the Massagetai, as follows:—in his
sleep it seemed to Cyrus that he saw the eldest of the sons of Hystaspes
having upon his shoulders wings, and that with the one of these he
overshadowed Asia and with the other Europe. Now of Hystaspes the son
of Arsames, who was a man of the Achaimenid clan, the eldest son was
Dareios, who was then, I suppose, a youth of about twenty years of age,
and he had been left behind in the land of the Persians, for he was
not yet of full age to go out to the wars. So then when Cyrus awoke he
considered with himself concerning the vision: and as the vision seemed
to him to be of great import, he called Hystaspes, and having taken him
apart by himself he said: "Hystaspes, thy son has been found plotting
against me and against my throne: and how I know this for certain I will
declare to thee:—The gods have a care of me and show me beforehand all
the evils that threaten me. So in the night that is past while sleeping
I saw the eldest of thy sons having upon his shoulders wings, and with
the one of these he overshadowed Asia and with the other Europe. To
judge by this vision then, it cannot be but that he is plotting against
me. Do thou therefore go by the quickest way back to Persia and take
care that, when I thither after having subdued these regions, thou set
thy son before me to be examined."
210. Cyrus said thus supposing that Dareios was plotting against him;
but in fact the divine powers were showing him beforehand that he was
destined to find his end there and that his kingdom was coming about
to Dareios. To this then Hystaspes replied as follows: "O king, heaven
forbid 217 that there should be any man of Persian race who would plot
against thee, and if there be any, I pray that he perish as quickly as
may be; seeing that thou didst make the Persians to be free instead of
slaves, and to rule all nations instead of being ruled by others. And if
any vision announces to thee that my son is planning rebellion against
thee, I deliver him over to thee to do with him whatsoever thou wilt."
211. Hystaspes then, having made answer with these words and having
crossed over the Araxes, was going his way to the Persian land to keep
watch over his son Dareios for Cyrus; and Cyrus meanwhile went forward
and made a march of one day from the Araxes according to the suggestion
of Croesus. After this when Cyrus and the best part of the army 218 of
the Persians had marched back to the Araxes, and those who were unfit
for fighting had been left behind, then a third part of the army of
the Massagetai came to the attack and proceeded to slay, not without
resistance, 219 those who were left behind of the army of Cyrus; and
seeing the feast that was set forth, when they had overcome their
enemies they lay down and feasted, and being satiated with food and wine
they went to sleep. Then the Persians came upon them and slew many of
them, and took alive many more even than they slew, and among these the
son of the queen Tomyris, who was leading the army of the Massagetai;
and his name was Spargapises.
212. She then, when she heard that which had come to pass concerning the
army and also the things concerning her son, sent a herald to Cyrus and
said as follows: "Cyrus, insatiable of blood, be not elated with pride
by this which has come to pass, namely because with that fruit of the
vine, with which ye fill yourselves and become so mad that as the wine
descends into your bodies, evil words float up upon its stream,—because
setting a snare, I say, with such a drug as this thou didst overcome my
son, and not by valour in fight. Now therefore receive the word which
I utter, giving thee good advice:—Restore to me my son and depart from
this land without penalty, triumphant over a third part of the army of
the Massagetai: but if thou shalt not do so, I swear to thee by the Sun,
who is lord of the Massagetai, that surely I will give thee thy fill of
blood, insatiable as thou art."
213. When these words were reported to him Cyrus made no account of
them; and the son of the queen Tomyris, Spargapises, when the wine left
him and he learnt in what evil case he was, entreated Cyrus that he
might be loosed from his chains and gained his request, and then so
soon as he was loosed and had got power over his hands he put himself to
death.