diviners, namely those who are most in repute, who divine in the manner
which has been said: and these say for the most part something like
this, namely that so and so has sworn falsely by the hearth of the king,
and they name one of the citizens, whosoever it may happen to be: now it
is the prevailing custom of the Scythians to swear by the hearth of the
king at the times when they desire to swear the most solemn oath. He
then who they say has sworn falsely, is brought forthwith held fast on
both sides; and when he has come the diviners charge him with this, that
he is shown by their divination to have sworn falsely by the hearth of
the king, and that for this reason the king is suffering pain: and
he denies and says that he did not swear falsely, and complains
indignantly: and when he denies it, the king sends for other diviners
twice as many in number, and if these also by looking into their
divination pronounce him guilty of having sworn falsely, at once they
cut off the man's head, and the diviners who came first part his goods
among them by lot; but if the diviners who came in afterwards acquit
him, other diviners come in, and again others after them. If then the
greater number acquit the man, the sentence is that the first diviners
shall themselves be put to death.
69. They put them to death accordingly in the following manner:—first
they fill a waggon with brushwood and yoke oxen to it; then having bound
the feet of the diviners and tied their hands behind them and stopped
their mouths with gags, they fasten them down in the middle of the
brushwood, and having set fire to it they scare the oxen and let them
go: and often the oxen are burnt to death together with the diviners,
and often they escape after being scorched, when the pole to which they
are fastened has been burnt: and they burn the diviners in the manner
described for other causes also, calling them false prophets. Now when
the king puts any to death, he does not leave alive their sons either,
but he puts to death all the males, not doing any hurt to the females.
70. In the following manner the Scythians make oaths to whomsoever they
make them:—they pour wine into a great earthenware cup and mingle with
it blood of those who are taking the oath to one another, either making
a prick with an awl or cutting with a dagger a little way into their
body, and then they dip into the cup a sword and arrows and a battle-axe
and a javelin; and having done this, they invoke many curses on the
breaker of the oath, and afterwards they drink it off, both they who are
making the oath and the most honourable of their company.
71. The burial-place of the kings is in the land of the Gerrians, the
place up to which the Borysthenes is navigable. In this place, when
their king has died, they make a large square excavation in the earth;
and when they have made this ready, they take up the corpse (the body
being covered over with wax and the belly ripped up and cleansed, and
then sewn together again, after it has been filled with kyperos 69
cut up and spices and parsley-seed and anise), and they convey it in
a waggon to another nation. Then those who receive the corpse thus
conveyed to them do the same as the Royal Scythians, that is they
cut off a part of their ear and shave their hair round about and cut
themselves all over the arms and tear their forehead and nose and pass
arrows through their left hand. Thence they convey in the waggon the
corpse of the king to another of the nations over whom they rule; and
they to whom they came before accompany them: and when they have gone
round to all conveying the corpse, then they are in the land of the
Gerrians, who have their settlements furthest away of all the nations
over whom they rule, and they have reached the spot where the burial
place is. After that, having placed the corpse in the tomb upon a bed of
leaves, they stick spears along on this side and that of the corpse and
stretch pieces of wood over them, and then they cover the place in with
matting. Then they strangle and bury in the remaining space of the
tomb one of the king's mistresses, his cup-bearer, his cook, his
horse-keeper, his attendant, and his bearer of messages, and also
horses, and a first portion of all things else, and cups of gold; for
silver they do not use at all, nor yet bronze. 70 Having thus done they
all join together to pile up a great mound, vying with one another and
zealously endeavouring to make it as large as possible.
72. Afterwards, when the year comes round again, they do as
follows:—they take the most capable of the remaining servants,—and these
are native Scythians, for those serve him whom the king himself commands
to do so, and his servants are not bought for money,—of these attendants
then they strangle fifty and also fifty of the finest horses; and when
they have taken out their bowels and cleansed the belly, they fill it
with chaff and sew it together again. Then they set the half of a wheel
upon two stakes with the hollow side upwards, and the other half of the
wheel upon other two stakes, and in this manner they fix a number of
these; and after this they run thick stakes through the length of the
horses as far as the necks, and they mount them upon the wheels; and the
front pieces of wheel support the shoulders of the horses, while those
behind bear up their bellies, going by the side of the thighs; and both
front and hind legs hang in the air. On the horses they put bridles and
bits, and stretch the bridles tight in front of them and then tie them
up to pegs: and of the fifty young men who have been strangled they
mount each one upon his horse, having first 71 run a straight stake
through each body along by the spine up to the neck; and a part of this
stake projects below, which they fasten into a socket made in the other
stake that runs through the horse. Having set horsemen such as I have
described in a circle round the tomb, they then ride away.
73. Thus they bury their kings; but as for the other Scythians, when
they die their nearest relations carry them round laid in waggons to
their friends in succession; and of them each one when he receives the
body entertains those who accompany it, and before the corpse they serve
up of all things about the same quantity as before the others. Thus
private persons are carried about for forty days, and then they are
buried: and after burying them the Scythians cleanse themselves in the
following way:—they soap their heads and wash them well, and then, for
their body, they set up three stakes leaning towards one another and
about them they stretch woollen felt coverings, and when they have
closed them as much as possible they throw stones heated red-hot into a
basin placed in the middle of the stakes and the felt coverings.
74. Now they have hemp growing in their land, which is very like flax
except in thickness and in height, for in these respects the hemp is
much superior. This grows both of itself and with cultivation; and of
it the Thracians even make garments, which are very like those made of
flaxen thread, so that he who was not specially conversant with it would
not be able to decide whether the garments were of flax or of hemp; and
he who had not before seen stuff woven of hemp would suppose that the
garment was made of flax.
75. The Scythians then take the seed of this hemp and creep under the
felt coverings, and then they throw the seed upon the stones which have
been heated red-hot: and it burns like incense and produces a vapour so
thick that no vapour-bath in Hellas would surpass it: and the Scythians
being delighted with the vapour-bath howl like wolves. 72 This is to
them instead of washing, for in fact they do not wash their bodies at
all in water. Their women however pound with a rough stone the wood of
the cypress and cedar and frankincense tree, pouring in water with it,
and then with this pounded stuff, which is thick, they plaster over all
their body and also their face; and not only does a sweet smell attach
to them by reason of this, but also when they take off the plaster on
the next day, their skin is clean and shining.
76. This nation also 73 is very averse to adopting strange customs,
rejecting even those of other tribes among themselves, 74 but especially
those of the Hellenes, as the history of Anacharsis and also afterwards
of Skyles proved. 75 For as to Anacharsis first, when he was returning
to the abodes of the Scythians, after having visited many lands 76 and
displayed in them much wisdom, as he sailed through the Hellespont he
put in to Kyzicos: and since he found the people of Kyzicos celebrating
a festival very magnificently in honour of the Mother of the gods,
Anacharsis vowed to the Mother that if he should return safe and sound
to his own land, he would both sacrifice to her with the same rites as
he saw the men of Kyzicos do, and also hold a night festival. So when
he came to Scythia he went down into the region called Hylaia (this is
along by the side of the racecourse of Achilles and is quite full, as it
happens, of trees of all kinds),—into this, I say, Anacharsis went down,
and proceeded to perform all the ceremonies of the festival in honour of
the goddess, with a kettle-drum and with images hung about himself. And
one of the Scythians perceived him doing this and declared it to Saulios
the king; and the king came himself also, and when he saw Anacharsis
doing this, he shot him with an arrow and killed him. Accordingly at the
present time if one asks about Anacharsis, the Scythians say that they
do not know him, and for this reason, because he went out of his own
country to Hellas and adopted foreign customs. And as I heard from
Tymnes the steward 77 of Ariapeithes, he was the uncle on the father's
side of Idanthyrsos king of the Scythians, and the son of Gnuros, the
son of Lycos, the son of Spargapeithes. If then Anacharsis was of
this house, let him know that he died by the hand of his brother,
for Idanthyrsos was the son of Saulios, and Saulios was he who killed
Anacharsis.
77. However I have heard also another story, told by the Peloponnesians,
that Anacharsis was sent out by the king of the Scythians, and so made
himself a disciple of Hellas; and that when he returned back he said
to him that had sent him forth, that the Hellenes were all busied about
every kind of cleverness except the Lacedemonians; but these alone knew
how to exchange speech sensibly. This story however has been invented 78
without any ground by the Hellenes themselves; and however that may be,
the man was slain in the way that was related above.
78. This man then fared thus badly by reason of foreign customs and
communication with Hellenes; and very many years afterwards Skyles the
son of Ariapeithes suffered nearly the same fate as he. For Ariapeithes
the king of the Scythians with other sons had Skyles born to him: and
he was born of a woman who was of Istria, and certainly not a native of
Scythia; and this mother taught him the language and letters of Hellas.
Afterwards in course of time Ariapeithes was brought to his end by
treachery at the hands of Spargapeithes the king of the Agathyrsians,
and Skyles succeeded to the kingdom; and he took not only that but also
the wife of his father, whose name was Opoia: this Opoia was a native
Scythian and from her was born Oricos to Ariapeithes. Now when Skyles
was king of the Scythians, he was by no means satisfied with the
Scythian manner of life, but was much more inclined towards Hellenic
ways because of the training with which he had been brought up, and he
used to do somewhat as follows:—When he came with the Scythians in arms
to the city of the Borysthenites (now these Borysthenites say that they
are of Miletos),—when Skyles came to these, he would leave his band in
the suburbs of the city and go himself within the walls and close the
gates. After that he would lay aside his Scythian equipments and
take Hellenic garments, and wearing them he would go about in the
market-place with no guards or any other man accompanying him (and they
watched the gates meanwhile, that none of the Scythians might see him
wearing this dress): and while in other respects too he adopted Hellenic
manners of life, he used also to perform worship to the gods according
to the customs of the Hellenes. Then having stayed a month or more than
that, he would put on the Scythian dress and depart. This he did many
times, and he both built for himself a house in Borysthenes and also
took to it a woman of the place as his wife.
79. Since however it was fated that evil should happen to him, it
happened by an occasion of this kind:—he formed a desire to be initiated
in the rites of Bacchus-Dionysos, and as he was just about to receive 79
the initiation, there happened a very great portent. He had in the city
of the Borysthenites a house of great size and built with large expense,
of which also I made mention a little before this, and round it were
placed sphinxes and griffins of white stone: on this house Zeus 7901
caused a bolt to fall; and the house was altogether burnt down,
but Skyles none the less for this completed his initiation. Now the
Scythians make the rites of Bacchus a reproach against the Hellenes, for
they say that it is not fitting to invent a god like this, who impels
men to frenzy. So when Skyles had been initiated into the rites of
Bacchus, one of the Borysthenites went off 80 to the Scythians and said:
"Whereas ye laugh at us, O Scythians, because we perform the rite of
Bacchus and because the god seizes us, now this divinity has seized also
your king; and he is both joining in the rite of Bacchus and maddened
by the influence of the god. And if ye disbelieve me, follow and I
will show you." The chief men of the Scythians followed him, and the
Borysthenite led them secretly into the town and set them upon a
tower. So when Skyles passed by with the company of revellers, and the
Scythians saw him joining in the rite of Bacchus, they were exceedingly
grieved at it, and they went out and declared to the whole band that
which they had seen.
80. After this when Skyles was riding out again to his own abode, the
Scythians took his brother Octamasades for their leader, who was a son
of the daughter of Teres, and made insurrection against Skyles. He then
when he perceived that which was being done to his hurt and for what
reason it was being done, fled for refuge to Thrace; and Octamasades
being informed of this, proceeded to march upon Thrace. So when he had
arrived at the river Ister, the Thracians met him; and as they were
about to engage battle, Sitalkes sent a messenger to Octamasades and
said: "Why must we make trial of one another in fight? Thou art my
sister's son and thou hast in thy power my brother. Do thou give him
back to me, and I will deliver to thee thy brother Skyles: and let
us not either of us set our armies in peril, either thou or I." Thus
Sitalkes proposed to him by a herald; for there was with Octamasades
a brother of Sitalkes, who had gone into exile for fear of him. And
Octamasades agreed to this, and by giving up his own mother's brother to
Sitalkes he received his brother Skyles in exchange: and Sitalkes when
he received his brother led him away as a prisoner, but Octamasades
cut off the head of Skyles there upon the spot. Thus do the Scythians
carefully guard their own customary observances, and such are the
penalties which they inflict upon those who acquire foreign customs
besides their own.
81. How many the Scythians are I was not able to ascertain precisely,
but I heard various reports of the number: for reports say both that
they are very many in number and also that they are few, at least as
regards the true Scythians. 81 Thus far however they gave me evidence of
my own eyesight:—there is between the river Borysthenes and the Hypanis
a place called Exampaios, of which also I made mention somewhat before
this, saying that there was in it a spring of bitter water, from which
the water flows and makes the river Hypanis unfit to drink. In this
place there is set a bronze bowl, in size at least six times as large as
the mixing-bowl at the entrance of the Pontus, which Pausanias the son
of Cleombrotos dedicated: and for him who has never seen that, I will
make the matter clear by saying that the bowl in Scythia holds easily
six hundred amphors, 82 and the thickness of this Scythian bowl is six
fingers. This then the natives of the place told me had been made of
arrow-heads: for their king, they said, whose name was Ariantas, wishing
to know how many the Scythians were, ordered all the Scythians to bring
one arrow-head, each from his own arrow, and whosoever should not bring
one, he threatened with death. So a great multitude of arrow-heads was
brought, and he resolved to make of them a memorial and to leave it
behind him: from these then, they said, he made this bronze bowl and
dedicated it in this place Exampaios.
82. This is what I heard about the number of the Scythians. Now this
land has no marvellous things except that it has rivers which are by far
larger and more numerous than those of any other land. One thing however
shall be mentioned which it has to show, and which is worthy of wonder
even besides the rivers and the greatness of the plain, that is to say,
they point out a footprint of Heracles in the rock by the bank of the
river Tyras, which in shape is like the mark of a man's foot but in size
is two cubits long. This then is such as I have said; and I will go back
now to the history which I was about to tell at first.
83. While Dareios was preparing to go against the Scythians and was
sending messengers to appoint to some the furnishing of a land-army, to
others that of ships, and to others the bridging over of the Thracian
Bosphorus, Artabanos, the son of Hystaspes and brother of Dareios, urged
him by no means to make the march against the Scythians, telling him
how difficult the Scythians were to deal with. Since however he did not
persuade him, though he gave him good counsel, he ceased to urge; and
Dareios, when all his preparations had been made, began to march his
army forth from Susa.
84. Then one of the Persians, Oiobazos, made request to Dareios that as
he had three sons and all were serving in the expedition, one might be
left behind for him: and Dareios said that as he was a friend and made a
reasonable request, he would leave behind all the sons. So Oiobazos was
greatly rejoiced, supposing that his sons had been freed from service,
but Dareios commanded those who had the charge of such things to put to
death all the sons of Oiobazos.
85. These then were left, having been slain upon the spot where they
were: and Dareios meanwhile set forth from Susa and arrived at the
place on the Bosphorus where the bridge of ships had been made, in the
territory of Chalcedon; and there he embarked in a ship and sailed
to the so-called Kyanean rocks, which the Hellenes say formerly moved
backwards and forwards; and taking his seat at the temple 83 he gazed
upon the Pontus, which is a sight well worth seeing. Of all seas indeed
it is the most marvellous in its nature. The length of it is eleven
thousand one hundred furlongs, 84 and the breadth, where it is broadest,
three thousand three hundred: and of this great Sea the mouth is but
four furlongs broad, and the length of the mouth, that is of the neck of
water which is called Bosphorus, where, as I said, the bridge of ships
had been made, is not less than a hundred and twenty furlongs. This
Bosphorus extends to the Propontis; and the Propontis, being in breadth
five hundred furlongs and in length one thousand four hundred, has its
outlet into the Hellespont, which is but seven furlongs broad at the
narrowest place, though it is four hundred furlongs in length: and the
Hellespont runs out into that expanse of sea which is called the Egean.
86. These measurements I have made as follows:—a ship completes on an
average in a long day a distance of seventy thousand fathoms, and in
a night sixty thousand. Now we know that to the river Phasis from the
mouth of the Sea (for it is here that the Pontus is longest) is a voyage
of nine days and eight nights, which amounts to one hundred and eleven
myriads 85 of fathoms; and these fathoms are eleven thousand one hundred
furlongs. Then from the land of the Sindians to Themiskyra on the river
Thermodon (for here is the broadest part of the Pontus) it is a voyage
of three days and two nights, which amounts to thirty-three myriads 86
of fathoms or three thousand three hundred furlongs. This Pontus then
and also the Bosphorus and the Hellespont have been measured by me thus,
and their nature is such as has been said: and this Pontus also has a
lake which has its outlet into it, which lake is not much less in size
than the Pontus itself, and it is called Maiotis and "Mother of the
Pontus."
87. Dareios then having gazed upon the Pontus sailed back to the bridge,
of which Mandrocles a Samian had been chief constructor; and having
gazed upon the Bosphorus also, he set up two pillars 8601 by it of white
stone with characters cut upon them, on the one Assyrian and on the
other Hellenic, being the names of all the nations which he was leading
with him: and he was leading with him all over whom he was ruler. The
whole number of them without the naval force was reckoned to be seventy
myriads 87 including cavalry, and ships had been gathered together to
the number of six hundred. These pillars the Byzantians conveyed to
their city after the events of which I speak, and used them for the
altar of Artemis Orthosia, excepting one stone, which was left standing
by the side of the temple of Dionysos in Byzantion, covered over with
Assyrian characters. Now the place on the Bosphorus where Dareios made
his bridge is, as I conclude, 8701 midway between Byzantion and the
temple at the mouth of the Pontus.
88. After this Dareios being pleased with the floating bridge rewarded
the chief constructor of it, Mandrocles the Samian, with gifts tenfold;
88 and as an offering from these Mandrocles had a painting made of
figures to present the whole scene of the bridge over the Bosphorus and
king Dareios sitting in a prominent seat and his army crossing over;
this he caused to be painted and dedicated it as an offering in the
temple of Hera, with the following inscription:
"Bosphorus having bridged over, the straits fish-abounding, to Hera
Mandrocleës dedicates this, of his work to record;
A crown on himself he set, and he brought to the Samians glory,
And for Dareios performed everything after his mind."
89. This memorial was made of him who constructed the bridge: and
Dareios, after he had rewarded Mandrocles with gifts, passed over into
Europe, having first commanded the Ionians to sail into the Pontus as
far as the river Ister, and when they arrived at the Ister, there to
wait for him, making a bridge meanwhile over the river; for the chief of
his naval force were the Ionians, the Aiolians and the Hellespontians.
So the fleet sailed through between the Kyanean rocks and made straight
for the Ister; and then they sailed up the river a two days' voyage from
the sea and proceeded to make a bridge across the neck, as it were, of
the river, where the mouths of the Ister part off. Dareios meanwhile,
having crossed the Bosphorus on the floating bridge, was advancing
through Thrace, and when he came to the sources of the river Tearos he
encamped for three days.
90. Now the Tearos is said by those who dwell near it to be the best of
all rivers, both in other respects which tend to healing and especially
for curing diseases of the skin 89 both in men and in horses: and its
springs are thirty-eight in number, flowing all from the same rock, of
which some are cold and others warm. The way to them is of equal length
from the city of Heraion near Perinthos and from Apollonia upon the
Euxine Sea, that is to say two days' journey by each road. This Tearos
runs into the river Contadesdos and the Contadesdos into the Agrianes
and the Agrianes into the Hebros, which flows into the sea by the city
of Ainos.
91. Dareios then, having come to this river and having encamped there,
was pleased with the river and set up a pillar there also, with an
inscription as follows: "The head-springs of the river Tearos give the
best and fairest water of all rivers; and to them came leading an army
against the Scythians the best and fairest of all men, Dareios the son
of Hystaspes, of the Persians and of all the Continent king." These were
the words which were there written.