fight a pitched battle openly, since these did not join them as allies,
but to retire before the Persians and to drive away their cattle from
before them, choking up with earth the wells and the springs of water by
which they passed and destroying the grass from off the ground, having
parted themselves for this into two bodies; and they resolved that the
Sauromatai should be added to one of their divisions, namely that over
which Scopasis was king, and that these should move on, if the Persians
turned in that direction, straight towards the river Tanaïs, retreating
before him by the shore of the Maiotian lake; and when the Persian
marched back again, they should come after and pursue him. This was one
division of their kingdom, appointed to go by the way which has been
said; and the other two of the kingdoms, the large one over which
Idanthyrsos was king, and the third of which Taxakis was king, were to
join together in one, with the Gelonians and the Budinoi added to them,
and they also were to retire before the Persians one day's march in
front of them, going on out of their way and doing that which had been
planned. First they were to move on straight for the countries which had
refused to give their alliance, in order that they might involve these
also in the war, and though these had not voluntarily undertaken the war
with the Persians, they were to involve them in it nevertheless against
their will; and after that they were to return to their own land and
attack the enemy, if it should seem good to them in council so to do.
121. Having formed this plan the Scythians went to meet the army of
Dareios, sending off the best of their horsemen before them as scouts;
but all 112 the waggons in which their children and their women lived
they sent on, and with them all their cattle (leaving only so much as
was sufficient to supply them with food), and charged them that they
should proceed continually towards the North Wind. These, I say, were
being carried on before:
122, but when the scouts who went in front of the Scythians discovered
the Persians distant about three days' march from Ister, then the
Scythians having discovered them continued to pitch their camp one day's
march in front, destroying utterly that which grew from the ground: and
when the Persians saw that the horsemen of the Scythians had made their
appearance, they came after them following in their track, while the
Scythians continually moved on. After this, since they had directed
their march towards the first of the divisions, the Persians continued
to pursue towards the East and the river Tanaïs; and when the Scythians
crossed over the river Tanaïs, the Persians crossed over after them and
continued still to pursue, until they had passed quite through the land
of the Sauromatai and had come to that of the Budinoi.
123. Now so long as the Persians were passing through Scythia and the
land of the Sauromatai, they had nothing to destroy, seeing that the
land was bare, 113 but when they invaded the land of the Budinoi,
then they fell in with the wooden wall, which had been deserted by the
Budinoi and left wholly unoccupied, and this they destroyed by fire.
Having done so they continued to follow on further in the tracks of
the enemy, until they had passed through the whole of this land and had
arrived at the desert. This desert region is occupied by no men, and it
lies above the land of the Budinoi, extending for a seven days' journey;
and above this desert dwell the Thyssagetai, and four large rivers flow
from them through the land of the Maiotians and run into that which is
called the Maiotian lake, their names being as follows,—Lycos, Oaros,
Tanaïs, Syrgis. 114
124. When therefore Dareios came to the desert region, he ceased from
his course and halted his army upon the river Oaros. Having so done he
began to build eight large fortifications at equal distances from one
another, that is to say about sixty furlongs, of which the ruins
still existed down to my time; and while he was occupied in this,
the Scythians whom he was pursuing came round by the upper parts and
returned back to Scythia. Accordingly, since these had altogether
disappeared and were no longer seen by the Persians at all, Dareios left
those fortifications half finished, and turning back himself began to
go towards the West, supposing that these were the whole body of the
Scythians and that they were flying towards the West.
125. And marching his army as quickly as possible, when he came to
Scythia he met with the two divisions of the Scythians together, and
having fallen in with these he continued to pursue them, while they
retired out of his way one day's journey in advance: and as Dareios did
not cease to come after them, the Scythians according to the plan which
they had made continued to retire before him towards the land of those
who had refused to give their alliance, and first towards that of the
Melanchlainoi; and when Scythians and Persians both together had invaded
and disturbed these, the Scythians led the way to the country of the
Androphagoi; and when these had also been disturbed, they proceeded to
the land of the Neuroi; and while these too were being disturbed, the
Scythians went on retiring before the enemy to the Agathyrsians. The
Agathyrsians however, seeing that their next neighbours also were flying
from the Scythians and had been disturbed, sent a herald before the
Scythians invaded their land and proclaimed to the Scythians not to set
foot upon their confines, warning them that if they should attempt
to invade the country, they would first have to fight with them. The
Agathyrsians then having given this warning came out in arms to their
borders, meaning to drive off those who were coming upon them; but
the Melanchlainoi and Androphagoi and Neuroi, when the Persians and
Scythians together invaded them, did not betake themselves to brave
defence but forgot their former threat 115 and fled in confusion ever
further towards the North to the desert region. The Scythians however,
when the Agathyrsians had warned them off, did not attempt any more to
come to these, but led the Persians from the country of the Neuroi back
to their own land.
126. Now as this went on for a long time and did not cease, Dareios sent
a horseman to Idanthyrsos king of the Scythians and said as follows:
"Thou most wondrous man, why dost thou fly for ever, when thou mightest
do of these two things one?—if thou thinkest thyself able to make
opposition to my power, stand thou still and cease from wandering
abroad, and fight; but if thou dost acknowledge thyself too weak, cease
then in that case also from thy course, and come to speech with thy
master, bringing to him gifts of earth and water."
127. To this the king of the Scythians Idanthyrsos made answer thus: "My
case, O Persian, stands thus:—Never yet did I fly because I was afraid,
either before this time from any other man, or now from thee; nor have
I done anything different now from that which I was wont to do also in
time of peace: and as to the cause why I do not fight with thee at once,
this also I will declare to thee. We have neither cities nor land sown
with crops, about which we should fear lest they should be captured
or laid waste, and so join battle more speedily with you; but if it
be necessary by all means to come to this speedily, know that we have
sepulchres in which our fathers are buried; therefore come now, find
out these and attempt to destroy them, and ye shall know then whether we
shall fight with you for the sepulchres or whether we shall not fight.
Before that however, unless the motion comes upon us, we shall not join
battle with thee. About fighting let so much as has been said suffice;
but as to masters, I acknowledge none over me but Zeus my ancestor and
Hestia the queen of the Scythians. To thee then in place of gifts of
earth and water I shall send such things as it is fitting that thou
shouldest receive; and in return for thy saying that thou art my master,
for that I say, woe betide thee." 116 This is the proverbial "saying of
the Scythians." 117
128. The herald then had departed to report this to Dareios; and the
kings of the Scythians, having heard mention of subjection to a master,
were filled with wrath. They sent accordingly the division which was
appointed to be joined with the Sauromatai, that division of which
Scopasis was in command, bidding them come to speech with the Ionians,
namely those who were guarding the bridge of the Ister, and meanwhile
they who were left behind resolved not to lead the Persians wandering
about any more, but to attack them constantly as they were getting
provisions. Therefore they observed the soldiers of Dareios as they got
provisions, and did that which they had determined: and the cavalry of
the Scythians always routed that of the enemy, but the Persian horsemen
as they fled fell back upon the men on foot, and these would come up to
their assistance; and meanwhile the Scythians when they had driven in
the cavalry turned back, fearing the men on foot. Also by night the
Scythians used to make similar attacks:
129, and the thing which, strange to say, most helped the Persians and
hindered the Scythians in their attacks upon the camp of Dareios, I will
mention, namely the voice of the asses and the appearance of the mules;
for Scythia produces neither ass nor mule, as I have declared before,
nor is there at all in the Scythian country either ass or mule on
account of the cold. The asses accordingly by riotously braying used to
throw into confusion the cavalry of the Scythians; and often, as they
were in the middle of riding against the Persians, when the horses heard
the voice of the asses they turned back in confusion and were possessed
with wonder, pricking up their ears, because they had never heard such a
voice nor seen the form of the creature before.
130. So far then the Persians had the advantage for a small part of the
war. 118 But the Scythians, whenever they saw that the Persians were
disquieted, then in order that they might remain a longer time in
Scythia and in remaining might suffer by being in want of everything,
would leave some of their own cattle behind with the herdsmen, while
they themselves rode out of the way to another place, and the Persians
would come upon the cattle and take them, and having taken them they
were elated at what they had done.
131. As this happened often, at length Dareios began to be in straits;
and the kings of the Scythians perceiving this sent a herald bearing
as gifts to Dareios a bird and a mouse and a frog and five arrows. The
Persians accordingly asked the bearer of the gifts as to the meaning
of the gifts which were offered; but he said that nothing more had been
commanded to him but to give them and get away as speedily as possible;
and he bade the Persians find out for themselves, if they had wisdom,
that which the gifts were meant to express.
132. Having heard this the Persians took counsel with one another; and
the opinion of Dareios was that the Scythians were giving to him both
themselves and also earth and water, making his conjecture by this,
namely that a mouse is produced in the earth and feeds on the same
produce of the earth as man, and a frog in the water, while a bird has
great resemblance to a horse; 119 and moreover that in giving the arrows
they were delivering up their own might in battle. This was the opinion
expressed by Dareios; but the opinion of Gobryas, one of the seven men
who killed the Magian, was at variance with it, for he conjectured that
the gifts expressed this: "Unless ye become birds and fly up into the
heaven, O Persians, or become mice and sink down under the earth, or
become frogs and leap into the lakes, ye shall not return back home, but
shall be smitten by these arrows."
133. The Persians then, I say, were making conjecture of the gifts:
and meanwhile the single division of the Scythians, that which had been
appointed at first to keep guard along the Maiotian lake and then to go
to the Ister and come to speech with the Ionians, when they arrived
at the bridge spoke as follows: "Ionians, we have come bringing you
freedom, if at least ye are willing to listen to us; for we are informed
that Dareios gave you command to guard the bridge for sixty days only,
and then, if he had not arrived within that time, to get you away to
your own land. Now therefore, if ye do as we say, ye will be without
blame from his part and without blame also from ours: stay the appointed
days and then after that get you away." They then, when the Ionians had
engaged themselves to do this, hastened back again by the quickest way:
134, and meanwhile, after the coming of the gifts to Dareios, the
Scythians who were left had arrayed themselves against the Persians with
both foot and horse, meaning to engage battle. Now when the Scythians
had been placed in battle-array, a hare darted through them into the
space between the two armies, and each company of them, as they saw the
hare, began to run after it. When the Scythians were thus thrown into
disorder and were raising loud cries, Dareios asked what was this
clamour arising from the enemy; and hearing that they were running after
the hare, he said to those men to whom he was wont to say things at
other times: "These men have very slight regard for us, and I perceive
now that Gobryas spoke rightly about the Scythian gifts. Seeing then
that now I myself too think that things are so, we have need of good
counsel, in order that our retreat homewards may be safely made." To
this replied Gobryas and said: "O king, even by report I was almost
assured of the difficulty of dealing with these men; and when I came I
learnt it still more thoroughly, since I saw that they were mocking us.
Now therefore my opinion is, that as soon as night comes on, we kindle
the camp-fires as we are wont to do at other times also, and deceive
with a false tale those of our men who are weakest to endure hardships,
and tie up all the asses and get us away, before either the Scythians
make for the Ister to destroy the bridge or something be resolved by the
Ionians which may be our ruin."
135. Thus Gobryas advised; and after this, when night came on, Dareios
acted on this opinion. Those of his men who were weakened by fatigue and
whose loss was of least account, these he left behind in the camp, and
the asses also tied up: and for the following reasons he left behind the
asses and the weaker men of his army,—the asses in order that they might
make a noise which should be heard, and the men really because of their
weakness, but on a pretence stated openly that he was about to attack
the Scythians with the effective part of the army, and that they
meanwhile were to be defenders of the camp. Having thus instructed those
who were left behind, and having kindled camp-fires, Dareios hastened
by the quickest way towards the Ister: and the asses, having no longer
about them the usual throng, 120 very much more for that reason caused
their voice to be heard; 121 so the Scythians, hearing the asses,
supposed surely that the Persians were remaining in their former place.
136. But when it was day, those who were left behind perceived that
they had been betrayed by Dareios, and they held out their hands in
submission to the Scythians, telling them what their case was; and the
Scythians, when they heard this, joined together as quickly as possible,
that is to say the two combined divisions of the Scythians and the
single division, and also the Sauromatai, 122 Budinoi, and Gelonians,
and began to pursue the Persians, making straight for the Ister: but as
the Persian army for the most part consisted of men on foot, and was
not acquainted with the roads (the roads not being marked with tracks),
while the Scythian army consisted of horsemen and was acquainted
with the shortest cuts along the way, they missed one another and the
Scythians arrived at the bridge much before the Persians. Then having
learnt that the Persians had not yet arrived, they said to the Ionians
who were in the ships: "Ionians, the days of your number are past, and
ye are not acting uprightly in that ye yet remain waiting: but as ye
stayed before from fear, so now break up the passage as quickly as ye
may, and depart free and unhurt, 123 feeling thankfulness both to the
gods and to the Scythians: and him who was formerly your master we
will so convince, that he shall never again march with an army upon any
nation."
137. Upon this the Ionians took counsel together; and Miltiades the
Athenian on the one hand, who was commander and despot of the men of
the Chersonese in Hellespont, was of opinion that they should follow the
advice of the Scythians and set Ionia free: but Histiaios the Milesian
was of the opposite opinion to this; for he said that at the present
time it was by means of Dareios that each one of them was ruling as
despot over a city; and if the power of Dareios should be destroyed,
neither he himself would be able to bear rule over the Milesians, nor
would any other of them be able to bear rule over any other city; for
each of the cities would choose to have popular rather than despotic
rule. When Histiaios declared his opinion thus, forthwith all turned to
this opinion, whereas at the first they were adopting that of Miltiades.
138. Now these were they who gave the vote between the two opinions, and
were men of consequence in the eyes of the king, 124—first the despots
of the Hellespontians, Daphnis of Abydos, Hippoclos of Lampsacos,
Herophantos of Parion, Metrodoros of Proconnesos, Aristagoras of
Kyzicos, and Ariston of Byzantion, these were those from the Hellespont;
and from Ionia, Strattis of Chios, Aiakes of Samos, Laodamas of Phocaia,
and Histiaios of Miletos, whose opinion had been proposed in opposition
to that of Miltiades; and of the Aiolians the only man of consequence
there present was Aristagoras of Kyme.
139. When these adopted the opinion of Histiaios, they resolved to add
to it deeds and words as follows, namely to break up that part of the
bridge which was on the side towards the Scythians, to break it up, I
say, for a distance equal to the range of an arrow, both in order that
they might be thought to be doing something, though in fact they were
doing nothing, and for fear that the Scythians might make an attempt
using force and desiring to cross the Ister by the bridge: and in
breaking up that part of the bridge which was towards Scythia they
resolved to say that they would do all that which the Scythians desired.
This they added to the opinion proposed, and then Histiaios coming forth
from among them made answer to the Scythians as follows: "Scythians, ye
are come bringing good news, and it is a timely haste that ye make to
bring it; and ye on your part give us good guidance, while we on ours
render to you suitable service. For, as ye see, we are breaking up the
passage, and we shall show all zeal in our desire to be free: and while
we are breaking up the bridge, it is fitting that ye should be seeking
for those of whom ye speak, and when ye have found them, that ye should
take vengeance on them on behalf of us as well as of yourselves in such
manner as they deserve."
140. The Scythians then, believing for the second time that the Ionians
were speaking the truth, turned back to make search for the Persians,
but they missed altogether their line of march through the land. Of this
the Scythians themselves were the cause, since they had destroyed the
pastures for horses in that region and had choked up with earth the
springs of water; for if they had not done this, it would have been
possible for them easily, if they desired it, to discover the Persians:
but as it was, by those things wherein they thought they had taken their
measures best, they failed of success. The Scythians then on their part
were passing through those regions of their own land where there was
grass for the horses and springs of water, and were seeking for the
enemy there, thinking that they too were taking a course in their
retreat through such country as this; while the Persians in fact marched
keeping carefully to the track which they had made before, and so they
found the passage of the river, though with difficulty: 125 and as they
arrived by night and found the bridge broken up, they were brought to
the extreme of fear, lest the Ionians should have deserted them.
141. Now there was with Dareios an Egyptian who had a voice louder than
that of any other man on earth, and this man Dareios ordered to take his
stand upon the bank of the Ister and to call Histiaios of Miletos. He
accordingly proceeded to do so; and Histiaios, hearing the first hail,
produced all the ships to carry the army over and also put together the
bridge.
142. Thus the Persians escaped, and the Scythians in their search missed
the Persians the second time also: and their judgment of the Ionians is
that on the one hand, if they be regarded as free men, they are the most
worthless and cowardly of all men, but on the other hand, if regarded
as slaves, they are the most attached to their master and the least
disposed to run away of all slaves. This is the reproach which is cast
against the Ionians by the Scythians.
143. Dareios then marching through Thrace arrived at Sestos in the
Chersonese; and from that place, he passed over himself in his ships to
Asia, but to command his army in Europe he left Megabazos a Persian, to
whom Dareios once gave honour by uttering in the land of Persia 126 this
saying:—Dareios was beginning to eat pomegranates, and at once when he
opened the first of them, Artabanos his brother asked him of what he
would desire to have as many as there were seeds in the pomegranate: and
Dareios said that he would desire to have men like Megabazos as many as
that in number, rather than to have Hellas subject to him. In Persia, I
say, he honoured him by saying these words, and at this time he left him
in command with eight myriads 127 of his army.
144. This Megabazos uttered one saying whereby he left of himself an
imperishable memory with the peoples of Hellespont: for being once at
Byzantion he heard that the men of Calchedon had settled in that region
seventeen years before the Byzantians, and having heard it he said that
those of Calchedon at that time chanced to be blind; for assuredly they
would not have chosen the worse place, when they might have settled in
that which was better, if they had not been blind. This Megabazos it was
who was left in command at that time in the land of the Hellespontians,
and he proceeded to subdue all who did not take the side of the Medes.
145. He then was doing thus; and at this very same time a great
expedition was being made also against Libya, on an occasion which
I shall relate when I have first related this which follows.—The
children's children of those who voyaged in the Argo, having been driven
forth by those Pelasgians who carried away at Brauron the women of the
Athenians,—having been driven forth I say by these from Lemnos, had
departed and sailed to Lacedemon, and sitting down on Mount Taÿgetos
they kindled a fire. The Lacedemonians seeing this sent a messenger to
inquire who they were and from whence; and they answered the question
of the messenger saying that they were Minyai and children of heroes who
sailed in the Argo, for 128 these, they said, had put in to Lemnos and
propagated the race of which they sprang. The Lacedemonians having heard
the story of the descent of the Minyai, sent a second time and asked for
what purpose they had come into the country and were causing a fire to
blaze. They said that they had been cast out by the Pelasgians, and were
come now to the land of their fathers, 129 for most just it was that
this should so be done; and they said that their request was to be
permitted to dwell with these, having a share of civil rights and a
portion allotted to them of the land. And the Lacedemonians were content
to receive the Minyai upon the terms which they themselves desired,
being most of all impelled to do this by the fact that the sons of
Tyndareus were voyagers in the Argo. So having received the Minyai they
gave them a share of land and distributed them in the tribes; and they
forthwith made marriages, and gave in marriage to others the women whom
they brought with them from Lemnos.
146. However, when no very long time had passed, the Minyai forthwith
broke out into insolence, asking for a share of the royal power and also
doing other impious things: therefore the Lacedemonians resolved to put
them to death; and having seized them they cast them into a prison.
Now the Lacedemonians put to death by night all those whom they put to
death, but no man by day. When therefore they were just about to kill
them, the wives of the Minyai, being native Spartans and daughters
of the first citizens of Sparta, entreated to be allowed to enter the
prison and come to speech every one with her own husband: and they let
them pass in, not supposing that any craft would be practised by them.
They however, when they had entered, delivered to their husbands all the
garments which they were wearing, and themselves received those of their
husbands: thus the Minyai having put on the women's clothes went forth
out of prison as women, and having escaped in this manner they went
again to Taÿgetos and sat down there.