This Democedes had been so harshly treated at Crotona by his father, who

was of a severe temper, that he left him and went to Ægina; having

settled there, in the first year, though he was unprovided with means,

and had none of the instruments necessary for the exercise of his art,

he surpassed the most skilful of their physicians. In the second year,

the Æginetæ engaged him for a talent out of the public treasury; and in

the third year the Athenians, for a hundred minæ; and in the fourth year

Polycrates, for two talents; thus he came to Samos. From this man the

Crotonian physicians obtained a great reputation; for at this period the

physicians of Crotona were said to be the first throughout Greece, and

the Cyrenæans the second. At the same time the Argives were accounted

the most skilful of the Greeks in the art of music. Democedes, having

completely cured Darius at Susa, had a very large house, and a seat at

the king's table; and he had every thing he could wish for, except the

liberty of returning to Greece. He obtained from the king a pardon for

the Egyptian physicians who first attended the king, and were about to

be empaled, because they had been outdone by a Greek physician; and in

the next place he procured the liberty of a prophet of Elis, who had

attended Polycrates, and lay neglected among the slaves. In short,

Democedes had great influence with the king.

Not long after Atossa, daughter of Cyrus, and wife to Darius, had a

tumor on her breast; after some time it burst, and spread considerably.

As long as it was small, she concealed it, and from delicacy informed no

one of it; when it became dangerous, she sent for Democedes and showed

it to him. He said that he could cure her, but exacted a solemn promise,

that she in return would perform for him whatever he should require of

her, but added that he would ask nothing which might bring disgrace on

her. When therefore he had healed her, and restored her to health,

Atossa, instructed by Democedes, addressed Darius, in the following

words: "O king, you, who possess so great power, sit idle, and do not

add any nation or power to the Persians. It is right that a man who is

both young and master of such vast treasures should render himself

considerable by his actions, that the Persians may know that they are

governed by a man. Two motives should influence you, to such a course:

first, that the Persians may know that it is a worthy man who rules over

them; and secondly, that they may be worn in war, and not tempted by too

much ease to plot against you. You must perform some illustrious action

while you are in the flower of your age; for the mind grows with the

growth of the body, and as it grows old, grows old with it, and dull for

every action." She spoke thus according to her instructions, and he

answered: "Lady, you have mentioned the very things that I myself

propose to do; for I have determined to make a bridge and march from

this continent to the other, against the Scythians; and this shall

shortly be put in execution." Atossa replied: "Give up the thought of

marching first against the Scythians, for they will be in your power

whenever you choose; but take my advice, and lead an army into Greece;

for from the account I have heard, I am anxious to have Lacedæmonian,

Argive, Athenian, and Corinthian attendants: and you have the fittest

man in the world to show and inform you of every thing concerning

Greece; I mean the person who cured your foot." Said Darius: "Well,

since you think I ought to make my first attempt against Greece, I think

it better first to send some Persians thither as spies with the man you

mention; they, when they are informed of and have seen every particular,

will make a report to me; and then, being thoroughly informed, I will

turn my arms against them." No sooner said than done; for as soon as day

dawned, he summoned fifteen eminent Persians, and commanded them to

accompany Democedes along the maritime parts of Greece; and to take care

that Democedes did not escape from them, but they must by all means

bring him back again. He next summoned Democedes himself, and requested

that when he should have conducted the Persians through all Greece, and

shown it to them, to return; he also commanded him to take with him all

his movables as presents to his father and brothers, promising to give

him many times as much instead. Moreover, he said, that for the purpose

of transporting the presents he would give a merchant-ship, filled with

all kinds of precious things, which should accompany him on his voyage.

Now Darius, in my opinion, promised him these things without any

deceitful intention; but Democedes, fearing lest Darius was making trial

of him, received all that was given, without eagerness, but said that he

would leave his own goods where they were, that he might have them on

his return; the merchant-ship he said he would accept.

In Sidon, a city of Phœnicia, they manned two triremes, and with them

also a large trading vessel, laden with all kinds of precious things;

and set sail for Greece. Keeping to the shore, they surveyed the coasts,

and made notes in writing; at length, having inspected the greatest part

of it, and whatever was most remarkable, they proceeded to Tarentum in

Italy. There, out of kindness toward Democedes, Aristophilides, king of

the Tarentines, took off the rudders of the Median ships, and shut up

the Persians as spies. While they were in this condition Democedes went

to Crotona and when he had reached his own home, Aristophilides set the

Persians at liberty, and restored what he had taken from their ships.

The Persians pursuing Democedes, arrived at Crotona, found him in the

public market, and laid hands on him. Some of the Crotonians, dreading

the Persian power, were ready to deliver him up; but others seized the

Persians in turn, and beat them with staves, though they expostulated in

these terms: "Men of Crotona, have a care what you do, you are rescuing

a man who is a runaway from the king; how will king Darius endure to be

thus insulted? How can what you do end well, if you force this man from

us? What city shall we sooner attack than this? What sooner shall we

endeavor to reduce to slavery?" But they could not persuade the

Crotonians; so launching a small boat they sailed back to Asia; nor, as

they were deprived of their guide, did they attempt to explore Greece

any further. At their departure Democedes enjoined them to tell Darius

that he had Milo's daughter affianced to him as his wife, for the name

of Milo, the wrestler, stood high with the king; and on this account it

appears to me that Democedes spared no expense to hasten this marriage,

that he might appear to Darius to be a man of consequence in his own

country.

After these things, king Darius took Samos, first of all the cities,

either Grecian or barbarian, and for the following reason. When

Cambyses, son of Cyrus, invaded Egypt, many Greeks resorted thither;

some, as one may conjecture, on account of trade; others, to serve as

soldiers; others, to view the country. Of these, the last was Syloson,

son of Æaces, brother to Polycrates, and an exile from Samos. The

following piece of good luck befel this Syloson: having put on a scarlet

cloak, he walked in the streets of Memphis; and Darius, who was one of

Cambyses' guard, and as yet a man of no great account, took a fancy to

the cloak, and coming up, wished to purchase it. But Syloson, perceiving

that Darius was very anxious to have the cloak, impelled by a divine

impulse, said: "I will not sell it for any sum, but I will give it you

for nothing, if so it must needs be." Darius accepted his offer with

thanks and took the cloak. Syloson thought afterward that he had lost it

through his good nature, but when, in course of time, Cambyses died, and

the seven rose up against the magus, and of the seven, Darius possessed

the throne, Syloson heard that the kingdom had devolved on the man to

whom he had given his cloak in Egypt on his requesting it; so he went up

to Susa and seated himself at the threshold of the king's palace, and

said he had been a benefactor to Darius. The porter reported it to the

king; who said: "What Greek is my benefactor, to whom I owe a debt of

gratitude, having so lately come to the throne? Scarcely one of them has

as yet come here; nor can I mention any thing that I owe to a Greek.

However, bring him in, that I may know the meaning of what he says." The

porter introduced Syloson, who related the story of the cloak, and said

that he was the person who gave it. "Most generous of men!" exclaimed

the king, "art thou then the man who, when as yet I had no power, made

me a present, small as it was? yet the obligation is the same as if I

were now to receive a thing of great value. In return I will give thee

abundance of gold and silver, so that thou shalt never repent having

conferred a favor on Darius son of Hystaspes." To this Syloson replied:

"O king, give me neither gold nor silver; but recover and give me back

my country, Samos, which now, since my brother Polycrates died by the

hands of Orœtes, a slave of ours has possessed. Give me this without

bloodshed and bondage." Then Darius sent an army under the conduct of

Otanes, one of the seven, with orders to accomplish whatever Syloson

should desire.

Mæandrius held the government of Samos, having had the administration

intrusted to him by Polycrates: though he wished to prove himself the

most just of men, he was unable to effect his purpose. For when the

death of Polycrates was made known to him, he erected an altar to

Jupiter Liberator, and marked round it the sacred enclosure, which is

now in the suburbs. Afterward, he summoned an assembly of all the

citizens, and said: "To me, as you know, the sceptre and all the power

of Polycrates has been intrusted, and I am now able to retain the

government. But what I condemn in another, I will myself, to the utmost

of my ability, abstain from doing. For neither did Polycrates please me

in exercising despotic power over men equal to himself, nor would any

other who should do the like. Now Polycrates has accomplished his fate;

and I, surrendering the government into your hands, proclaim equality to

all. I require, however, that the following remuneration should be

granted to myself; that six talents should be given me out of the

treasures of Polycrates; and in addition, I claim for myself and my

descendants for ever, the priesthood of the temple of Jupiter Liberator,

to whom I have erected an altar, and under whose auspices I restore to

you your liberties." But one of them rising up said, "You forsooth are

not worthy to rule over us, being as you are a base and pestilent

fellow; rather think how you will render an account of the wealth that

you have had the management of." Thus spoke a man of eminence among the

citizens, whose name was Telesarchus. But Mæandrius, perceiving that if

he should lay down the power, some other would set himself up as a

tyrant in his place, no longer thought of laying it down. To which end,

when he had withdrawn to the citadel, sending for each one severally, as

if about to give an account of the treasures, he seized them and put

them in chains. They were kept in confinement; but after this, disease

attacked Mæandrius; and his brother, whose name was Lycaretus, supposing

that he would die, in order that he might the more easily possess

himself of the government of Samos, put all the prisoners to death; for,

as it seems, they were not willing to be free.

When the Persians arrived at Samos, bringing Syloson with them, no one

raised a hand against them, and the partisans of Mæandrius, and

Mæandrius himself, said they were ready to quit the island under a

treaty; and when Otanes had assented to this, and had ratified the

agreement, the principal men of the Persians, having had seats placed

for them, sat down opposite the citadel. The tyrant Mæandrius had a

brother somewhat out of his senses, whose name was Charilaus; he, for

some fault he had committed, was confined in a dungeon; and having at

that time overheard what was doing, and having peeped through his

dungeon, when he saw the Persians sitting quietly down, he shouted and

said that he wished to speak with Mæandrius. Mæandrius commanded him to

be released, and brought into his presence; and as soon as he was

brought there, upbraiding and reviling his brother, he urged him to

attack the Persians, saying: "Me, O vilest of men, who am your own

brother, and have done nothing worthy of bonds, you have bound and

adjudged to a dungeon; but when you see the Persians driving you out and

making you houseless, you dare not avenge yourself, though they are so

easy to be subdued. But if you are in dread of them, lend me your

auxiliaries, and I will punish them for coming here, and I am ready also

to send you out of the island." Mæandrius accepted his offer, as I

think, not that he had reached such a pitch of folly as to imagine that

his own power could overcome that of the king, but rather out of envy to

Syloson, if without a struggle he should possess himself of the city

uninjured. Having therefore provoked the Persians, he wished to make the

Samian power as weak as possible, and then give it up; being well

assured that the Persians, if they suffered any ill-treatment, would be

exasperated against the Samians; and knowing also that he himself had a

safe retreat from the island, whenever he chose, for he had had a secret

passage dug leading from the citadel to the sea. Accordingly Mæandrius

himself sailed away from Samos; but Charilaus armed all the auxiliaries,

threw open the gates, sallied out upon the Persians, who did not expect

any thing of the kind, and slew those of the Persians who were seated in

chairs, and who were the principal men among them. But the rest of the

Persian army came to their assistance, and the auxiliaries, being hard

pressed, were shut up again within the citadel. But Otanes, the general,

when he saw that the Persians had suffered great loss, purposely

neglected to obey the orders which Darius had given him at his

departure, that he should neither kill nor take prisoner any of the

Samians, but deliver the island to Syloson without damage; on the

contrary, he commanded his army to put to death every one they met with,

both man and child alike. Whereupon, one part of the army besieged the

citadel, and the rest killed every one that came in their way, all they

met, as well within the temples as without. Mæandrius in the meantime

sailed to Lacedæmon, and carried with him all his treasures. One day

when he had set out his silver and golden cups, his servants began to

clean them; and he, at the same time, holding a conversation with

Cleomenes, son of Anaxandrides, then king of Sparta, led him on to his

house. When the king saw the cups, he was struck with wonder and

astonishment; upon which Mæandrius bade him take whatever he pleased,

and when Mæandrius had repeated this offer two or three times, Cleomenes

showed himself a man of the highest integrity, for he refused to accept

what was offered; and being informed that by giving to other citizens he

would gain their support, he went to the Ephori, and said that it would

be better for Sparta that this Samian stranger should quit the

Peloponnesus, lest he should persuade him or some other of the Spartans

to become base. They immediately banished Mæandrius by public

proclamation. The Persians, having drawn Samos as with a net, delivered

it to Syloson, utterly destitute of inhabitants. Afterward, however,

Otanes, the general, repeopled it, in consequence of a vision in a dream.

Whilst the naval armament was on its way to Samos, the Babylonians

revolted, having very well prepared themselves. For during all the time

the magus reigned, and the seven were rising up against him, they had

made preparations for a siege, and somehow in the confusion this had

escaped observation. But when they openly revolted they resorted to this

extraordinary means of husbanding their resources: gathering together

all the women, except their mothers, and one woman apiece, besides, whom

each one chose from his own family, they strangled them; the one woman

each man selected to cook his food, and they strangled the rest, that

they might not consume their provisions. When Darius was informed of

this, he collected all his forces, and marched against Babylon. But upon

laying siege to them he found that they were not at all solicitous about

the event, for the Babylonians mounted the ramparts, and danced, and

derided Darius and his army, and cried: "Why sit ye there, Persians?

will ye not be off? It will be a long day before you will take us."

When the nineteenth month of the siege had passed, Zopyrus, son of that

Megabyzus, who was one of the seven who dethroned the magus, went to

Darius and asked him whether he deemed the taking of Babylon of very

great importance. Learning that he valued it at a high price, he went

away and inflicted on himself an irremediable mutilation, for he cut off

his nose and ears, chopped his hair in a disgraceful manner, scourged

himself, and then presented himself before Darius. The latter was very

much grieved when he beheld a man of high rank so mutilated, and

starting from his throne, he shouted aloud and asked who had mutilated

him, and for what cause. He answered: "O King, there is no man except

yourself who could have power to treat me thus; no stranger has done it,

but I myself, deeming it a great indignity that the Assyrians should

deride the Persians." "Foolish man," said Darius, "because you are

mutilated, will the enemy sooner submit? Have you lost your senses, that

you have thus ruined yourself?" "If I had communicated to you what I was

about to do," he answered, "you would not have permitted me, but now, if

you are not wanting to your own interests, we shall take Babylon. For I,

as I am, will desert to the city, and will tell them that I have been

thus treated by you; and I think that when I have persuaded them that

such is the case, I shall obtain the command of their army. Do you then,

on the tenth day after I shall have entered the city, station a thousand

men of that part of your army whose loss you would least regret over

against the gates called after Semiramis; again, on the seventh day

after the tenth, station two thousand more against the gate called from

Nineveh; and from the seventh day let an interval of twenty days elapse,

and then place four thousand more against the gate called from the

Chaldæans; but let them carry no defensive arms except swords. After the

twentieth day, command the rest of the army to invest the wall on all

sides, but station the Persians for me at those called the Belidian and

Cissian gates; for, as I think, when I have performed great exploits,

the Babylonians will intrust every thing to me, and, moreover, the keys

of the gates, and then it will be mine and the Persians' care to do what

remains to be done."

[Illustration: INFANTRY DRILLED BY SERGEANT.]

Having given these injunctions, he went to the gates, turning round as

if he were really a deserter. Those who were stationed in that quarter,

seeing him from the turrets, ran down and opened one door of the gate a

little, and asked him who he was, and for what purpose he came. He told

them that he was Zopyrus, and had deserted to them: the door-keepers

then conducted him to the assembly of the Babylonians, and standing

before them he deplored his condition, saying that he had suffered from

Darius these injuries, and that he was so treated because he had advised

to raise the siege, since there appeared no means of taking the city.

"Now, therefore," he said, "I come to you, O Babylonians, as your

greatest blessing; and to Darius, his army, and the Persians, the

greatest mischief; for he shall not escape with impunity, having thus

mutilated me; and I am acquainted with all his designs." And the

Babylonians, seeing a man of distinction among the Persians deprived of

his ears and nose, and covered with stripes and blood, thoroughly

believing that he spoke the truth, and that he had come as an ally to

them, were ready to intrust him with whatever he should ask; and he,

having obtained the command of the forces, acted as he had preconcerted

with Darius; for on the tenth he led out the army of the Babylonians,

and surrounded the thousand whom he had instructed Darius to station

there, and cut them all in pieces. Then the Babylonians, perceiving that

he performed deeds such as he promised, were ready to obey him in every

thing. He then suffered the appointed number of days to elapse, and

again selected a body of Babylonians, led them out, and slaughtered the

two thousand of Darius' soldiers. The Babylonians witnessing this action

also, all had the praises of Zopyrus on their tongues. Then he again,

after the appointed number of days had elapsed, led out his troops

according to the settled plan, surrounded the four thousand, and cut

them in pieces. And when he had accomplished this, Zopyrus was every

thing to the Babylonians, and was appointed commander-in-chief and

guardian of the walls. But when Darius, according to agreement, invested

the wall all round, then Zopyrus discovered his whole treachery; for

while the Babylonians, mounting the wall, repelled the army of Darius

that was attacking them, Zopyrus opened the Cissian and Belidian gates

and led the Persians within the wall. Those of the Babylonians who saw

what was done, fled into the temple of Jupiter Belus; and those who did

not see it, remained each at his post, until they also discovered that

they had been betrayed.

[Illustration: LIGHT ARMED TROOPS MARCHING.]

Thus Babylon was taken a second time. But when Darius had made himself

master of the Babylonians, first of all, he demolished the walls and

bore away all the gates, for when Cyrus had taken Babylon before, he did

neither of these things; and secondly, Darius impaled about three

thousand of the principal citizens, and allowed the rest of the

Babylonians to inhabit the city. And that the Babylonians might have

wives to take the place of those they had strangled, Darius ordered the

neighboring provinces to send women to Babylon, taxing each at a certain

number, so that a total of fifty thousand women came together; and from

these the Babylonians of our time are descended. No Persian, in the

opinion of Darius, either of those who came after, or who lived before,

surpassed Zopyrus in great achievements, Cyrus only excepted; for with

him no Persian ever ventured to compare himself. It is also reported

that Darius frequently expressed this opinion, that he would rather

Zopyrus had not suffered such ignominious treatment than acquire twenty

Babylons in addition to that he had. And he honored him exceedingly; for

he every year presented him with those gifts which are most prized by

the Persians, and he assigned him Babylon to hold free from taxes during

his life.

[16] The Egyptian mummies could only be seen in front, the back being

covered by a box or coffin; the Ethiopian bodies could be seen all

round, as the column of glass was transparent.

[17] Epilepsy.

[18] Nearly $18,000,000 in all.

[19] That is, "southwest."

_BOOK IV. MELPOMENE._

CHAPTER I.

DESCRIPTION OF SCYTHIA AND THE NEIGHBORING NATIONS.

After the capture of Babylon, Darius made an expedition against the

Scythians, for as Asia was flourishing in men, and large revenues came

in, Darius was desirous of revenging himself upon the Scythians, because

they had formerly invaded the Median territory, and defeated in battle

those that opposed them. For the Scythians ruled over Upper Asia for

twenty-eight years. But when those Scythians returned to their own

country, after such an interval, a task no less than the invasion of

Media awaited them; for they found an army of no inconsiderable force

ready to oppose them; the wives of the Scythians, seeing their husbands

were a long time absent, had married their slaves. The Scythians deprive

all their slaves of sight for the sake of the milk which they drink,

doing as follows: when they have taken bone tubes very like flutes, they

thrust them into the veins of the mares, and blow with their mouth;

while some blow, others milk. They say they do this because the veins of

the mare, being inflated, become filled, and the udder is depressed.

When they have finished milking, they pour the milk into hollow wooden

vessels, and having placed the blind men round about the vessels, they

agitate the milk: then they skim off that which swims on the surface,

considering it the most valuable, but that which subsides is of less

value than the other. On this account the Scythians put out the eyes of

every prisoner they take; for they are not agriculturists, but feeders

of cattle. From these slaves then and the women a race of youths had

grown up, who, when they knew their own extraction, opposed those who

were returning from Media. And first they cut off the country by digging

a wide ditch, stretching from Mount Taurus to the lake Mæotis, which is

of great extent, and afterward encamping opposite, they came to an

engagement with the Scythians, who were endeavoring to enter. When

several battles had been fought, and the Scythians were unable to obtain

any advantage, one of them said: "Men of Scythia, what are we doing? by

fighting with our slaves not only are we ourselves by being slain

becoming fewer in number, but by killing them we shall hereafter have

fewer to rule over. So it seems to me that we should lay aside our

spears and bows, and that every one, taking a horsewhip, should go

directly to them; for so long as they saw us with arms, they considered

themselves equal to us, and born of equal birth; but when they shall see

us with our whips instead of arms, they will soon learn that they are

our slaves, and will no longer resist." The Scythians adopted the advice

on the spot; and the slaves, struck with astonishment, forgot to fight,

and fled.

As the Scythians say, theirs is the most recent of all nations. The

first man that appeared in this country, which was a wilderness, was

named Targitaus; they say that the parents of this Targitaus, in my

opinion relating what is incredible, were Jupiter and a daughter of the

river Borysthenes; and that Targitaus had three sons, who went by the

names of Lipoxais, Apovais, and Colaxais; that during their reign a

plough, a yoke, an axe, and a bowl of golden workmanship, dropping down

from heaven, fell on the Scythian territory; that the eldest, seeing

them first, approached, intending to take them up, but as he came near,

the gold began to burn; when he had retired the second went up, and it

did the same again; but when the youngest approached, the burning gold

became extinguished, and he carried the things home with him; and the

elder brothers, in consequence of this, giving way, surrendered the

whole authority to Alaxais the youngest. The Scythians reckon the whole

number of years from their beginning, from King Targitaus to the time

that Darius crossed over against them, to be just a thousand years. This

sacred gold the kings watch with the greatest care, and annually

approach it with magnificent sacrifices to render it propitious. If he

who has the sacred gold happens to fall asleep in the open air on the

festival, the Scythians say he cannot survive the year, and on this

account they give him as much land as he can ride round on horseback in

one day. The country being very extensive, Colaxais established three of

the kingdoms for his sons, and made that one the largest in which the

gold is kept. The parts beyond the north of the inhabited districts the

Scythians say can neither be seen nor passed through, by reason of the

feathers shed there; for the earth and air are so full of feathers that

the view is intercepted. With respect to these feathers I entertain the

following opinion: in the upper parts of this country it continually

snows, less in summer than in winter, as is reasonable; now, whoever has

seen snow falling thick near him, will know what I mean; for snow is

like feathers; and on account of the winter being so severe, the

northern parts of this continent are uninhabited.

Such is the account the Scythians give of themselves, and of the country

above them; but the Greeks who inhabit Pontus give the following

account: they say that Hercules, as he was driving away the herds of

Geryon, arrived in this country, which was then a desert, and that

Geryon, fixing his abode outside the Pontus, inhabited the island which

the Greeks call Erythia, situated near Gades, beyond the columns of

Hercules in the ocean. The ocean, they say, beginning from the sunrise,

flows round the whole earth, that Hercules thence came to the country

now called Scythia, and as a storm and frost overtook him, he drew his

lion's skin over him, and went to sleep; and in the meanwhile, his

mares, which were feeding apart from his chariot, vanished by some

divine chance. They add that when Hercules awoke, he sought for them;

and that having gone over the whole country, he at length came to the

land called Hylæa; there he found a monster, having two natures, half

virgin, half viper, of which the upper parts resembled a woman, and the

lower parts a serpent: in astonishment he asked her if she had anywhere

seen his strayed mares. She said that she herself had them, and would

not restore them to him unless he would make her his wife. Hercules

agreed. She, however, delayed giving back the mares, out of a desire to

detain Hercules as long as she could; but as he was desirous of

recovering them and departing, she at last restored the mares, saying:

"These mares that strayed hither I preserved for you, but now that you

will go away and leave me, tell me what I must do with our three sons

when they are grown up; shall I establish them here, for I possess the

rule over this country, or shall I send them to you?" He replied: "When

you see the children arrived at the age of men, you cannot err if you do

this: whichever of them you see able thus to bend this bow, and thus

girding himself with this girdle, make him an inhabitant of this

country; and whichever fails in these tasks which I enjoin, send out of

the country. If you do this you will please yourself and do wisely."

Then having drawn out one of his bows, for Hercules carried two at that

time, and having shown her the belt, he gave her both the bow and the

belt, which had a golden cup at the extremity of the clasp, and

departed. When the sons had attained to the age of men she gave them

names; to the first, Agathyrsis, to the second, Gelonus, and to the

youngest, Scythes; and, in the next place, she did what had been

enjoined; and two of her sons, Agathyrsis and Gelonus, being unable to

come up to the proposed task, left the country, being expelled by their

mother; but the youngest of them, Scythes, having accomplished it,

remained there. From this Scythes, son of Hercules, are descended those

who have been successively kings of the Scythians; and from the cup, the

Scythians even to this day wear cups hung from their belts.

Aristeas, of Proconnesus, says in his epic verses, that, inspired by

Apollo, he came to the Issedones; that beyond the Issedones dwell the

Arimaspians, a people that have only one eye; beyond them the

gold-guarding griffins; and beyond these the Hyperboreans, who reach to

the sea: that all these, except the Hyperboreans, beginning from the

Arimaspians, continually encroached upon their neighbors; that the

Issedones were expelled from their country by the Arimaspians, the

Scythians by the Issedones, and that the Cimmerians, who inhabited on

the South Sea, being pressed by the Scythians, abandoned their country.

No one knows with certainty what is beyond the country about which this

account speaks. But as far as we have been able to arrive at the truth

with accuracy from hearsay, the whole shall be related. From the port of

the Borysthenitæ, for this is the most central part of the sea-coast of

all Scythia, the first people are the Callipidæ, being Greek-Scythians;

beyond these is another nation called Alazones. These and the Callipidæ,

in other respects, follow the usages, of the Scythians, but they both

sow and feed on wheat, onions, garlic, lentils, and millet; but beyond

the Alazones dwell husbandmen, who do not sow wheat for food but for

sale. Beyond these the Neuri dwell; and to the north of the Neuri the

country is utterly uninhabited, as far as I know. These nations are by

the side of the river Hypanis, to the west of the Borysthenes. But if

one crosses the Borysthenes, the first country from the sea is Hylæa;

and from this higher up live Scythian agriculturists, where the Greeks

settled on the river Hypanis. These Scythian husbandmen occupy the

country eastward, for three days' journey, extending to the river whose

name is Panticapes; and northward a passage of eleven days up the

Borysthenes. Beyond this region the country is a desert for a great

distance; and beyond the desert Androphagi dwell, who are a distinct

people, not in any respect Scythian. Beyond this is really desert, and

no nation of men is found there, as far as we know. The country eastward

of these Scythian agriculturists, when one crosses the river Panticapes,

nomads occupy, who neither sow at all nor plough; and all this country

is destitute of trees except Hylæa. The nomads occupy a tract eastward

for fourteen days' journey, stretching to the river Gerrhus. Beyond the

Gerrhus are the parts called the Royal, and the most valiant and

numerous of the Scythians, who deem all other Scythians to be their

slaves. These extend southward to Taurica, and eastward to the trench,

which those sprung from the blind men dug, and to the port on the lake

Mæotis, which is called Cremni, and some of them reach to the river

Tanais. The parts above to the north of the Royal Scythians, the

Melanchlæni inhabit, a distinct race, and not Scythian. But above the

Melanchlæni are lakes, and an uninhabited desert, as far as we know.

After one crosses the river Tanais, it is no longer Scythian, but the

first region belongs to the Sauromatæ, who, beginning from the recess of

the lake Mæotis, occupy the country northward, for a fifteen days'

journey, all destitute both of wild and cultivated trees. Above these

dwell the Budini, occupying the second region, and possessing a country

thickly covered with all sorts of trees. Above the Budini, toward the

north, there is first a desert of seven days' journey, and next to the

desert, if one turns somewhat toward the east, dwell the Thyssagetæ, a

numerous and distinct race, and they live by hunting. Contiguous to

these, in the same regions, dwell those who are called Iyrcæ, who also

live by hunting in the following manner: the huntsman, having climbed a

tree, lies in ambush (and the whole country is thickly wooded), and each

man has a horse ready taught to lie on his belly, that he may not be

much above the ground, and a dog besides. When he sees any game from the

tree, having let fly an arrow, he mounts his horse, and goes in pursuit,

and the dog keeps close to him. Above these, as one bends toward the

east, dwell other Scythians, who revolted from the Royal Scythians, and

so came to this country. As far as the territory of these Scythians, the

whole country that has been described is level and deep-soiled; but

after this it is stony and rugged. When one has passed through a

considerable extent of the rugged country, a people are found living at

the foot of lofty mountains, who are said to be all bald from their

birth, both men and women, and are flat-nosed, and have large chins;

they speak a peculiar language, wear the Scythian costume, and live on

the fruit of a tree; the name of the tree on which they live is called

ponticon, and is about the size of a figtree; it bears fruit like a

bean, and has a stone. When this is ripe they strain it through a cloth,

and a thick and black liquor flows from it, to which they give the name

of aschy; this they suck, and drink mingled with milk; from the thick

sediment of the pulp they make cakes to eat, for they have not many

cattle in these parts, as the pastures there are not good. Every man

lives under a tree, which, in the winter, he covers with a thick white

woollen covering. No man does any injury to this people, for they are

accounted sacred; nor do they possess any warlike weapon. They determine

by arbitration the differences that arise among their neighbors; and

whoever takes refuge among them is injured by no one. They are called

Argippæi.

As far, then, as these bald people, our knowledge respecting the country

and the nations before them is very good, for some Scythians frequently

go there from whom it is not difficult to obtain information, as well as

some Greeks belonging to the ports in Pontus. The Scythians who go to

them transact business by means of seven interpreters and seven

languages, but beyond the bald men no one can speak with certainty, for

lofty and impassable mountains form their boundary, which no one has

ever crossed; but these bald men say, what to me is incredible, that men

with goats' feet inhabit these mountains; and when one has passed beyond

them, other men are found, who sleep six months at a time, but this I do

not at all admit. However, the country eastward of the bald men is well

known, being inhabited by Issedones, who are said to observe this

extraordinary custom. When a man's father dies all his relations bring

cattle, which they sacrifice, and, having cut up the flesh, they cut up

also the dead parent of their host, and mingling all the flesh together,

they spread out a banquet; then making bare and cleansing his head they

gild it; and afterward treat it as a sacred image, performing grand

annual sacrifices to it. A son does this to his father, as the Greeks

celebrate the anniversary of their father's death. These people are

likewise accounted just; and the women have equal authority with the men.

Above them, the Issedones affirm, are the men with only one eye, and the

gold-guarding griffins. The Scythians repeat this account, having

received it from them; and we have adopted it from the Scythians, and

call them in the Scythian language, Arimaspi; for _Arima_, in the

Scythian language, signifies one, and _Spou_, the eye. All this country

which I have been speaking of is subject to such a severe winter, that

for eight months the frost is intolerable, so that if you pour water on

the ground you will not make mud, but if you light a fire you will. Even

the sea freezes, and the whole Cimmerian Bosphorus; and the Scythians

who live within the trench lead their armies and drive their chariots

over the ice to the Sindians, on the other side. Thus winter continues

eight months, and even during the other four it is cold there. And this

winter is different in character from the winters in all other

countries; for in this no rain worth mentioning falls in the usual

season, but during the summer it never leaves off raining. At the time

when there is thunder elsewhere there is none there, but in summer it is

violent: if there should be thunder in winter, it is counted a prodigy

to be wondered at. So, should there be an earthquake, whether in summer

or winter, in Scythia it is accounted a prodigy. Their horses endure

this cold, but asses and mules cannot endure it at all; whereas in other

places in the world horses that stand exposed to frost become

frost-bitten and waste away, but asses and mules endure it. On this

account also the race of beeves appears to me to be defective there, and

not to have horns; and the following verse of Homer, in his Odyssey,

confirms my opinion: "And Libya, where the lambs soon put forth their

horns," rightly observing, that in warm climates horns shoot out

quickly; but in very severe cold, the cattle do not produce them at all,

or with difficulty. Concerning the Hyperboreans, I do not relate the

story of Abaris, who was said to have carried an arrow round the whole

earth without eating any thing. But I smile when I see many persons

describing the circumference of the earth, who have no sound reason to

guide them; they describe the ocean as flowing around the earth, which

is made circular as if by a lathe, and make Asia equal to Europe.

In length Europe extends along both Libya and Asia, but in respect to

width, it is evidently much larger. Libya shows itself to be surrounded

by water, except so much of it as borders upon Asia. Neco, King of

Egypt, was the first whom we know of that proved this; when he had

ceased digging the canal leading from the Nile to the Arabian Gulf, he

sent certain Phœnicians in ships, with orders to sail back through the

pillars of Hercules into the Mediterranean Sea, and so return to Egypt.

The Phœnicians accordingly, setting out from the Red Sea, navigated the

southern sea; when autumn came they went ashore and sowed the land, by

whatever part of Libya they happened to be sailing, and waited for

harvest; then having reaped the corn, they put to sea again. When two

years had thus passed, in the third they doubled the pillars of

Hercules, arrived in Egypt, and related what to me does not seem

credible, but may to others, that as they sailed round Libya, they had

the sun on their right hand.[20] Ever since that the Carthaginians say

that Libya is surrounded by water.

A great part of Asia was explored under the direction of Darius. Being

desirous to know where the Indus, which is the second river that

produces crocodiles, discharges itself into the sea, he sent in ships

Scylax of Caryanda and others on whom he could rely to make a true

report. They accordingly set out from the city of Caspatyrus, sailed

down the river toward the sunrise to the sea; then sailing on the sea

westward, they arrived in the thirtieth month at that place where the

king of Egypt despatched the Phœnicians, whom I before mentioned, to

sail round Libya. After this Darius subdued the Indians, and frequented

this sea. Thus the other parts of Asia, except toward the rising sun,

are found to exhibit things similar to Libya.

Whether Europe is surrounded by water either toward the east or toward

the north, has not been fully discovered by any man; but in length it is

known to extend beyond both the other continents. Nor can I conjecture

for what reason three different names have been given to the earth,

which is but one, and why those should be derived from the names of

women, Libya is said by most of the Greeks to take its name from a

native woman of the name of Libya; and Asia, from the wife of

Prometheus. But the Lydians claim this name, saying that Asia was so

called after Asius, son of Cotys, son of Manes, and not after Asia the

wife of Prometheus; from whom also a tribe in Sardis is called the Asian

tribe; nor is it clear whence Europe received its name, nor who gave it,

unless we say that the region received the name from the Tyrian Europa:

yet she evidently belonged to Asia, and never came into the country

which is now called Europe by the Greeks.

The Euxine Sea exhibits the most ignorant nations: for we are unable to

mention any one nation of those on this side the Pontus that has any

pretensions to intelligence; nor have we ever heard of any learned man

among them, except the Scythian nation and Anacharsis. By the Scythian

nation one of the most important of human devices has been contrived

more wisely than by any others whom we know; their other customs,

however, I do not admire. This device has been contrived so that no one

who attacks them can escape; and that, if they do not choose to be

found, no one is able to overtake them. For they have neither cities nor

fortifications, but carry their houses with them; they are all

equestrian archers, living not from the cultivation of the earth, but

from cattle, and their dwellings are wagons,—how must not such a people

be invincible, and difficult to engage with? The country and the rivers

aid them: for the country, being level, abounds in herbage and is well

watered; and rivers flow through it almost as numerous as the canals in

Egypt. The Ister, which is the greatest of all the rivers we know, flows

always with an equal stream both in summer and winter, and has five

mouths.

In each district of the Scythians, in the place where the magistrates

assemble, is erected a structure sacred to Mars, of the following kind.

Bundles of faggots are heaped up to the length and breadth of three

stades, but less in height; on the top of this a square platform is

formed; and three of the sides are perpendicular, but on the fourth it

is accessible. Every year they heap on it one hundred and fifty

wagon-loads of faggots, for it is continually sinking by reason of the

weather. On this heap an old iron scimetar is placed by each tribe, and

this is the image of Mars; they bring yearly sacrifices of cattle and

horses; and to these _scimetars_ they offer more sacrifices than to the

rest of the gods. Whatever enemies they take alive, of these they

sacrifice one in a hundred, not in the same manner as they do the

cattle, but in a different manner; for after they have poured a libation

of wine on their heads, they cut the throats of the men over a bowl;

then having carried _the bowl_ on the heap of faggots, they pour the

blood over the scimetar. Below at the sacred precinct, they do as

follows: having cut off all the right shoulders of the men that have

been killed, with the arms, they throw them into the air; and then,

having finished the rest of the sacrificial rites, they depart; but the

arm lies wherever it has fallen, and the body apart. Swine they never

use, nor suffer them to be used in their country at all.

When a Scythian overthrows his first enemy, he drinks his blood; and

presents the king with the heads of the enemies he has killed in battle;

for if he brings a head, he shares the booty that they take; but not, if

he does not bring one. He skins it in the following manner. Having made

a circular incision round the ears and taking hold of the skin, he

shakes it from the skull; then having scraped off the flesh with the rib

of an ox, he softens the skin with his hands, makes it supple, and uses

it as a napkin; each man hangs it on the bridle of the horse which he

rides, and prides himself on it; for whoever has the greatest number of

these skin napkins is accounted the most valiant man. Many of them make

cloaks of these skins, to throw over themselves, sewing them together

like shepherd's coats; and many, having flayed the right hands of their

enemies that are dead, together with the nails, make coverings for their

quivers; the skin of a man, which is both thick and shining, surpasses

almost all other skins in the brightness of its white. Many, having

flayed men whole, and stretched the skin on wood, carry it about on

horseback. The heads themselves, not indeed of all, but of their

greatest enemies, they treat as follows: each, having sawn off all below

the eye-brows, cleanses it, and if the man is poor, he covers only the

outside with leather, and so uses it; but if he is rich, he covers it

with leather, and gilds the inside, and so uses it for a drinking-cup.

They do this also to their relatives, if they are at variance, and one

prevails over another in the presence of the king. When strangers of

consideration come to him, he produces these heads, and relates how,

though they were his relatives, they made war against him, and he

overcame them, considering this a proof of bravery. Once in every year,

the governor of a district, each in his own district, mingles a bowl of

wine, from which those Scythians drink by whom enemies have been

captured; but they who have not achieved this, do not taste of this

wine, but sit at a distance in dishonor; this is accounted the greatest

disgrace: such of them as have killed very many men, having two cups at

once, drink them together.

Soothsayers among the Scythians are numerous, who divine by the help of

a number of willow rods, in the following manner. They lay large bundles

of twigs on the ground and untie them; and having placed each rod apart,

they utter their predictions; and whilst they are pronouncing them, they

gather up the rods again, and put them together again one by one. This

is their national mode of divination. But the Enarees, or Androgyni, say

that Venus gave them the power of divining by means of the bark of a

linden tree: when a man has split the linden-tree in three pieces,

twisting it round his own fingers, and then untwisting it, he utters a

response.

When the king of the Scythians is sick, he sends for three of the most

famous of the prophets, who prophesy in the manner above mentioned. When

any of these prophets are proved to have sworn falsely, they put them to

death in the following manner: they fill a wagon with faggots, and yoke

oxen to it, then tie the feet of the prophets, bind their hands behind

them, gag them, and enclose them in the midst of the faggots; then

having set fire to them, they terrify the oxen, and let them go. Many

oxen are burnt with the prophets, and many escape very much scorched,

when the pole has been burnt asunder. Of the children of those whom he

puts to death, the king kills all the males, but does not hurt the

females.

The sepulchres of the kings are in the country of the Gerrhi. There,

when their king dies, they dig a large square hole in the ground, to

receive the corpse. Then, having the body covered with wax, the belly

opened and cleaned, filled with bruised cypress, incense, parsley and

anise-seed, and sewn up again, they carry it in a chariot to another

nation; those who receive the corpse, brought to them, do the same as

the Royal Scythians; they cut off part of their ear, shave off their

hair, wound themselves on the arms, lacerate their forehead and nose,

and drive arrows through their left hand. Thence they carry the corpse

of the king to another nation whom they govern; and those to whom they

first came accompany them. When they have carried the corpse round all

the provinces, they arrive at the sepulchres among the Gerrhi, who are

the most remote of the nations they rule over. Then, when they have

placed the corpse in the grave on a bed of leaves, having fixed spears

on each side of the dead body, they lay pieces of wood over it, and

cover it over with mats. In the remaining space of the grave they bury

one of the king's wives, having strangled her, and his cup-bearer, a

cook, a groom, a page, a courier, and horses, and firstlings of

everything else, and golden goblets; they make no use of silver or

bronze. Then they all heap up a large mound, vieing with each other to

make it as large as possible. At the expiration of a year, they take the

most fitting of his remaining servants, all native Scythians; for

whomsoever the king may order serve him, and they have no servants

bought with money. Now when they have strangled fifty of these servants,

and fifty of the finest horses, they take out their bowels, cleanse

them, fill them with chaff, and sew them up again. Then placing the half

of a wheel, with its concave side uppermost, on two pieces of wood, and

the other half on two other pieces of wood, and preparing many of these

in the same manner, they thrust thick pieces of wood through the horses

lengthwise, up to the neck, mount them on the half-wheels; the foremost

part of the half-wheels supporting the shoulders of the horses, and the

hinder part the belly near the thighs, while the legs on both sides are

suspended in the air; then, having put bridles and bits on the horses,

they stretch them in front, and fasten them to a stake; they then mount

upon each horse one of the fifty young men that have been strangled.

They drive a straight piece of wood along the spine as far as the neck,

and a part of this wood which projects from the bottom they fix into a

hole bored in the other piece of wood that passes through the horse. The

horsemen are then placed round the monument, and they depart.

When the other Scythians die, their nearest relations carry them about

among their friends, laid in chariots; each one receives and entertains

the attendants, and sets the same things before the dead body, as before

the rest. In this manner private persons are carried about for forty

days, and then buried. After the burial the Scythians purify themselves

by wiping and thoroughly washing their heads and bodies. They set up

three pieces of wood leaning against each other, extend around them

woollen cloths; and having joined them together as closely as possible,

they throw red-hot stones into a vessel placed in the middle of the

pieces of wood and the cloths. They have a sort of hemp growing in this

country, much like flax, except in thickness and height; in this respect

the hemp is far superior: it grows both spontaneously and from

cultivation; and from it the Thracians make garments like linen, nor

would any one who is not well skilled in such matters distinguish

whether they are made of flax or hemp, but a person who has never seen

this hemp would think the garment was made of flax. The Scythians take

seed of this hemp, creep under the cloths, and put the seed on the

red-hot stones; this smokes, and produces such a steam, as no Grecian

vapor-bath could surpass. Transported with vapor, they shout aloud; and

this serves them instead of washing, for they never bathe the body in

water. Their women pound on a rough stone pieces of cypress, cedar, and

incense-tree, pouring on water; and then this pounded matter, when it is

thick, they smear over the whole body and face. This at the same time

gives them an agreeable odor, and when they take off the cataplasm on

the following day, they become clean and shining.

I have never been able to learn with accuracy the amount of the

population of the Scythians. There is a spot between the river

Borysthenes and the Hypanis, called Exampæus, containing a fountain of

bitter water, which renders the Hypanis unfit to be drunk. In this spot

lies a bronze cauldron, in size six times as large as the bowl at the

mouth of the Pontus, which Pausanias, son of Cleombrotus, dedicated. For

the benefit of any one who has never seen this, I will describe it: The

cauldron easily contains six hundred amphoræ; and is six fingers in

thickness. The inhabitants say that it was made from the points of

arrows; for their king, Ariantas, wishing to know the population of the

Scythians, commanded the Scythians to bring him each one point of an

arrow, and threatened death on whosoever should fail to bring it.

Accordingly, a vast number of arrow points were brought, and resolving

to leave a monument made from them, he made this bronze bowl, and

dedicated it at Exampæus. Their country has nothing wonderful, except

the rivers, which are very large and very many in number, and the

extensive plains. They show the print of the foot of Hercules upon a

rock near the river Tyras; it resembles the footstep of man, and is two

cubits in length.

CHAPTER II.

INVASION OF SCYTHIA BY DARIUS.

Whilst Darius was making preparations against the Scythians, and sending

messages to command some to contribute land forces, and others a fleet,

and others to bridge over the Thracian Bosphorus, Artabanus, the son of

Hystaspes, and brother of Darius, entreated him on no account to make an

expedition against the Scythians, representing the poverty of Scythia;

but he could not persuade him. At that time Œobazus, a Persian, who had

three sons all serving in the army, besought Darius that one might be

left at home for him. The king answered him, as a friend, and one who

had made a moderate request, that he would leave him all his sons; he

therefore was exceedingly delighted, hoping that his sons would be

discharged from the army. But at Darius' command the proper officers put

all the sons of Œobazus to death, and left them on the spot.

When Darius, marching from Susa, reached Chalcedon on the Bosphorus, a

bridge was already laid across. There, sitting in the temple, he took a

view of the Euxine Sea, which is worthy of admiration, for of all seas

it is by nature the most wonderful.

Darius, pleased with the bridge, presented its architect, Mandrocles the

Samian, with ten of every thing, and he painted a picture of the whole

junction of the Bosphorus, with King Darius seated on a throne, and his

army crossing over, and dedicated it as first fruits in the temple of

Juno.

When Darius reached the river Tearus he was so delighted with it that he

erected a pillar with this inscription: THE SPRINGS OF THE TEARUS

YIELD THE BEST AND FINEST WATER OF ALL RIVERS; AND A MAN, THE BEST AND

FINEST OF ALL MEN, CAME TO THEM, LEADING AN ARMY AGAINST THE SCYTHIANS,

DARIUS, SON OF HYSTASPES, KING OF THE PERSIANS, AND OF THE WHOLE

CONTINENT.

Before he reached the Ister, he subdued the Getæ, who think themselves

immortal, supposing that they themselves do not die, but that the

deceased go to the deity Zalmoxis. Every fifth year they dispatch one of

themselves, taken by lot, to Zalmoxis, with orders to let him know on

each occasion what they want. Their mode of sending him is this. Some

who are appointed hold three javelins; whilst others take up the man who

is to be sent to Zalmoxis by the hands and feet, swing him round, and

throw him into the air, upon the points. If he is transfixed and dies,

they think the god is propitious to them; if he does not die, they blame

the messenger himself, saying that he is a bad man, and dispatch another.

When Darius and his land forces reached the Ister and all had crossed,

Coes, general of the Mitylenians, advised the king to let the bridge

remain over it, leaving the men who constructed it as its guard. "Not,"

said he, "that I am at all afraid that we shall be conquered in battle

by the Scythians, but rather that, being unable to find them, we may

suffer somewhat in our wanderings." "Lesbian friend," replied Darius,

"when I am safe back in my own palace, fail not to present yourself to

me, that I may requite you for good advice with good deeds." Tying sixty

knots in a thong, he summoned the Ionian commanders to his presence, and

said: "Men of Ionia, I have changed my resolution concerning the bridge;

so take this thong, and as soon as you see me march against the

Scythians, untie one of these knots every day; and if I return not until

the days numbered by the knots have passed, sail away to your own

country. Till that time, since I have changed my determination, guard

the bridge, and apply the utmost care to preserve and secure it."

The Scythians determined to fight no battle in the open field, because

their allies did not come to their assistance; but to retreat and draw

off covertly, and fill up the wells and the springs as they passed by,

and destroy the herbage on the ground. They sent forward the best of

their cavalry as an advanced guard; but the wagons, in which all their

children and wives lived, they left behind.

Advancing with his army as quick as possible, he fell in with the

Scythian divisions and pursued them, but they kept a day's march before

him. The Scythians, for Darius did not relax his pursuit, fled, as had

been determined, toward those nations that had refused to assist them.

When this had continued for a considerable time, Darius sent a horseman

to Indathyrsus, king of the Scythians, with the following message: "Most

miserable of men, why dost thou continually fly, when it is in thy power

to do one of these two other things? For if thou thinkest thou art able

to resist my power, stand, and having ceased thy wanderings, fight; but

if thou art conscious of thy inferiority, in that case also cease thy

hurried march, and bringing earth and water as presents to thy master,

come to a conference." To this Indathyrsus, the king of the Scythians,

answered: "This is the case with me, O Persian; I never yet fled from

any man out of fear, nor do I now so flee from thee; nor have I done any

thing different now from what I am wont to do, even in time of peace;

but why I do not forthwith fight thee, I will explain. We have no cities

nor cultivated lands, for which we are under any apprehension lest they

should be taken or ravaged. Yet, if it is by all means necessary to come

to battle at once, we have the sepulchres of our ancestors, come, find

these, and attempt to disturb them, then you will know whether we will

fight for our sepulchres or not; but before that, unless we choose, we

will not engage with thee. The only masters I acknowledge are Jupiter my

progenitor, and Vesta, queen of the Scythians; but to thee, instead of

presents of earth and water, I will send such presents as are proper to

come to thee. And in answer to thy boast, that thou art my master, I bid

thee weep." (This is a Scythian saying.) The herald therefore departed

carrying this answer to Darius.

When the kings of the Scythians heard the name of servitude, they were

filled with indignation; whereupon they sent the division united with

the Sauromatæ, which Scopasis commanded, with orders to confer with the

Ionians, who guarded the bridge over the Ister. Those who were left

resolved no longer to lead the Persians about, but to attack them

whenever they were taking their meals; accordingly, observing the

soldiers of Darius taking their meals, they put their design in

execution. The Scythian cavalry always routed the Persian cavalry, but

the Persian horsemen in their flight fell back on the infantry, and the

infantry supported them. The Scythians, having beaten back the cavalry,

wheeled around through fear of the infantry. A very remarkable

circumstance, that was advantageous to the Persians and adverse to the

Scythians, when they attacked the camp of Darius, was the braying of the

asses and the appearance of the mules, for Scythia produces neither ass

nor mule; there is not in the whole Scythian territory a single ass or

mule, by reason of cold. The asses, then, growing playful, put the

Scythian horses into confusion; and frequently, as they were advancing

upon the Persians, when the horses heard, midway, the braying of the

asses, they wheeled round in confusion, and were greatly amazed,

pricking up their ears, as having never before heard such a sound, nor

seen such a shape; and this circumstance in some slight degree affected

the fortune of the war.

When the Scythians saw the Persians in great commotion, to detain them

longer in Scythia they left some of their own cattle in the care of the

herdsmen and withdrew to another spot; and the Persians coming up, took

the cattle and exulted in what they had done. When this had happened

several times, Darius at last was in a great strait, and the kings of

the Scythians, having ascertained this, sent a herald, bearing as gifts

to Darius, a bird, a mouse, a frog, and five arrows. The Persians asked

the bearer of the gifts the meaning of this present; but he answered

that he had no other orders than to deliver them and return immediately;

and he advised the Persians, if they were wise, to discover what the

gifts meant. Darius' opinion was that the Scythians meant to give

themselves up to him, as well as earth and water; forming his conjecture

thus: since a mouse is bred in the earth, and subsists on the same food

as a man; a frog lives in the water; a bird is very like a horse; and

the arrows they deliver up as their whole strength. But Gobryas, one of

the seven who had deposed the magus, did not coincide with this; he

conjectured that the presents intimated: "Unless, O Persians, ye become

birds and fly into the air, or become mice and hide yourselves beneath

the earth, or become frogs and leap into the lakes, ye shall never

return home again, but be stricken by these arrows." And thus the other

Persians interpreted the gifts.

The rest of the Scythians, after they had sent the presents to Darius,

drew themselves up opposite the Persians with their foot and horse, as

if they intended to come to an engagement; and as the Scythians were

standing in their ranks, a hare started in the midst of them; and each

went in pursuit of it. The Scythians being in great confusion, and

shouting loudly, Darius asked the meaning of the uproar in the enemy's

ranks; but when he heard that they were pursuing a hare, he said to

those he was accustomed to address on such occasions: "These men treat

us with great contempt; and I am convinced that Gobryas spoke rightly

concerning the Scythian presents. I feel that we have need of the best

advice, how our return home may be effected in safety." To this Gobryas

answered: "O king, I was in some measure acquainted by report with these

men; but I have learned much more since I came hither, and seen how they

make sport of us. My opinion is, that as soon as night draws on we

should light fires, as we are accustomed to do, and having deceived and

left behind those soldiers who are least able to bear hardships, and

having tethered all the asses, should depart before the Scythians direct

their march to the Ister, for the purpose of destroying the bridge, or

the Ionians take any resolution which may occasion our ruin." Darius

acted on this opinion: the infirm amongst the soldiers, and those whose

loss would be of the least consequence, he left on the spot in the camp.

And he left the asses, that they might make a noise; and the men were

left on this pretext, that he with the strength of his army was about to

attack the Scythians, and they, during that time, would defend the camp.

So Darius laid these injunctions on those he was preparing to abandon,

caused the fires to be lighted, and marched away with all speed toward

the Ister. The asses, deserted by the multitude, began to bray much

louder than usual; so that the Scythians, hearing them, supposed of

course that the Persians were still at their station. When day appeared,

the men that were abandoned, discovering that they had been betrayed by

Darius, extended their hands to the Scythians, and told them what had

occurred; when they heard this the divisions of the Scythians joined

forces as quickly as possible and pursued the Persians straight toward

the Ister. But as a great part of the Persian army consisted of

infantry, and they did not know the way, there being no roads cut, and

as the Scythian army consisted of cavalry, and knew the shortest route,

they missed each other, and the Scythians arrived at the bridge much

before the Persians. Finding that the Persians were not yet arrived,

they spoke to the Ionians who were on board the ships in these terms:

"Men of Ionia, the number of days appointed for your stay is already

passed, and you do not as you ought in continuing here; but if you

remained before through fear, now break up the passage and depart as

quickly as possible, rejoicing that you are free, and give thanks to the

gods and the Scythians. As for the man who before was your master, we

will so deal with him that he shall never hereafter make war on any

people."

Upon this the Ionians held a consultation. The opinion of Miltiades the

Athenian, who commanded and reigned over the Chersonesites on the

Hellespont, was, that they should comply with the request of the

Scythians, and restore liberty to Ionia. But Histiæus the Milesian was

of a contrary opinion, and said, "that every one reigned over his own

city through Darius; and if Darius' power should be destroyed, neither

would he himself continue master of Miletus, nor any of the rest of

other places; because every one of the cities would choose to be

governed rather by a democracy than a tyranny." Histiæus had no sooner

delivered this opinion, than all went over to his side, who had before

assented to that of Miltiades. Approving of the opinion of Histiæus,

they determined to add to it the following acts and words. To break up

the bridge on the Scythian side, as far as a bow-shot might reach, that

they might seem to do something, when in effect they did nothing; and

that the Scythians might not attempt to use violence and purpose to

cross the Ister by the bridge; and to say, while they were breaking up

the bridge on the Scythian side, they would do every thing that might be

agreeable to the Scythians. And, Histiæus delivered the answer in the

name of all, saying as follows: "Men of Scythia, you have brought us

good advice, and urge it seasonably; you, on your part, have pointed out

the right way to us, and we on ours readily submit to you; for, as you

see, we are breaking up the passage, and will use all diligence,

desiring to be free. But while we are breaking it up, it is fitting you

should seek for them, and having found them, avenge us and yourselves on

them, as they deserve." The Scythians, believing a second time that the

Ionians were sincere, turned back to seek the Persians; but entirely

missed the way they had taken. The Scythians themselves were the cause

of this, as they had destroyed the pastures for the horses in this

direction, and filled in the wells; for if they had not done this, they

might easily have found the Persians; but now they erred in the very

thing which they thought they had contrived for the best. For the

Scythians sought the enemy by traversing those parts of the country

where there was forage and water for the horses, thinking that they too

would make their retreat by that way. But the Persians carefully

observing their former track, returned by it, and thus with difficulty

found the passage. As they arrived in the night, and perceived the

bridge broken off, they fell into the utmost consternation, lest the

Ionians had abandoned them. There was with Darius an Egyptian, who had

an exceedingly loud voice. This man Darius commanded to stand on the

bank of the Ister, and called Histiæus the Milesian. He did so, and

Histiæus, having heard the first shout, brought up all the ships to

carry the army across, and joined the bridge. Thus the Persians escaped.

CHAPTER III.

DESCRIPTION OF LIBYA.

Beginning from Egypt the Adrymachidæ are the first of the Libyans we

meet with: they for the most part observe the usages of Egypt, but they

wear the same dress as the other Libyans. The women wear a chain of

bronze on each leg, and allow their hair to grow long. Next to these are

the Giligammæ, who occupy the country westward, as far as the island

Aphrodisias. Midway on this coast the island of Platea is situated,

which the Cyrenæans colonized. The Asbystæ adjoin the Giligammæ

westward; they inhabit the country above Cyrene, but do not reach to the

sea; for the Cyrenæans occupy the sea-coast. They drive four-horsed

chariots, more than any of the Libyans, and endeavor to imitate most of

the customs of the Cyrenæans. The Nasamones, a very numerous people,

live to the westward. In summer they leave their cattle on the coast,

and go up to the region of Augila, in order to gather the fruit of the

palm-trees, which grow in great numbers to a large size, and are all

productive. They catch locusts, dry them in the sun, reduce them to

powder, and sprinkling them in milk, drink them. In their oaths and

divinations they swear, laying their hands on the sepulchres of those

who are generally esteemed to have been the most just and excellent

persons among them; and they divine, going to the tombs of their

ancestors, and after having prayed, they lie down to sleep, and whatever

dream they have, they avail themselves of. In pledging their faith, each

party gives the other to drink out of his hand, and drinks in turn from

the other's hand; and if they have no liquid, they take up some dust

from the ground and lick it.

Above these to the north, in a country abounding with wild beasts, live

the Garamantes, who avoid all men and the society of any others; they do

not possess any warlike weapon, nor do they know how to defend

themselves. The Macæ adjoin them on the sea-coast, westward; these shave

their heads so as to leave a tuft, and allowing the middle hair to grow,

keep both sides shaved close to the skin; in war they wear the skins of

ostriches for defensive armor. The river Cinyps, flowing through their

country from a hill called the Graces, discharges itself into the sea.

This hill of the Graces is thickly covered with trees, though all the

rest of Libya is bare. From the sea to this hill is a distance of two

hundred stades. The Lotophagi occupy the coast that projects to the sea

in front; they subsist only on the fruit of the lotus, which is equal in

size to the mastic berry, and in sweetness resembles the fruit of the

palm-tree. The Lotophagi make wine also from this fruit.

The Machlyes, who also use the lotus, but in a less degree than those

before mentioned, adjoin the Lotophagi on the sea-coast. They extend as

far as a large river called Triton, which discharges itself into the

great lake Tritonis; and in it is an island named Phla. They say that

the Lacedæmonians were commanded by an oracle to colonize this island.

The following story is also told: that Jason, when the building of the

Argo was finished at the foot of Mount Pelion, having put a hecatomb on

board, and a bronze tripod, sailed round the Peloponnesus, purposing to

go to Delphi; and as he was sailing off Malea, a north wind caught him

and drove him to Libya; and before he could descern the land, he found

himself in the shallows of the lake Tritonis; and as he was in doubt how

to extricate his ship, the story goes that a Triton appeared to him, and

bade Jason give him the tripod, promising that he would show them the

passage, and conduct them away in safety. Jason consented, and the

Triton showed them the passage out of the shallows, and placed the

tripod in his own temple; then pronouncing an oracle from the tripod, he

declared to Jason and his companions all that should happen,—that "when

one of the descendants of those who sailed with him in the Argo should

carry away the tripod, then it was fated that a hundred Grecian cities

should be built about the lake Tritonis." The neighboring nations of the

Libyans, when they heard this, concealed the tripods. The Auses adjoin

these Machlyes; they, as well as the Machlyes, dwell round the lake

Tritonis, and the Triton forms the boundary between them. The Machlyes

let the hair grow on the back of the head, and the Auses on the front.

At the annual festival of Minerva, their virgins, dividing themselves

into two companies, fight together with stones and staves, affirming

that they perform the ancient rites to their native goddess, whom we

call Minerva; and those of the virgins who die from their wounds they

call false virgins. But before they leave off fighting, they, with one

consent, deck the maiden that excels in beauty, with a Corinthian

helmet, and a suit of Grecian armor, and placing her in a chariot

conduct her round the lake. In what way they formerly decorated the

maidens before the Greeks settled in their neighborhood, I am unable to

say; but I conjecture that they were decked in Egyptian armor, for I am

of opinion that the shield and helmet were brought from Egypt into

Greece.

Above these nomadic tribes, inland, Libya abounds in wild beasts; beyond

the wild-beast tract is a ridge of sand, stretching from the Egyptian

Thebes to the columns of Hercules. At intervals of a ten days' journey

in this ridge, there are pieces of salt in large lumps on hills; and at

the top of each hill, from the midst of the salt, cool, sweet water

gushes up. The first people you come to after a ten days' journey from

Thebes, are the Ammonians, who have a temple resembling that of Theban

Jupiter. For the image of Jupiter at Thebes has the head of a ram. They

have also another kind of spring water which in the morning is tepid,

becomes colder about the time of full forum, and at midday is very cold;

at that time they water their gardens. As the day declines it generally

loses its coldness, till the sun sets, then the water becomes tepid

again, and continuing to increase in heat till midnight, it then boils

and bubbles up; when midnight is passed, it gets cooler until morning.

This fountain is called after the sun. Next to the Ammonians, along the

ridge of sand, at the end of another ten days' journey, there is a hill

of salt, like that of the Ammonians, and water, and men live round it;

the name of this region is Augila; and thither the Nasamonians go to

gather dates. From the Augilæ, at the end of another ten days' journey,

is another hill of salt and water, and many fruit-bearing palm-trees, as

also in other places; and men inhabit it who are called Garamantes, a

very powerful nation; they lay earth upon the salt, and then sow their

ground. From these to the Lotophagi the shortest route is a journey of

thirty days; amongst them cattle that feed backwards are met with,

having horns that are so bent forward, that they are unable to feed

forwards, because their horns would stick in the ground. They differ

from other kine in no other respect, except that their hide is thicker

and harder. These Garamantes hunt the Ethiopian Troglodytes in

four-horse chariots; these Ethiopian Troglodytes are the swiftest of

foot of all men of whom we have heard any account given. The Troglodytes

feed upon serpents and lizards, and such kinds of reptiles; they speak a

language like no other, but screech like bats.

At the distance of another ten days' journey from the Garamantes is

another hill of salt and water, around which a people live who are

called Atarantes; they are the only race we know of who have not

personal names. For the name Atarantes belongs to them collectively, and

to each one of them no name is given. They curse the sun as he passes

over their heads, and moreover utter against him the foulest invectives,

because he consumes by his scorching heat, the men themselves and their

country. Afterward, at the end of still another ten days' journey, there

is one more hill of salt and water, and men live round it, near a

mountain called Atlas; it is narrow and circular on all sides, and is

said to be so lofty that its top can never be seen; it is never free

from clouds, either in summer or winter. The inhabitants say that it is

the Pillar of Heaven. From this mountain the men derive their

appellation, for they are called Atlantes. They are said neither to eat

the flesh of any animal, nor to see visions. As far, then, as these

Atlantes, I am able to mention the names of the nations that inhabit

this ridge, but not beyond them. This ridge, however, extends as far as

the pillars of Hercules, and even beyond; and there is a mine of salt in

it at intervals of ten days' journey, and men dwelling there. The houses

of them all are built of blocks of salt, for in these parts of Libya no

rain falls; walls being of salt could not of course stand long if rain

did fall. The salt dug out there is white and purple in appearance.

Above this ridge, to the south and interior of Libya, the country is a

desert, without water, without animals, without rain, and without wood;

and there is no kind of moisture in it.

Westward of lake Tritonis, the Libyans are no longer nomads, nor do they

follow the same customs, with respect to their children, as the nomads

are accustomed to do; for the nomadic Libyans, whether all I am unable

to say with certainty, but many of them, when their children are four

years old, burn the veins on the crown of their heads, with uncleaned

sheep's wool; and some of them do so on the veins in the temples; to the

end that humors flowing down from the head may not injure them as long

as they live: and, for this reason, they say they are so very healthy,

for the Libyans are in truth the most healthy of all men with whom we

are acquainted. But I simply repeat what the Libyans themselves say.

From the Libyan women the Greeks derived the attire and ægis of

Minerva's statues; for, except that the dress of the Libyan women is

leather, and the fringes that hang from the ægis are not serpents, but

made of thongs, they are otherwise equipped in the same way; and,

moreover, the very name proves that the garb of the Palladia comes from

Libya; for the Libyan women throw over their dress, goats' skins without

the hair, fringed and dyed with red. From these goats' skins the Greeks

have borrowed the name of Ægis. And the howlings in the temples were, I

think, first derived from there; for the Libyan women practise the same

custom, and do it well. The Greeks also learnt from the Libyans to yoke

four horses abreast. All the nomads, except the Nasamonians, inter their

dead in the same manner as the Greeks; these bury them in a sitting

posture, watching when one is about to expire, that they may set him up,

and he may not die supine. Their dwellings are compacted of the asphodel

shrub, interwoven with rushes, and are portable.

To the west of the river Triton, Libyans who are husbandmen next adjoin

the Auses; they are accustomed to live in houses, and are called Maxyes.

They let the hair grow on the right side of the head, and shave the

left; and bedaub the body with vermilion: they say that they are

descended from men who came from Troy. This region, and all the rest of

Libya westward, is much more infested by wild beasts and more thickly

wooded than the country of the nomads; for the eastern country of Libya,

which the nomads inhabit, is low and sandy, as far as the river Triton;

but the country westward of this, which is occupied by agriculturists,

is very mountainous, woody, and abounds with wild beasts. For amongst

them there are enormous serpents, and lions, elephants, bears, asps,

asses with horns, and monsters with dogs' heads and without heads, who

have eyes in their breasts, at least as the Libyans say, together with

wild men and wild women. None of these things are found among the

nomads, but others of the following kind: pygargi, antelopes, buffaloes,

and asses, not such as have horns, but others that never drink; and

oryes, from the horns of which are made the elbows of the Phœnician

citherns; in size this beast is equal to an ox; and foxes, hyænas,

porcupines, wild rams, dictyes, thoes, panthers, boryes, and land

crocodiles about three cubits long, very much like lizards; ostriches,

and small serpents, each with one horn. These, then, are the wild

animals in that country, besides such as are met with elsewhere, except

the stag and the wild boar; but the stag and the wild boar are never

seen in Libya. They have three sorts of mice there; some called dipodes,

or two-footed; others, zegeries, this name is Libyan, and means the same

as the word signifying hillocks in Greek; and hedgehogs. There are also

weasels produced in the silphium, like those at Tartessus.

The Zaveces adjoin the Maxyan Libyans; their women drive their chariots

in war. The Gyzantes adjoin them; amongst them bees make a great

quantity of honey, and it is said that confectioners make much more. All

these paint themselves with vermilion, and eat monkeys, which abound in

their mountains. Near them, the Carthaginians say, lies an island called

Cyraunis, two hundred stades in length, inconsiderable in breadth, easy

of access from the continent, and abounding in olive trees and vines. In

it is a lake, from the mud of which the girls of the country draw up

gold dust by means of feathers daubed with pitch. Whether this is true I

know not, but I write what is related; it may be so, however, for I have

myself seen pitch drawn up out of a lake and from water in Zacynthus;

and there are several lakes there, the largest of them is seventy feet

every way, and two orgyæ in depth; into this they let down a pole with a

myrtle branch fastened to the end, and then draw up pitch adhering to

the myrtle; it has the smell of asphalt, but is in other respects better

than the pitch of Pieria. They pour it into a cistern dug near the lake,

and when they have collected a sufficient quantity, draw it off from the

cistern into jars. All that falls into the lake passes under ground, and

appears again upon the surface of the sea, which is about four stades

distant from the lake. This account given of the island may probably be

true. The Carthaginians further say, that beyond the pillars of Hercules

there is an inhabited region of Libya; when they arrive among these

people and have unloaded their merchandise, they set it in order on the

shore, go on board their ships, and make a great smoke; the inhabitants,

seeing the smoke, come down to the sea, deposit gold in exchange for the

merchandise, and withdraw to some distance from the merchandise; the

Carthaginians then, going ashore, examine the gold, and if the quantity

seems sufficient for the merchandise they take it up and sail away; but

if it is not sufficient, they go on board their ships again and wait;

the natives then approach and deposit more gold, until they have

satisfied them; neither party ever wrongs the other; for they do not

touch the gold before it is made adequate to the value of the

merchandise, nor do the natives touch the merchandise before the other

party has taken the gold.

No part of Libya appears to me so good in fertility as to be compared

with Asia or Europe, except only the district of Cinyps; for the land

bears the same name as the river, and is equal to the best land for the

production of corn; nor is it at all like the rest of Libya; for the

soil is black, and well watered with springs, and it is neither affected

at all by drought, nor is it injured by imbibing too much rain, which

falls in this part of Libya. The proportion of the produce of this land

equals that of Babylon. The land also which the Euesperides occupy is

good; for when it yields its best, it produces a hundred-fold; but that

in Cinyps three hundred-fold. The district of Cyrene, which is the

highest of that part of Libya which the nomads occupy, has three

seasons, a circumstance worthy of admiration; for the first fruits near

the sea swell so as to be ready for the harvest and vintage; when these

are gathered in, the fruits of the middle region, away from the sea,

swell so as to be gathered in, these they call uplands; and just as this

middle harvest has been gathered in, that in the highest part becomes

ripe and swells. So that when the first crop has been drunk and eaten,

the last comes in. Thus harvest occupies the Cyrenæans during eight

months. This maybe sufficient to say concerning these things.

[Illustration: OLIVE TREES.]

The Persians once upon a time, sent against the city of Barce, laid

siege to it for nine months, digging passages under ground that reached

to the walls, and making vigorous assaults. Now these excavations were

discovered by a worker of bronze, carrying a bronze shield round within

the wall, and applying it to the ground within the city: in other places

to which he applied it, it made no noise, but at the parts that were

excavated, the metal of the shield sounded. The Barcæans, therefore,

countermining them in that part, slew the Persians who were employed in

the excavation. When much time had been spent, and many had fallen on

both sides, and not the fewest on the side of the Persians, Amasis,

general of the land forces, had recourse to the following stratagem:

Finding that the Barcæans could not be taken by force, but might be by

artifice, he dug a wide pit by night, laid weak planks of wood over it,

and on the surface over the planks he spread a heap of earth, making it

level with the rest of the ground. At daybreak he invited the Barcæans

to a conference; they gladly assented, thinking that at last they were

pleased to come to terms: and they made an agreement of the following

nature, concluding the treaty over the concealed pit: "That as long as

this earth shall remain as it is, the treaty should continue in force;

and that the Barcæans should pay a reasonable tribute to the king, and

that the Persians should form no new designs against the Barcæans."

After the treaty the Barcæans, confiding in the Persians, went freely

out of the city, and allowed any one of the Persians who chose to pass

within the wall, throwing open all the gates. But the Persians, having

broken down the concealed bridge, rushed within the wall: having not

fully kept their oath. The Persians reduced the Barcæans to slavery and

took their departure. But king Darius gave them a village in the

district of Bactria, to dwell in, and the name of Barce was given to

this village, which was still inhabited in my time, in the Bactrian

territory.

[20] Herodotus means that south of the equator the sun was in the north.

_BOOK V. TERPSICHORE._

CHAPTER I.

CONQUESTS OF THE GENERALS OF DARIUS.

The Persians, left in Europe by Darius under the command of Megabazus,

subdued the Perinthians first of the Hellespontines, who were unwilling

to submit to Darius, and had been before roughly handled by the

Pæonians. For an oracle had admonished the Pæonians to invade the

Perinthians, and if the Perinthians, when encamped against them, should

challenge them, shouting to them by name, then to attack, but if they

should not shout out to them, not to attack. A threefold single combat

took place between them according to a challenge; for they matched a man

with a man, a horse with a horse, and a dog with a dog. The Perinthians,

victorious in two of these combats, through excess of joy sang the Pæon,

whereupon the Pæonians conjectured that this was the meaning of the

oracle, and said among themselves: "Now surely the oracle must be

accomplished; now it is our part to act." The Pæonians attacked the

Perinthians as they were singing the Pæon, gained a complete victory,

and left but few of them alive.

The nation of the Thracians is the greatest of all among men, except the

Indians; and if they were governed by one man, or acted in concert, they

would, in my opinion, be invincible, and by far the most powerful of all

nations. But as this is impracticable, and it is impossible that they

should ever be united, they are weak.

Beyond the Ister appears to be an interminable desert, and the only men

that I am able to hear of as dwelling there are those called Sigynnæ,

who wear the Medic dress; their horses are shaggy all over the body, to

five fingers in depth of hair; they are small, flat-nosed, and unable to

carry men; but when yoked to chariots are very fleet. They say that

these people are a colony of Medes. How they can have been a colony of

Medes I cannot comprehend; but any thing may happen in the course of

time.

There is a curious people who inhabit Lake Prasias itself, who were not

at all subdued by Megabazus;—they live upon the lake in dwellings

erected upon planks fitted on lofty piles, which are driven in the

middle of the lake, with a narrow entrance from the main land by a

single bridge. These piles that support the planks all the citizens

anciently placed there at the common charge; but afterward they

established a law to the following effect: Whenever a man marries, for

each wife he sinks three piles, bringing wood from a mountain called

Orbelus: but every man has several wives. Each one has a hut on the

planks, in which he dwells, with a trap-door closely fitted in the

planks, and leading down to the lake. They tie the young children with a

cord around the foot, for fear they should fall into the lake beneath.

To their horses and beasts of burden they give fish for fodder; of which

there is such an abundance, that you have simply to open your trap-door,

let down an empty basket by a cord into the lake, when, after waiting a

short time, you draw it up full of fish.

[Illustration: HEAD-DRESS OF A RIDING HORSE.]

Megabazus, after conquering the Pæonians, arrived at the Hellespont,

crossed over, and came to Sardis. In the meantime, Histiæus the Milesian

was building a wall around the place, which, at his own request, he had

received from Darius as a reward for his services in preserving the

bridge: this place was near the river Strymon, and its name Myrcinus.

Megabazus, upon learning what was being done by Histiæus, as soon as he

reached Sardis said to Darius: "O king, what have you done, in allowing

a crafty and subtle Greek to possess a city in Thrace, where there is an

abundance of timber fit for building ships and plenty of wood for oars,

and silver mines? A great multitude of Greeks and barbarians dwell

around, who, when they have obtained him as a leader, will do whatever

he may command, both by day and by night. Put a stop therefore to the

proceedings of this man, that you may not be harassed by a domestic war;

send for him in a gentle manner, and stop him: and when you have him in

your power, take care that he never returns to the Greeks." Megabazus

easily persuaded Darius, since he wisely foresaw what was to happen. So

Darius sent a messenger to Myrcinus, who spoke as follows: "Histiæus,

King Darius says thus: I find on consideration that there is no man

better affected to me and my affairs than thyself; and this I have

learnt, not by words, but actions; now, since I have great designs to

put in execution, come to me by all means, that I may communicate them

to thee." Histiæus, giving credit to these words, and at the time

considering it a great honor to become a counsellor of the king, went to

Sardis: when he arrived, Darius said, "Histiæus, I have sent for you on

this occasion. As soon as I returned from Scythia, and you were out of

my sight, I have wished for nothing so much as to see you and converse

with you again; being persuaded that a friend who is both intelligent

and well affected, is the most valuable of all possessions; both of

which I am able to testify from my own knowledge concur in you, as

regards my affairs. You have done well in coming, and I make you this

offer: Think no more of Miletus, nor of the new-founded city in Thrace;

but follow me to Susa, have the same that I have, and be the partner of

my table and counsels." And Darius appointed Artaphernes, his brother by

the same father, to be governor of Sardis, and departed for Susa, taking

Histiæus with him. He first nominated Otanes to be general of the forces

on the coast, whose father, Sisamnes, one of the royal judges, King

Cambyses had put to death and flayed, because he had given an unjust

judgment for a sum of money. He had his skin torn off, and cut into

thongs, and extended it on the bench on which he used to sit, when he

pronounced judgment; then Cambyses appointed as judge in the room of

Sisamnes, whom he had slain and flayed, the son of Sisamnes, admonishing

him to remember on what seat he sat to administer justice. This very

Otanes, then, being now appointed successor to Megabazus in the command

of the army, subdued the Byzantians and Chalcedonians, and took

Antandros, which belongs to the territory of Troas, and Lamponium; and

obtaining ships from the Lesbians, he took Lemnos and Imbrus, both of

which were then inhabited by Pelasgians. The Lemnians fought valiantly,

and defended themselves for some time, but were at length overcome; and

over those who survived, the Persians set up Lycaretus as governor, the

brother of Mæandrius, who had reigned in Samos. Otanes enslaved and

subdued them all for various alleged reasons: some he charged with

desertion to the Scythians; others he accused of having harassed Darius'

army in their return home from the Scythians.

Afterward, for the intermission from misfortune was not of long

duration, evils arose a second time to the Ionians from Naxos and

Miletus. For, on the one hand, Naxos surpassed all the islands in

opulence; and on the other, Miletus, at the same time, had attained the

summit of its prosperity, and was accounted the ornament of Ionia. Some

of the opulent men, exiled from Naxos by the people, went to Miletus:

the governor of Miletus happened to be Aristagoras, son of Molpagoras,

son-in-law and cousin of Histiæus, whom Darius detained at Susa. These

Naxians arrived at Miletus, entreated Aristagoras, if he could, by any

means, to give them some assistance so that they might return to their

own country. He, perceiving that if by his means they should return to

their city, he might get the dominion of Naxos, used the friendship of

Histiæus as a pretence, and addressed the following discourse to them:

"I am not able of myself to furnish you with a force sufficient to

reinstate you against the wishes of the Naxians, who are in possession

of the city, for I hear that the Naxians have eight thousand heavy-armed

men, and a considerable number of ships of war. Yet I will contrive some

way, and use my best endeavors; my scheme is this: Artaphernes happens

to be my friend; he is son of Hystaspes and brother of king Darius, and

commands all the maritime parts of Asia, and has a large army and navy.

This man, I am persuaded, will do whatever we desire." The Naxians urged

Aristagoras to go about it in the best way he could, and bade him

promise presents, and their expenses to the army, for they would repay

it; having great expectation that when they should appear at Naxos the

Naxians would do whatever they should order, as also would the other

islanders; for of these Cyclades islands not one was as yet subject to

Darius.

Accordingly Aristagoras journeyed to Sardis, and told Artaphernes, that

Naxos was an island of no great extent, to be sure, but beautiful and

fertile, and near Ionia, and in it was much wealth and many slaves. "Do

send an army against this country, to reinstate those who have been

banished; and if you do this, I have, in the first place, a large sum of

money ready, in addition to the expenses of the expedition, for it is

just that we who lead you on should supply that; and in the next, you

will acquire for the king Naxos itself, and the islands dependent upon

it, Paros, Andros, and the rest that are called Cyclades. Setting out

from there you will easily attack Eubœa, a large and wealthy island, not

less than Cyprus, and very easy to be taken. A hundred ships are

sufficient to subdue them all." The reply was quickly given: "You

propose things advantageous to the king's house, and advise every thing

well, except the number of ships; instead of one hundred, two hundred

shall be ready at the commencement of the spring. But it is necessary

that the king himself should approve of the design." Aristagoras, wild

with delight, went back to Miletus. And Artaphernes, finding that Darius

himself approved of the plan, made ready two hundred triremes, and a

very numerous body of Persians and other allies: and he appointed

Megabates general, a Persian of the family of the Archimenidæ, his own

and Darius' nephew, whose daughter, if the report be true, was afterward

betrothed to Pausanias, son of Cleombrotus the Lacedæmonian, who aspired

to become tyrant of Greece. Artaphernes, having appointed Megabates

general, sent forward the army to Aristagoras.

Megabates, with Aristagoras, the Ionian forces, and the Naxians, sailed

professedly for the Hellespont; but when he arrived at Chios, anchored

at Caucasa, that he might cross over from there to Naxos by a north

wind. However, it was fated that the Naxians were not to perish by this

armament, as the following event occurred: As Megabates was going round

the watches on board the ships, he found no one on guard on board a

Myndian ship; indignant at this, he ordered his body-guards to find the

captain of this ship, whose name was Scylax, and to bind him with his

body half-way through the lower row-lock of the vessel, so that his head

should be on the outside of the vessel, and his legs within. Some one

told Aristagoras that Megabates had bound and disgraced his Myndian

friend. He went therefore and interceded for him with the Persian, but,

when he found he could obtain nothing, went himself and released him.

Megabates, hearing of this, was very indignant, and enraged at

Aristagoras, and told him so; "but," said Aristagoras, "what have you to

do with these matters? Did not Artaphernes send you to obey me, and to

sail wheresoever I should command?" Megabates, still more exasperated at

this, as soon as night arrived, dispatched men in a ship to Naxos, to

inform the Naxians of the impending danger. The Naxians, who had not a

suspicion that this armament was coming against them, immediately

carried every thing from the fields into the town, and, with plenty of

food and drink, prepared to undergo a siege, so the Persians had to

attack men well fortified, and after besieging them four months,

consumed all the supplies they had brought with them, together with

large sums furnished by Aristagoras, and wanting still more to carry on

the siege, they were forced to build a fortress for the Naxian exiles,

and retire to the continent unsuccessful.

Aristagoras was thus unable to fulfil his promise to Artaphernes; while

at the same time the expenses of the expedition pressed heavily on him

on account of the ill success of the army; and having incurred the ill

will of Megabates to such an extent that he feared that he should be

deprived of the government of Miletus, he meditated a revolt. It

happened at the same time that a messenger with his head tattooed came

from Susa from Histiæus, urging Aristagoras to revolt from the king. For

Histiæus, being desirous to communicate to Aristagoras his wish for him

to revolt, had no other means of signifying it with safety, because the

roads were guarded; therefore, having shaved the head of the most

trustworthy of his slaves, he marked it with a sharp iron, and waited

till the hair had grown again, then sent him to Miletus without other

instructions except that when he arrived at Miletus he should desire

Aristagoras to shave off his hair and look upon his head: the punctures,

as I have said before, signified a wish for him to revolt. Histiæus did

this because he looked upon his detention at Susa as a great misfortune;

while if a revolt should take place he had great hopes that he should be

sent down to the coast; but if Miletus made no new attempt, he thought

that he should never go there again. It was resolved to revolt, and

messengers were sent to the force that had returned from Naxos, and

which was at Myus, to seize the captains on board the ships. Aristagoras

thus openly revolted, devising every thing he could against Darius. And

first, in pretence, having laid aside the sovereignty, he established an

equality in Miletus, in order that the Milesians might more readily join

with him in the revolt. Afterward he effected the same throughout the

rest of Ionia, expelling some of the tyrants; and he delivered up those

whom he had taken from on board the ships that had sailed with him

against Naxos, to the cities, in order to gratify the people, giving

them up to the respective cities, from whence each came. The

Mityleneans, as soon as they received Coes, led him out, and stoned him

to death; but the Cymeans let their tyrant go; and in like manner most

of the others let theirs go. Accordingly there was a suppression of

tyrants throughout the cities. But Aristagoras enjoined them all to

appoint magistrates in each of the cities, and went himself in a trireme

as ambassador to Sparta, for it was necessary for him to procure some

powerful alliance.