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plight…　no　stranger's　hands　have　wrought　this　work　on　me；　but　my　own　only。　I　maimed　myself　I　could　not　endure　that　the　Assyrians　should　laugh　at　the　Persians。〃　〃Wretched　man；〃　said　Darius；　〃thou　coverest　the　foulest　deed　with　the　fairest　possible　name；　when　thou　sayest　thy　maiming　is　to　help　our　siege　forward。　How　will　thy　disfigurement；　thou　simpleton；　induce　the　enemy　to　yield　one　day　the　sooner？　Surely　thou　hadst　gone　out　of　thy　mind　when　thou　didst　so　misuse　thyself。〃　〃Had　I　told　thee；〃　rejoined　the　other；　〃what　I　was　bent　on　doing；　thou　wouldest　not　have　suffered　it；　as　it　is；　I　kept　my　own　counsel；　and　so　accomplished　my　plans。　Now；　therefore；　if　there　be　no　failure　on　thy　part；　we　shall　take　Babylon。　I　will　desert　to　the　enemy　as　I　am；　and　when　I　get　into　their　city　I　will　tell　them　that　it　is　by　thee　I　have　been　thus　treated。　I　think　they　will　believe　my　words；　and　entrust　me　with　a　command　of　troops。　Thou；　on　thy　part；　must　wait　till　the　tenth　day　after　I　am　entered　within　the　town；　and　then　place　near　to　the　gates　of　Semiramis　a　detachment　of　thy　army；　troops　for　whose　loss　thou　wilt　care　little；　a　thousand　men。　Wait；　after　that；　seven　days；　and　post　me　another　detachment；　two　thousand　strong；　at　the　Nineveh　gates；　then　let　twenty　days　pass；　and　at　the　end　of　that　time　station　near　the　Chaldaean　gates　a　body　of　four　thousand。　Let　neither　these　nor　the　former　troops　be　armed　with　any　weapons　but　their　swords…　those　thou　mayest　leave　them。　After　the　twenty　days　are　over；　bid　thy　whole　army　attack　the　city　on　every　side；　and　put　me　two　bodies　of　Persians；　one　at　the　Belian；　the　other　at　the　Cissian　gates；　for　I　expect；　that；　on　account　of　my　successes；　the　Babylonians　will　entrust　everything；　even　the　keys　of　their　gates；　to　me。　Then　it　will　be　for　me　and　my　Persians　to　do　the　rest。〃　　　　　Having　left　these　instructions；　Zopyrus　fled　towards　the　gates　of　the　town；　often　looking　back；　to　give　himself　the　air　of　a　deserter。　The　men　upon　the　towers；　whose　business　it　was　to　keep　a　lookout；　observing　him；　hastened　down；　and　setting　one　of　the　gates　slightly　ajar；　questioned　him　who　he　was；　and　on　what　errand　he　had　come。　He　replied　that　he　was　Zopyrus；　and　had　deserted　to　them　from　the　Persians。　Then　the　doorkeepers；　when　they　heard　this；　carried　him　at　once　before　the　Magistrates。　Introduced　into　the　assembly；　he　began　to　bewail　his　misfortunes；　telling　them　that　Darius　had　maltreated　him　in　the　way　they　could　see；　only　because　he　had　given　advice　that　the　siege　should　be　raised；　since　there　seemed　no　hope　of　taking　the　city。　〃And　now；〃　he　went　on　to　say；　〃my　coming　to　you；　Babylonians；　will　prove　the　greatest　gain　that　you　could　possibly　receive；　while　to　Darius　and　the　Persians　it　will　be　the　severest　loss。　Verily　he　by　whom　I　have　been　so　mutilated　shall　not　escape　unpunished。　And　truly　all　the　paths　of　his　counsels　are　known　to　me。〃　Thus　did　Zopyrus　speak。　　　　　The　Babylonians；　seeing　a　Persian　of　such　exalted　rank　in　so　grievous　a　plight；　his　nose　and　ears　cut　off；　his　body　red　with　marks　of　scourging　and　with　blood；　had　no　suspicion　but　that　he　spoke　the　truth；　and　was　really　come　to　be　their　friend　and　helper。　They　were　ready；　therefore；　to　grant　him　anything　that　he　asked；　and　on　his　suing　for　a　command；　they　entrusted　to　him　a　body　of　troops；　with　the　help　of　which　he　proceeded　to　do　as　he　had　arranged　with　Darius。　On　the　tenth　day　after　his　flight　he　led　out　his　detachment；　and　surrounding　the　thousand　men；　whom　Darius　according　to　agreement　had　sent　first；　he　fell　upon　them　and　slew　them　all。　Then　the　Babylonians；　seeing　that　his　deeds　were　as　brave　as　his　words；　were　beyond　measure　pleased；　and　set　no　bounds　to　their　trust。　He　waited；　however；　and　when　the　next　period　agreed　on　had　elapsed；　again　with　a　band　of　picked　men　he　sallied　forth；　and　slaughtered　the　two　thousand。　After　this　second　exploit；　his　praise　was　in　all　mouths。　Once　more；　however；　he　waited　till　the　interval　appointed　had　gone　by；　and　then　leading　the　troops　to　the　place　where　the　four　thousand　were；　he　put　them　also　to　the　sword。　This　last　victory　gave　the　finishing　stroke　to　his　power；　and　made　him　all　in　all　with　the　Babylonians：　accordingly　they　committed　to　him　the　command　of　their　whole　army；　and　put　the　keys　of　their　city　into　his　hands。　　　　　Darius　now；　still　keeping　to　the　plan　agreed　upon；　attacked　the　walls　on　every　side；　whereupon　Zopyrus　played　out　the　remainder　of　his　stratagem。　While　the　Babylonians；　crowding　to　the　walls；　did　their　best　to　resist　the　Persian　assault；　he　threw　open　the　Cissian　and　the　Belian　gates；　and　admitted　the　enemy。　Such　of　the　Babylonians　as　witnessed　the　treachery；　took　refuge　in　the　temple　of　Jupiter　Belus；　the　rest；　who　did　not　see　it；　kept　at　their　posts；　till　at　last　they　too　learnt　that　they　were　betrayed。　　　　　Thus　was　Babylon　taken　for　the　second　time。　Darius　having　become　master　of　the　place；　destroyed　the　wall；　and　tore　down　all　the　gates；　for　Cyrus　had　done　neither　the　one　nor　the　other　when　he　took　Babylon。　He　then　chose　out　near　three　thousand　of　the　leading　citizens；　and　caused　them　to　be　crucified；　while　he　allowed　the　remainder　still　to　inhabit　the　city。　Further；　wishing　to　prevent　the　race　of　the　Babylonians　from　becoming　extinct；　he　provided　wives　for　them　in　the　room　of　those　whom　（as　I　explained　before）　they　strangled；　to　save　their　stores。　These　he　levied　from　the　nations　bordering　on　Babylonia；　who　were　each　required　to　send　so　large　a　number　to　Babylon；　that　in　all　there　were　collected　no　fewer　than　fifty　thousand。　It　is　from　these　women　that　the　Babylonians　of　our　times　are　sprung。　　　　　As　for　Zopyrus；　he　was　considered　by　Darius　to　have　surpassed；　in　the　greatness　of　his　achievements；　all　other　Persians；　whether　of　former　or　of　later　times；　except　only　Cyrus…　with　whom　no　Persian　ever　yet　thought　himself　worthy　to　compare。　Darius；　as　the　story　goes；　would　often　say　that　〃he　had　rather　Zopyrus　were　unmaimed；　than　be　master　of　twenty　more　Babylons。〃　And　he　honoured　Zopyrus　greatly；　year　by　year　he　presented　him　with　all　the　gifts　which　are　held　in　most　esteem　among　the　Persians；　he　gave　him　likewise　the　government　of　Babylon　for　his　life；　free　from　tribute；　and　he　also　granted　him　many　other　favours。　Megabyzus；　who　held　the　command　in　Egypt　against　the　Athenians　and　their　allies；　was　a　son　of　this　Zopyrus。　And　Zopyrus；　who　fled　from　Persia　to　Athens；　was　a　son　of　this　Megabyzus。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Fourth　Book；　Entitled　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MELPOMENE

　　　　After　the　taking　of　Babylon；　an　expedition　was　led　by　Darius　into　Scythia。　Asia　abounding　in　men；　and　vast　sums　flowing　into　the　treasury；　the　desire　seized　him　to　exact　vengeance　from　the　Scyths；　who　had　once　in　days　gone　by　invaded　Media；　defeated　those　who　met　them　in　the　field；　and　so　begun　the　quarrel。　During　the　space　of　eight…and…twenty　years；　as　I　have　before　mentioned；　the　Scyths　continued　lords　of　the　whole　of　Upper　Asia。　They　entered　Asia　in　pursuit　of　the　Cimmerians；　and　overthrew　the　empire　of　the　Medes；　who　till　they　came　possessed　the　sovereignty。　On　their　return　to　their　homes　after　the　long　absence　of　twenty…eight　years；　a　task　awaited　them　little　less　troublesome　than　their　struggle　with　the　Medes。　They　found　an　army　of　no　small　size　prepared　to　oppose　their　entrance。　For　the　Scythian　women；　when　they　saw　that　time　went　on；　and　their　husbands　did　not　come　back；　had　intermarried　with　their　slaves。　　　　　Now　the　Scythians　blind　all　their　slaves；　to　use　them　in　preparing　their　milk。　The　plan　they　follow　is　to　thrust　tubes　made　of　bone；　not　unlike　our　musical　pipes；　up　the　vulva　of　the　mare；　and　then　to　blow　into　the　tubes　with　their　mouths；　some　milking　while　the　others　blow。　They　say　that　they　do　this　because　when　the　veins　of　the　animal　are　full　of　air；　the　udder　is　forced　down。　The　milk　thus　obtained　is　poured　into　deep　wooden　casks；　about　which　the　blind　slaves　are　placed；　and　then　the　milk　is　stirred　round。　That　which　rises　to　the　top　is　drawn　off；　and　considered　the　best　part；　the　under　portion　is　of　less　account。　Such　is　the　reason　why　the　Scythians　blind　all　those　whom　they　take　in　war；　it　arises　from　their　not　being　tillers　of　the　ground；　but　a　pastoral　race。　　　　　When　therefore　the　children　sprung　from　these　slaves　and　the　Scythian　women　grew　to　manhood；　and　understood　the　circumstances　of　their　birth；　they　resolved　to　oppose　the　army　which　was　returning　from　Media。　And；　first　of　all；　they　cut　off　a　tract　of　country　from　the　rest　of　Scythia　by　digging　a　broad　dyke　from　the　Tauric　mountains　to　the　vast　lake　of　the　Maeotis。　Afterwards；　when　the　Scythians　tried　to　force　an　entrance；　they　marched　out　and　engaged　them。　Many　battles　were　fought；　and　the　Scythians　gained　no　advantage；　until　at　last　one　of　them　thus　addressed　the　remainder：　〃What　are　we　doing；　Scythians？　We　are　fighting　our　slaves；　diminishing　our　own　number　when　we　fall；　and　the　number　of　those　that　belong　to　us　when　they　fall　by　our　hands。　Take　my　advice…　lay　spear　and　bow　aside；　and　let　each　man　fetch　his　horsewhip；　and　go　boldly　up　to　them。　So　long　as　they　see　us　with　arms　in　our　hands；　they　imagine　themselves　our　equals　in　birth　and　bravery；　but　let　them　behold　us　with　no　other　weapon　but　the　whip；　and　they　will　feel　that　they　are　our　slaves；　and　flee　before　us。〃　　　　　The　Scythians　followed　this　counsel；　and　the　slaves　were　so　astounded；　that　they　forgot　to　fight；　and　immediately　ran　away。　Such　was　the　mode　in　which　the　Scythians；　after　being　for　a　time　the　lords　of　Asia；　and　being　forced　to　quit　it　by　the　Medes；　returned　and　settled　in　their　own　country。　This　inroad　of　theirs　it　was　that　Darius　was　anxious　to　avenge；　and　such　was　the　purpose　for　which　he　was　now　collecting　an　army　to　invade　them。　　　　　According　to　the　account　which　the　Scythians　themselves　give；　they　are　the　youngest　of　all　nations。　Their　tradition　is　as　follows。　A　certain　Targitaus　was　the　first　man　who　ever　lived　in　their　country；　which　before　his　time　was　a　desert　without　inhabitants。　He　was　a　child…　I　do　not　believe　the　tale；　but　it　is　told　nevertheless…　of　Jove　and　a　daughter　of　the　Borysthenes。　Targitaus；　thus　descended；　begat　three　sons；　Leipoxais；　Arpoxais；　and　Colaxais；　who　was　the　youngest　born　of　the　three。　While　they　still　ruled　the　land；　there　fell　from　the　sky　four　implements；　all　of　gold…　a　plough；　a　yoke；　a　battle…axe；　and　a　drinking…cup。　The　eldest　of　the　brothers　perceived　them　first；　and　approached　to　pick　them　up；　when　lo！　as　he　came　near；　the　gold　took　fire；　and　blazed。　He　therefore　went　his　way；　and　the　second　coming　forward　made　the　attempt；　but　the　same　thing　happened　again。　The　gold　rejected　both　the　eldest　and　the　second　brother。　Last　of　all　the　youngest　brother　approached；　and　immediately　the　flames　were　extinguished；　so　he　picked　up　the　gold；　and　carried　it　to　his　home。　Then　the　two　elder　agreed　together；　and　made　the　whole　kingdom　over　to　the　youngest　born。　　　　　From　Leipoxais　sprang　the　Scythians　of　the　race　called　Auchatae；　from　Arpoxais；　the　middle　brother；　those　known　as　the　Catiari　and　Traspians；　from　Colaxais；　the　youngest；　the　Royal　Scythians；　or　Paralatae。　All　together　they　are　named　Scoloti；　after　one　of　their　kings：　the　Greeks；　however；　call　them　Scythians。　　　　　Such　is　the　account　which　the　Scythians　give　of　their　origin。　They　add　that　from　the　tim