the history-第61章

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of　Darius。　　　　　When　Darius；　with　his　land　forces；　reached　the　Ister；　he　made　his　troops　cross　the　stream；　and　after　all　were　gone　over　gave　orders　to　the　Ionians　to　break　the　bridge；　and　follow　him　with　the　whole　naval　force　in　his　land　march。　They　were　about　to　obey　his　command；　when　the　general　of　the　Mytilenaeans；　Coes　son　of　Erxander；　having　first　asked　whether　it　was　agreeable　to　the　king　to　listen　to　one　who　wished　to　speak　his　mind；　addressed　him　in　the　words　following：…　〃Thou　art　about；　Sire；　to　attack　a　country　no　part　of　which　is　cultivated；　and　wherein　there　is　not　a　single　inhabited　city。　Keep　this　bridge；　then；　as　it　is；　and　leave　those　who　built　it　to　watch　over　it。　So　if　we　come　up　with　the　Scythians　and　succeed　against　them　as　we　could　wish；　we　may　return　by　this　route；　or　if　we　fail　of　finding　them；　our　retreat　will　still　be　secure。　For　I　have　no　fear　lest　the　Scythians　defeat　us　in　battle；　but　my　dread　is　lest　we　be　unable　to　discover　them；　and　suffer　loss　while　we　wander　about　their　territory。　And　now；　mayhap；　it　will　be　said；　I　advise　thee　thus　in　the　hope　of　being　myself　allowed　to　remain　behind；　but　in　truth　I　have　no　other　design　than　to　recommend　the　course　which　seems　to　me　the　best；　nor　will　I　consent　to　be　among　those　left　behind；　but　my　resolve　is；　in　any　case；　to　follow　thee。〃　The　advice　of　Coes　pleased　Darius　highly；　who　thus　replied　to　him：…　〃Dear　Lesbian；　when　I　am　safe　home　again　in　my　palace；　be　sure　thou　come　to　me；　and　with　good　deeds　will　I　recompense　thy　good　words　of　to…day。〃　　　　　Having　so　said；　the　king　took　a　leathern　thong；　and　tying　sixty　knots　in　it；　called　together　the　Ionian　tyrants；　and　spoke　thus　to　them：…　〃Men　of　Ionia；　my　former　commands　to　you　concerning　the　bridge　are　now　withdrawn。　See；　here　is　a　thong：　take　it；　and　observe　my　bidding　with　respect　to　it。　From　the　time　that　I　leave　you　to　march　forward　into　Scythia；　untie　every　day　one　of　the　knots。　If　I　do　not　return　before　the　last　day　to　which　the　knots　will　hold　out；　then　leave　your　station；　and　sail　to　your　several　homes。　Meanwhile；　understand　that　my　resolve　is　changed；　and　that　you　are　to　guard　the　bridge　with　all　care；　and　watch　over　its　safety　and　preservation。　By　so　doing　ye　will　oblige　me　greatly。〃　When　Darius　had　thus　spoken；　he　set　out　on　his　march　with　all　speed。　　　　　Before　you　come　to　Scythia；　on　the　sea　coast；　lies　Thrace。　The　land　here　makes　a　sweep；　and　then　Scythia　begins；　the　Ister　falling　into　the　sea　at　this　point　with　its　mouth　facing　the　east。　Starting　from　the　Ister　I　shall　now　describe　the　measurements　of　the　seashore　of　Scythia。　Immediately　that　the　Ister　is　crossed；　Old　Scythia　begins；　and　continues　as　far　as　the　city　called　Carcinitis；　fronting　towards　the　south　wind　and　the　mid…day。　Here　upon　the　same　sea；　there　lies　a　mountainous　tract　projecting　into　the　Pontus；　which　is　inhabited　by　the　Tauri；　as　far　as　what　is　called　the　Rugged　Chersonese；　which　runs　out　into　the　sea　upon　the　east。　For　the　boundaries　of　Scythia　extend　on　two　sides　to　two　different　seas；　one　upon　the　south；　and　the　other　towards　the　east；　as　is　also　the　case　with　Attica。　And　the　Tauri　occupy　a　position　in　Scythia　like　that　which　a　people　would　hold　in　Attica；　who；　being　foreigners　and　not　Athenians；　should　inhabit　the　high　land　of　Sunium；　from　Thoricus　to　the　township　of　Anaphlystus；　if　this　tract　projected　into　the　sea　somewhat　further　than　it　does。　Such；　to　compare　great　things　with　small；　is　the　Tauric　territory。　For　the　sake　of　those　who　may　not　have　made　the　voyage　round　these　parts　of　Attica；　I　will　illustrate　in　another　way。　It　is　as　if　in　Iapygia　a　line　were　drawn　from　Port　Brundusium　to　Tarentum；　and　a　people　different　from　the　Iapygians　inhabited　the　promontory。　These　two　instances　may　suggest　a　number　of　others　where　the　shape　of　the　land　closely　resembles　that　of　Taurica。　　　　　Beyond　this　tract；　we　find　the　Scythians　again　in　possession　of　the　country　above　the　Tauri　and　the　parts　bordering　on　the　eastern　sea；　as　also　of　the　whole　district　lying　west　of　the　Cimmerian　Bosphorus　and　the　Palus　Maeotis；　as　far　as　the　river　Tanais；　which　empties　itself　into　that　lake　at　its　upper　end。　As　for　the　inland　boundaries　of　Scythia；　if　we　start　from　the　Ister；　we　find　it　enclosed　by　the　following　tribes；　first　the　Agathyrsi；　next　the　Neuri；　then　the　Androphagi；　and　last　of　all；　the　Melanchaeni。　　　　　Scythia　then；　which　is　square　in　shape；　and　has　two　of　its　sides　reaching　down　to　the　sea；　extends　inland　to　the　same　distance　that　it　stretches　along　the　coast；　and　is　equal　every　way。　For　it　is　a　ten　days'　journey　from　the　Ister　to　the　Borysthenes；　and　ten　more　from　the　Borysthenes　to　the　Palus　Maeotis；　while　the　distance　from　the　coast　inland　to　the　country　of　the　Melanchaeni；　who　dwell　above　Scythia；　is　a　journey　of　twenty　days。　I　reckon　the　day's　journey　at　two　hundred　furlongs。　Thus　the　two　sides　which　run　straight　inland　are　four　thousand　furlongs　each；　and　the　transverse　sides　at　right　angles　to　these　are　also　of　the　same　length；　which　gives　the　full　size　of　Scythia。　　　　　The　Scythians；　reflecting　on　their　situation；　perceived　that　they　were　not　strong　enough　by　themselves　to　contend　with　the　army　of　Darius　in　open　fight。　They；　therefore；　sent　envoys　to　the　neighbouring　nations；　whose　kings　had　already　met；　and　were　in　consultation　upon　the　advance　of　so　vast　a　host。　Now　they　who　had　come　together　were　the　kings　of　the　Tauri；　the　Agathyrsi；　the　Neuri；　the　Androphagi；　the　Melanchaeni；　the　Geloni；　the　Budini；　and　the　Sauromatae。　　　　　The　Tauri　have　the　following　customs。　They　offer　in　sacrifice　to　the　Virgin　all　shipwrecked　persons；　and　all　Greeks　compelled　to　put　into　their　ports　by　stress　of　weather。　The　mode　of　sacrifice　is　this。　After　the　preparatory　ceremonies；　they　strike　the　victim　on　the　head　with　a　club。　Then；　according　to　some　accounts；　they　hurl　the　trunk　from　the　precipice　whereon　the　temple　stands；　and　nail　the　head　to　a　cross。　Others　grant　that　the　head　is　treated　in　this　way；　but　deny　that　the　body　is　thrown　down　the　cliff…　on　the　contrary；　they　say；　it　is　buried。　The　goddess　to　whom　these　sacrifices　are　offered　the　Tauri　themselves　declare　to　be　Iphigenia　the　daughter　of　Agamemnon。　When　they　take　prisoners　in　war　they　treat　them　in　the　following　way。　The　man　who　has　taken　a　captive　cuts　off　his　head；　and　carrying　it　to　his　home；　fixes　it　upon　a　tall　pole；　which　he　elevates　above　his　house；　most　commonly　over　the　chimney。　The　reason　that　the　heads　are　set　up　so　high；　is　（it　is　said）　in　order　that　the　whole　house　may　be　under　their　protection。　These　people　live　entirely　by　war　and　plundering。　　　　　The　Agathyrsi　are　a　race　of　men　very　luxurious；　and　very　fond　of　wearing　gold　on　their　persons。　They　have　wives　in　common；　that　so　they　may　be　all　brothers；　and；　as　members　of　one　family；　may　neither　envy　nor　hate　one　another。　In　other　respects　their　customs　approach　nearly　to　those　of　the　Thracians。　　　　　The　Neurian　customs　are　like　the　Scythian。　One　generation　before　the　attack　of　Darius　they　were　driven　from　their　land　by　a　huge　multitude　of　serpents　which　invaded　them。　Of　these　some　were　produced　in　their　own　country；　while　others；　and　those　by　far　the　greater　number；　came　in　from　the　deserts　on　the　north。　Suffering　grievously　beneath　this　scourge；　they　quitted　their　homes；　and　took　refuge　with　the　Budini。　It　seems　that　these　people　are　conjurers：　for　both　the　Scythians　and　the　Greeks　who　dwell　in　Scythia　say　that　every　Neurian　once　a　year　becomes　a　wolf　for　a　few　days；　at　the　end　of　which　time　he　is　restored　to　his　proper　shape。　Not　that　I　believe　this；　but　they　constantly　affirm　it　to　be　true；　and　are　even　ready　to　back　their　assertion　with　an　oath。　　　　　The　manners　of　the　Androphagi　are　more　savage　than　those　of　any　other　race。　They　neither　observe　justice；　nor　are　governed；　by　any　laws。　They　are　nomads；　and　their　dress　is　Scythian；　but　the　language　which　they　speak　is　peculiar　to　themselves。　Unlike　any　other　nation　in　these　parts；　they　are　cannibals。　　　　　The　Melanchaeni　wear；　all　of　them；　black　cloaks；　and　from　this　derive　the　name　which　they　bear。　Their　customs　are　Scythic。　　　　　The　Budini　are　a　large　and　powerful　nation：　they　have　all　deep　blue　eyes；　and　bright　red　hair。　There　is　a　city　in　their　territory；　called　Gelonus；　which　is　surrounded　with　a　lofty　wall；　thirty　furlongs　each　way；　built　entirely　of　wood。　All　the　houses　in　the　place　and　all　the　temples　are　of　the　same　material。　Here　are　temples　built　in　honour　of　the　Grecian　gods；　and　adorned　after　the　Greek　fashion　with　images；　altars；　and　shrines；　all　in　wood。　There　is　even　a　festival；　held　every　third　year　in　honour　of　Bacchus；　at　which　the　natives　fall　into　the　Bacchic　fury。　For　the　fact　is　that　the　Geloni　were　anciently　Greeks；　who；　being　driven　out　of　the　factories　along　the　coast；　fled　to　the　Budini　and　took　up　their　abode　with　them。　They　still　speak　a　language　half　Greek；　half　Scythian。　　　　　The　Budini；　however；　do　not　speak　the　same　language　as　the　Geloni；　nor　is　their　mode　of　life　the　same。　They　are　the　aboriginal　people　of　the　country；　and　are　nomads；　unlike　any　of　the　neighbouring　races；　they　eat　lice。　The　Geloni　on　the　contrary；　are　tillers　of　the　soil；　eat　bread；　have　gardens；　and　both　in　shape　and　complexion　are　quite　different　from　the　Budini。　The　Greeks　notwithstanding　call　these　latter　Geloni；　but　it　is　a　mistake　to　give　them　the　name。　Their　country　is　thickly　planted　with　trees　of　all　manner　of　kinds。　In　the　very　woodiest　part　is　a　broad　deep　lake；　surrounded　by　marshy　ground　with　reeds　growing　on　it。　Here　otters　are　caught；　and　beavers；　with　another　sort　of　animal　which　has　a　square　face。　With　the　skins　of　this　last　the　natives　border　their　capotes：　and　they　also　get　from　them　a　remedy；　which　is　of　virtue　in　diseases　of　the　womb。　　　　　It　is　reported　of　the　Sauromatae；　that　when　the　Greeks　fought　with　the　Amazons；　whom　the　Scythians　call　Oior…pata　or　〃man…slayers；〃　as　it　may　be　rendered；　Oior　being　Scythic　for　〃man；〃　and　pata　for　〃to　slay〃…　It　is　reported；　I　say；　that　the　Greeks　after　gaining　the　battle　of　the　Thermodon；　put　to　sea；　taking　with　them　on　board　three　of　their　vessels　all　the　Amazons　whom　they　had　made　prisoners；　and　that　these　women　upon　the　voyage　rose　up　against　the　crews；　and　massacred　them　to　a　man。　As　however　they　were　quite　strange　to　ships；　and　did　not　know　how　to　use　either　rudder；　sails；　or　oars；　they　were　carried；　after　the　death　of　the　men；　where　the　winds　and　the　waves　listed。　At　last　they　reached　the　shores　of　the　Palus　Maeotis　and　came　to　a　place　called　Cremni　or　〃the　Cliffs；〃　which　is　in　the　country　of　the　free　Scythians。　Here　they　went　ashore；　and　proceeded　by　land　towards　the　inhabited　regions；　the　first　herd　of　horses　which　they　fell　in　with　they　seized；　and　mounting　upon　their　backs；　fell　to　plundering　the　Scythian　territory。　　　　　The　Scyths　could　not　tell　what　to　make　of　the　attack　upon　them…　the　dress；　the　language；　the　nation　itself；　were　alike　unknown　whence　the　enemy　had　come　even；　was　a　marvel。　Imagining；　however；　that　they　were　all　men　of　about　the　same　age；　they　went　out　against　them；　and　fought　a　battle。　Some　of　the　bodies　of　the　slain　fell　into　their　hands；　whereby　they　discovered　the　truth。　Hereupon　they　deliberated；　and　made　a　resolve　to　kill　no　more　of　them；　but　to　send　against　them　a　detachment　of　their　youngest　men；　as　n