Greek my three sons pent'maiden The Hellenic colonists on the Pontus preserved a EUROPE. myth of a very different character. Whilst Heracles CHAP. VII. was driving away the herds of Geryon from the island of Erytheia beyond the Pillars, he reached thus of the Scythia and there lost his mares. The serpent of Heracles, maiden Echidna offered to restore them on condi- and the sertion of becoming his mistress, and three sons were Echidna. the result, Agathyrsis, Gelonus, and Scythes. The youngest alone was subsequently able to bend the bow of his father, and was therefore made king of Scythia, and also received the belt of Heracles, upon which hung a golden cup at the extremity of the clasp. The royal dignity was afterwards held by the descendants of Scythes, and the Scythians wore cups in their belts down to the time of Herodotus.' A third tradition, referring to the expulsion of the Cimmerians by the Scythian nomades of Asia, has already been noticed. 3 of the na of the Scy against invasion. All the nations bordering on the Euxine were Ignorance grossly ignorant, and Herodotus is unable to men- tions on the tion a single nation on the European side that had Euxine. any pretensions to intelligence, excepting the Scythians and the unfortunate Anacharsis. Though he does not admire the customs of the Scythians Wise device generally, yet he considered them to have contrived thians a most wise and important device, by which no one who attacked them could escape, and no one could overtake them unless they pleased. They were a people who had neither cities nor fortifications; but Their houses carwere all mounted archers, carrying their houses with ried with them, dwelling in waggons, and living not upon the fruits of the earth, but upon the cattle which they grazed how then was it possible for them to have been otherwise than invincible, and unapproachable?" It was the fitness of the country that led them 1 iv. 8-10. A small statue or figure of amber was found at Kertch a few years ago, representing a man in the Scythian dress, holding in one hand a quiver full of arrows, and in the other a drinking-cup shaped like a horn. M. de Blaremberg, “Notice sur quelques Objets d'Antiq.," quoted by Cooley. 2 iv. 46. Herodotus merel says VTÒC TOŨ TÓVτOv, on this side of the Euxine. He must therefor have written this passage at Thurium. 3 iv. 76. them, EUROPE. to practise this device, and the rivers aided them in CHAP. VII. it; for the land was a steppe rich in grass and well watered; and the rivers that flowed through it were almost as numerous as the canals of Egypt.' Scythian deities: Hestia, Zeus, Ge, Apollo, The Scythians worshipped only the following deities: Hestia, whom they propitiated most of all; then Zeus, and Ge whom they deemed to be his Aphrodite, wife; and lastly, Apollo, the heavenly Aphrodite, and Ares. Heracles, and Ares. These were acknowledged by Poseidon. all the Scythians, but the Royals also sacrificed to Poseidon. In the Scythian language, Heracles, Mode of sacrifice. They built no altars, images, and temples, excepting to Ares.2 They all sacrificed in the same way to each deity. The victim stood with its forefeet tied. The sacrificer was placed behind the animal, and threw it down by pulling the rope. As it fell he invoked the god to whom he was sacrificing. He then twisted a halter round the neck and tightened it with a stick until the beast was strangled. He kindled no fire and performed no preparatory ceremonies or libations, but directly after the flaying he proceeded to cook the meat.3 This was managed by the following contrivance, which the people had invented because their country was wholly destitute of wood. Having drawn off the skin from the sacrificed animal, they stripped the flesh from the bones and placed it in large cauldrons, which very much resembled the Lesbian mixing-vessels, only they were much larger; and they cooked this flesh by making a fire underneath with the bones of the victim. If they had no cauldron at hand they crammed all the flesh into the belly of the beast, then poured in water and burnt the bones underneath. These bones burnt exceed- EUROPE. ingly well, and the belly easily contained the flesh. CHAP. VII. After the cooking the sacrificer consecrated the first pieces of the flesh and entrails, and threw them before him. Grazing cattle were generally selected for these sacrifices, and especially horses." The sacrifices to Ares were conducted in a differ- Enormous 3 gots sacred ent manner. At each of the places appointed for piles of fagthe magistrates to assemble in the several districts, to Ares. there was a sanctuary to Ares of the following kind. Bundles of faggots were heaped together to an extent of 3 stadia in length and breadth, but less in height. On the top was a square platform. Three of the sides were perpendicular; the fourth was sufficiently sloping to admit of persons getting up. Every year 150 fresh waggon loads of faggots were heaped upon it to compensate for the continual sinking brought about by the weather. Upon this heap each tribe placed an ancient iron scimetar, which was the sacred symbol of Ares. Cattle and horses and the hundredth man of all the prisoners taken in war were sacrificed annually to these scimetars. The Human human victims were offered in a different way from the cattle. A libation of wine was poured on their heads, and their throats were cut over a bowl, which was carried up the heap, and the blood poured over the scimetar. The right arm was then cut off and thrown into the air, and after the performance of the remaining sacrifices the people departed, leaving the body and arm remaining at the spot where they 1 Wesseling remarks, that before the invention of pots and kettles, barbarous people used skins in which to cook their food; and that the Bedouin Arabs, the Greenlanders, and several tribes of Tartary, still continue the same custom. It may be added, that in countries where wood is very scarce, they use the bones of animals for fuel. "Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well," Ezek. xxiv. 5. 2 iv. 61. 3 The reader will readily agree with Wesseling, that a pile of small wood, 3 stadia in length and in width, and little less in height, is quite inconsistent with the general scarcity of wood which our author himself mentions. 4 Ammianus Marcellinus says of the Huns: "Nec templum apud eos visitur aut delubrum . . . sed gladius barbarico ritu humi figitur nudus, eumque ut Marteno... colunt." sacrifices. EUROPE. fell.' In all their sacrifices this people abstained CHAP. VII. from the use of swine.2 Enemies' sented to the king. paring the other tro phies. 3 A Scythian drank the blood of the first enemy he heads pre- conquered, and presented the king with the heads of all those whom he slew in battle, for if he brought Mode of pre- no head he received no share of the booty. The head skulls, and was flayed by making a cut near the ears all round, and shaking out the skull. The operator then scraped off the flesh with the rib of an ox, and softened the skin with his hands. When he had made it supple he used it as a napkin, and hung it over the bridle of his steed as a trophy; for he who had the greatest number of these skin napkins was regarded as the most valiant man. Many made mantles of the skins by sewing them together like the skin clothes worn by shepherds. Many also drew off the skin together with the nails from the right hands of their slain enemies, and used it as coverings for their quivers; and many indeed flayed their enemies whole, and stretched the skin on wood and carried it about on horseback. The skulls of their bitterest enemies they used as drinking-bowls, first cutting away all below the eyebrows, and then cleansing them and covering the outside with leather; and sometimes they gilded the inside, if they were rich enough. They also treated the skulls of their relatives in the same way, if they had quarrelled and one had overcome the other in the presence of the king. When they received visits from honoured guests, the host placed these skulls before his visitors, and related how he had been attacked, and how he had gained the victory. Once, also, in the year, every monarch, each in his own district, mixed wine in a bowl, from which all the Scythians drank who had previously killed an enemy. Those who had not been successful in so doing were not allowed to taste the wine, but remained seated in dishonour at a distance off, and this was accounted to be the greatest disgrace. On the other hand, those who had killed a great many men, drank from two vessels at once.5 1 iv. 62. 2 iv. 63. 3 iv. 64. 4 iv. 65. 5 iv. 66. of divining. Soothsayers were very numerous amongst the EUROPE. Scythians. They brought large bundles of willow CHAP. VII. rods, which they laid on the ground and shook to- Soothsayers gether. They then placed each rod apart, and at and manner last uttered their predictions whilst they gathered up the rods again one at a time. This was the national mode, but the Enarees, or Androgyni, who have been already alluded to, say that Aphrodite has given to them the power of divining. Accordingly, they split the bark of a linden tree into three pieces, twisted it round their fingers, and then untwisted it, whilst they uttered their prophecies.' at the ill As often as the king of Scythia fell ill, he sent for Ceremonies three of the most famous soothsayers, who thereupon ness of a prophesied in the way described. Upon this occa- king. sion they usually declared that some Scythian, whom they named, had sworn falsely by the royal hearth, an oath which was regarded as the most sacred of all. The person accused was then brought forward and charged by the prophets with having sworn falsely and caused the king's illness. The prisoner of course denied it, and complained bitterly. Six more soothsayers were then summoned, and if they also taxed him with perjury, his head was immediately cut off, and the first three prophets divided his property between them. If, however, the six prophets acquitted him, others were called in, and others after them, and if the majority still acquitted him, the first prophets were put to death themselves,2 after a peculiar fashion. A waggon was filled with faggots and oxen yoked to it. The prophets were next gagged and tied hand and foot, and placed in the midst of these faggots, which were set on fire, and the oxen being terrified were suffered to run where they pleased. Many of the oxen were therefore burnt with the prophets, and others only escaped after the pole had been burnt asunder and they had been very much scorched. The king also executed the male children of all whom he put to death, but preserved the females.3 |