the midland. This last account is given in common both by Greeks and Barbarians. 13. But Aristeas, son of Caystrobius, a native 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; and 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 neighbours; 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. Thus he does not agree with the Scythians respecting this country. 14. Of what country Aristeas, who made these verses, was, has already been mentioned, and I shall now relate the account I heard of him in Proconnesus and Cyzicus. They say that Aristeas, who was inferior to none of the citizens by birth, entering into a fuller's shop in Proconnesus, died suddenly; and that the fuller, having closed his workshop, went to acquaint the relatives of the deceased. When the report had spread through the city, that Aristeas was dead, a certain Cyzicenian, arriving from Artace, fell into a dispute with those who made the report, affirming that he had met and conversed with him on his way to Cyzicus; and he vehemently disputed the truth of the report, but the relations of the deceased went to the fuller's shop, taking with them what was necessary, for the purpose of carrying the body away, but when the house was opened, Aristeas was not to be seen either dead or alive. They say, that afterwards, in the seventh year he appeared in Proconnesus, composed those verses, which by the Greeks are now called Arimaspian, and having composed them, disappeared a second time. Such is the story current in these cities. 15. But these things I know happened to the Metapontines in Italy, three hundred and forty years after the second disappearance of Aristeas, as I discovered by computation in Proconnesus and Metapontium. The Metapontines say, that Aristeas himself, having appeared in their country, exhorted them to erect an altar to Apollo, and to place near it a statue bearing the name of Aristeas the Proconnesian; for he said, that Apollo had visited their coun try only of all the Italians, and that he himself, who was now Aristeas, accompanied him; and that when he accompanied the god, he was a crow; and after saying this, he vanished; and the Metapontines say they sent to Delphi to inquire of the god what the apparition of the man meant; but the Pythian bade them obey the apparition, and if they obeyed, it would conduce to their benefit: they accordingly, having received this answer, fulfilled the injunctions. And now a statue bearing the name of Aristeas is placed near the image of Apollo, and around it laurels are planted: the image is placed in the public square. Thus much concerning Aristeas. 16. No one knows with certainty what is beyond the country, about which this account proceeds to speak; for I have not been able to hear of any one who says he has seen them with his own eyes; nor even did Aristeas, of whom I have just now made mention, say in his poems, that he went farther than the Issedones, but of the parts beyond he spoke by hearsay, stating that the Issedones gave him his information. But as far as we have been able to arrive at the truth with accuracy from hearsay, the whole shall be related. 17. 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 Neuri5 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. 18. 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, called Borysthenitæ, but they call themselves Olbiopolitæ. These Scythian husbandmen then 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 desert for a great distance; and beyond the desert Androphagi dwell, who 5 See chap. 51, 105. 6 See chap. 106. are a distinct people, and not in any respect Scythian. Beyond this is really desert, and no nation of men is found there, as far as we know. 19. The country eastward of these Scythian agriculturists, when one crosses the river Panticapes, nomades occupy, who neither sow at all, nor plough; and all this country is destitute of trees, except Hylæa. These nomades occupy a tract eastward for fourteen days' journey, stretching to the river Gerrhus. 20. 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 Melanchlani' inhabit, a distinct race, and not Scythian. But above the Melanchlani are lakes, and an uninhabited desert, as far as we know. 21. After one crosses the river Tanais, it is no longer Scythian, but the first region belongs to the Sauromatæ,8 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. 22. Above the Budini, towards the north, there is first a desert of seven days' journey, and next to the desert, if one turns somewhat towards 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, and mounted his horse, he goes in pursuit, and the dog keeps close to him. Above these, as one bends towards 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 See chap. 116. See chap. 108. 7 See chap. 107. 23. 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 alike, and they 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, about the size of a fig-tree; 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; the name of what flows from it is aschy; this they suck, and drink mingled with milk: from the thick sediment of the pulp they make cakes, and feed on them; for they have not many cattle in these parts, as the pastures there are not good. Every man lives under a tree in the winter, when he has covered the tree with a thick white woollen covering; but in summer, without the woollen covering. No man does any injury to this people, for they are accounted sacred; nor do they possess any warlike weapon. And in the first place, they determine the differences that arise among their neighbours; and in the next place, whoever takes refuge among them, is injured by no one. They are called Argippæi. 24. 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 also from Greeks belonging to the port of the Borysthenes, and other ports in Pontus. The Scythians who go to them transact business by means of seven interpreters and seven languages. 25. So far then is known; but beyond the bald men no one can speak with certainty, for lofty and impassable mountains form their boundary, and no one has ever crossed them; 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, though the country above to the north, either of the bald men or the Issedones, is utterly unknown, except only such things as these people relate. 26. The Issedones are said to observe these customs. When a man's father dies, all his relations bring cattle, and then having sacrificed them, and cut up the flesh, they cut up also the dead parent of their host, and having mingled all the flesh together, they spread out a banquet; then having made bare and cleansed his head, they gild it; and afterwards they 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. These, then, are well known. 27. 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. 28. All this country which I have been speaking of is subject to such a severe winter, that for eight months the frost is so intolerable, that if you pour water on the ground you will not make mud, but if you light a fire you will make mud. 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 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 accounted 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 their asses and mules cannot endure it at all; but in other places, horses that stand exposed to frost become frost-bitten in 1 I have adopted Baehr's interpretation of ȧyáλμarı, in preference to that of Schweighæuser, who considers it to mean a sacred ornament," or to that of Larcher, who takes it to mean "a precious vessel." : 66 |