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settled; no virgin is permitted to marry until she has killed an enemy; some of them therefore die of old age without being married, not being able to satisfy the law.

118. The messengers of the Scythians, therefore, coming to the assembled kings of the nations above mentioned, informed them that the Persian, when he had subdued all the nations on the other continent, had constructed a bridge over the neck of the Bosphorus, and crossed over to this continent; and having crossed over and subdued the Thracians, he was building a bridge over the river Ister, designing to make all these regions also subject to him: "Do you, therefore, on no account, sit aloof, and suffer us to be destroyed, but with one accord let us oppose the invader. If you will not do this, we, being pressed, shall either abandon the country, or, if we stay, shall submit to terms; for what would be our condition if you refuse to assist us? Nor will it fall more lightly on you on that account; for the Persian is advancing not more against us than against you; nor will he be content to subdue us and abstain from you: and we will give you a strong proof of what we say, for if the Persian had undertaken this expedition against us only, wishing to revenge his former subjection, he would have abstained from all others, and have marched directly against our territories, and would have made it clear to all, that he was marching against the Scythians, and not against others. But now, as soon as he crossed over to this continent, he subdued all that lay in his way; and holds in subjection the rest of the Thracians, and more particularly our neighbours the Geta." 119. When the Scythians had made this representation, the kings who had come from the several nations consulted together, and their opinions were divided. The Gelonian, Budinian, and Sauromatian, agreeing together, promised to assist the Scythians; but the Agathyrsian, Neurian, Androphagian, and the Melanchlanian and Taurian

princes gave this answer to the Scythians: "If you, who make the request that you now do, had not been the first to injure the Persians, and begin war, you would have appeared to us to speak rightly, and we, yielding to your wishes, would have acted in concert with you. But in fact, you having invaded their territory without us, had the mastery of the Persians as long as the god allowed you; and they, when the same god instigates them, repay you like for like. We, how

ever, neither on that occasion injured these men at all, nor will we now be the first to attempt to injure them. Nevertheless, should he invade our territory also, and become the aggressor, we will not submit to it. But until we see that, we will remain quiet at home; for we think that the Persians are not coming against us, but against those who were the authors of wrong.”

120. When the Scythians heard this answer brought back, they determined to fight no battle in the open field, because these allies did not come to their assistance; but to retreat and draw off covertly, and fill up the wells they passed by, and the springs, and destroy the herbage on the ground, having divided their forces into two bodies, and they resolved that to one of the divisions, which Scopasis commanded, the Sauromatæ should attach themselves, and that they should retire, if the Persian should take that course, retreating direct to the river Tanais, along the lake Mæotis; and when the Persian marched back, they were to follow him and harass his rear. This was one division of the kingdom appointed to pursue its march in the way that has been described. The two other divisions of the kingdom, the greater one, which Indathyrsus commanded, and the third, which Taxacis ruled over, were directed to act in conjunction, and, with the addition of the Geloni and Budini, to keep a day's march before the Persians, and gradually retreat, retiring slowly, and doing as had been determined and first of all they were to withdraw direct towards the territories of those who had renounced their alliance, in order that they might bring the war upon them; so that, though they would not willingly take part in the war against the Persians, they might be compelled to engage in it against their will; afterwards they were to return to their own country, and attack the enemy, if, on consultation, it should seem advisable. 121. The Scythians, having come to this determination, went out to meet Darius's army, having sent forward the best of their cavalry as an advanced guard; but the waggons, in which all their children and wives lived, and all the cattle, except so many as were necessary for their subsistence, which they left behindthe rest they sent forward with the waggons, ordering them to march continually towards the north. These, therefore, were carried to a distance.

122. When the advanced guard of the Scythians fell in with the Persians, about three days' march from the Ister, they, having fallen in with them, kept a day's march in advance, and encamped, and destroyed all the produce of the ground, but the Persians, when they saw the Scythian cavalry before them, followed their track, while they continually retired; and then, for they directed their march after one of the divisions, the Persians pursued towards the east and the Tanais; and when they had crossed the river Tanais, the Persians also crossed over and pursued them, until, having passed through the country of the Sauromatæ, they reached that of the Budini. 123. As long as the Persians were marching through the Scythian and Sauromatian regions, they had nothing to ravage, as the country was all barren; but when they entered the territory of the Budini, there meeting with the wooden town, the Budini having abandoned it, and the town being emptied of every thing, they set it on fire. Having done this, they continued to follow in the track of the enemy, until, having traversed this region, they reached the desert: this desert is destitute of inhabitants, and is situate above the territory of the Budini, and is a seven days' march in extent. Beyond the desert the Thyssagetæ dwell; and four large rivers, flowing from them through the Mæotians, discharge themselves into the lake called Mæotis; their names are these, Lycus, Oarus, Tanais, and Syrgis. 124. When Darius came to the desert, having ceased his pursuit, he encamped his army on the river Oarus. And having done this, he built eight large forts, equally distant from each other, about sixty stades apart, the ruins of which remain to this day. While he was employed about these, the Scythians who were pursued, having made a circuit of the upper parts, returned into Scythia: these having entirely vanished, when they could no longer be seen, Darius left the forts half finished, and himself wheeling round, marched westward, supposing them to be all the Scythians, and that they had fled to the

west.

125. Advancing with his army as quick as possible, when he reached Scythia, he fell in with the two Scythian divisions, and having fallen in with them, he 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,

towards those nations that had refused to assist them, and first they entered the territories of the Melanchlani; and when the Scythians and the Persians, entering into their country, had put all things into confusion, the Scythians led the way into the country of the Androphagi; and when they had been thrown into confusion, they retreated to Neuris; and when they were thrown into confusion, the Scythians advanced in their flight towards the Agathyrsi. But the Agathyrsi, seeing their neighbours flying before the Scythians, and thrown into confusion before the Scythians entered, despatched a herald, and forbade the Scythians to cross their borders; warning them that if they should attempt to force their way, they must first fight with them. The Agathyrsi having sent this message beforehand, advanced to protect their frontiers, determined to repel the invaders. Whereas the Melanchlani, Androphagi, and Neuri, when the Persians and Scythians together invaded them, offered no resistance, but forgetting their former menaces, fled continually in great confusion northward, towards the desert. The Scythians no longer advanced towards the Agathyrsi, when they warned them not to do so, but departing from the Neurian territory, they led the Persians into their own.

126. When this had continued for a considerable time, and did not cease, 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." 127. To this Indathyrsus, the king of the Scythians, made answer as follows: "This is the case with me, O Persian; I never yet fled from any man out of fear, neither before, 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 now explain. We have no cities nor cultivated lands, for which we are under any apprehension lest they should be taken or ravaged, and therefore should hastily offer you battle. Yet if it is by all means necessary to come to this at once, we have the se

pulchres 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. Thus much about fighting. 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.

128. The kings of the Scythians, when they heard the name of servitude, 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 round through fear of the infantry. The Scythians also made similar attacks at night. 129. A very remarkable circumstance, that was advantageous to the Persians and adverse to the Scythians, when they attacked the camp of Darius, I will now proceed to mention this was the braying of the asses, and the appearance of the mules; for Scythia produces neither ass nor mule, as I have before observed; nor is there in the whole Scythian territory a single ass or mule, by reason of cold. The asses, then, growing wanton, put the Scythian horse into confusion; and frequently, as they were advancing upon the Persians, when the horses heard, mid-way, 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; now this circumstance in some slight degree affected the fortune of the war.

5

130. The Scythians, when they saw the Persians in great 5 See chap. 28.

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