the history-第84章

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　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　time　of　Targitaus；　their　first　king；　to　the　invasion　of　their　country　by　Darius；　is　a　period　of　one　thousand　years；　neither　less　nor　more。　The　Royal　Scythians　guard　the　sacred　gold　with　most　especial　care；　and　year　by　year　offer　great　sacrifices　in　its　honour。　At　this　feast；　if　the　man　who　has　the　custody　of　the　gold　should　fall　asleep　in　the　open　air；　he　is　sure　（the　Scythians　say）　not　to　outlive　the　year。　His　pay　therefore　is　as　much　land　as　he　can　ride　round　on　horseback　in　a　day。　As　the　extent　of　Scythia　is　very　great；　Colaxais　gave　each　of　his　three　sons　a　separate　kingdom；　one　of　which　was　of　ampler　size　than　the　other　two：　in　this　the　gold　was　preserved。　Above；　to　the　northward　of　the　farthest　dwellers　in　Scythia；　the　country　is　said　to　be　concealed　from　sight　and　made　impassable　by　reason　of　the　feathers　which　are　shed　abroad　abundantly。　The　earth　and　air　are　alike　full　of　them；　and　this　it　is　which　prevents　the　eye　from　obtaining　any　view　of　the　region。　　　　　Such　is　the　account　which　the　Scythians　give　of　themselves；　and　of　the　country　which　lies　above　them。　The　Greeks　who　dwell　about　the　Pontus　tell　a　different　story。　According　to　Hercules；　when　he　was　carrying　off　the　cows　of　Geryon；　arrived　in　the　region　which　is　now　inhabited　by　the　Scyths；　but　which　was　then　a　desert。　Geryon　lived　outside　the　Pontus；　in　an　island　called　by　the　Greeks　Erytheia；　near　Gades；　which　is　beyond　the　Pillars　of　Hercules　upon　the　Ocean。　Now　some　say　that　the　Ocean　begins　in　the　east；　and　runs　the　whole　way　round　the　world；　but　they　give　no　proof　that　this　is　really　so。　Hercules　came　from　thence　into　the　region　now　called　Scythia；　and；　being　overtaken　by　storm　and　frost；　drew　his　lion's　skin　about　him；　and　fell　fast　asleep。　While　he　slept；　his　mares；　which　he　had　loosed　from　his　chariot　to　graze；　by　some　wonderful　chance　disappeared。　　　　　On　waking；　he　went　in　quest　of　them；　and；　after　wandering　over　the　whole　country；　came　at　last　to　the　district　called　〃the　Woodland；〃　where　he　found　in　a　cave　a　strange　being；　between　a　maiden　and　a　serpent；　whose　form　from　the　waist　upwards　was　like　that　of　a　woman；　while　all　below　was　like　a　snake。　He　looked　at　her　wonderingly；　but　nevertheless　inquired；　whether　she　had　chanced　to　see　his　strayed　mares　anywhere。　She　answered　him；　〃Yes；　and　they　were　now　in　her　keeping；　but　never　would　she　consent　to　give　them　back；　unless　he　took　her　for　his　mistress。〃　So　Hercules；　to　get　his　mares　back；　agreed；　but　afterwards　she　put　him　off　and　delayed　restoring　the　mares；　since　she　wished　to　keep　him　with　her　as　long　as　possible。　He；　on　the　other　hand；　was　only　anxious　to　secure　them　and　to　get　away。　At　last；　when　she　gave　them　up；　she　said　to　him；　〃When　thy　mares　strayed　hither；　it　was　I　who　saved　them　for　thee：　now　thou　hast　paid　their　salvage；　for　lo！　I　bear　in　my　womb　three　sons　of　thine。　Tell　me　therefore　when　thy　sons　grow　up；　what　must　I　do　with　them？　Wouldst　thou　wish　that　I　should　settle　them　here　in　this　land；　whereof　I　am　mistress；　or　shall　I　send　them　to　thee？〃　Thus　questioned；　they　say；　Hercules　answered；　〃When　the　lads　have　grown　to　manhood；　do　thus；　and　assuredly　thou　wilt　not　err。　Watch　them；　and　when　thou　seest　one　of　them　bend　this　bow　as　I　now　bend　it；　and　gird　himself　with　this　girdle　thus；　choose　him　to　remain　in　the　land。　Those　who　fail　in　the　trial；　send　away。　Thus　wilt　thou　at　once　please　thyself　and　obey　me。〃　　　　　Hereupon　he　strung　one　of　his　bows…　up　to　that　time　he　had　carried　two…　and　showed　her　how　to　fasten　the　belt。　Then　he　gave　both　bow　and　belt　into　her　hands。　Now　the　belt　had　a　golden　goblet　attached　to　its　clasp。　So　after　he　had　given　them　to　her；　he　went　his　way；　and　the　woman；　when　her　children　grew　to　manhood；　first　gave　them　severally　their　names。　One　she　called　Agathyrsus；　one　Gelonus；　and　the　other；　who　was　the　youngest；　Scythes。　Then　she　remembered　the　instructions　she　had　received　from　Hercules；　and；　in　obedience　to　his　orders；　she　put　her　sons　to　the　test。　Two　of　them；　Agathyrsus　and　Gelonus；　proving　unequal　to　the　task　enjoined；　their　mother　sent　them　out　of　the　land；　Scythes；　the　youngest；　succeeded；　and　so　he　was　allowed　to　remain。　From　Scythes；　the　son　of　Hercules；　were　descended　the　after　kings　of　Scythia；　and　from　the　circumstance　of　the　goblet　which　hung　from　the　belt；　the　Scythians　to　this　day　wear　goblets　at　their　girdles。　This　was　the　only　thing　which　the　mother　of　Scythes　did　for　him。　Such　is　the　tale　told　by　the　Greeks　who　dwell　around　the　Pontus。　　　　　There　is　also　another　different　story；　now　to　be　related；　in　which　I　am　more　inclined　to　put　faith　than　in　any　other。　It　is　that　the　wandering　Scythians　once　dwelt　in　Asia；　and　there　warred　with　the　Massagetae；　but　with　ill　success；　they　therefore　quitted　their　homes；　crossed　the　Araxes；　and　entered　the　land　of　Cimmeria。　For　the　land　which　is　now　inhabited　by　the　Scyths　was　formerly　the　country　of　the　Cimmerians。　On　their　coming；　the　natives；　who　heard　how　numerous　the　invading　army　was；　held　a　council。　At　this　meeting　opinion　was　divided；　and　both　parties　stiffly　maintained　their　own　view；　but　the　counsel　of　the　Royal