the history-第89章

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Crete　to　Lycia。　However　let　us　quit　these　matters。　We　shall　ourselves　continue　to　use　the　names　which　custom　sanctions。　　　　　The　Euxine　sea；　where　Darius　now　went　to　war；　has　nations　dwelling　around　it；　with　the　one　exception　of　the　Scythians；　more　unpolished　than　those　of　any　other　region　that　we　know　of。　For；　setting　aside　Anacharsis　and　the　Scythian　people；　there　is　not　within　this　region　a　single　nation　which　can　be　put　forward　as　having　any　claims　to　wisdom；　or　which　has　produced　a　single　person　of　any　high　repute。　The　Scythians　indeed　have　in　one　respect；　and　that　the　very　most　important　of　all　those　that　fall　under　man's　control；　shown　themselves　wiser　than　any　nation　upon　the　face　of　the　earth。　Their　customs　otherwise　are　not　such　as　I　admire。　The　one　thing　of　which　I　speak　is　the　contrivance　whereby　they　make　it　impossible　for　the　enemy　who　invades　them　to　escape　destruction；　while　they　themselves　are　entirely　out　of　his　reach；　unless　it　please　them　to　engage　with　him。　Having　neither　cities　nor　forts；　and　carrying　their　dwellings　with　them　wherever　they　go；　accustomed；　moreover；　one　and　all　of　them；　to　shoot　from　horseback；　and　living　not　by　husbandry　but　on　their　cattle；　their　waggons　the　only　houses　that　they　possess；　how　can　they　fail　of　being　unconquerable；　and　unassailable　even？　　　　　The　nature　of　their　country；　and　the　rivers　by　which　it　is　intersected；　greatly　favour　this　mode　of　resisting　attacks。　For　the　land　is　level；　well　watered；　and　abounding　in　pasture；　while　the　rivers　which　traverse　it　are　almost　equal　in　number　to　the　canals　of　Egypt。　Of　these　I　shall　only　mention　the　most　famous　and　such　as　are　navigable　to　some　distance　from　the　sea。　They　are；　the　Ister；　which　has　five　mouths；　the　Tyras；　the　Hypanis；　the　Borysthenes；　the　Panticapes；　the　Hypacyris；　the　Gerrhus；　and　the　Tanais。　The　courses　of　these　streams　I　shall　now　proceed　to　describe。　　　　　The　Ister　is　of　all　the　rivers　with　which　we　are　acquainted　the　mightiest。　It　never　varies　in　height；　but　continues　at　the　same　level　summer　and　winter。　Counting　from　the　west　it　is　the　first　of　the　Scythian　rivers；　and　the　reason　of　its　being　the　greatest　is　that　it　receives　the　water　of　several　tributaries。　Now　the　tributaries　which　swell　its　flood　are　the　following：　first；　on　the　side　of　Scythia；　these　five…　the　stream　called　by　the　Scythians　Porata；　and　by　the　Greeks　Pyretus；　the　Tiarantus；　the　Ararus；　the　Naparis；　and　the　Ordessus。　The　first　mentioned　is　a　great　stream；　and　is　the　easternmost　of　the　tributaries。　The　Tiarantus　is　of　less　volume；　and　more　to　the　west。　The　Ararus；　Naparis；　and　Ordessus　fall　into　the　Ister　between　these　two。　All　the　above　mentioned　are　genuine　Scythian　rivers；　and　go　to　swell　the　current　of　the　Ister。　　　　　From　the　country　of　the　Agathyrsi　comes　down　another　river；　the　Maris；　which　empties　itself　into　the　same；　and　from　the　heights　of　Haemus　descend　with　a　northern　course　three　mighty　streams；　the　Atlas；　the　Auras；　and　the　Tibisis；　and　pour　their　waters　into　it。　Thrace　gives　it　three　tributaries；　the　Athrys；　the　Noes；　and　the　Artanes；　which　all　pass　through　the　country　of　the　Crobyzian　Thracians。　Another　tributary　is　furnished　by　Paeonia；　namely；　the　Scius；　this　river；　rising　near　Mount　Rhodope；　forces　its　way　through　the　chain　of　Haemus；　and　so　reaches　the　Ister。　From　Illyria　comes　another　stream；　the　Angrus；　which　has　a　course　from　south　to　north；　and　after　watering　the　Triballian　plain；　falls　into　the　Brongus；　which　falls　into　the　Ister。　So　the　Ister　is　augmented　by　these　two　streams；　both　considerable。　Besides　all　these；　the　Ister　receives　also　the　waters　of　the　Carpis　and　the　Alpis；　two　rivers　running　in　a　northerly　direction　from　the　country　above　the　Umbrians。　For　the　Ister　flows　through　the　whole　extent　of　Europe；　rising　in　the　country　of　the　Celts　（the　most　westerly　of　all　the　nations　of　Europe；　excepting　the　Cynetians）；　and　thence　running　across　the　continent　till　it　reaches　Scythia；　whereof　it　washes　the　flanks。　　　　　All　these　streams；　then；　and　many　others；　add　their　waters　to　swell　the　flood　of　the　Ister；　which　thus　increased　becomes　the　mightiest　of　rivers；　for　undoubtedly　if　we　compare　the　stream　of　the　Nile　with　the　single　stream　of　the　Ister；　we　must　give　the　preference　to　the　Nile；　of　which　no　tributary　river；　nor　even　rivulet；　augments　the　volume。　The　Ister　remains　at　the　same　level　both　summer　and　winter…　owing　to　the　following　reasons；　as　I　believe。　During　the　winter　it　runs　at　its　natural　height；　or　a　very　little　higher；　because　in　those　countries　there　is　scarcely　any　rain　in　winter；　but　constant　snow。　When　summer　comes；　this　snow；　which　is　of　great　depth；　begins　to　melt；　and　flows　into　the　Ister；　which　is　swelled　at　that　season；　not　only　by　this　cause　but　also　by　the　rains；　which　are　heavy　and　frequent　at　that　part　of　the　year。　Thus　the　various　streams　which　go　to　form　the　Ister　are　higher　in　summer　than　in　winter；　and　just　so　much　higher　as　the　sun's　power　and　attraction　are　greater；　so　that　these　two　causes　counteract　each　other；　and　the　effect　is　to　produce　a　balance；　whereby　the　Ister　remains　always　at　the　same　level。　　　　　This；　then；　is　one　of　the　great　Scythian　rivers；　the　next　to　it　is　the　Tyras；　which　rises　from　a　great　lake　separating　Scythia　from　the　land　of　the　Neuri；　and　runs　with　a　southerly　course　to　the　sea。　Greeks　dwell　at　the　mouth　of　the　river；　who　are　called　Tyritae。　　　　　The　third　river　is　the　Hypanis。　This　stream　rises　within　the　limits　of　Scythia；　and　has　its　source　in　another　vast　lake；　around　which　wild　white　horses　graze。　The　lake　is　called；　properly　enough；　the　Mother　of　the　Hypanis。　The　Hypanis；　rising　here；　during　the　distance　of　five　days'　navigation　is　a　shallow　stream；　and　the　water　sweet　and　pure；　thence；　however；　to　the　sea；　which　is　a　distance　of　four　days；　it　is　exceedingly　bitter。　This　change　is　caused　by　its　receiving　into　it　at　that　point　a　brook　the　waters　of　which　are　so　bitter　that；　although　it　is　but　a　tiny　rivulet；　it　nevertheless　taints　the　entire　Hypanis；　which　is　a　large　stream　among　those　of　the　second　order。　The　source　of　this　bitter　spring　is　on　the　borders　of　the　Scythian　Husbandmen；　where　they　adjoin　upon　the　Alazonians；　and　the　place　where　it　rises　is　called　in　the　Scythic　tongue　Exampaeus；　which　means　in　our　language；　〃The　Sacred　Ways。〃　The　spring　itself　bears　the　same　name。　The　Tyras　and　the　Hypanis　approach　each　other　in　the　country　of　the　Alazonians；　but　afterwards　separate；　and　leave　a　wide　space　between　their　streams。　　　　　The　fourth　of　the　Scythian　rivers　is　the　Borysthenes。　Next　to　the　Ister；　it　is　the　greatest　of　them　all；　and；　in　my　judgment；　it　is　the　most　productive　river；　not　merely　in　Scythia；　but　in　the　whole　world；　excepting　only　the　Nile；　with　which　no　stream　can　possibly　compare。　It　has　upon　its　banks　the　loveliest　and　most　excellent　pasturages　for　cattle；　it　contains　abundance　of　the　most　delicious　fish；　its　water　is　most　pleasant　to　the　taste；　its　stream　is　limpid；　while　all　the　other　rivers　near　it　are　muddy；　the　richest　harvests　spring　up　along　its　course；　and　where　the　ground　is　not　sown；　the　heaviest　crops　of　grass；　while　salt　forms　in　great　plenty　about　its　mouth　without　human　aid；　and　large　fish　are　taken　in　it　of　the　sort　called　Antacaei；