the history-第92章

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　his　groom；　his　lacquey；　his　messenger；　some　of　his　horses；　firstlings　of　all　his　other　possessions；　and　some　golden　cups；　for　they　use　neither　silver　nor　brass。　After　this　they　set　to　work；　and　raise　a　vast　mound　above　the　grave；　all　of　them　vying　with　each　other　and　seeking　to　make　it　as　tall　as　possible。　　　　　When　a　year　is　gone　by；　further　ceremonies　take　place。　Fifty　of　the　best　of　the　late　king's　attendants　are　taken；　all　native　Scythians…　for；　as　bought　slaves　are　unknown　in　the　country；　the　Scythian　kings　choose　any　of　their　subjects　that　they　like；　to　wait　on　them…　fifty　of　these　are　taken　and　strangled；　with　fifty　of　the　most　beautiful　horses。　When　they　are　dead；　their　bowels　are　taken　out；　and　the　cavity　cleaned；　filled　full　of　chaff；　and　straightway　sewn　up　again。　This　done；　a　number　of　posts　are　driven　into　the　ground；　in　sets　of　two　pairs　each；　and　on　every　pair　half　the　felly　of　a　wheel　is　placed　archwise；　then　strong　stakes　are　run　lengthways　through　the　bodies　of　the　horses　from　tail　to　neck；　and　they　are　mounted　up　upon　the　fellies；　so　that　the　felly　in　front　supports　the　shoulders　of　the　horse；　while　that　behind　sustains　the　belly　and　quarters；　the　legs　dangling　in　mid…air；　each　horse　is　furnished　with　a　bit　and　bridle；　which　latter　is　stretched　out　in　front　of　the　horse；　and　fastened　to　a　peg。　The　fifty　strangled　youths　are　then　mounted　severally　on　the　fifty　horses。　To　effect　this；　a　second　stake　is　passed　through　their　bodies　along　the　course　of　the　spine　to　the　neck；　the　lower　end　of　which　projects　from　the　body；　and　is　fixed　into　a　socket；　made　in　the　stake　that　runs　lengthwise　down　the　horse。　The　fifty　riders　are　thus　ranged　in　a　circle　round　the　tomb；　and　so　left。　　　　　Such；　then；　is　the　mode　in　which　the　kings　are　buried：　as　for　the　people；　when　any　one　dies；　his　nearest　of　kin　lay　him　upon　a　waggon　and　take　him　round　to　all　his　friends　in　succession：　each　receives　them　in　turn　and　entertains　them　with　a　banquet；　whereat　the　dead　man　is　served　with　a　portion　of　all　that　is　set　before　the　others；　this　is　done　for　forty　days；　at　the　end　of　which　time　the　burial　takes　place。　After　the　burial；　those　engaged　in　it　have　to　purify　themselves；　which　they　do　in　the　following　way。　First　they　well　soap　and　wash　their　heads；　then；　in　order　to　cleanse　their　bodies；　they　act　as　follows：　they　make　a　booth　by　fixing　in　the　ground　three　sticks　inclined　towards　one　another；　and　stretching　around　them　woollen　felts；　which　they　arrange　so　as　to　fit　as　close　as　possible：　inside　the　booth　a　dish　is　placed　upon　the　ground；　into　which　they　put　a　number　of　red…hot　stones；　and　then　add　some　hemp…seed。　　　　　Hemp　grows　in　Scythia：　it　is　very　like　flax；　only　that　it　is　a　much　coarser　and　taller　plant：　some　grows　wild　about　the　country；　some　is　produced　by　cultivation：　the　Thracians　make　garments　of　it　which　closely　resemble　linen；　so　much　so；　indeed；　that　if　a　person　has　never　seen　hemp　he　is　sure　to　think　they　are　linen；　and　if　he　has；　unless　he　is　very　experienced　in　such　matters；　he　will　not　know　of　which　material　they　are。　　　　　The　Scythians；　as　I　said；　take　some　of　this　hemp…seed；　and；　creeping　under　the　felt　coverings；　throw　it　upon　the　red…hot　stones；　immediately　it　smokes；　and　gives　out　such　a　vapour　as　no　Grecian　vapour…bath　can　exceed；　the　Scyths；　delighted；　shout　for　joy；　and　this　vapour　serves　them　instead　of　a　water…bath；　for　they　never　by　any　chance　wash　their　bodies　with　water。　Their　women　make　a　mixture　of　cypress；　cedar；　and　frankincense　wood；　which　they　pound　into　a　paste　upon　a　rough　piece　of　stone；　adding　a　little　water　to　it。　With　this　substance；　which　is　of　a　thick　consistency；　they　plaster　their　faces　all　over；　and　indeed　their　whole　bodies。　A　sweet　odour　is　thereby　imparted　to　them；　and　when　they　take　off　the　plaster　on　the　day　following；　their　skin　is　clean　and　glossy。　　　　　The　Scythians　have　an　extreme　hatred　of　all　foreign　customs；　particularly　of　those　in　use　among　the　Greeks；　as　the　instances　of　Anacharsis；　and；　more　lately；　of　Scylas；　have　fully　shown。　The　former；　after　he　had　travelled　over　a　great　portion　of　the　world；　and　displayed　wherever　he　went　many　proofs　of　wisdom；　as　he　sailed　through　the　Hellespont　on　his　return　to　Scythia　touched　at　Cyzicus。　There　he　found　the　inhabitants　celebrating　with　much　pomp　and　magnificence　a　festival　to　the　Mother　of　the　Gods；　and　was　himself　induced　to　make　a　vow　to　the　goddess；　whereby　he　engaged；　if　he　got　back　safe　and　sound　to　his　home；　that　he　would　give　her　a　festival　and　a　night…procession　in　all　respects　like　those　which　he　had　seen　in　Cyzicus。　When；　therefore；　he　arrived　in　Scythia；　he　betook　himself　to　the　district　called　the　Woodland；　which　lies　opposite　the　course　of　Achilles；　and　is　covered　with　trees　of　all　manner　of　different　kinds；　and　there　went　through　all　the　sacred　rites　with　the　tabour　in　his　hand；　and　the　images　tied　to　him。　While　thus　employed；　he　was　noticed　by　one　of　the　Scythians；　who　went　and　told　king　Saulius　what　he　had　seen。　Then　king　Saulius　came　in　person；　and　when　he　perceived　what　Anacharsis　was　about；　he　shot　at　him　with　an　arrow　and　killed　him。　To　this　day；　if　you　ask　the　Scyths　about　Anacharsis；　they　pretend　ignorance　of　him；　because　of　his　Grecian　travels　and　adoption　of　the　customs　of　foreigners。　I　learnt；　however；　from　Timnes；　the　steward　of　Ariapithes；　that　Anacharsis　was　paternal　uncle　to　the　Scythian　king　Idanthyrsus；　being　the　son　of　Gnurus；　who　was　the　son　of　Lycus　and　the　grandson　of　Spargapithes。　If　Anacharsis　were　really　of　this　house；　it　must　have　been　by　his　own　brother　that　he　was　slain；　for　Idanthyrsus　was　a　son　of　the　Saulius　who　put　Anacharsis　to　death。　　　　　I　have　heard；　however；　another　tale；　very　different　from　this；　which　is　told　by　the　Peloponnesians：　they　say；　that　Anacharsis　was　sent　by　the　king　of　the　Scyths　to　make　acquaintance　with　Greece…　that　he　went；　and　on　his　return　home　reported　that　the　Greeks　were　all　occupied　in　the　pursuit　of　every　kind　of　knowledge；　except　the　Lacedaemonians；　who；　however；　alone　knew　how　to　converse　sensibly。　A　silly　tale　this；　which　the　Greeks　have　invented　for　their　amusement！　There　is　no　doubt　that　Anacharsis　suffered　death　in　the　mode　already　related；　on　account　of　his　attachment　to　foreign　customs；　and　the　intercourse　which　he　held　with　the　Greeks。　　　　　Scylas；　likewise；　the　son　of　Ariapithes；　many　years　later；　met　with　almost　the　very　same　fate。　Ariapithes；　the　Scythian　king；　had　several　sons；　among　them　this　Scylas；　who　was　the　child；　not　of　a　native　Scyth；　but　of　a　woman　of　Istria。　Bred　up　by　her；　Scylas　gained　an　acquaintance　with　the　Greek　language　and　letters。　Some　time　afterwards；　Ariapithes　was　treacherously　slain　by　Spargapithes；　king　of　the　Agathyrsi；　whereupon　Scylas　succeeded　to　the　throne；　and　married　one　of　his　father's　wives；　a　woman　named　Opoea。　This　Opoea　was　a　Scythian　by　birth；　and　had　brought　Ariapithes　a　son　called　Oricus。　Now　when　Scylas　found　himself　king　of　Scythia；　as　he　disliked　the　Scythic　mode　of　life；　and　was　attached；　by　his　bringing　up；　to　the　manners　of　the　Greeks；　he　made　it　his　usual　practice；　whenever　he　came　with　his　army　to　the　town　of　the　Borysthenites；　who；　according　to　their　own　account；　are　colonists　of　the　Milesians…　he　made　it　his　pra