the history-第93章

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rysthenites；　who；　according　to　their　own　account；　are　colonists　of　the　Milesians…　he　made　it　his　practice；　I　say；　to　leave　the　army　before　the　city；　and；　having　entered　within　the　walls　by　himself；　and　carefully　closed　the　gates；　to　exchange　his　Scythian　dress　for　Grecian　garments；　and　in　this　attire　to　walk　about　the　forum；　without　guards　or　retinue。　The　Borysthenites　kept　watch　at　the　gates；　that　no　Scythian　might　see　the　king　thus　apparelled。　Scylas；　meanwhile；　lived　exactly　as　the　Greeks；　and　even　offered　sacrifices　to　the　gods　according　to　the　Grecian　rites。　In　this　way　he　would　pass　a　month；　or　more；　with　the　Borysthenites；　after　which　he　would　clothe　himself　again　in　his　Scythian　dress；　and　so　take　his　departure。　This　he　did　repeatedly；　and　even　built　himself　a　house　in　Borysthenes；　and　married　a　wife　there　who　was　a　native　of　the　place。　　　　　But　when　the　time　came　that　was　ordained　to　bring　him　woe；　the　occasion　of　his　ruin　was　the　following。　He　wanted　to　be　initiated　in　the　Bacchic　mysteries；　and　was　on　the　point　of　obtaining　admission　to　the　rites；　when　a　most　strange　prodigy　occurred　to　him。　The　house　which　he　possessed；　as　I　mentioned　a　short　time　back；　in　the　city　of　the　Borysthenites；　a　building　of　great　extent　and　erected　at　a　vast　cost；　round　which　there　stood　a　number　of　sphinxes　and　griffins　carved　in　white　marble；　was　struck　by　lightning　from　on　high；　and　burnt　to　the　ground。　Scylas；　nevertheless；　went　on　and　received　the　initiation。　Now　the　Scythians　are　wont　to　reproach　the　Greeks　with　their　Bacchanal　rage；　and　to　say　that　it　is　not　reasonable　to　imagine　there　is　a　god　who　impels　men　to　madness。　No　sooner；　therefore；　was　Scylas　initiated　in　the　Bacchic　mysteries　than　one　of　the　Borysthenites　went　and　carried　the　news　to　the　Scythians　〃You　Scyths　laugh　at　us〃　he　said；　〃because　we　rave　when　the　god　seizes　us。　But　now　our　god　has　seized　upon　your　king；　who　raves　like　us；　and　is　maddened　by　the　influence。　If　you　think　I　do　not　tell　you　true；　come　with　me；　and　I　will　show　him　to　you。〃　The　chiefs　of　the　Scythians　went　with　the　man　accordingly；　and　the　Borysthenite；　conducting　them　into　the　city；　placed　them　secretly　on　one　of　the　towers。　Presently　Scylas　passed　by　with　the　band　of　revellers；　raving　like　the　rest；　and　was　seen　by　the　watchers。　Regarding　the　matter　as　a　very　great　misfortune　they　instantly　departed；　and　came　and　told　the　army　what　they　had　witnessed。　　　　　When；　therefore；　Scylas；　after　leaving　Borysthenes；　was　about　returning　home；　the　Scythians　broke　out　into　revolt。　They　put　at　their　head　Octamasadas；　grandson　（on　the　mother's　side）　of　Teres。　Then　Scylas；　when　he　learned　the　danger　with　which　he　was　threatened；　and　the　reason　of　the　disturbance；　made　his　escape　to　Thrace。　Octamasadas；　discovering　whither　he　had　fled；　marched　after　him；　and　had　reached　the　Ister；　when　he　was　met　by　the　forces　of　the　Thracians。　The　two　armies　were　about　to　engage；　but　before　they　joined　battle；　Sitalces　sent　a　message　to　Octamasadas　to　this　effect…　〃Why　should　there　be　trial　of　arms　betwixt　thee　and　me？　Thou　art　my　own　sister's　son；　and　thou　hast　in　thy　keeping　my　brother。　Surrender　him　into　my　hands；　and　I　will　give　thy　Scylas　back　to　thee。　So　neither　thou　nor　I　will　risk　our　armies。〃　Sitalces　sent　this　message　to　Octamasadas；　by　a　herald；　and　Octamasadas；　with　whom　a　brother　of　Sitalces　had　formerly　taken　refuge；　accepted　the　terms。　He　surrendered　his　own　uncle　to　Sitalces；　and　obtained　in　exchange　his　brother　Scylas。　Sitalces　took　his　brother　with　him　and　withdrew；　but　Octamasadas　beheaded　Scylas　upon　the　spot。　Thus　rigidly　do　the　Scythians　maintain　their　own　customs；　and　thus　severely　do　they　punish　such　as　adopt　foreign　usages。　　　　　What　the　population　of　Scythia　is　I　was　not　able　to　learn　with　certainty；　the　accounts　which　I　received　varied　from　one　another。　I　heard　from　some　that　they　were　very　numerous　indeed；　others　made　their　numbers　but　scanty　for　such　a　nation　as　the　Scyths。　Thus　much；　however；　I　witnessed　with　my　own　eyes。　There　is　a　tract　called　Exampaeus　between　the　Borysthenes　and　the　Hypanis。　I　made　some　mention　of　it　in　a　former　place；　where　I　spoke　of　the　bitter　stream　which　rising　there　flows　into　the　Hypanis；　and　renders　the　water　of　that　river　undrinkable。　Here　then　stands　a　brazen　bowl；　six　times　as　big　as　that　at　the　entrance　of　the　Euxine；　which　Pausanias；　the　son　of　Cleombrotus；　set　up。　Such　as　have　never　seen　that　vessel　may　understand　me　better　if　I　say　that　the　Scythian　bowl　holds　with　ease　six　hundred　amphorae；　and　is　of　the　thickness　of　six　fingers'　breadth。　The　natives　gave　me　the　following　account　of　the　manner　in　which　it　was　made。　One　of　their　kings；　by　name　Ariantas；　wishing　to　know　the　number　of　his　subjects；　ordered　them　all　to　bring　him；　on　pain　of　death；　the　point　off　one　of　their　arrows。　They　obeyed；　and　he　collected　thereby　a　vast　heap　of　arrow…heads；　which　he　resolved　to　form　into　a　memorial　that　might　go　down　to　posterity。　Accordingly　he　made　of　them　this　bowl；　and　dedicated　it　at　Exampaeus。　This　was　all　that　I　could　learn　concerning　the　number　of　the　Scythians。　　　　　The　country　has　no　marvels　except　its　rivers；　which　are　larger　and　more　numerous　than　those　of　any　other　land。　These；　and　the　vastness　of　the　great　plain；　are　worthy　of　note；　and　one　thing　besides；　which　I　am　about　to　mention。　They　show　a　footmark　of　Hercules；　impressed　on　a　rock；　in　shape　like　the　print　of　a　man's　foot；　but　two　cubits　in　length。　It　is　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Tyras。　Having　described　this；　I　return　to　the　subject　on　which　I　originally　proposed　to　discourse。　　　　　The　preparations　of　Darius　against　the　Scythians　had　begun；　messengers　had　been　despatched　on　all　sides　with　the　king's　commands；　some　being　required　to　furnish　troops；　others　to　supply　ships；　others　again　to　bridge　the　Thracian　Bosphorus；　when　Artabanus；　son　of　Hystaspes　and　brother　of　Darius；　entreated　the　king　to　desist　from　his　expedition；　urging　on　him　the　great　difficulty　of　attacking　Scythia。　Good；　however；　as　the　advice　of　Artabanus　was；　it　failed　to　persuade　Darius。　He　therefore　ceased　his　reasonings；　and　Darius；　when　his　preparations　were　complete；　led　his　army　forth　from　Susa。　　　　　It　was　then　that　a　certain　Persian；　by　name　Oeobazus；　the　father　of　three　sons；　all　of　whom　were　to　accompany　the　army；　came　and　prayed　the　king　that　he　would　allow　one　of　his　sons　to　remain　with　him。　Darius　made　answer；　as　if　he　regarded　him　in　the　light　of　a　friend　who　had　urged　a　moderate　request；　〃that　he　would　allow　them　all　to　remain。〃　Oeobazus　was　overjoyed；　expecting　that　all　his　children　would　be　excused　from　serving；　the　king；　however；　bade　his　attendants　take　the　three　sons　of　Oeobazus　and　forthwith　put　them　to　death。　Thus　they　were　all　left　behind；　but　not　till　they　had　been　deprived　of　life。　　　　　When　Darius；　on　his　march　from　Susa；　reached　the　territory　of　Chalcedon　on　the　shores　of　the　Bosphorus；　where　the　bridge　had　been　made；　he　took　ship　and　sailed　thence　to　the　Cyanean　islands；　which；　according　to　the　Greeks；　once　floated。　He　took　his　seat　also　in　the　temple　and　surveyed　the　Pontus；　which　is　indeed　well　worthy　of　consideration。　There　is　not　in　the　world　any　other　sea　so　wonderful：　it　extends　in　length　eleven　thousand　one　hundred　furlo