The history of Herodotus — Volume 1 by Herodotus (an ebook reader TXT) 📖

read {to} for {autoi}, which is adopted by several Editors; others
adopt the conjecture {autois}.

[94] i.e. two in each hind-leg.

[95] {kai paraluesthai}: {kai} is omitted in some MSS. and by some
Editors.

[96] {ouk omou}: some Editors omit {ouk}: the meaning seems to be that
in case of necessity they are thrown off one after another to
delay the pursuing animals.

[97] The meaning of the passage is doubtful: possibly it should be
translated (omitting {kai}) "the male camels, being inferior in
speed to the females, flag in their course and are dragged along,
first one and then the other."

[97a] See ii. 75.

[98] {metri}: the MSS. have {metre}, "womb," but for this Herod. seems
to use the plural.

[99] {metera}: most MSS. have {metran}.

[100] Most of the MSS. have {auton} before {ta melea}, which by some
Editors is omitted, and by others altered to {autika}. If {auton}
is to stand it must be taken with {katapetomenas}, "flying down
upon them," and so it is punctuated in the Medicean MS.

[101] {elkea}. There is a play upon the words {epelkein} and {elkea}
which can hardly be reproduced in translation.

[102] {Kassiteridas}.

[103] {o kassiteros}.

[104] cp. iv. 13.

[105] {akinakea}.

[106] This is the second of the satrapies mentioned in the list, see
ch. 90, named from its chief town. Oroites also possessed himself
of the first satrapy, of which the chief town was Magnesia (ch.
122), and then of the third (see ch. 127).

[107] The satrapy of Daskyleion is the third in the list, see ch. 90.

[108] {su gar en andron logo}.

[109] Or, "banqueting hall," cp. iv. 95.

[110] {apestrammenon}: most of the MSS. have {epestrammenon}, "turned
towards (the wall)."

[110a] "whenever he (i.e. Zeus) rained."

[111] This clause, "as Amasis the king of Egypt had foretold to him,"
is omitted in some MSS. and by some Editors.

[112] {oideonton eti ton pregmaton}: cp. ch. 76.

[113] i.e. satrapies: see ch. 89, 90.

[114] {apikomenon kai anakomisthenton}: the first perhaps referring to
the slaves and the other to the rest of the property.

[115] i.e. the art of evasion.

[116] {es tou khrosou ten theken}: {es} is not in the MSS., which have
generally {tou khrusou sun theke}: one only has {tou khrusou ten
theken}.

[117] {stateras}: i.e. the {stater Dareikos} "Daric," worth about £1;
cp. note on vii. 28.

[118] {ekaton mneon}, "a hundred minae," of which sixty go to the
talent.

[119] This passage, from "for this event happened" to the end of the
chapter, is suspected as an interpolation by some Editors, on
internal grounds.

[120] Tarentum. Italy means for Herodotus the southern part of the
peninsula only.

[121] {restones}: so one inferior MS., probably by conjectural
emendation: the rest have {krestones}. The Ionic form however of
{rastone} would be {reistone}. Some would read {khrestones}, a
word which is not found, but might mean the same as {kresmosunes}
(ix. 33), "in consequence of the /request/ of Demokedes."

[122] {kat' emporien strateuomenoi}: some MSS. read {kat' emporien, oi
de strateuomenoi}, "some for trade, others serving in the army."

[123] {prothura}.

[124] {e tis e oudeis}.

[125] {isonomien}: see ch. 80, note.

[126] {all' oud' axios eis su ge}. Maiandrios can claim no credit or
reward for giving up that of which by his own unworthiness he
would in any case have been deprived.

[127] {ou de ti}: some read {oud' eti} or {ou de eti}, "no longer kept
the purpose."

[128] {en gorgure}: the word also means a "sewer" or "conduit."

[129] {prosempikraneesthai emellon toisi Samioisi}.

[130] {tous diphrophoreumenous}: a doubtful word: it seems to be a
sort of title belonging to Persians of a certain rank, perhaps
those who were accompanied by men to carry seats for them, the
same as the {thronoi} mentioned in ch. 144; or, "those who were
borne in litters."

[131] {sageneusantes}: see vi. 31. The word is thought by Stein to
have been interpolated here.

[132] Or, "are very highly accounted and tend to advancement."

[133] "opposite to."

[134] The words "and to the Persians" are omitted in some MSS.


BOOK IV

THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE HISTORIES, CALLED MELPOMENE

1. After Babylon had been taken, the march of Dareios himself[1] against the Scythians took place: for now that Asia was flourishing in respect of population, and large sums were being gathered in as revenue, Dareios formed the desire to take vengeance upon the Scythians, because they had first invaded the Median land and had overcome in fight those who opposed them; and thus they had been the beginners of wrong. The Scythians in truth, as I have before said,[2] had ruled over Upper Asia[3] for eight-and-twenty years; for they had invaded Asia in their pursuit of the Kimmerians, and they had deposed[4] the Medes from their rule, who had rule over Asia before the Scythians came. Now when the Scythians had been absent from their own land for eight-and-twenty years, as they were returning to it after that interval of time, they were met by a contest[5] not less severe than that which they had had with the Medes, since they found an army of no mean size opposing them. For the wives of the Scythians, because their husbands were absent from them for a long time, had associated with the slaves. 2. Now the Scythians put out the eyes of all their slaves because of the milk which they drink; and they do as follows:-they take blow-pipes of bone just like flutes, and these they insert into the vagina of the mare and blow with their mouths, and others milk while they blow: and they say that they do this because the veins of the mare are thus filled, being blown out, and so the udder is let down. When they had drawn the milk they pour it into wooden vessels hollowed out, and they set the blind slaves in order about[6] the vessels and agitate the milk. Then that which comes to the top they skim off, considering it the more valuable part, whereas they esteem that which settles down to be less good than the other. For this reason[7] the Scythians put out the eyes of all whom they catch; for they are not tillers of the soil but nomads. 3. From these their slaves then, I say, and from their wives had been born and bred up a generation of young men, who having learnt the manner of their birth set themselves to oppose the Scythians as they were returning from the Medes. And first they cut off their land by digging a broad trench extending from the Tauric mountains to the Maiotian lake, at the point where[8] this is broadest; then afterwards when the Scythians attempted to invade the land, they took up a position against them and fought; and as they fought many times, and the Scythians were not able to get any advantage in the fighting, one of them said: "What a thing is this that we are doing, Scythians! We are fighting against our own slaves, and we are not only becoming fewer in number ourselves by being slain in battle, but also we are killing them, and so we shall have fewer to rule over in future. Now therefore to me it seems good that we leave spears and bows and that each one take his horse-whip and so go up close to them: for so long as they saw us with arms in our hands, they thought themselves equal to us and of equal birth; but when they shall see that we have whips instead of arms, they will perceive that they are our slaves, and having acknowledged this they will not await our onset." 4. When they heard this, the Scythians proceeded to do that which he said, and the others being panic-stricken by that which was done forgot their fighting and fled. Thus the Scythians had ruled over Asia; and in such manner, when they were driven out again by the Medes, they had returned to their own land. For this Dareios wished to take vengeance upon them, and was gathering together an army to go against them.

*****

5. Now the Scythians say that their nation is the youngest of all nations, and that this came to pass as follows:-The first man who ever existed in this region, which then was desert, was one named Targitaos: and of this Targitaos they say, though I do not believe it for my part, however they say the parents were Zeus and the daughter of the river Borysthenes. Targitaos, they report, was produced from some such origin as this, and of him were begotten three sons, Lipoxaïs and Arpoxaïs and the youngest Colaxaïs. In the reign of these[9] there came down from heaven certain things wrought of gold, a plough, a yoke, a battle-axe,[10] and a cup, and fell in the Scythian land: and first the eldest saw and came near them, desiring to take them, but the gold blazed with fire when he approached it: then when he had gone away from it, the second approached, and again it did the same thing. These then the gold repelled by blazing with fire; but when the third and youngest came up to it, the flame was quenched, and he carried them to his own house. The elder brothers then, acknowledging the significance of this thing, delivered the whole of the kingly power to the youngest. 6. From Lixopaïs, they say, are descended those Scythians who are called the race of the Auchatai; from the middle brother Arpoxaïs those who are called Catiaroi and Traspians, and from the youngest of them the "Royal" tribe,[11] who are called Paralatai: and the whole together are called, they say, Scolotoi, after the name of their king;[12] but the Hellenes gave them the name of Scythians. 7. Thus the Scythians say they were produced; and from the time of their origin, that is to say from the first king Targitaos, to the passing over of Dareios against them, they say that there is a period of a thousand years and no more. Now this sacred gold is guarded by the kings with the utmost care, and they visit it every year with solemn sacrifices of propitiation: moreover if any one goes to sleep while watching in the open air over this gold during the festival, the Scythians say that he does not live out the year; and there is given him for this so much land as he shall ride round himself on his horse in one day. Now as the land was large, Colaxaïs, they say, established three kingdoms for his sons; and of these he made one larger than the rest, and in