3

III. From the union of these slaves with the Scythian women, a numerous progeny was born, who, when informed of their origin, readily advanced to oppose those who were returning from Media. Their first exertion was to intersect the country by a large and deep trench, which extended from the mountains of Tauris to the Palus Mootis. They then encamped opposite to the Scythians, who were endeavouring to effect their passage. Various engagements ensued, in which the Scythians obtained no advantage. "My countrymen," at length one of them exclaimed, "what are we doing? In this contest with our slaves, every action diminishes our number, and by killing | those who oppose us, the value of victory decreases let us throw aside our darts and our

1 Remains at the top.]-Is it not surprising, asks M. Larcher in this place, that neither the Greeks nor the Latins had any term in their language to express cream?

Butter also was unknown to the Greeks and Romans till a late period. Pliny speaks of it as a common article of food among barbarous nations, and used by them as an unction. The very name of butter (Sourugey) which signifies cheese, or coagulum of cows' milk, implies an imperfect notion of the thing. It is clear that Herodo

tus here describes the making of butter, though he knew no name for the product. Pliny remarks, that the barbarous nations were as peculiar in neglecting cheese, as in making butter. Spuma lactis, which that author uses in describing what butter is, seems a very proper phrase for cream. Butter is often mentioned in Scripture; see Harmer's curious accounts of the modes of making it in the East, vol. i. and iii.-T.

2 Lead a pastoral life.]-The influence of food or climate, which in a more improved state of society is suspended or subdued by so many moral causes, most powerfully contributes to form and to maintain the national character of barbarians. In every age, the im mense plains of Scythia or Tartary have been inhabited by vagrant tribes of hunters and shepherds, whose indolence refuses to cultivate the earth, and whose restless spirit disdains the confinement of a sedentary life.

Gibbon.

which we use for our horses. Whilst they see us with arms, they think themselves our equals in birth and importance; but as soon as they shall perceive the whip in our hands, they will be impressed with the sense of their servile condition, and resist no longer."

:

IV. The Scythians approved the advice; their opponents forgot their former exertions, and fled so did the Scythians obtain the sovereignty of Asia; and thus, after having been expelled by the Medes, they returned to their country. From the above motives Darius, eager for revenge, prepared to lead an army against them.

V. The Scythians affirm of their country that it was of all others the last formed and in this manner :— -When this region was in its original and desert state, the first inhabitant was named Targitaus, a son, as they say (but which to me seems incredible) of Jupiter, by a daughter of the Borysthenes. This Targitaus had three sons, Lipoxais, Arpoxais, and lastly Colaxais. Whilst they possessed the country, there fell from heaven into the Scythian district a plough, a yoke, an ax, and a goblet, all of gold. The eldest of the brothers was the first who saw them; who running to take them, was burnt by the gold. On his retiring, the second brother approached, and was burnt also. When these two had been repelled by the burning gold, last of all the youngest brother advanced; upon him the gold had no effect, and he carried it to his house. The two elder

brothers, observing what had happened, resigned all authority to the youngest.

VI. From Lipoxais those Scythians were descended who are termed the Auchatæ ; from Arpoxais, the second brother, those who are called the Catiari and the Traspies; from the youngest, who was king, came the Paralatæ. Generally speaking, these people are named Scoloti, from a surname of their king, but the Greeks call them Scythians.

VII. This is the account which the Scythians give of their origin; and they add, that from their first king Targitaus, to the invasion of their country by Darius, is a period of s thousand years, and no more. The sacred

-T.

i

est care; it is every year carried with great solemnity to every part of the kingdom, and upon this occasion there are sacrifices, with much pomp, at which the prince presides. They have a tradition, that if the person in whose custody this gold remains sleeps in the open air during the time of their annual festival, he dies before the end of the year; as much land is therefore given him as he can pass over on horseback in the course of a day.' As this region is extensive, king Colaxais divided the country into three parts, which he gave to three sons, making that portion the largest in which the gold was deposited. As to the district which lies farther to the north, and beyond the extreme inhabitants of the country, they say that it neither can be passed, nor yet discerned with the eye, on account of the feathers which are continually falling: with these both the earth and the air are so filled, as effectually to obstruct the view.

VIII. Such is the manner in which the Scythians describe themselves and the country beyond them. The Greeks who inhabit Pontus speak of both as follows: Hercules, when he was driving away the heifers of Geryon, came

6 As much land is therefore given him.]—This is, beyond doubt, a very perplexed and difficult passage; and all that the different annotators have done has been to intimate their conjectures. I have followed that which to my judgment seemed the happiest.

7 On horseback in the course of a day.]-Larcher adduces, from Pliny, Ovid, and Seneca, the three following passages, to prove that anciently this was the mode of rewarding merit :

Dona amplissima imperatorum et fortium civium
quantum quis uno die plurimum circumaravisset.-Pliny.
This from Ovid is more pertinent :-
At Proceres

Ruris honorati tantum tibi Cipe dedere
Quantum depresso subjectis bobus aratro
Complecti posses ad finem solis ab ortu.-

See also Seneca :—

to this region, now inhabited by the Scythians, but which then was a desert. This Geryon lived beyond Pontus, in an island which the Greeks call Erythia, near Gades, which is situate in the ocean, and beyond the columns of Hercules. The ocean, they say, commencing at the east, flows round all the earth;" this, however, they affirm without proving it. Hercules coming from thence, arrived at this country, now called Scythia, where, finding himself over.. taken by a severe storin, and being exceedingly cold, he wrapped himself up in his lion's skin, and went to sleep. They add, that his mares, which he had detached from his chariot to feed, by some divine interposition disappeared during his sleep.

IX. As soon as he awoke, he wandered over all the country in search of his mares, till at length he came to the district which is called Hylæa: there in a cave he discovered a female of most unnatural appearance, resembling a woman as far as the thighs, but whose lower parts were like a serpent." Hercules beheld her with astonishment, but he was not deterred from asking her whether she had seen his mares?

Palphatus says, he lived at Tricarenia; and that, being called the Tricarenian Geryon, he was afterwards said to have had three heads.-T.

10 Flows round all the earth.]—Upon this passage the following remark occurs in Stillingfleet's Origin. Sacr. book i. c. 4.

"It cannot be denied but a great deal of useful history may be fetched out of Herodotus; yet who can excuse his ignorance, when he not only denies there is an ocean compassing the land, but condemns the geographers for asserting it?" Herodotus, however, neither denies the fact, nor condemns the geographers.

11 Like a serpent.]-M. Pelloutier calls this monster a Syren, but Homer represents the Syrens as very lovely

women.

Diodorus Siculus speaks also of this monster, describ. ing it like Herodotus. He makes her the mistress of Jupiter, by whom she had Scythes, who gave his name to the nation.-Larcher.

This in a great measure corresponds with Virgil's description of Scylla:

Prima hominis facies, et pulchro pectore virgo
Pube tenus: postrema immani corpore pistrix
Delphinum caudas utero commissa luporum.
See also Spenser's description of the mermaids:
They were fair ladies till they fondly strived
With th' Heliconian maids for maistery,
Of whom the overcomen were deprived
Of their proud beauty, and th' one moiety
Transformed to fish, for their bold surquedry;
But the upper half their hue retained still,
And their sweet skill in wonted melody,
Which ever after they abused to ill,

To allure weak travellers, whom gotten they did kill.
See also his description of Echidna:

Yet did her face and former parts profess
A fair young maiden full of comely glee;
But all her hinder parts did plain express,
A monstrous dragon, full of fearful ugliness.

:

She made answer, that they were in her custody she refused, however, to restore them, but upon condition of his cohabiting with her. The terms proposed induced Hercules to consent; but she still deferred restoring his mares, from the wish of retaining him longer with her, whilst Hercules was equally anxious to obtain them and depart. After a while she restored them with these words: "Your mares, which wandered here, I have preserved; you have paid what was due to my care, I have conceived by you three sons; I wish you to say how I shall dispose of them hereafter; whether I shall detain them here, where I am the sole sovereign, or whether I shall send them to you." The reply of Hercules was to this effect: "As soon as they shall be grown up to man's estate, observe this, and you cannot err; whichever of them you shall see bend this bow, and wear this belt as I do, him detain in this country: the others, who shall not be able to do this, you may send away. By minding what I say, you will have pleasure yourself, and will satisfy my wishes."

X. Having said this, Hercules took one of his bows, for thus far he had carried two, and showing her also his belt, at the end of which a golden cup was suspended, he gave her them, and departed. As soon as the boys of whom she was delivered grew up, she called the eldest Agathyrsus, the second Gelonus, and the youngest Scytha. She remembered also the injunctions she had received; and two of her sons, Agathyrsus and Gelonus, who were incompetent to the trial which was proposed, were sent away by their mother from this country, Scytha the youngest was successful in his exertions, and remained. From this Scytha, the son of Hercules, the Scythian monarchs are descended, and from the golden cup the Scythians to this day have a cup at the end of

their belts.

XI. This is the story which the Greek inhabitants of Pontus relate; but there is also another, to which I am more inclined to assent:

1 This belt.]—It was assigned Hercules as one of his labours by Eurystheus, to whom he was subject, to deprive Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, of her belt. Ausonius, in the inscription which he probably wrote for some ancient relievo, mentions it as the sixth labour;

Threiciam sexto spoliavit Amazona baltheo.

This labour is also mentioned thus by Martial:
Peltatam Scythico discinxit Amazona nodo.

Whether Herodotus means to speak of this belt, I pretend not to determine.-T.

-The Scythian Nomades of Asia, having been harassed by the Massagetæ in war, passed the Araxis, and settled in Cimmeria; for it is to be observed, that the country now possessed by the Scythians, belonged formerly to the Cimmerians. This people, when attacked by the Scythians, deliberated what it was most adviseable to do against the inroad of so vast a multitude. Their sentiments were divided; both were violent, but that of the kings appears preferable. The people were of opinion, that it would be better not to hazard an engagement, but to retreat in security; the kings were at all events for resisting the enemy. Neither party would recede from their opinions, the people and the princes mutually refusing to yield; the people wished to retire before the invaders, the princes determined rather to die where they were, reflecting upon what they had enjoyed before, and alarmed by the fears of future calamities. From verbal disputes they soon came to actual engagement, and they happened to be nearly equal in number. All those who perished by the hands of their countrymen were buried by the Cimmerians near the river Tyre, where their monuments may still be seen. survivors fled from their country, which in its abandoned state was seized and occupied by the Scythians.

The

XII. There are still to be found in Scythia walls and bridges which are termed Cimmerian; the same name is also given to a whole district, as well as to a narrow sea. It is certain that when the Cimmerians were expelled their country by the Scythians, they fled to the Asiatic Chersonese, where the Greek city of Sinope is at present situated. It is also apparent, that whilst engaged in the pursuit, the Scythians deviated from their proper course, and entered Media. The Cimmerians in their flight kept uniformly by the sea-coast; but the Scythians, having Mount Caucasus to their right, continued the pursuit, till by following an inland direction they entered Media.

2 Sinope.]-There were various opinions amongst the ancients concerning this city. Some said it was built by an Amazon so called; others affirm it was founded by the Milesians; Strabo calls it the most illustrious city of Pontus. It is thus mentioned by Valerius Flaccus, an author not so much read as he deserves:

Assyrios complexa sinus stat opima, Sinope

Nympha prius, blandosque Jovis quæ luserat ignes
Cœlicolis immota procis.

There was also a celebrated courtesan of this name, from whom Sinopissare became a proverb for being very lascivious.

The modern name of the place is Sinub, and it stands at the mouth of a river called Sinope.-T.