The Good Book (48 page)

23. These he levied from the nations bordering Babylonia, who were each required to send a number to Babylon, that in all there were collected no fewer than fifty thousand women.

24. It is from these women that the Babylonians of later times are sprung.

25. As for Zopyrus, he was considered by Darius to have surpassed, in the greatness of his achievements, all other Persians, whether of former or later times,

26. Except only Cyrus, with whom no Persian ever yet dared to compare. Darius, as the story goes, would often say that he had rather Zopyrus were unmaimed, than be master of twenty more Babylons.

27. And he honoured Zopyrus greatly; every year he presented him with all the gifts held in most esteem among Persians;

28. He gave him likewise the government of Babylon for life, free from tribute, and many other favours.

 

Chapter 40

  1. Now Darius turned his attention to war against the Scythians, which was his first step in carrying his ambition of conquest towards Europe.

  2. He dispatched messengers across his empire summoning troops, ships and supplies, and ordering the building of a bridge across the Bosphorus, to connect Asia to Europe.

  3. While he was doing so his brother Artabanus came to entreat him not to undertake this expedition, because of the great difficulty of attacking Scythia.

  4. But Darius was determined to proceed, and when preparations were complete he marched with his army from Susa.

  5. A certain Persian named Oeobazus, the father of three sons, all of whom were to accompany the army,

  6. Came and begged the king that he would allow one of his sons to remain with him.

  7. Darius answered, 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.

  8. Oeobazus was overjoyed, expecting that all his children would be excused from service; the king, however, ordered his attendants to take all three sons of Oeobazus and put them to death.

  9. Thus they were all left behind, as the king had promised.

10. When Darius reached the territory of Chalcedon on the shores of the Bosphorus, where the bridge had been made, he took ship and sailed to the Cyanean islands.

11. He took his seat on a high point and surveyed the Pontus, which is indeed well worthy of consideration.

12. There is no other sea so wonderful: it extends in length eleven thousand one hundred furlongs, and its breadth, at the widest part, is three thousand three hundred furlongs.

13. The mouth is only four furlongs wide; and this strait, called the Bosphorus, and across which the bridge of Darius had been thrown, is a hundred and twenty furlongs in length, reaching from the Euxine to the Propontis.

14. The Propontis is five hundred furlongs across, and fourteen hundred long. Its waters flow into the Hellespont, the length of which is four hundred furlongs, and the width no more than seven.

15. The Hellespont opens into the wide sea called the Aegean.

16. The way these distances have been measured is the following. In a long day a vessel generally accomplishes about seventy thousand fathoms, in the night sixty thousand.

17. Now from the mouth of the Pontus to the River Phasis, which is the extreme length of this sea, is a voyage of nine days and eight nights, which makes the distance eleven thousand one hundred furlongs.

18. Again, from Sindica to Themiscyra on the River Thermodon, where the Pontus is wider than at any other place, is a sail of three days and two nights;

19. Which makes three thousand three hundred furlongs. Such is the plan on which thoughtful men have measured the Pontus, the Bosphorus and the Hellespont.

20. After he had finished his survey Darius sailed back to the bridge, which had been constructed for him by Mandrocles, a Samian.

21. He likewise surveyed the Bosphorus, and erected on its shores two pillars of white marble, inscribed with the names of all the nations which formed his army, on one pillar Greek, on the other Assyrian characters.

22. This army was drawn from all the nations under Darius' sway; the whole amount, without counting the naval forces, was seven hundred thousand men, including cavalry. The fleet consisted of six hundred ships.

23. Darius was so pleased with Mandrocles' bridge that he not only gave him all the customary presents, but ten of every kind.

24. Mandrocles, in return, commissioned a picture to be painted showing the whole of the bridge, with King Darius sitting in a seat of honour, and his army crossing over.

25. Darius then passed into Europe, while he ordered the Ionians to enter the Pontus and sail to the mouth of the Ister, in later times called Danube.

26. There he bade them throw a bridge across that stream and to await his coming. The Ionians, Aeolians and Hellespontians were the nations which furnished the chief strength of his navy.

27. So the fleet, threading the Cyanean Isles, proceeded straight to the Ister, and, mounting the river to the point where its channels separate, a distance of two days' voyage from the sea, yoked the neck of the stream.

28. Meantime Darius, who had crossed the Bosphorus by the bridge, marched through Thrace; and happening upon the sources of the River Tearus, pitched his camp and made a stay of three days.  

29. This river, famed for its health-giving properties, charmed him so, that he caused a pillar to be erected in this place also, with an inscription saying:

30. ‘The fountains of the Tearus afford the best and most beautiful water of all rivers:

31. ‘They were visited, on his march into Scythia, by the best and most beautiful of men, Darius, son of Hystaspes, king of the Persians, and of the whole continent of Asia.'

32.   Marching thence, he came to a second river, the Artiscus, which flows through the country of the Odrysians.

33. Here he fixed upon a certain spot, where every one of his soldiers should throw a stone as he passed by.

34. When his orders were obeyed, Darius continued his march, leaving behind him great hills formed by the stones cast by his troops; this was the means to guide their way back.

35. Before arriving at the Ister, the first people he subdued were the Getae.

36. The Thracians of Salmydessus, and those who dwelt above the cities of Apollonia and Mesembria, those called Scyrmiadae and Nipsaeans, gave themselves up to Darius without a struggle;

37. But the Getae obstinately defended themselves, and were forthwith enslaved, notwithstanding that they are the noblest as well as the most just of all the Thracian tribes.

 

Chapter 41

  1. When Darius' land forces reached the Ister and crossed it, he ordered the Ionians to break the bridge, and to follow him with the whole naval force in his land march.

  2. They were about to obey his command when the general of the Mytilenaeans, Coes son of Erxander, respectfully addressed him as follows:

  3. ‘Sire, you are about to attack a country no part of which is cultivated, and in which there is not a single inhabited city.

  4. ‘Keep this bridge as it is, and leave those who built it to guard it. So if we succeed against the Scythians, we can return by this route;

  5. ‘But if we fail to find them, our retreat will still be secure.

  6. ‘For though I have no doubt that we will vanquish the Scythians in battle,

  7. ‘My dread is that we will be unable to find them, for they will withdraw and hide;

  8. ‘And then we will suffer much loss while we wander about their territory.'

  9. The advice of Coes pleased Darius highly, who   replied, ‘When I am safe home again in my palace, be sure to come to me, and with good deeds I will   recompense you for this good advice.'

10.   Having so said, the king took a leather thong, and tying sixty knots in it, called together the Ionian leaders and said,

11. ‘My former commands to you concerning the bridge are now withdrawn.

12. ‘Look at this thong: from the time that I leave you to march into Scythia, untie one of the knots each day.

13. ‘If I do not return before the last knot is untied, sail home. Meanwhile, understand that you are to guard the bridge with all care.'

 

Chapter 42

  1. The Scythians, apprehending the approach of such a mighty army under the command of the famous Darius, knew they were not strong enough by themselves to fight him.

  2. So they sent envoys to the neighbouring nations, and summoned together the kings of the Tauri, the Agathyrsi, the Neuri, the Androphagi, the Melanchaeni, the Geloni, the Budini and the Sauromatae.

  3. Each of these tribes had their distinctive customs and histories, of which the most notable are those of the Sauromatae.

  4. It is reported that when the Greeks fought with the Amazons in former times, defeating them at the battle of Thermodon,

  5. They took all those they had captured and sailed with them, intending to return with them to Greece.

  6. But these warrior women, whom the Scythians call ‘manslayers', rose up against the crews of the ships and massacred them.

  7. But not knowing anything of ships and the sea, of rudders, oars or sails, the Amazons were carried where the wind and waves directed,

  8. Beaching at last on the shores of Palus Maeotis, the country of the free Scythians.

  9. Here they went ashore, and after finding horses, they mounted them and fell to plundering the Scythian territory.

10. The Scythians could not tell what to make of them; their dress, language, the nation itself were wholly unknown to them;

11. Nor where they had come from. Imagining that they were young men all of the same age, the Scythians went out against them and fought a battle.

12. Some of the bodies of the slain fell into their hands, whereupon they discovered the truth.

13. Accordingly they deliberated, and decided not to kill any more of them, but to send a detachment of their youngest men in about equal numbers to the Amazons,

14. With orders to camp near them, and do as they saw them do; but not to give battle, instead retreating when the Amazons attacked, and following them when they moved off.

15. This they did on account of a strong desire to obtain children from such notable women.

16. The Amazons soon found that the Scythians had not come to do them any harm; and so they on their part ceased to offer them any molestation.

17. And now day after day the camps approached nearer to one another; both parties led the same life,

18. Neither having anything but their arms and horses, so that they were forced to support themselves by hunting.

19. At last an incident brought two of them together; the man easily gained the good graces of the woman,

20. Who bade him by signs (for they did not understand each other's language) to bring a friend the next day to the spot where they had met, promising on her part to bring with her another woman.

21. He did so, and the woman kept her word. When the rest of the youths heard what had taken place, they also sought and gained the favour of the other Amazons.

22. The two camps were then joined in one, the Amazons living with the Scythians as their wives;

23. And the men were unable to learn the tongue of the women, but the women soon caught up the tongue of the men.

24. When they could thus understand one another, the Scythians addressed the Amazons as follows:

25. ‘We have parents, and properties; let us give up this mode of life, and return to our nation, and live with them.

26. ‘You shall be our wives there no less than here, and we promise you to have no others.'

27. But the Amazons said, ‘We could not live with your women; our customs are quite different from   theirs.

28. ‘To draw the bow, to hurl the javelin, to ride the horse, these are our arts; of womanly employments we know nothing.

29. ‘Your women, on the contrary, do none of these things; but stay at home in their waggons, engaged in womanish tasks,

30. ‘And never go out to hunt, or to do anything. We should never agree together. But if you truly wish to keep us as your wives, and would conduct yourselves with strict justice towards us,

31. ‘Go you home to your parents, bid them give you your inheritance, and then come back to us, and let us and you live together by ourselves.'

32. The youths approved this advice, and followed it. They went and got the portion of goods which fell to them, returned with it, and rejoined their wives,

33. Who then addressed them in these words following: ‘We are ashamed, and afraid to live in the country where we now are.

34. ‘Not only have we stolen you from your fathers, but we have damaged Scythia by our ravages.

35. ‘As you like us for wives, grant the request we make of you. Let us leave this country together, and go and dwell beyond the Tanais.' Again the youths complied.