the history-第73章

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　victory　gave　the　finishing　stroke　to　his　power；　and　made　him　all　in　all　with　the　Babylonians：　accordingly　they　committed　to　him　the　command　of　their　whole　army；　and　put　the　keys　of　their　city　into　his　hands。　　　　　Darius　now；　still　keeping　to　the　plan　agreed　upon；　attacked　the　walls　on　every　side；　whereupon　Zopyrus　played　out　the　remainder　of　his　stratagem。　While　the　Babylonians；　crowding　to　the　walls；　did　their　best　to　resist　the　Persian　assault；　he　threw　open　the　Cissian　and　the　Belian　gates；　and　admitted　the　enemy。　Such　of　the　Babylonians　as　witnessed　the　treachery；　took　refuge　in　the　temple　of　Jupiter　Belus；　the　rest；　who　did　not　see　it；　kept　at　their　posts；　till　at　last　they　too　learnt　that　they　were　betrayed。　　　　　Thus　was　Babylon　taken　for　the　second　time。　Darius　having　become　master　of　the　place；　destroyed　the　wall；　and　tore　down　all　the　gates；　for　Cyrus　had　done　neither　the　one　nor　the　other　when　he　took　Babylon。　He　then　chose　out　near　three　thousand　of　the　leading　citizens；　and　caused　them　to　be　crucified；　while　he　allowed　the　remainder　still　to　inhabit　the　city。　Further；　wishing　to　prevent　the　race　of　the　Babylonians　from　becoming　extinct；　he　provided　wives　for　them　in　the　room　of　those　whom　（as　I　explained　before）　they　strangled；　to　save　their　stores。　These　he　levied　from　the　nations　bordering　on　Babylonia；　who　were　each　required　to　send　so　large　a　number　to　Babylon；　that　in　all　there　were　collected　no　fewer　than　fifty　thousand。　It　is　from　these　women　that　the　Babylonians　of　our　times　are　sprung。　　　　　As　for　Zopyrus；　he　was　considered　by　Darius　to　have　surpassed；　in　the　greatness　of　his　achievements；　all　other　Persians；　whether　of　former　or　of　later　times；　except　only　Cyrus…　with　whom　no　Persian　ever　yet　thought　himself　worthy　to　compare。　Darius；　as　the　story　goes；　would　often　say　that　〃he　had　rather　Zopyrus　were　unmaimed；　than　be　master　of　twenty　more　Babylons。〃　And　he　honoured　Zopyrus　greatly；　year　by　year　he　presented　him　with　all　the　gifts　which　are　held　in　most　esteem　among　the　Persians；　he　gave　him　likewise　the　government　of　Babylon　for　his　life；　free　from　tribute；　and　he　also　granted　him　many　other　favours。　Megabyzus；　who　held　the　command　in　Egypt　against　the　Athenians　and　their　allies；　was　a　son　of　this　Zopyrus。　And　Zopyrus；　who　fled　from　Persia　to　Athens；　was　a　son　of　this　Megabyzus。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Fourth　Book；　Entitled　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MELPOMENE

　　　　After　the　taking　of　Babylon；　an　expedition　was　led　by　Darius　into　Scythia。　Asia　abounding　in　men；　and　vast　sums　flowing　into　the　treasury；　the　desire　seized　him　to　exact　vengeance　from　the　Scyths；　who　had　once　in　days　gone　by　invaded　Media；　defeated　those　who　met　them　in　the　field；　and　so　begun　the　quarrel。　During　the　space　of　eight…and…twenty　years；　as　I　have　before　mentioned；　the　Scyths　continued　lords　of　the　whole　of　Upper　Asia。　They　entered　Asia　in　pursuit　of　the　Cimmerians；　and　overthrew　the　empire　of　the　Medes；　who　till　they　came　possessed　the　sovereignty。　On　their　return　to　their　homes　after　the　long　absence　of　twenty…eight　years；　a　task　awaited　them　little　less　troublesome　than　their　struggle　with　the　Medes。　They　found　an　army　of　no　small　size　prepared　to　oppose　their　entrance。　For　the　Scythian　women；　when　they　saw　that　time　went　on；　and　their　husbands　did　not　come　back；　had　intermarried　with　their　slaves。　　　　　Now　the　Scythians　blind　all　their　slaves；　to　use　them　in　preparing　their　milk。　The　plan　they　follow　is　to　thrust　tubes　made　of　bone；　not　unlike　our　musical　pipes；　up　the　vulva　of　the　mare；　and　then　to　blow　into　the　tubes　with　their　mouths；　some　milking　while　the　others　blow。　They　say　that　they　do　this　because　when　the　veins　of　the　animal　are　full　of　air；　the　udder　is　forced　down。　The　milk　thus　obtained　is　poured　into　deep　wooden　casks；　about　which　the　blind　slaves　are　placed；　and　then　the　milk　is　stirred　round。　That　which　rises　to　the　top　is　drawn　off；　and　considered　the　best　part；　the　under　portion　is　of　less　account。　Such　is　the　reason　why　the　Scythians　blind　all　those　whom　they　take　in　war；　it　arises　from　their　not　being　tillers　of　the　ground；　but　a　pastoral　race。　　　　　When　therefore　the　children　sprung　from　these　slaves　and　the　Scythian　women　grew　to　manhood；　and　understood　the　circumstances　of　their　birth；　they　resolved　to　oppose　the　army　which　was　returning　from　Media。　And；　first　of　all；　they　cut　off　a　tract　of　country　from　the　rest　of　Scythia　by　digging　a　broad　dyke　from　the　Tauric　mountains　to　the　vast　lake　of　the　Maeotis。　Afterwards；　when　the　Scythians　tried　to　force　an　entrance；　they　marched　out　and　engaged　them。　Many　battles　were　fought；　and　the　Scythians　gained　no　advantage；　until　at　last　one　of　them　thus　addressed　the　remainder：　〃What　are　we　doing；　Scythians？　We　are　fighting　our　slaves；　diminishing　our　own　number　when　we　fall；　and　the　number　of　those　that　belong　to　us　when　they　fall　by　our　hands。　Take　my　advice…　lay　spear　and　bow　aside；　and　let　each　man　fetch　his　horsewhip；　and　go　boldly　up　to　them。　So　long　as　they　see　us　with　arms　in　our　hands；　they　imagine　themselves　our　equals　in　birth　and　bravery；　but　let　them　behold　us　with　no　other　weapon　but　the　whip；　and　they　will　feel　that　they　are　our　slaves；　and　flee　before　us。〃　　　　　The　Scythians　followed　this　counsel；　and　the　slaves　were　so　astounded；　that　they　forgot　to　fight；　and　immediately　ran　away。　Such　was　the　mode　in　which　the　Scythians；　after　being　for　a　time　the　lords　of　Asia；　and　being　forced　to　quit　it　by　the　Medes；　returned　and　settled　in　their　own　country。　This　inroad　of　theirs　it　was　that　Darius　was　anxious　to　avenge；　and　such　was　the　purpose　for　which　he　was　now　collecting　an　army　to　invade　them。　　　　　According　to　the　account　which　the　Scythians　themselves　give；　they　are　the　youngest　of　all　nations。　Their　tradition　is　as　follows。　A　certain　Targitaus　was　the　first　man　who　ever　lived　in　their　country；　which　before　his　time　was　a　desert　without　inhabitants。　He　was　a　child…　I　do　not　believe　the　tale；　but　it　is　told　nevertheless…　of　Jove　and　a　daughter　of　the　Borysthenes。　Targitaus；　thus　descended；　begat　three　sons；　Leipoxais；　Arpoxais；　and　Colaxais；　who　was　the　youngest　born　of　the　three。　While　they　still　ruled　the　land；　there　fell　from　the　sky　four　implements；　all　of　gold…　a　plough；　a　yoke；　a　battle…axe；　and　a　drinking…cup。　The　eldest　of　the　brothers　perceived　them　first；　and　approached　to　pick　them　up；　when　lo！　as　he　came　near；　the　gold　took　fire；　and　blazed。　He　therefore　went　his　way；　and　the　second　coming　forward　made　the　attempt；　but　the　same　thing　happened　again。　The　gold　rejected　both　the　eldest　and　the　second　brother。　Last　of　all　the　youngest　brother　approached；　and　immediately　the　flames　were　extinguished；　so　he　picked　up　the　gold；　and　carried　it　to　his　home。　Then　the　two　elder　agreed　together；　and　made　the　whole　kingdom　over　to　the　youngest　born。　　　　　From　Leipoxais　sprang　the　Scythians　of　the　race　called　Auchatae；　from　Arpoxais；　the　middle　brother；　those　known　as　the　Catiari　and　Traspians；　from　Colaxais；　the　youngest；　the　Royal　Scythians；　or　Paralatae。　All　together　they　are　named　Scoloti；　after　one　of　their　kings：　the　Greeks；　however；　call　them　Scythians。　　　　　Such　is　the　account　which　the　Scythians　give　of　their　origin。　They　add　that　from　the　time　of　Targitaus；　their　first　king；　to　the　invasion　of　their　country　by　Darius；　is　a　period　of　one　thousand　years；　neither　less　nor　more。　The　Royal　Scythians　guard　the　sacred　gold　with　most　especial　care；　and　year　by　year　offer　great　sacrifices　in　its　honour。　At　this　feast；　if　the　man　who　has　the　custody　of　the　gold　should　fall　asleep　in　the　open　air；　he　is　sure　（the　Scythians　say）　not　to　outlive　the　year。　His　pay　therefore　is　as　much　land　as　he　can　ride　round　on　horseback　in　a　day。　As　the　extent　of　Scythia　is　very　great；　Colaxais　gave　each　of　his　three　sons　a　separate　kingdom；　one　of　which　was　of　ampler　size　than　the　other　two：　in　this　the　gold　was　preserved。　Above；　to　the　northward　of　the　farthest　dwellers　in　Scythia；　the　country　is　said　to　be　concealed　from　sight　and　made　impassable　by　reason　of　the　feathers　which　are　shed　abroad　abundantly。　The　earth　and　air　are　alike　full　of　them；　and　this　it　is　which　prevents　the　eye　from　obtaining　any　view　of　the　region。　　　　　Such　is　the　account　which　the　Scythians　give　o