the history-第75章

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ry　once；　though　he　had　visited　no　other　Italiots；　and　he　had　been　with　Apollo　at　the　time；　not　however　in　his　present　form；　but　in　the　shape　of　a　crow。〃　Having　said　so　much；　he　vanished。　Then　the　Metapontines；　as　they　relate；　sent　to　Delphi；　and　inquired　of　the　god　in　what　light　they　were　to　regard　the　appearance　of　this　ghost　of　a　man。　The　Pythoness；　in　reply；　bade　them　attend　to　what　the　spectre　said；　〃for　so　it　would　go　best　with　them。〃　Thus　advised；　they　did　as　they　had　been　directed：　and　there　is　now　a　statue　bearing　the　name　of　Aristeas；　close　by　the　image　of　Apollo　in　the　market…place　of　Metapontum；　with　bay…trees　standing　around　it。　But　enough　has　been　said　concerning　Aristeas。　　　　　With　regard　to　the　regions　which　lie　above　the　country　whereof　this　portion　of　my　history　treats；　there　is　no　one　who　possesses　any　exact　knowledge。　Not　a　single　person　can　I　find　who　professes　to　be　acquainted　with　them　by　actual　observation。　Even　Aristeas；　the　traveller　of　whom　I　lately　spoke；　does　not　claim…　and　he　is　writing　poetry…　to　have　reached　any　farther　than　the　Issedonians。　What　he　relates　concerning　the　regions　beyond　is；　he　confesses；　mere　hearsay；　being　the　account　which　the　Issedonians　gave　him　of　those　countries。　However；　I　shall　proceed　to　mention　all　that　I　have　learnt　of　these　parts　by　the　most　exact　inquiries　which　I　have　been　able　to　make　concerning　them。　　　　　Above　the　mart　of　the　Borysthenites；　which　is　situated　in　the　very　centre　of　the　whole　sea…coast　of　Scythia；　the　first　people　who　inhabit　the　land　are　the　Callipedae；　a　Greco…Scythic　race。　Next　to　them；　as　you　go　inland；　dwell　the　people　called　the　Alazonians。　These　two　nations　in　other　respects　resemble　the　Scythians　in　their　usages；　but　sow　and　eat　corn；　also　onions；　garlic；　lentils；　and　millet。　Beyond　the　Alazonians　reside　Scythian　cultivators；　who　grow　corn；　not　for　their　own　use；　but　for　sale。　Still　higher　up　are　the　Neuri。　Northwards　of　the　Neuri　the　continent；　as　far　as　it　is　known　to　us；　is　uninhabited。　These　are　the　nations　along　the　course　of　the　river　Hypanis；　west　of　the　Borysthenes。　　　　　Across　the　Borysthenes；　the　first　country　after　you　leave　the　coast　is　Hylaea　（the　Woodland）。　Above　this　dwell　the　Scythian　Husbandmen；　whom　the　Greeks　living　near　the　Hypanis　call　Borysthenites；　while　they　call　themselves　Olbiopolites。　These　Husbandmen　extend　eastward　a　distance　of　three　days'　journey　to　a　river　bearing　the　name　of　Panticapes；　while　northward　the　country　is　theirs　for　eleven　days'　sail　up　the　course　of　the　Borysthenes。　Further　inland　there　is　a　vast　tract　which　is　uninhabited。　Above　this　desolate　region　dwell　the　Cannibals；　who　are　a　people　apart；　much　unlike　the　Scythians。　Above　them　the　country　becomes　an　utter　desert；　not　a　single　tribe；　so　far　as　we　know；　inhabits　it。　　　　　Crossing　the　Panticapes；　and　proceeding　eastward　of　the　Husbandmen；　we　come　upon　the　wandering　Scythians；　who　neither　plough　nor　sow。　Their　country；　and　the　whole　of　this　region；　except　Hylaea；　is　quite　bare　of　trees。　They　extend　towards　the　east　a　distance　of　fourteen'　days'　journey；　occupying　a　tract　which　reaches　to　the　river　Gerrhus。　　　　　On　the　opposite　side　of　the　Gerrhus　is　the　Royal　district；　as　it　is　called：　here　dwells　the　largest　and　bravest　of　the　Scythian　tribes；　which　looks　upon　all　the　other　tribes　in　the　light　of　slaves。　Its　country　reaches　on　the　south　to　Taurica；　on　the　east　to　the　trench　dug　by　the　sons　of　the　blind　slaves；　the　mart　upon　the　Palus　Maeotis；　called　Cremni　（the　Cliffs）；　and　in　part　to　the　river　Tanais。　North　of　the　country　of　the　Royal　Scythians　are　the　Melanchaeni　（Black…Robes）；　a　people　of　quite　a　different　race　from　the　Scythians。　Beyond　them　lie　marshes　and　a　region　without　inhabitants；　so　far　as　our　knowledge　reaches。　　　　　When　one　crosses　the　Tanais；　one　is　no　longer　in　Scythia；　the　first　region　on　crossing　is　that　of　the　Sauromatae；　who；　beginning　at　the　upper　end　of　the　Palus　Maeotis；　stretch　northward　a　distance　of　fifteen　days'　journey；　inhabiting　a　country　which　is　entirely　bare　of　trees；　whether　wild　or　cultivated。　Above　them；　possessing　the　second　region；　dwell　the　Budini；　whose　territory　is　thickly　wooded　with　trees　of　every　kind。　　　　　Beyond　the　Budini；　as　one　goes　northward；　first　there　is　a　desert；　seven　days'　journey　across；　after　which；　if　one　inclines　somewhat　to　the　east；　the　Thyssagetae　are　reached；　a　numerous　nation　quite　distinct　from　any　other；　and　living　by　the　chase。　Adjoining　them；　and　within　the　limits　of　the　same　region；　are　the　people　who　bear　the　name　of　Iyrcae；　they　also　support　themselves　by　hunting；　which　they　practise　in　the　following　manner。　The　hunter　climbs　a　tree；　the　whole　country　abounding　in　wood；　and　there　sets　himself　in　ambush；　he　has　a　dog　at　hand；　and　a　horse；　trained　to　lie　down　upon　its　belly；　and　thus　make　itself　low；　the　hunter　keeps　watch；　and　when　he　sees　his　game；　lets　fly　an　arrow；　then　mounting　his　horse；　he　gives　the　beast　chase；　his　dog　following　hard　all　the　while。　Beyond　these　people；　a　little　to　the　east；　dwells　a　distinct　tribe　of　Scyths；　who　revolted　once　from　the　Royal　Scythians；　and　migrated　into　these　parts。　　　　　As　far　as　their　country；　the　tract　of　land　whereof　I　have　been　speaking　is　all　a　smooth　plain；　and　the　soil　deep；　beyond　you　enter　on　a　region　which　is　rugged　and　stony。　Passing　over　a　great　extent　of　this　rough　country；　you　come　to　a　people　dwelling　at　the　foot　of　lofty　mountains；　who　are　said　to　be　all…　both　men　and　women…　bald　from　their　birth；　to　have　flat　noses；　and　very　long　chins。　These　people　speak　a　language　of　their　own；。　the　dress　which　they　wear　is　the　same　as　the　Scythian。　They　live　on　the　fruit　of　a　certain　tree；　the　name　of　which　is　Ponticum；　in　size　it　is　about　equal　to　our　fig…tree；　and　it　bears　a　fruit　like　a　bean；　with　a　stone　inside。　When　the　fruit　is　ripe；　they　strain　it　through　cloths；　the　juice　which　runs　off　is　black　and　thick；　and　is　called　by　the　natives　〃aschy。〃　They　lap　this　up　with　their　tongues；　and　also　mix　it　with　milk　for　a　drink；　while　they　make　the　lees；　which　are　solid；　into　cakes；　and　eat　them　instead　of　meat；　for　they　have　but　few　sheep　in　their　country；　in　which　there　is　no　good　pasturage。　Each　of　them　dwells　under　a　tree；　and　they　cover　the　tree　in　winter　with　a　cloth　of　thick　white　felt；　but　take　off　the　covering　in　the　summer…time。　No　one　harms　these　people；　for　they　are　looked　upon　as　sacred…　they　do　not　even　possess　any　warlike　weapons。　When　their　neighbours　fall　out；　they　make　up　the　quarrel；　and　when　one　flies　to　them　for　refuge；　he　is　safe　from　all　hurt。　They　are　called　the　Argippaeans。　　　　　Up　to　this　point　the　territory　of　which　we　are　speaking　is　very　completely　explored；　and　all　the　nations　between　the　coast　and　the　bald…headed　men　are　well　known　to　us。　For　some　of　the　Scythians　are　accustomed　to　penetrate　as　far；　of　whom　inquiry　may　easily　be　made；　and　Greeks　also　go　there　from　the　mart　on　the　Borysthenes；　and　from　the　other　marts　along　the　Euxine。　The　Scythians　who　make　this　journey　communicate　with　the　inhabitants　by　means　of　seven　interpreters　and　seven　languages。　　　　　Thus　far；　therefore；　the　land　is　known；　but　beyond　the　bald…headed　men　lies　a　region　of　which　no　one　can　give　any　exact　account。　Lofty　and　precipitous　mountains；　which　are　never　crossed；　bar　further　progress。　The　bald　men　say；　but　it　does　not　seem　to　me　credible；　that　the　people　who　live　in　these　mountains　have　feet　like　goats；　and　that　after　passing　them　you　find　another　race　of　men；　who　sleep　during　one　half　of　the　year。　This　latter　statement　appears　to　me　quite　unworthy　of　credit。　The　region　east　of　the　bald…headed　men　is　well　known　to　be　inhabited　by　the　Issedonians；　but　the　tract　that　lies　to　the　north　of　these　two　nations　is　entirely　unknown；　except　by　the　accounts　which　they　give　of　it。　　　　　The　Issedonians　are　said　to　have　the　following　customs。　When　a　man's　father　dies；　all　the　near　relatives　bring　sheep　to　the　house；　which　are　sacrificed；　and　their　flesh　cut　in　pieces；　while　at　the　same　time　the　dead　body　undergoes　the　like　treatment。　The　two　sorts　of　flesh　are　afterwards　mixed　together；　and　the　whole　is　served　up　at　a　banquet。　The　head　of　the　dead　man　is　treated　differently：　it　is　stripped　bare；　cleansed；　and　set　in　gold。　It　then　becomes　an　ornament　on　which