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mple　upon　the　Hypanis　is　the　dwelling…place　of　the　Borysthenites。　But　enough　has　been　said　of　these　streams。　　　　　Next　in　succession　comes　the　fifth　river；　called　the　Panticapes；　which　has；　like　the　Borysthenes；　a　course　from　north　to　south；　and　rises　from　a　lake。　The　space　between　this　river　and　the　Borysthenes　is　occupied　by　the　Scythians　who　are　engaged　in　husbandry。　After　watering　their　country；　the　Panticapes　flows　through　Hylaea；　and　empties　itself　into　the　Borysthenes。　　　　　The　sixth　stream　is　the　Hypacyris；　a　river　rising　from　a　lake；　and　running　directly　through　the　middle　of　the　Nomadic　Scythians。　It　falls　into　the　sea　near　the　city　of　Carcinitis；　leaving　Hylaea　and　the　course　of　Achilles　to　the　right。　　　　　The　seventh　river　is　the　Gerrhus；　which　is　a　branch　thrown　out　by　the　Borysthenes　at　the　point　where　the　course　of　that　stream　first　begins　to　be　known；　to　wit；　the　region　called　by　the　same　name　as　the　stream　itself；　viz。　Gerrhus。　This　river　on　its　passage　towards　the　sea　divides　the　country　of　the　Nomadic　from　that　of　the　Royal　Scyths。　It　runs　into　the　Hypacyris。　　　　　The　eighth　river　is　the　Tanais；　a　stream　which　has　its　source；　far　up　the　country；　in　a　lake　of　vast　size；　and　which　empties　itself　into　another　still　larger　lake；　the　Palus　Maeotis；　whereby　the　country　of　the　Royal　Scythians　is　divided　from　that　of　the　Sauromatae。　The　Tanais　receives　the　waters　of　a　tributary　stream；　called　the　Hyrgis。　　　　　Such　then　are　the　rivers　of　chief　note　in　Scythia。　The　grass　which　the　land　produces　is　more　apt　to　generate　gall　in　the　beasts　that　feed　on　it　than　any　other　grass　which　is　known　to　us；　as　plainly　appears　on　the　opening　of　their　carcases。　　　　　Thus　abundantly　are　the　Scythians　provided　with　the　most　important　necessaries。　Their　manners　and　customs　come　now　to　be　described。　They　worship　only　the　following　gods；　namely；　Vesta；　whom　they　reverence　beyond　all　the　rest；　Jupiter；　and　Tellus；　whom　they　consider　to　be　the　wife　of　Jupiter；　and　after　these　Apollo；　Celestial　Venus；　Hercules；　and　Mars。　These　gods　are　worshipped　by　the　whole　nation：　the　Royal　Scythians　offer　sacrifice　likewise　to　Neptune。　In　the　Scythic　tongue　Vesta　is　called　Tabiti；　Jupiter　（very　properly；　in　my　judgment）　Papaeus；　Tellus　Apia；　Apollo　Oetosyrus；　Celestial　Venus　Artimpasa；　and　Neptune　Thamimasadas。　They　use　no　images；　altars；　or　temples；　except　in　the　worship　of　Mars；　but　in　his　worship　they　do　use　them。　　　　　The　manner　of　their　sacrifices　is　everywhere　and　in　every　case　the　same；　the　victim　stands　with　its　two　fore…feet　bound　together　by　a　cord；　and　the　person　who　is　about　to　offer；　taking　his　station　behind　the　victim；　gives　the　rope　a　pull；　and　thereby　throws　the　animal　down；　as　it　falls　he　invokes　the　god　to　whom　he　is　offering；　after　which　he　puts　a　noose　round　the　animal's　neck；　and；　inserting　a　small　stick；　twists　it　round；　and　so　strangles　him。　No　fire　is　lighted；　there　is　no　consecration；　and　no　pouring　out　of　drink…offerings；　but　directly　that　the　beast　is　strangled　the　sacrificer　flays　him；　and　then　sets　to　work　to　boil　the　flesh。　　　　　As　Scythia；　however；　is　utterly　barren　of　firewood；　a　plan　has　had　to　be　contrived　for　boiling　the　flesh；　which　is　the　following。　After　flaying　the　beasts；　they　take　out　all　the　bones；　and　（if　they　possess　such　gear）　put　the　flesh　into　boilers　made　in　the　country；　which　are　very　like　the　cauldrons　of　the　Lesbians；　except　that　they　are　of　a　much　larger　size；　then　placing　the　bones　of　the　animals　beneath　the　cauldron；　they　set　them　alight；　and　so　boil　the　meat。　If　they　do　not　happen　to　possess　a　cauldron；　they　make　the　animal's　paunch　hold　the　flesh；　and　pouring　in　at　the　same　time　a　little　water；　lay　the　bones　under　and　light　them。　The　bones　burn　beautifully；　and　the　paunch　easily　contains　all　the　flesh　when　it　is　stript　from　the　bones；　so　that　by　this　plan　your　ox　is　made　to　boil　himself；　and　other　victims　also　to　do　the　like。　When　the　meat　is　all　cooked；　the　sacrificer　offers　a　portion　of　the　flesh　and　of　the　entrails；　by　casting　it　on　the　ground　before　him。　They　sacrifice　all　sorts　of　cattle；　but　most　commonly　horses。　　　　　Such　are　the　victims　offered　to　the　other　gods；　and　such　is　the　mode　in　which　they　are　sacrificed；　but　the　rites　paid　to　Mars　are　different。　In　every　district；　at　the　seat　of　government；　there　stands　a　temple　of　this　god；　whereof　the　following　is　a　description。　It　is　a　pile　of　brushwood；　made　of　a　vast　quantity　of　fagots；　in　length　and　breadth　three　furlongs；　in　height　somewhat　less；　having　a　square　platform　upon　the　top；　three　sides　of　which　are　precipitous；　while　the　fourth　slopes　so　that　men　may　walk　up　it。　Each　year　a　hundred　and　fifty　waggon…loads　of　brushwood　are　added　to　the　pile；　which　sinks　continually　by　reason　of　the　rains。　An　antique　iron　sword　is　planted　on　the　top　of　every　such　mound；　and　serves　as　the　image　of　Mars：　yearly　sacrifices　of　cattle　and　of　horses　are　made　to　it；　and　more　victims　are　offered　thus　than　to　all　the　rest　of　their　gods。　When　prisoners　are　taken　in　war；　out　of　every　hundred　men　they　sacrifice　one；　not　however　with　the　same　rites　as　the　cattle；　but　with　different。　Libations　of　wine　are　first　poured　upon　their　heads；　after　which　they　are　slaughtered　over　a　vessel；　the　vessel　is　then　carried　up　to　the　top　of　the　pile；　and　the　blood　poured　upon　the　scymitar。　While　this　takes　place　at　the　top　of　the　mound；　below；　by　the　side　of　the　temple；　the　right　hands　and　arms　of　the　slaughtered　prisoners　are　cut　off；　and　tossed　on　high　into　the　air。　Then　the　other　victims　are　slain；　and　those　who　have　offered　the　sacrifice　depart；　leaving　the　hands　and　arms　where　they　may　chance　to　have　fallen；　and　the　bodies　also；　separate。　　　　　Such　are　the　observances　of　the　Scythians　with　respect　to　sacrifice。　They　never　use　swine　for　the　purpose；　nor　indeed　is　it　their　wont　to　breed　them　in　any　part　of　their　country。　　　　　In　what　concerns　war；　their　customs　are　the　following。　The　Scythian　soldier　drinks　the　blood　of　the　first　man　he　overthrows　in　battle。　Whatever　number　he　slays；　he　cuts　off　all　their　heads；　and　carries　them　to　the　king；　since　he　is　thus　entitled　to　a　share　of　the　booty；　whereto　he　forfeits　all　claim　if　he　does　not　produce　a　head。　In　order　to　strip　the　skull　of　its　covering；　he　makes　a　cut　round　the　head　above　the　ears；　and；　laying　hold　of　the　scalp；　shakes　the　skull　out；　then　with　the　rib　of　an　ox　he　scrapes　the　scalp　clean　of　flesh；　and　softening　it　by　rubbing　between　the　hands；　uses　it　thenceforth　as　a　napkin。　The　Scyth　is　proud　of　these　scalps；　and　hangs　them　from　his　bridle…rein；　the　greater　the　number　of　such　napkins　that　a　man　can　show；　the　more　highly　is　he　esteemed　among　them。　Many　make　themselves　cloaks；　like　the　capotes　of　our　peasants；　by　sewing　a　quantity　of　these　scalps　together。　Others　flay　the　right　arms　of　their　dead　enemies；　and　make　of　the　skin；　which　stripped　off　with　the　nails　hanging　to　it；　a　covering　for　their　quivers。　Now　the　skin　of　a　man　is　thick　and　glossy；　and　would　in　whiteness　surpass　almost　all　other　hides。　Some　even　flay　the　entire　body　of　their　enemy；　and　stretching　it　upon　a　frame　carry　it　about　with　them　wherever　they　ride。　Such　are　the　Scythian　customs　with　respect　to　scalps　and　skins。　　　　　The　skulls　of　their　enemies；　not　indeed　of　all；　but　of　those　whom　they　most　detest；　they　treat　as　follows。　Having　sawn　off　the　portion　below　the　eyebrows；　and　cleaned　out　the　inside；　they　cover　the　outside　with　leather。　When　a　man　is　poor；　this　is　all　that　he　does；　but　if　he　is　rich；　he　also　lines　the　inside　with　gold：　in　either　case　the　skull　is　used　as　a　drinking…cup。　They　do　the　same　with　the　skulls　of　their　own　kith　and　kin　if　they　have　been　at　feud　with　them；　and　have　vanquished　them　in　the　presence　of　the　king。　When　strangers　whom　they　deem　of　any　account　come　to　visit　them；　these　skulls　are　handed　round；　and　the　host　tells　how　that　these　were　his　relations　who　made　war　upon　him；　and　how　that　he　got　the　better　of　them；　all　this　being　looked　upon　as　proof　of　bravery。　　　　　Once　a　year　the　governor　of　each　district；　at　a　set　place　in　his　own　province；　mingles　a　bowl　of　wine；　of　which　all　Scythians　have　a　right　to　drink　by　whom　foes　have　been　slain；　while　they　who　have　slain　no　enemy　are　not　allowed　to　taste　of　the　bowl；　but　sit　aloof　in　disgrace。　No