the history-第93章

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only；　but　also　from　the　flesh　of　swine。　　　　　West　of　Lake　Tritonis　the　Libyans　are　no　longer　wanderers；　nor　do　they　practise　the　same　customs　as　the　wandering　people；　or　treat　their　children　in　the　same　way。　For　the　wandering　Libyans；　many　of　them　at　any　rate；　if　not　all…　concerning　which　I　cannot　speak　with　certainty…　when　their　children　come　to　the　age　of　four　years；　burn　the　veins　at　the　top　of　their　heads　with　a　flock　from　the　fleece　of　a　sheep：　others　burn　the　veins　about　the　temples。　This　they　do　to　prevent　them　from　being　plagued　in　their　after　lives　by　a　flow　of　rheum　from　the　head；　and　such　they　declare　is　the　reason　why　they　are　so　much　more　healthy　than　other　men。　Certainly　the　Libyans　are　the　healthiest　men　that　I　know；　but　whether　this　is　what　makes　them　so；　or　not；　I　cannot　positively　say…　the　healthiest　certainly　they　are。　If　when　the　children　are　being　burnt　convulsions　come　on；　there　is　a　remedy　of　which　they　have　made　discovery。　It　is　to　sprinkle　goat's　water　upon　the　child；　who　thus　treated；　is　sure　to　recover。　In　all　this　I　only　repeat　what　is　said　by　the　Libyans。　　　　　The　rites　which　the　wandering　Libyans　use　in　sacrificing　are　the　following。　They　begin　with　the　ear　of　the　victim；　which　they　cut　off　and　throw　over　their　house：　this　done；　they　kill　the　animal　by　twisting　the　neck。　They　sacrifice　to　the　Sun　and　Moon；　but　not　to　any　other　god。　This　worship　is　common　to　all　the　Libyans。　The　inhabitants　of　the　parts　about　Lake　Tritonis　worship　in　addition　Triton；　Neptune；　and　Minerva；　the　last　especially。　　　　　The　dress　wherewith　Minerva's　statues　are　adorned；　and　her　Aegis；　were　derived　by　the　Greeks　from　the　women　of　Libya。　For；　except　that　the　garments　of　the　Libyan　women　are　of　leather；　and　their　fringes　made　of　leathern　thongs　instead　of　serpents；　in　all　else　the　dress　of　both　is　exactly　alike。　The　name　too　itself　shows　that　the　mode　of　dressing　the　Pallas…statues　came　from　Libya。　For　the　Libyan　women　wear　over　their　dress　stript　of　the　hair；　fringed　at　their　edges；　and　coloured　with　vermilion；　and　from　these　goat…skins　the　Greeks　get　their　word　Aegis　（goat…harness）。　I　think　for　my　part　that　the　loud　cries　uttered　in　our　sacred　rites　came　also　from　thence；　for　the　Libyan　women　are　greatly　given　to　such　cries　and　utter　them　very　sweetly。　Likewise　the　Greeks　learnt　from　the　Libyans　to　yoke　four　horses　to　a　chariot。　　　　　All　the　wandering　tribes　bury　their　dead　according　to　the　fashion　of　the　Greeks；　except　the　Nasamonians。　They　bury　them　sitting；　and　are　right　careful　when　the　sick　man　is　at　the　point　of　giving　up　the　ghost；　to　make　him　sit　and　not　let　him　die　lying　down。　The　dwellings　of　these　people　are　made　of　the　stems　of　the　asphodel；　and　of　rushes　wattled　together。　They　can　be　carried　from　place　to　place。　Such　are　the　customs　of　the　afore…mentioned　tribes。　　　　　Westward　of　the　river　Triton　and　adjoining　upon　the　Auseans；　are　other　Libyans　who　till　the　ground；　and　live　in　houses：　these　people　are　named　the　Maxyans。　They　let　the　hair　grow　long　on　the　right　side　of　their　heads；　and　shave　it　close　on　the　left；　they　besmear　their　bodies　with　red　paint；　and　they　say　that　they　are　descended　from　the　men　of　Troy。　Their　country　and　the　remainder　of　Libya　towards　the　west　is　far　fuller　of　wild　beasts　and　of　wood　than　the　country　of　the　wandering　people。　For　the　eastern　side　of　Libya；　where　the　wanderers　dwell；　is　low　and　sandy；　as　far　as　the　river　Triton；　but　westward　of　that　the　land　of　the　husbandmen　is　very　hilly；　and　abounds　with　forests　and　wild　beasts。　For　this　is　the　tract　in　which　the　huge　serpents　are　found；　and　the　lions；　the　elephants；　the　bears；　the　aspicks；　and　the　horned　asses。　Here　too　are　the　dog…faced　creatures；　and　the　creatures　without　heads；　whom　the　Libyans　declare　to　have　their　eyes　in　their　breasts；　and　also　the　wild　men；　and　wild　women；　and　many　other　far　less　fabulous　beasts。　　　　　Among　the　wanderers　are　none　of　these；　but　quite　other　animals；　as　antelopes；　gazelles；　buffaloes；　and　asses；　not　of　the　horned　sort；　but　of　a　kind　which　does　not　need　to　drink；　also　oryxes；　whose　horns　are　used　for　the　curved　sides　of　citherns；　and　whose　size　is　about　that　of　the　ox；　foxes；　hyaenas　porcupines；　wild　rams；　dictyes；　jackals；　panthers；　boryes；　land…crocodiles　about　three　cubits　in　length；　very　like　lizards；　ostriches；　and　little　snakes；　each　with　a　single　horn。　All　these　animals　are　found　here；　and　likewise　those　belonging　to　other　countries；　except　the　stag　and　the　wild　boar；　but　neither　stag　nor　wild…boar　are　found　in　any　part　of　Libya。　There　are；　however；　three　sorts　of　mice　in　these　parts；　the　first　are　called　two…footed；　the　next；　zegeries；　which　is　a　Libyan　word　meaning　〃hills〃；　and　the　third；　urchins。　Weasels　also　are　found　in　the　Silphium　region；　much　like　the　Tartessian。　So　many；　therefore；　are　the　animals　belonging　to　the　land　of　the　wandering　Libyans；　in　so　far　at　least　as　my　researches　have　been　able　to　reach。　　　　　Next　to　the　Maxyan　Libyans　are　the　Zavecians；　whose　wives　drive　their　chariots　to　battle。　　　　　On　them　border　the　Gyzantians；　in　whose　country　a　vast　deal　of　honey　is　made　by　bees；　very　much　more；　however；　by　the　skill　of　men。　The　people　all　paint　themselves　red；　and　eat　monkeys；　whereof　there　is　inexhaustible　store　in　the　hills。　　　　　Off　their　coast；　as　the　Carthaginians　report；　lies　an　island；　by　name　Cyraunis；　the　length　of　which　is　two　hundred　furlongs；　its　breadth　not　great；　and　which　is　soon　reached　from　the　mainland。　Vines　and　olive　trees　cover　the　whole　of　it；　and　there　is　in　the　island　a　lake；　from　which　the　young　maidens　of　the　country　draw　up　gold…dust；　by　dipping　into　the　mud　birds'　feathers　smeared　with　pitch。　If　this　be　true；　I　know　not；　I　but　write　what　is　said。　It　may　be　even　so；　however；　since　I　myself　have　seen　pitch　drawn　up　out　of　the　water　from　a　lake　in　Zacynthus。　At　the　place　I　speak　of　there　are　a　number　of　lakes；　but　one　is　larger　than　the　rest；　being　seventy　feet　every　way；　and　two　fathoms　in　depth。　Here　they　let　down　a　pole　into　the　water；　with　a　bunch　of　myrtle　tied　to　one　end；　and　when　they　raise　it　again；　there　is　pitch　sticking　to　the　myrtle；　which　in　smell　is　like　to　bitumen；　but　in　all　else　is　better　than　the　pitch　of　Pieria。　This　they　pour　into　a　trench　dug　by　the　lake's　side；　and　when　a　good　deal　has　thus　been　got　together；　they　draw　it　off　and　put　it　up　in　jars。　Whatever　falls　into　the　lake　passes　underground；　and　comes　up　in　the　sea；　which　is　no　less　than　four　furlongs　distant。　So　then　what　is　said　of　the　island　off　the　Libyan　coast　is　not　without　likelihood。　　　　　The　Carthaginians　also　relate　the　following：…　There　is　a　country　in　Libya；　and　a　nation；　beyond　the　Pillars　of　Hercules；　which　they　are　wont　to　visit；　where　they　no　sooner　arrive　but　forthwith　they　unlade　their　wares；　and；　having　disposed　them　after　an　orderly　fashion　along　the　beach；　leave　them；　and；　returning　aboard　their　ships；　raise　a　great　smoke。　The　natives；　when　they　see　the　smoke；　come　down　to　the　shore；　and；　laying　out　to　view　so　much　gold　as　they　think　the　worth　of　the　wares；　withdraw　to　a　distance。　The　Carthaginians　upon　this　come　ashore　and　look。　If　they　think　the　gold　enough；　they　take　it　and　go　their　way；　but　if　it　does　not　seem　to　them　sufficient；　they　go　aboard　ship　once　more；　and　wait　patiently。　Then　the　others　approach　and　add　to　their　gold；　till　the　Carthaginians　are　content。　Neither　party　deals　unfairly　by　the　other：　for　they　themselves　never　touch　the　gold　till　it　comes　up　to　the　worth　of　their　goods；　nor　do　the　natives　ever　carry　off　the　goods　till　the　gold　is　taken　away。　　　　　These　be　the　Libyan　tribes　whereof　I　am　able　to　give　the　names；　and　most　of　these　cared　little　then；　and　indeed　care　little　now；　for　the　king　of　the　Medes。　One　thing　more　also　I　can　add　concerning　this　region；　namely；　that；　so　far　as　our　knowledge　reaches；　four　nations；　and　no　more；　inhabit　it；　and　two　of　these　nations　are　indigenous；　while　two　are　not。　The　two　indigenous　are　the　Libyans　and　Ethiopians；　who　dwell　respectively　in　the　north　and　the　south　of　Libya。　The　Phoenicians　and　the　Greek　are　in…comers。　　　　　It　seems　to　me　that　Libya　is　not　to　compare　for　goodness　of　soil　with　either　Asia　or　Europe；　except　the　Cinyps　region；　which　is　named　after　the　river　that　waters　it。　This　piece　of　land　is　equal　to