the history-第95章

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Indians；　and　if　they　had　one　head；　or　were　agreed　among　themselves；　it　is　my　belief　that　their　match　could　not　be　found　anywhere；　and　that　they　would　very　far　surpass　all　other　nations。　But　such　union　is　impossible　for　them；　and　there　are　no　means　of　ever　bringing　it　about。　Herein　therefore　consists　their　weakness。　The　Thracians　bear　many　names　in　the　different　regions　of　their　country；　but　all　of　them　have　like　usages　in　every　respect；　excepting　only　the　Getae；　the　Trausi；　and　those　who　dwell　above　the　people　of　Creston。　　　　　Now　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　Getae；　who　believe　in　their　immortality；　I　have　already　spoken　of。　The　Trausi　in　all　else　resemble　the　other　Thracians；　but　have　customs　at　births　and　deaths　which　I　will　now　describe。　When　a　child　is　born　all　its　kindred　sit　round　about　it　in　a　circle　and　weep　for　the　woes　it　will　have　to　undergo　now　that　it　is　come　into　the　world；　making　mention　of　every　ill　that　falls　to　the　lot　of　humankind；　when；　on　the　other　hand；　a　man　has　died；　they　bury　him　with　laughter　and　rejoicings；　and　say　that　now　he　is　free　from　a　host　of　sufferings；　and　enjoys　the　completest　happiness。　　　　　The　Thracians　who　live　above　the　Crestonaeans　observe　the　following　customs。　Each　man　among　them　has　several　wives；　and　no　sooner　does　a　man　die　than　a　sharp　contest　ensues　among　the　wives　upon　the　question　which　of　them　all　the　husband　loved　most　tenderly；　the　friends　of　each　eagerly　plead　on　her　behalf；　and　she　to　whom　the　honour　is　adjudged；　after　receiving　the　praises　both　of　men　and　women；　is　slain　over　the　grave　by　the　hand　of　her　next　of　kin；　and　then　buried　with　her　husband。　The　others　are　sorely　grieved；　for　nothing　is　considered　such　a　disgrace。　　　　　The　Thracians　who　do　not　belong　to　these　tribes　have　the　customs　which　follow。　They　sell　their　children　to　traders。　On　their　maidens　they　keep　no　watch；　but　leave　them　altogether　free；　while　on　the　conduct　of　their　wives　they　keep　a　most　strict　watch。　Brides　are　purchased　of　their　parents　for　large　sums　of　money。　Tattooing　among　them　marks　noble　birth；　and　the　want　of　it　low　birth。　To　be　idle　is　accounted　the　most　honourable　thing；　and　to　be　a　tiller　of　the　ground　the　most　dishonourable。　To　live　by　war　and　plunder　is　of　all　things　the　most　glorious。　These　are　the　most　remarkable　of　their　customs。　　　　　The　gods　which　they　worship　are　but　three；　Mars；　Bacchus；　and　Dian。　Their　kings；　however；　unlike　the　rest　of　the　citizens；　worship　Mercury　more　than　any　other　god；　always　swearing　by　his　name；　and　declaring　that　they　are　themselves　sprung　from　him。　　　　　Their　wealthy　ones　are　buried　in　the　following　fashion。　The　body　is　laid　out　for　three　days；　and　during　this　time　they　kill　victims　of　all　kinds；　and　feast　upon　them；　after　first　bewailing　the　departed。　Then　they　either　burn　the　body　or　else　bury　it　in　the　ground。　Lastly；　they　raise　a　mound　over　the　grave；　and　hold　games　of　all　sorts；　wherein　the　single　combat　is　awarded　the　highest　prize。　Such　is　the　mode　of　burial　among　the　Thracians。　　　　　As　regards　the　region　lying　north　of　this　country　no　one　can　say　with　any　certainty　what　men　inhabit　it。　It　appears　that　you　no　sooner　cross　the　Ister　than　you　enter　on　an　interminable　wilderness。　The　only　people　of　whom　I　can　hear　as　dwelling　beyond　the　Ister　are　the　race　named　Sigynnae；　who　wear；　they　say；　a　dress　like　the　Medes；　and　have　horses　which　are　covered　entirely　with　a　coat　of　shaggy　hair；　five　fingers　in　length。　They　are　a　small　breed；　flat…nosed；　and　not　strong　enough　to　bear　men　on　their　backs；　but　when　yoked　to　chariots；　they　are　among　the　swiftest　known；　which　is　the　reason　why　the　people　of　that　country　use　chariots。　Their　borders　reach　down　almost　to　the　Eneti　upon　the　Adriatic　Sea；　and　they　call　themselves　colonists　of　the　Medes；　but　how　they　can　be　colonists　of　the　Medes　I　for　my　part　cannot　imagine。　Still　nothing　is　impossible　in　the　long　lapse　of　ages。　Sigynnae　is　the　name　which　the　Ligurians　who　dwell　above　Massilia　give　to　traders；　while　among　the　Cyprians　the　word　means　spears。　　　　　According　to　the　account　which　the　Thracians　give；　the　country　beyond　the　Ister　is　possessed　by　bees；　on　account　of　which　it　is　impossible　to　penetrate　farther。　But　in　this　they　seem　to　me　to　say　what　has　no　likelihood；　for　it　is　certain　that　those　creatures　are　very　impatient　of　cold。　I　rather　believe　that　it　is　on　account　of　the　cold　that　the　regions　which　lie　under　the　Bear　are　without　inhabitants。　Such　then　are　the　accounts　given　of　this　country；　the　sea…coast　whereof　Megabazus　was　now　employed　in　subjecting　to　the　Persians。　　　　　King　Darius　had　no　sooner　crossed　the　Hellespont　and　reached　Sardis；　than　he　bethought　himself　of　the　good　deed　of　Histiaeus　the　Milesian；　and　the　good　counsel　of　the　Mytilenean　Coes。　He　therefore　sent　for　both　of　them　to　Sardis；　and　bade　them　each　crave　a　boon　at　his　hands。　Now　Histiaeus；　as　he　was　already　king　of　Miletus；　did　not　make　request　for　any　government　besides；　but　asked　Darius　to　give　him　Myrcinus　of　the　Edonians；　where　he　wished　to　build　him　a　city。　Such　was　the　choice　that　Histiaeus　made。　Coes；　on　the　other　hand；　as　he　was　a　mere　burgher；　and　not　a　king；　requested　the　sovereignty　of　Mytilene。　Both　alike　obtained　their　requests；　and　straight…way　betook　themselves　to　the　places　which　they　had　chosen。　　　　　It　chanced　in　the　meantime　that　King　Darius　saw　a　sight　which　determined　him　to　bid　Megabazus　remove　the　Paeonians　from　their　seats　in　Europe　and　transport　them　to　Asia。　There　were　two　Paeonians；　Pigres　and　Mantyes；　whose　ambition　it　was　to　obtain　the　sovereignty　over　their　countrymen。　As　soon　therefore　as　ever　Darius　crossed　into　Asia；　these　men　came　to　Sardis；　and　brought　with　them　their　sister；　who　was　a　tall　and　beautiful　woman。　Having　so　done；　they　waited　till　a　day　came　when　the　king　sat　in　state　in　the　suburb　of　the　Lydians；　and　then　dressing　their　sister　in　the　richest　gear　they　could；　sent　her　to　draw　water　for　them。　She　bore　a　pitcher　upon　her　head；　and　with　one　arm　led　a　horse；　while　all　the　way　as　she　went　she　span　flax。　Now　as　she　passed　by　where　the　king　was；　Darius　took　notice　of　her；　for　it　was　neither　like　the　Persians　nor　the　Lydians；　nor　any　of　the　dwellers　in　Asia；　to　do　as　she　did。　Darius　accordingly　noted　her；　and　ordered　some　of　his　guard　to　follow　her　steps；　and　watch　to　see　what　she　would　do　with　the　horse。　So　the　spearmen　went；　and　the　woman；　when　she　came　to　the　river；　first　watered　the　horse；　and　then　filling　the　pitcher；　came　back　the　same　way　she　had　gone；　with　the　pitcher　of　water　upon　her　head；　and　the　horse　dragging　upon　her　arm；　while　she　still　kept　twirling　the　spindle。　　　　　King　Darius　was　full　of　wonder　both　at　what　they　who　had　watched　the　woman　told　him；　and　at　what　he　had　himself　seen。　So　he　commanded　that　she　should　be　brought　before　him。　And　the　woman　came；　and　with　her　appeared　her　brothers；　who　had　been　watching　everything　a　little　way　off。　Then　Darius　asked　them　of　what　nation　the　woman　was；　and　the　young　men　replied　that　they　were　Paeonians；　and　she　was　their　sister。　Darius　rejoined　by　asking；　〃Who　the　Paeonians　were；　and　in　what　part　of　the　world　they　lived？　and；　further；　what　business　had　brought　the　young　men　to　Sardis？〃　Then　the　brothers　told　him　they　had　come　to　put　themselves　under　his　power；　and　Paeonia　was　a　country　upon　the　river　Strymon；　and　the　Strymon　was　at　no　great　distance　from　the　Hellespont。　The　Paeonians；　they　said；　were　colonists　of　the　Teucrians　from　Troy。　When　they　had　thus　answered　his　questions；　Darius　asked　if　all　the　women　of　their　country　worked　so　hard？　Then　the　brothers　eagerly　answered；　Yes；　for　this　was　the　very　object　with　which　the　whole　thing　had　been　done。　　　　　So　Darius　wrote　letters　to　Megabazus；　the　commander　whom　he　had　left　behind　in　Thrace；　and　ordered　him　to　remove　the　Paeonians　from　their　own　land；　and　bring　them　into　his　presence；　men；　women；　and　children。　And　straightway　a　horseman　took　the　message；　and　rode　at　speed　to　the　Hellespont；　and；　crossing　it；　gave　the　paper　to　Megabazus。　Then　Megabazus；　as　soon　as　he　had　read　it；　and　procured　guides　from　Thrace；　made　war　upon　Paeonia。　　　　　Now　when　the　Paeonians　heard　that　the　Persians　were　marching　against　them；　they　gathered　themselves　together；　and　marched　down　to　the　sea…coast；　since　they　thought　t