the history-第72节

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others；　this　is　done　for　forty　days；　at　the　end　of　which　time　the　burial　takes　place。　After　the　burial；　those　engaged　in　it　have　to　purify　themselves；　which　they　do　in　the　following　way。　First　they　well　soap　and　wash　their　heads；　then；　in　order　to　cleanse　their　bodies；　they　act　as　follows：　they　make　a　booth　by　fixing　in　the　ground　three　sticks　inclined　towards　one　another；　and　stretching　around　them　woollen　felts；　which　they　arrange　so　as　to　fit　as　close　as　possible：　inside　the　booth　a　dish　is　placed　upon　the　ground；　into　which　they　put　a　number　of　red…hot　stones；　and　then　add　some　hemp…seed。　　　　　Hemp　grows　in　Scythia：　it　is　very　like　flax；　only　that　it　is　a　much　coarser　and　taller　plant：　some　grows　wild　about　the　country；　some　is　produced　by　cultivation：　the　Thracians　make　garments　of　it　which　closely　resemble　linen；　so　much　so；　indeed；　that　if　a　person　has　never　seen　hemp　he　is　sure　to　think　they　are　linen；　and　if　he　has；　unless　he　is　very　experienced　in　such　matters；　he　will　not　know　of　which　material　they　are。　　　　　The　Scythians；　as　I　said；　take　some　of　this　hemp…seed；　and；　creeping　under　the　felt　coverings；　throw　it　upon　the　red…hot　stones；　immediately　it　smokes；　and　gives　out　such　a　vapour　as　no　Grecian　vapour…bath　can　exceed；　the　Scyths；　delighted；　shout　for　joy；　and　this　vapour　serves　them　instead　of　a　water…bath；　for　they　never　by　any　chance　wash　their　bodies　with　water。　Their　women　make　a　mixture　of　cypress；　cedar；　and　frankincense　wood；　which　they　pound　into　a　paste　upon　a　rough　piece　of　stone；　adding　a　little　water　to　it。　With　this　substance；　which　is　of　a　thick　consistency；　they　plaster　their　faces　all　over；　and　indeed　their　whole　bodies。　A　sweet　odour　is　thereby　imparted　to　them；　and　when　they　take　off　the　plaster　on　the　day　following；　their　skin　is　clean　and　glossy。　　　　　The　Scythians　have　an　extreme　hatred　of　all　foreign　customs；　particularly　of　those　in　use　among　the　Greeks；　as　the　instances　of　Anacharsis；　and；　more　lately；　of　Scylas；　have　fully　shown。　The　former；　after　he　had　travelled　over　a　great　portion　of　the　world；　and　displayed　wherever　he　went　many　proofs　of　wisdom；　as　he　sailed　through　the　Hellespont　on　his　return　to　Scythia　touched　at　Cyzicus。　There　he　found　the　inhabitants　celebrating　with　much　pomp　and　magnificence　a　festival　to　the　Mother　of　the　Gods；　and　was　himself　induced　to　make　a　vow　to　the　goddess；　whereby　he　engaged；　if　he　got　back　safe　and　sound　to　his　home；　that　he　would　give　her　a　festival　and　a　night…procession　in　all　respects　like　those　which　he　had　seen　in　Cyzicus。　When；　therefore；　he　arrived　in　Scythia；　he　betook　himself　to　the　district　called　the　Woodland；　which　lies　opposite　the　course　of　Achilles；　and　is　covered　with　trees　of　all　manner　of　different　kinds；　and　there　went　through　all　the　sacred　rites　with　the　tabour　in　his　hand；　and　the　images　tied　to　him。　While　thus　employed；　he　was　noticed　by　one　of　the　Scythians；　who　went　and　told　king　Saulius　what　he　had　seen。　Then　king　Saulius　came　in　person；　and　when　he　perceived　what　Anacharsis　was　about；　he　shot　at　him　with　an　arrow　and　killed　him。　To　this　day；　if　you　ask　the　Scyths　about　Anacharsis；　they　pretend　ignorance　of　him；　because　of　his　Grecian　travels　and　adoption　of　the　customs　of　foreigners。　I　learnt；　however；　from　Timnes；　the　steward　of　Ariapithes；　that　Anacharsis　was　paternal　uncle　to　the　Scythian　king　Idanthyrsus；　being　the　son　of　Gnurus；　who　was　the　son　of　Lycus　and　the　grandson　of　Spargapithes。　If　Anacharsis　were　really　of　this　house；　it　must　have　been　by　his　own　brother　that　he　was　slain；　for　Idanthyrsus　was　a　son　of　the　Saulius　who　put　Anacharsis　to　death。　　　　　I　have　heard；　however；　another　tale；　very　different　from　this；　which　is　told　by　the　Peloponnesians：　they　say；　that　Anacharsis　was　sent　by　the　king　of　the　Scyths　to　make　acquaintance　with　Greece…　that　he　went；　and　on　his　return　home　reported　that　the　Greeks　were　all　occupied　in　the　pursuit　of　every　kind　of　knowledge；　except　the　Lacedaemonians；　who；　however；　alone　knew　how　to　converse　sensibly。　A　silly　tale　this；　which　the　Greeks　have　invented　for　their　amusement！　There　is　no　doubt　that　Anacharsis　suffered　death　in　the　mode　already　related；　on　account　of　his　attachment　to　foreign　customs；　and　the　intercourse　which　he　held　with　the　Greeks。　　　　　Scylas；　likewise；　the　son　of　Ariapithes；　many　years　later；　met　with　almost　the　very　same　fate。　Ariapithes；　the　Scythian　king；　had　several　sons；　among　them　this　Scylas；　who　was　the　child；　not　of　a　native　Scyth；　but　of　a　woman　of　Istria。　Bred　up　by　her；　Scylas　gained　an　acquaintance　with　the　Greek　language　and　letters。　Some　time　afterwards；　Ariapithes　was　treacherously　slain　by　Spargapithes；　king　of　the　Agathyrsi；　whereupon　Scylas　succeeded　to　the　throne；　and　married　one　of　his　father's　wives；　a　woman　named　Opoea。　This　Opoea　was　a　Scythian　by　birth；　and　had　brought　Ariapithes　a　son　called　Oricus。　Now　when　Scylas　found　himself　king　of　Scythia；　as　he　disliked　the　Scythic　mode　of　life；　and　was　attached；　by　his　bringing　up；　to　the　manners　of　the　Greeks；　he　made　it　his　usual　practice；　whenever　he　came　with　his　army　to　the　town　of　the　Borysthenites；　who；　according　to　their　own　account；　are　colonists　of　the　Milesians…　he　made　it　his　practice；　I　say；　to　leave　the　army　before　the　city；　and；　having　entered　within　the　walls　by　himself；　and　carefully　closed　the　gates；　to　exchange　his　Scythian　dress　for　Grecian　garments；　and　in　this　attire　to　walk　about　the　forum；　without　guards　or　retinue。　The　Borysthenites　kept　watch　at　the　gates；　that　no　Scythian　might　see　the　king　thus　apparelled。　Scylas；　meanwhile；　lived　exactly　as　the　Greeks；　and　even　offered　sacrifices　to　the　gods　according　to　the　Grecian　rites。　In　this　way　he　would　pass　a　month；　or　more；　with　the　Borysthenites；　after　which　he　would　clothe　himself　again　in　his　Scythian　dress；　and　so　take　his　departure。　This　he　did　repeatedly；　and　even　built　himself　a　house　in　Borysthenes；　and　married　a　wife　there　who　was　a　native　of　the　place。　　　　　But　when　the　time　came　that　was　ordained　to　bring　him　woe；　the　occasion　of　his　ruin　was　the　following。　He　wanted　to　be　initiated　in　the　Bacchic　mysteries；　and　was　on　the　point　of　obtaining　admission　to　the　rites；　when　a　most　strange　prodigy　occurred　to　him。　The　house　which　he　possessed；　as　I　mentioned　a　short　time　back；　in　the　city　of　the　Borysthenites；　a　building　of　great　extent　and　erected　at　a　vast　cost；　round　which　there　stood　a　number　of　sphinxes　and　griffins　carved　in　white　marble；　was　struck　by　lightning　from　on　high；　and　burnt　to　the　ground。　Scylas；　nevertheless；　went　on　and　received　the　initiation。　Now　the　Scythians　are　wont　to　reproach　the　Greeks　with　their　Bacchanal　rage；　and　to　say　that　it　is　not　reasonable　to　imagine　there　is　a　god　who　impels　men　to　madness。　No　sooner；　therefore；　was　Scylas　initiated　in　the　Bacchic　mysteries　than　one　of　the　Borysthenites　went　and　carried　the　news　to　the　Scythians　〃You　Scyths　laugh　at　us〃　he　said；　〃because　we　rave　when　the　god　seizes　us。　But　now　our　god　has　seized　upon　your　king；　who　raves　like　us；　and　is　maddened　by　the　influence。　If　you　think　I　do　not　tell　you　true；　come　with　me；　and　I　will　show　him　to　you。〃　The　chiefs　of　the　Scythians　went　with　the　man　accordingly；　and　the　Borysthenite；　conducting　them　into　the　city；　placed　them　secretly　on　one　of　the　towers。　Presently　Scylas　passed　by　with　the　band　of　revellers；　raving　like　the　rest；　and　was　seen　by　the　watchers。　Regarding　the　matter　as　a　very　great　misfortune　they　instantly　departed；　and　came　and　told　the　army　what　they　had　witnessed。　　　　　When；　therefore；　Scylas；　after　leaving　Borysthenes；　was　about　returning　home；　the　Scythians　broke　out　into　revolt。　They　put　at　their　head　Octamasadas；　grandson　（on　the　mother's　side）　of　Teres。　Then　Scylas；　when　he　learned　the　danger　with　which　he　was　threatened；　and　the　reason　of　the　disturbance；　made　his　escape　to　Thrace。　Octamasadas；　discovering　whither　he　had　fled；　marched　after　him；　and　had　reached　the　Ister；　when　he　was　met　by　the　forces　of　the　Thracians。　The　two　armies　were　about　to　engage；　but　before　they　joined　battle；　Sitalces　sent　a　message　to　Octamasadas　to　this　effect…　〃Why　should　there　be　trial　of　arms　betwixt　thee　and　me？　Thou　art　my　own　sister's　son；　and　thou　hast　in　thy　keeping　my　brother。　Surrender　him　into　my　hands；　and　I　will　give　thy　Scylas　back　to　thee。　So　neither　thou　nor　I　will　risk　our　armies。〃　Sitalces　sent　this　message　to　Octamasadas；　by　a　herald；　and　Octamasadas；　with　whom　a　brother　of　Sitalces　had　formerly　taken　refuge；　accepted　the　terms。　He　surrendered　his　own　uncle　to　Sitalces；　and　obtained　in　exchange　his　brother　Scylas。　Sitalces　took　his　brother　with　him　and　withdrew；　but　Octamasadas　beheaded　Scylas　upon　the　spot。　Thus　rigidly　do　the　Scythians　maintain　their　own　customs；　and　thus　severely　do　they　punish　such　as　adopt　foreign　usages。　　　　　What　the　population　of　Scythia　is　I　was　not　able　to　learn　with　certainty；　the　accounts　which　I　received　varied　from　one　another。　I　heard　from　some　that　they　were　very　numerous　indeed；　others　made　their　numbers　but　scanty　for　such　a　nation　as　the　Scyths。　Thus　much；　however；　I　witnessed　with　my　own　eyes。　There　is　a　tract　called　Exampaeus　between　the　Borysthenes　and　the　Hypanis。　I　made　some　mention　of　it　in　a　former　place；　where　I　spoke　of　the　bitter　stream　which　rising　there　fl