the history-第84节

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reement　ran　thus…　〃So　long　as　the　ground　beneath　our　feet　stands　firm；　the　oath　shall　abide　unchanged；　the　people　of　Barca　agree　to　pay　a　fair　sum　to　the　king；　and　the　Persians　promise　to　cause　no　further　trouble　to　the　people　of　Barca。〃　After　the　oath；　the　Barcaeans；　relying　upon　its　terms；　threw　open　all　their　gates；　went　out　themselves　beyond　the　walls；　and　allowed　as　many　of　the　enemy　as　chose　to　enter。　Then　the　Persians　broke　down　their　secret　bridge；　and　rushed　at　speed　into　the　town…　their　reason　for　breaking　the　bridge　being　that　so　they　might　observe　what　they　had　sworn；　for　they　had　promised　the　Barcaeans　that　the　oath　should　continue　〃so　long　as　the　ground　whereon　they　stood　was　firm。〃　When；　therefore；　the　bridge　was　once　broken　down；　the　oath　ceased　to　hold。　　　　　Such　of　the　Barcaeans　as　were　most　guilty　the　Persians　gave　up　to　Pheretima；　who　nailed　them　to　crosses　all　round　the　walls　of　the　city。　She　also　cut　off　the　breasts　of　their　wives；　and　fastened　them　likewise　about　the　walls。　The　remainder　of　the　people　she　gave　as　booty　to　the　Persians；　except　only　the　Battiadae　and　those　who　had　taken　no　part　in　the　murder；　to　whom　she　handed　over　the　possession　of　the　town。　　　　　The　Persians　now　set　out　on　their　return　home；　carrying　with　them　the　rest　of　the　Barcaeans；　whom　they　had　made　their　slaves。　On　their　way　they　came　to　Cyrene；　and　the　Cyrenaeans；　out　of　regard　for　an　oracle；　let　them　pass　through　the　town。　During　the　passage；　Bares；　the　commander　of　the　fleet；　advised　to　seize　the　place；　but　Amasis；　the　leader　of　the　land…force；　would　not　consent；　〃because；〃　he　said；　〃they　had　only　been　charged　to　attack　the　one　Greek　city　of　Barca。〃　When；　however；　they　had　passed　through　the　town；　and　were　encamped　upon　the　hill　of　Lycaean　Jove；　it　repented　them　that　they　had　not　seized　Cyrene；　and　they　endeavoured　to　enter　it　a　second　time。　The　Cyrenaeans；　however；　would　not　suffer　this；　whereupon；　though　no　one　appeared　to　offer　them　battle；　yet　a　panic　came　upon　the　Persians；　and　they　ran　a　distance　of　full　sixty　furlongs　before　they　pitched　their　camp。　Here　as　they　lay；　a　messenger　came　to　them　from　Aryandes；　ordering　them　home。　Then　the　Persians　besought　the　men　of　Cyrene　to　give　them　provisions　for　the　way；　and；　these　consenting；　they　set　off　on　their　return　to　Egypt。　But　the　Libyans　now　beset　them；　and；　for　the　sake　of　their　clothes　and　harness；　slew　all　who　dropped　behind　and　straggled；　during　the　whole　march　homewards。　　　　　The　furthest　point　of　Libya　reached　by　this　Persian　host　was　the　city　of　Euesperides。　The　Barcaeans　carried　into　slavery　were　sent　from　Egypt　to　the　king；　and　Darius　assigned　them　a　village　in　Bactria　for　their　dwelling…place。　To　this　village　they　gave　the　name　of　Barca；　and　it　was　to　my　time　an　inhabited　place　in　Bactria。　　　　　Nor　did　Pheretima　herself　end　her　days　happily。　For　on　her　return　to　Egypt　from　Libya；　directly　after　taking　vengeance　on　the　people　of　Barca；　she　was　overtaken　by　a　most　horrid　death。　Her　body　swarmed　with　worms；　which　ate　her　flesh　while　she　was　still　alive。　Thus　do　men；　by　over…harsh　punishments；　draw　down　upon　themselves　the　anger　of　the　gods。　Such　then；　and　so　fierce；　was　the　vengeance　which　Pheretima；　daughter　of　Battus；　took　upon　the　Barcaeans。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Fifth　Book；　Entitled　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TERPSICHORE

　　　　The　Persians　left　behind　by　King　Darius　in　Europe；　who　had　Megabazus　for　their　general；　reduced；　before　any　other　Hellespontine　state；　the　people　of　Perinthus；　who　had　no　mind　to　become　subjects　of　the　king。　Now　the　Perinthians　had　ere　this　been　roughly　handled　by　another　nation；　the　Paeonians。　For　the　Paeonians　from　about　the　Strymon　were　once　bidden　by　an　oracle　to　make　war　upon　the　Perinthians；　and　if　these　latter；　when　the　camps　faced　one　another；　challenged　them　by　name　to　fight；　then　to　venture　on　a　battle；　but　if　otherwise；　not　to　make　the　hazard。　The　Paeonians　followed　the　advice。　Now　the　men　of　Perinthus　drew　out　to　meet　them　in　the　skirts　of　their　city；　and　a　threefold　single　combat　was　fought　on　challenge　given。　Man　to　man；　and　horse　to　horse；　and　dog　to　dog；　was　the　strife　waged；　and　the　Perinthians；　winners　of　two　combats　out　of　the　three；　in　their　joy　had　raised　the　paean；　when　the　Paeonians　struck　by　the　thought　that　this　was　what　the　oracle　had　meant；　passed　the　word　one　to　another；　saying；　〃Now　of　a　surety　has　the　oracle　been　fulfilled　for　us；　now　our　work　begins。〃　Then　the　Paeonians　set　upon　the　Perinthians　in　the　midst　of　their　paean；　and　defeated　them　utterly；　leaving　but　few　of　them　alive。　　　　　Such　was　the　affair　of　the　Paeonians；　which　happened　a　long　time　previously。　At　this　time　the　Perinthians；　after　a　brave　struggle　for　freedom；　were　overcome　by　numbers；　and　yielded　to　Megabazus　and　his　Persians。　After　Perinthus　had　been　brought　under；　Megabazus　led　his　host　through　Thrace；　subduing　to　the　dominion　of　the　king　all　the　towns　and　all　the　nations　of　those　parts。　For　the　king's　command　to　him　was　that　he　should　conquer　Thrace。　　　　　The　Thracians　are　the　most　powerful　people　in　the　world；　except；　of　course；　the　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　fa