the history-第24章

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d　for　sale　the　one　who　came　next　to　her　in　beauty。　All　of　them　were　sold　to　be　wives。　The　richest　of　the　Babylonians　who　wished　to　wed　bid　against　each　other　for　the　loveliest　maidens；　while　the　humbler　wife…seekers；　who　were　indifferent　about　beauty；　took　the　more　homely　damsels　with　marriage…portions。　For　the　custom　was　that　when　the　herald　had　gone　through　the　whole　number　of　the　beautiful　damsels；　he　should　then　call　up　the　ugliest…　a　cripple；　if　there　chanced　to　be　one…　and　offer　her　to　the　men；　asking　who　would　agree　to　take　her　with　the　smallest　marriage…portion。　And　the　man　who　offered　to　take　the　smallest　sum　had　her　assigned　to　him。　The　marriage…portions　were　furnished　by　the　money　paid　for　the　beautiful　damsels；　and　thus　the　fairer　maidens　portioned　out　the　uglier。　No　one　was　allowed　to　give　his　daughter　in　marriage　to　the　man　of　his　choice；　nor　might　any　one　carry　away　the　damsel　whom　he　had　purchased　without　finding　bail　really　and　truly　to　make　her　his　wife；　if；　however；　it　turned　out　that　they　did　not　agree；　the　money　might　be　paid　back。　All　who　liked　might　come　even　from　distant　villages　and　bid　for　the　women。　This　was　the　best　of　all　their　customs；　but　it　has　now　fallen　into　disuse。　They　have　lately　hit　upon　a　very　different　plan　to　save　their　maidens　from　violence；　and　prevent　their　being　torn　from　them　and　carried　to　distant　cities；　which　is　to　bring　up　their　daughters　to　be　courtesans。　This　is　now　done　by　all　the　poorer　of　the　common　people；　who　since　the　conquest　have　been　maltreated　by　their　lords；　and　have　had　ruin　brought　upon　their　families。　　　　　The　following　custom　seems　to　me　the　wisest　of　their　institutions　next　to　the　one　lately　praised。　They　have　no　physicians；　but　when　a　man　is　ill；　they　lay　him　in　the　public　square；　and　the　passers…by　come　up　to　him；　and　if　they　have　ever　had　his　disease　themselves　or　have　known　any　one　who　has　suffered　from　it；　they　give　him　advice；　recommending　him　to　do　whatever　they　found　good　in　their　own　case；　or　in　the　case　known　to　them；　and　no　one　is　allowed　to　pass　the　sick　man　in　silence　without　asking　him　what　his　ailment　is。　　　　　They　bury　their　dead　in　honey；　and　have　funeral　lamentations　like　the　Egyptians。　When　a　Babylonian　has　consorted　with　his　wife；　he　sits　down　before　a　censer　of　burning　incense；　and　the　woman　sits　opposite　to　him。　At　dawn　of　day　they　wash；　for　till　they　are　washed　they　will　not　touch　any　of　their　common　vessels。　This　practice　is　observed　also　by　the　Arabians。　　　　　The　Babylonians　have　one　most　shameful　custom。　Every　woman　born　in　the　country　must　once　in　her　life　go　and　sit　down　in　the　precinct　of　Venus；　and　there　consort　with　a　stranger。　Many　of　the　wealthier　sort；　who　are　too　proud　to　mix　with　the　others；　drive　in　covered　carriages　to　the　precinct；　followed　by　a　goodly　train　of　attendants；　and　there　take　their　station。　But　the　larger　number　seat　themselves　within　the　holy　enclosure　with　wreaths　of　string　about　their　heads…　and　here　there　is　always　a　great　crowd；　some　coming　and　others　going；　lines　of　cord　mark　out　paths　in　all　directions　the　women；　and　the　strangers　pass　along　them　to　make　their　choice。　A　woman　who　has　once　taken　her　seat　is　not　allowed　to　return　home　till　one　of　the　strangers　throws　a　silver　coin　into　her　lap；　and　takes　her　with　him　beyond　the　holy　ground。　When　he　throws　the　coin　he　says　these　words…　〃The　goddess　Mylitta　prosper　thee。〃　（Venus　is　called　Mylitta　by　the　Assyrians。）　The　silver　coin　may　be　of　any　size；　it　cannot　be　refused；　for　that　is　forbidden　by　the　law；　since　once　thrown　it　is　sacred。　The　woman　goes　with　the　first　man　who　throws　her　money；　and　rejects　no　one。　When　she　has　gone　with　him；　and　so　satisfied　the　goddess；　she　returns　home；　and　from　that　time　forth　no　gift　however　great　will　prevail　with　her。　Such　of　the　women　as　are　tall　and　beautiful　are　soon　released；　but　others　who　are　ugly　have　to　stay　a　long　time　before　they　can　fulfil　the　law。　Some　have　waited　three　or　four　years　in　the　precinct。　A　custom　very　much　like　this　is　found　also　in　certain　parts　of　the　island　of　Cyprus。　　　　　Such　are　the　customs　of　the　Babylonians　generally。　There　are　likewise　three　tribes　among　them　who　eat　nothing　but　fish。　These　are　caught　and　dried　in　the　sun；　after　which　they　are　brayed　in　a　mortar；　and　strained　through　a　linen　sieve。　Some　prefer　to　make　cakes　of　this　material；　while　others　bake　it　into　a　kind　of　bread。　　　　　When　Cyrus　had　achieved　the　conquest　of　the　Babylonians；　he　conceived　the　desire　of　bringing　the　Massagetae　under　his　dominion。　Now　the　Massagetae　are　said　to　be　a　great　and　warlike　nation；　dwelling　eastward；　toward　the　rising　of　the　sun；　beyond　the　river　Araxes；　and　opposite　the　Issedonians。　By　many　they　are　regarded　as　a　Scythian　race。　　　　　As　for　the　Araxes；　it　is；　according　to　some　accounts；　larger；　according　to　others　smaller　than　the　Ister　（Danube）。　It　has　islands　in　it；　many　of　which　are　said　to　be　equal　in　size　to　Lesbos。　The　men　who　inhabit　them　feed　during　the　summer　on　roots　of　all　kinds；　which　they　dig　out　of　the　ground；　while　they　store　up　the　fruits；　which　they　gather　from　the　trees　at　the　fitting　season；　to　serve　them　as　food　in　the　winter…time。　Besides　the　trees　whose　fruit　they　gather　for　this　purpose；　they　have　also　a　tree　which　bears　the　strangest　produce。　When　they　are　met　together　in　companies　they　throw　some　of　it　upon　the　fire　round　which　they　are　sitting；　and　presently；　by　the　mere　smell　of　the　fumes　which　it　gives　out　in　burning；　they　grow　drunk；　as　the　Greeks　do　with　wine。　More　of　the　fruit　is　then　thrown　on　the　fire；　and；　their　drunkenness　increasing；　they　often　jump　up　and　begin　to　dance　and　sing。　Such　is　the　account　which　I　have　heard　of　this　people。　　　　　The　river　Araxes；　like　the　Gyndes；　which　Cyrus　dispersed　into　three　hundred　and　sixty　channels；　has　its　source　in　the　country　of　the　Matienians。　It　has　forty　mouths；　whereof　all；　except　one；　end　in　bogs　and　swamps。　These　bogs　and　swamps　are　said　to　be　inhabited　by　a　race　of　men　who　feed　on　raw　fish；　and　clothe　themselves　with　the　skins　of　seals。　The　other　mouth　of　the　river　flows　with　a　clear　course　into　the　Caspian　Sea。　　　　　The　Caspian　is　a　sea　by　itself；　having　no　connection　with　any　other。　The　sea　frequented　by　the　Greeks；　that　beyond　the　Pillars　of　Hercules；　which　is　called　the　Atlantic；　and　also　the　Erythraean；　are　all　one　and　the　same　sea。　But　the　Caspian　is　a　distinct　sea；　lying　by　itself；　in　length　fifteen　days'　voyage　with　a　row…boat；　in　breadth；　at　the　broadest　part；　eight　days'　voyage。　Along　its　western　shore　runs　the　chain　of　the　Caucasus；　the　most　extensive　and　loftiest　of　all　mountain…ranges。　Many　and　various　are　the　tribes　by　which　it　is　inhabited；　most　of　whom　live　entirely　on　the　wild　fruits　of　the　forest。　In　these　forests　certain　trees　are　said　to　grow；　from　the　leaves　of　which；　pounded　and　mixed　with　water；　the　inhabitants　make　a　dye；　wherewith　they　paint　upon　their　clothes　the　figures　of　animals；　and　the　figures　so　impressed　never　wash　out；　but　last　as　though　they　had　been　inwoven　in　the　cloth　from　the　first；　and　wear　as　long　as　the　garment。　　　　　On　the　west　then；　as　I　have　said；　the　Caspian　Sea　is　bounded　by　the　range　of　Caucasus。　On　the　cast　it　is　followed　by　a　vast　plain；　stretching　out　interminably　before　the　eye；　the　greater　portion　of　which　is　possessed　by　those　Massagetae；　against　whom　Cyrus　was　now　so　anxious　to　make　an　expedition。　Many　strong　motives　weighed　with　him　and　urged　him　on…　his　birth　especially；　which　seemed　something　more　than　human；　and　his　good　fortune　in　all　his　former　wars；　wherein　he　had　always　found　that　against　what　country　soever　he　turned　his　arms；　it　was　impossible　for　that　people　to　escape。　　　　　At　this　time　the　Massagetae　were　ruled　by　a　queen；　named　Tomyris；　who　at　the　death　of　her　husband；　the　late　king；　had　mounted　the　throne。　To　her　Cyrus　sent　ambassadors；　with　instructions　to　court　her　on　his　part；　pretending　that　he　wished　to　take　her　to　wife。　Tomyris；　however；　aware　that　it　was　her　kingdom；　and　not　herself；　that　he　courted；　forbade　the　men　to　approach。　Cyrus；　therefore；　finding　that　he　did　not　advance　his　designs　by　this　deceit；　marched　towards　the　Araxes；　and　openly　displaying　his　hostile　intentions；　set　to　work　to　construct　a　bridge　on　which　his　army　might　cross　the　river；　and　began　building　towers　upon　the　boats　which　were　to　be　used　in　the　passage。　　　　　While　the　Persian　leader　was　occupied　in　these　labours；　Tomyris　sent　a　herald　to　him；　who　said；　〃King　of　the　Medes；　cease　to　press　this　enterprise；　for　thou　canst　not　know　if　what　thou　art　doing　will　be　of　real　advantage　to　thee。　Be　content　to　rule　in　peace　thy　own　kingdom；　and　bear　to　see　us　reign　over　the　countries　that　are　ours　to　govern。　As；　however；　I　know　thou　wilt　not　choose　to　hearken　to　this　counsel；　since　there　is　nothing　thou　less　desirest　than　peace　and　quietness；　come　now；　if　thou　art　so　mightily　desirous　of　meeting　the　Massagetae　in　arms；　leave　thy　useless　toil　of　bridge…making；　let　us　retire　three　days'　march　from　the　river　bank；　and　do　thou　come　across　with　thy　soldiers；　or；　if　thou　likest　better　to　give　us　battle　on　thy　side　the　stream；　retire　thyself　an　equal　distance。〃　Cyrus；　on　this　offer；　called　together　the　chiefs　of　the　Persians；　and　laid　the　matter　before　them；　requesting　them　to　advise　him　what　he　should　do。