the history-第66章

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o　the　district　called　〃the　Woodland；〃　where　he　found　in　a　cave　a　strange　being；　between　a　maiden　and　a　serpent；　whose　form　from　the　waist　upwards　was　like　that　of　a　woman；　while　all　below　was　like　a　snake。　He　looked　at　her　wonderingly；　but　nevertheless　inquired；　whether　she　had　chanced　to　see　his　strayed　mares　anywhere。　She　answered　him；　〃Yes；　and　they　were　now　in　her　keeping；　but　never　would　she　consent　to　give　them　back；　unless　he　took　her　for　his　mistress。〃　So　Hercules；　to　get　his　mares　back；　agreed；　but　afterwards　she　put　him　off　and　delayed　restoring　the　mares；　since　she　wished　to　keep　him　with　her　as　long　as　possible。　He；　on　the　other　hand；　was　only　anxious　to　secure　them　and　to　get　away。　At　last；　when　she　gave　them　up；　she　said　to　him；　〃When　thy　mares　strayed　hither；　it　was　I　who　saved　them　for　thee：　now　thou　hast　paid　their　salvage；　for　lo！　I　bear　in　my　womb　three　sons　of　thine。　Tell　me　therefore　when　thy　sons　grow　up；　what　must　I　do　with　them？　Wouldst　thou　wish　that　I　should　settle　them　here　in　this　land；　whereof　I　am　mistress；　or　shall　I　send　them　to　thee？〃　Thus　questioned；　they　say；　Hercules　answered；　〃When　the　lads　have　grown　to　manhood；　do　thus；　and　assuredly　thou　wilt　not　err。　Watch　them；　and　when　thou　seest　one　of　them　bend　this　bow　as　I　now　bend　it；　and　gird　himself　with　this　girdle　thus；　choose　him　to　remain　in　the　land。　Those　who　fail　in　the　trial；　send　away。　Thus　wilt　thou　at　once　please　thyself　and　obey　me。〃　　　　　Hereupon　he　strung　one　of　his　bows…　up　to　that　time　he　had　carried　two…　and　showed　her　how　to　fasten　the　belt。　Then　he　gave　both　bow　and　belt　into　her　hands。　Now　the　belt　had　a　golden　goblet　attached　to　its　clasp。　So　after　he　had　given　them　to　her；　he　went　his　way；　and　the　woman；　when　her　children　grew　to　manhood；　first　gave　them　severally　their　names。　One　she　called　Agathyrsus；　one　Gelonus；　and　the　other；　who　was　the　youngest；　Scythes。　Then　she　remembered　the　instructions　she　had　received　from　Hercules；　and；　in　obedience　to　his　orders；　she　put　her　sons　to　the　test。　Two　of　them；　Agathyrsus　and　Gelonus；　proving　unequal　to　the　task　enjoined；　their　mother　sent　them　out　of　the　land；　Scythes；　the　youngest；　succeeded；　and　so　he　was　allowed　to　remain。　From　Scythes；　the　son　of　Hercules；　were　descended　the　after　kings　of　Scythia；　and　from　the　circumstance　of　the　goblet　which　hung　from　the　belt；　the　Scythians　to　this　day　wear　goblets　at　their　girdles。　This　was　the　only　thing　which　the　mother　of　Scythes　did　for　him。　Such　is　the　tale　told　by　the　Greeks　who　dwell　around　the　Pontus。　　　　　There　is　also　another　different　story；　now　to　be　related；　in　which　I　am　more　inclined　to　put　faith　than　in　any　other。　It　is　that　the　wandering　Scythians　once　dwelt　in　Asia；　and　there　warred　with　the　Massagetae；　but　with　ill　success；　they　therefore　quitted　their　homes；　crossed　the　Araxes；　and　entered　the　land　of　Cimmeria。　For　the　land　which　is　now　inhabited　by　the　Scyths　was　formerly　the　country　of　the　Cimmerians。　On　their　coming；　the　natives；　who　heard　how　numerous　the　invading　army　was；　held　a　council。　At　this　meeting　opinion　was　divided；　and　both　parties　stiffly　maintained　their　own　view；　but　the　counsel　of　the　Royal　tribe　was　the　braver。　For　the　others　urged　that　the　best　thing　to　be　done　was　to　leave　the　country；　and　avoid　a　contest　with　so　vast　a　host；　but　the　Royal　tribe　advised　remaining　and　fighting　for　the　soil　to　the　last。　As　neither　party　chose　to　give　way；　the　one　determined　to　retire　without　a　blow　and　yield　their　lands　to　the　invaders；　but　the　other；　remembering　the　good　things　which　they　had　enjoyed　in　their　homes；　and　picturing　to　themselves　the　evils　which　they　had　to　expect　if　they　gave　them　up；　resolved　not　to　flee；　but　rather　to　die　and　at　least　be　buried　in　their　fatherland。　Having　thus　decided；　they　drew　apart　in　two　bodies；　the　one　as　numerous　as　the　other；　and　fought　together。　All　of　the　Royal　tribe　were　slain；　and　the　people　buried　them　near　the　river　Tyras；　where　their　grave　is　still　to　be　seen。　Then　the　rest　of　the　Cimmerians　departed；　and　the　Scythians；　on　their　coming；　took　possession　of　a　deserted　land。　　　　　Scythia　still　retains　traces　of　the　Cimmerians；　there　are　Cimmerian　castles；　and　a　Cimmerian　ferry；　also　a　tract　called　Cimmeria；　and　a　Cimmerian　Bosphorus。　It　appears　likewise　that　the　Cimmerians；　when　they　fled　into　Asia　to　escape　the　Scyths；　made　a　settlement　in　the　peninsula　where　the　Greek　city　of　Sinope　was　afterwards　built。　The　Scyths；　it　is　plain；　pursued　them；　and　missing　their　road；　poured　into　Media。　For　the　Cimmerians　kept　the　line　which　led　along　the　sea…shore；　but　the　Scyths　in　their　pursuit　held　the　Caucasus　upon　their　right；　thus　proceeding　inland；　and　falling　upon　Media。　This　account　is　one　which　is　common　both　to　Greeks　and　barbarians。　　　　　Aristeas　also；　son　of　Caystrobius；　a　native　of　Proconnesus；　says　in　the　course　of　his　poem　that　wrapt　in　Bacchic　fury　he　went　as　far　as　the　Issedones。　Above　them　dwelt　the　Arimaspi；　men　with　one　eye；　still　further；　the　gold…guarding　griffins；　and　beyond　these；　the　Hyperboreans；　who　extended　to　the　sea。　Except　the　Hyperboreans；　all　these　nations；　beginning　with　the　Arimaspi；　were　continually　encroaching　upon　their　neighbours。　Hence　it　came　to　pass　that　the　Arimaspi　drove　the　Issedonians　from　their　country；　while　the　Issedonians　dispossessed　the　Scyths；　and　the　Scyths；　pressing　upon　the　Cimmerians；　who　dwelt　on　the　shores　of　the　Southern　Sea；　forced　them　to　leave　their　land。　Thus　even　Aristeas　does　not　agree　in　his　account　of　this　region　with　the　Scythians。　　　　　The　birthplace　of　Aristeas；　the　poet　who　sung　of　these　things；　I　have　already　mentioned。　I　will　now　relate　a　tale　which　I　heard　concerning　him　both　at　Proconnesus　and　at　Cyzicus。　Aristeas；　they　said；　who　belonged　to　one　of　the　noblest　families　in　the　island；　had　entered　one　day　into　a　fuller's　shop；　when　he　suddenly　dropt　down　dead。　Hereupon　the　fuller　shut　up　his　shop；　and　went　to　tell　Aristeas'　kindred　what　had　happened。　The　report　of　the　death　had　just　spread　through　the　town；　when　a　certain　Cyzicenian；　lately　arrived　from　Artaca；　contradicted　the　rumour；　affirming　that　he　had　met　Aristeas　on　his　road　to　Cyzicus；　and　had　spoken　with　him。　This　man；　therefore；　strenuously　denied　the　rumour；　the　relations；　however；　proceeded　to　the　fuller's　shop　with　all　things　necessary　for　the　funeral；　intending　to　carry　the　body　away。　But　on　the　shop　being　opened；　no　Aristeas　was　found；　either　dead　or　alive。　Seven　years　afterwards　he　reappeared；　they　told　me；　in　Proconnesus；　and　wrote　the　poem　called　by　the　Greeks　The　Arimaspeia；　after　which　he　disappeared　a　second　time。　This　is　the　tale　current　in　the　two　cities　above…mentioned。　　　　　What　follows　I　know　to　have　happened　to　the　Metapontines　of　Italy；　three　hundred　and　forty　years　after　the　second　disappearance　of　Aristeas；　as　I　collect　by　comparing　the　accounts　given　me　at　Proconnesus　and　Metapontum。　Aristeas　then；　as　the　Metapontines　affirm；　appeared　to　them　in　their　own　country；　and　ordered　them　to　set　up　an　altar　in　honour　of　Apollo；　and　to　place　near　it　a　statue　to　be　called　that　of　Aristeas　the　Proconnesian。　〃Apollo；〃　he　told　them；　〃had　come　to　their　country　once；　though　he　had　visited　no　other　Italiots；　and　he　had　been　with　Apollo　at　the　time；　not　however　in　his　present　form；　but　in　the　shape　of　a　crow。〃　Having　said　so　much；　he　vanished。　Then　the　Metapontines；　as　they　relate；　sent　to　Delphi；　and　inquired　of　the　god　in　what　light　they　were　to　regard　the　appearance　of　this　ghost　of　a　man。　The　Pythoness；　in　reply；　bade　them　attend　to　what　the　spectre　said；　〃for　so　it　would　go　best　with　them。〃　Thus　advised；　they　did　as　they　had　been　directed：　and　there　is　now　a　statue　bearing　the　name　of　Aristeas；　close　by　the　image　of　Apollo　in　the　market…place　of　Metapontum；　with　bay…trees　standing　around　it。　But　enough　has　been　said　concerning　Aristeas。　　　　　With　regard　to　the　regions　which　lie　above　the　country　whereof　this　portion　of　my　history　treats；　there　is　no　one　who　possesses　any　exact　knowledge。　Not　a　single　person　can　I　find　who　professes　to　be　acquainted　with　them　by　actual　observation。　Even　Aristeas；　the　traveller　of　whom　I　lately　spoke；　does　not　claim…　and　he　is　writing　poetry…　to　have　reached　any　farther　than　the　Issedonians。　What　he　relates　concerning　the　regions　beyond　is；　he　confesses；　mere　hearsay；　being　the　account　which　the　Issedonians　gave　him　of　those　countries。　However；　I　shall　proceed　to　mention　all　that　I　have　learnt　of　these　parts　by　the　most　exact　inquiries　which　I　have　been　able　to　make　concerning　them。　　　　　Above　the　mart　of　the　Borysthenites；　which　is　situated　in　the　very　centre　of　the　whole　sea…coast　of　Scythia；　the　first　people　who　inhabit　the　land　are　the　Callipedae；　a　Greco…Scythic　race。　Next　to　them；　as　you　go　inland；　dwell　the　people　called　the　Alazonians。　These　two　nations　in　other　respects　resemble　the　Scythians　in　their　usages；　but　sow　and　eat　corn；　also　onions；　garlic；　lentils；　and　millet。　Beyond　the　Alazonians　reside　Scythian　cultivators；　who　grow　corn；　not　for　their　own　use；　but　for　sale。　Still　higher　up　are　the　Neuri。　Northwards　of　the　Neuri　the　continent；　as　far　as　it　is　known　to　us；　is　uninhabited。　These　are　the　nations　along　the　course　of　the　river　Hypanis；　west　of　the　Borysthenes。　　　　　Across　the　Borysthenes；　the　first　country　after　yo