the history-第74章

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f　of　the　Getae　in　respect　of　immortality　is　the　following。　They　think　that　they　do　not　really　die；　but　that　when　they　depart　this　life　they　go　to　Zalmoxis；　who　is　called　also　Gebeleizis　by　some　among　them。　To　this　god　every　five　years　they　send　a　messenger；　who　is　chosen　by　lot　out　of　the　whole　nation；　and　charged　to　bear　him　their　several　requests。　Their　mode　of　sending　him　is　this。　A　number　of　them　stand　in　order；　each　holding　in　his　hand　three　darts；　others　take　the　man　who　is　to　be　sent　to　Zalmoxis；　and　swinging　him　by　his　hands　and　feet；　toss　him　into　the　air　so　that　he　falls　upon　the　points　of　the　weapons。　If　he　is　pierced　and　dies；　they　think　that　the　god　is　propitious　to　them；　but　if　not；　they　lay　the　fault　on　the　messenger；　who　（they　say）　is　a　wicked　man：　and　so　they　choose　another　to　send　away。　The　messages　are　given　while　the　man　is　still　alive。　This　same　people；　when　it　lightens　and　thunders；　aim　their　arrows　at　the　sky；　uttering　threats　against　the　god；　and　they　do　not　believe　that　there　is　any　god　but　their　own。　　　　　I　am　told　by　the　Greeks　who　dwell　on　the　shores　of　the　Hellespont　and　the　Pontus；　that　this　Zalmoxis　was　in　reality　a　man；　that　he　lived　at　Samos；　and　while　there　was　the　slave　of　Pythagoras　son　of　Mnesarchus。　After　obtaining　his　freedom　he　grew　rich；　and　leaving　Samos；　returned　to　his　own　country。　The　Thracians　at　that　time　lived　in　a　wretched　way；　and　were　a　poor　ignorant　race；　Zalmoxis；　therefore；　who　by　his　commerce　with　the　Greeks；　and　especially　with　one　who　was　by　no　means　their　most　contemptible　philosopher；　Pythagoras　to　wit；　was　acquainted　with　the　Ionic　mode　of　life　and　with　manners　more　refined　than　those　current　among　his　countrymen；　had　a　chamber　built；　in　which　from　time　to　time　he　received　and　feasted　all　the　principal　Thracians；　using　the　occasion　to　teach　them　that　neither　he；　nor　they；　his　boon　companions；　nor　any　of　their　posterity　would　ever　perish；　but　that　they　would　all　go　to　a　place　where　they　would　live　for　aye　in　the　enjoyment　of　every　conceivable　good。　While　he　was　acting　in　this　way；　and　holding　this　kind　of　discourse；　he　was　constructing　an　apartment　underground；　into　which；　when　it　was　completed；　he　withdrew；　vanishing　suddenly　from　the　eyes　of　the　Thracians；　who　greatly　regretted　his　loss；　and　mourned　over　him　as　one　dead。　He　meanwhile　abode　in　his　secret　chamber　three　full　years；　after　which　he　came　forth　from　his　concealment；　and　showed　himself　once　more　to　his　countrymen；　who　were　thus　brought　to　believe　in　the　truth　of　what　he　had　taught　them。　Such　is　the　account　of　the　Greeks。　　　　　I　for　my　part　neither　put　entire　faith　in　this　story　of　Zalmoxis　and　his　underground　chamber；　nor　do　I　altogether　discredit　it：　but　I　believe　Zalmoxis　to　have　lived　long　before　the　time　of　Pythagoras。　Whether　there　was　ever　really　a　man　of　the　name；　or　whether　Zalmoxis　is　nothing　but　a　native　god　of　the　Getae；　I　now　bid　him　farewell。　As　for　the　Getae　themselves；　the　people　who　observe　the　practices　described　above；　they　were　now　reduced　by　the　Persians；　and　accompanied　the　army　of　Darius。　　　　　When　Darius；　with　his　land　forces；　reached　the　Ister；　he　made　his　troops　cross　the　stream；　and　after　all　were　gone　over　gave　orders　to　the　Ionians　to　break　the　bridge；　and　follow　him　with　the　whole　naval　force　in　his　land　march。　They　were　about　to　obey　his　command；　when　the　general　of　the　Mytilenaeans；　Coes　son　of　Erxander；　having　first　asked　whether　it　was　agreeable　to　the　king　to　listen　to　one　who　wished　to　speak　his　mind；　addressed　him　in　the　words　following：…　〃Thou　art　about；　Sire；　to　attack　a　country　no　part　of　which　is　cultivated；　and　wherein　there　is　not　a　single　inhabited　city。　Keep　this　bridge；　then；　as　it　is；　and　leave　those　who　built　it　to　watch　over　it。　So　if　we　come　up　with　the　Scythians　and　succeed　against　them　as　we　could　wish；　we　may　return　by　this　route；　or　if　we　fail　of　finding　them；　our　retreat　will　still　be　secure。　For　I　have　no　fear　lest　the　Scythians　defeat　us　in　battle；　but　my　dread　is　lest　we　be　unable　to　discover　them；　and　suffer　loss　while　we　wander　about　their　territory。　And　now；　mayhap；　it　will　be　said；　I　advise　thee　thus　in　the　hope　of　being　myself　allowed　to　remain　behind；　but　in　truth　I　have　no　other　design　than　to　recommend　the　course　which　seems　to　me　the　best；　nor　will　I　consent　to　be　among　those　left　behind；　but　my　resolve　is；　in　any　case；　to　follow　thee。〃　The　advice　of　Coes　pleased　Darius　highly；　who　thus　replied　to　him：…　〃Dear　Lesbian；　when　I　am　safe　home　again　in　my　palace；　be　sure　thou　come　to　me；　and　with　good　deeds　will　I　recompense　thy　good　words　of　to…day。〃　　　　　Having　so　said；　the　king　took　a　leathern　thong；　and　tying　sixty　knots　in　it；　called　together　the　Ionian　tyrants；　and　spoke　thus　to　them：…　〃Men　of　Ionia；　my　former　commands　to　you　concerning　the　bridge　are　now　withdrawn。　See；　here　is　a　thong：　take　it；　and　observe　my　bidding　with　respect　to　it。　From　the　time　that　I　leave　you　to　march　forward　into　Scythia；　untie　every　day　one　of　the　knots。　If　I　do　not　return　before　the　last　day　to　which　the　knots　will　hold　out；　then　leave　your　station；　and　sail　to　your　several　homes。　Meanwhile；　understand　that　my　resolve　is　changed；　and　that　you　are　to　guard　the　bridge　with　all　care；　and　watch　over　its　safety　and　preservation。　By　so　doing　ye　will　oblige　me　greatly。〃　When　Darius　had　thus　spoken；　he　set　out　on　his　march　with　all　speed。　　　　　Before　you　come　to　Scythia；　on　the　sea　coast；　lies　Thrace。　The　land　here　makes　a　sweep；　and　then　Scythia　begins；　the　Ister　falling　into　the　sea　at　this　point　with　its　mouth　facing　the　east。　Starting　from　the　Ister　I　shall　now　describe　the　measurements　of　the　seashore　of　Scythia。　Immediately　that　the　Ister　is　crossed；　Old　Scythia　begins；　and　continues　as　far　as　the　city　called　Carcinitis；　fronting　towards　the　south　wind　and　the　mid…day。　Here　upon　the　same　sea；　there　lies　a　mountainous　tract　projecting　into　the　Pontus；　which　is　inhabited　by　the　Tauri；　as　far　as　what　is　called　the　Rugged　Chersonese；　which　runs　out　into　the　sea　upon　the　east。　For　the　boundaries　of　Scythia　extend　on　two　sides　to　two　different　seas；　one　upon　the　south；　and　the　other　towards　the　east；　as　is　also　the　case　with　Attica。　And　the　Tauri　occupy　a　position　in　Scythia　like　that　which　a　people　would　hold　in　Attica；　who；　being　foreigners　and　not　Athenians；　should　inhabit　the　high　land　of　Sunium；　from　Thoricus　to　the　township　of　Anaphlystus；　if　this　tract　projected　into　the　sea　somewhat　further　than　it　does。　Such；　to　compare　great　things　with　small；　is　the　Tauric　territory。　For　the　sake　of　those　who　may　not　have　made　the　voyage　round　these　parts　of　Attica；　I　will　illustrate　in　another　way。　It　is　as　if　in　Iapygia　a　line　were　drawn　from　Port　Brundusium　to　Tarentum；　and　a　people　different　from　the　Iapygians　inhabited　the　promontory。　These　two　instances　may　suggest　a　number　of　others　where　the　shape　of　the　land　closely　resembles　that　of　Taurica。　　　　　Beyond　this　tract；　we　find　the　Scythians　again　in　possession　of　the　country　above　the　Tauri　and　the　parts　bordering　on　the　eastern　sea；　as　also　of　the　whole　district　lying　west　of　the　Cimmerian　Bosphorus　and　the　Palus　Maeotis；　as　far　as　the　river　Tanais；　which　empties　itself　into　that　lake　at　its　upper　end。　As　for　the　inland　boundaries　of　Scythia；　if　we　start　from　the　Ister；　we　find　it　enclosed　by　the　following　tribes；　first　the　Agathyrsi；　next　the　Neuri；　then　the　Androphagi；　and　last　of　all；　the　Melanchaeni。　　　　　Scythia　then；　which　is　square　in　shape；　and　has　two　of　its　sides　reaching　down　to　the　sea；　extends　inland　to　the　same　distance　that　it　stretches　along　the　coast；　and　is　equal　every　way。　For　it　is　a　ten　days'　journey　from　the　Ister　to　the　Borysthenes；　and　ten　more　from　the　Borysthenes　to　the　Palus　Maeotis；　while　the　distance　from　the　coast　inland　to　the　country　of　the　Melanchaeni；　who　dwell　above　Scythia；　is　a　journey　of　twenty　days。　I　reckon　the　day's　journey　at　two　hundred　furlongs。　Thus　the　two　sides　which　run　straight　inland　are　four　thousand　furlongs　each；　and　the　transverse　sides　at　right　angles　to　these　are　also　of　the　same　length；　which　gives　the　full　size　of　Scythia。　　　　　The　Scythians；　reflecting　on　their　situation；　perceived　that　they　were　not　strong　enough　by　themselves　to　contend　with　the　army　of　Darius　in　open　fight。　They；　therefore；　sent　envoys　to　the　neighbouring　nations；　whose　kings　had　already　met；　and　were　in　consultation　upon　the　advance　of　so　vast　a　host。　Now　they　who　had　come　together　were　the　kings　of　the　Tauri；　the　Agathyrsi；　the　Neuri；　the　Androphagi；　the　Melanchaeni；　the　Geloni；　the　Budini；　and　the　Sauromatae。　　　　　The　Tauri　have　the　following　customs。　They　offer　in　sacrifice　to　the　Virgin　all　shipwrecked　persons；　and　all　Greeks　compelled　to　put　into　their　ports　by　stress　of　weather。　The　mode　of　sacrifice　is　this。　After　the　preparatory　ceremonies；　they　strike　the　victim　on　the　head　with　a　club。　Then；　according　to　some　accounts；　they　hurl　the　trunk　from　the　precipice　whereon　the　temple　stands；　and　nail　the　head　to　a　cross。　Others　grant　that　the　head　is　treated　in　this　way；　but　deny　that　the　body　is　thrown　down　the　cliff…　on　the　contrary；　they　say；　it　is　buried。　The　goddess　to　whom　these　sacrifices　are　offered　the　Tauri　themselves　declare　to　be　Iphigenia　the　daughter　of　Agamemnon。　When　they　take　prisoners　in　war　t