any period, unless by Cyrus; to him, indeed, he thought no one of his countrymen could possibly be compared. It is affirmed of Darius, that he used frequently to assert, that he would rather Zopyrus had suffered no injury, than have been master of twenty Babylons. He rewarded him magnificently: every year he presented him with the gifts deemed most honourable in Persia; he made him also governor of Babylon for life, free from the payment of any tribute, and to these he added other marks of liberality. Megabyzus, who commanded in Egypt against the Athenians and their allies, was a son of this Zopyrus; which Megabyzus had a son named Zopyrus, who deserted from the Persians to the Athenians.

HERODOTUS.

BOOK IV.

MELPOMENE.

CHAPTER I.

DARIUS, after the capture of Babylon, undertook an expedition against Scythia. Asia was now both populous and rich, and he was desirous of avenging on the Scythians, the injuries they had formerly committed, by entering Media, and defeating those who opposed them. During a period of twenty-eight years, the Scythians, as I have before remarked, retained the sovereignty of the Upper Asia; entering into which, when in pursuit of the Cimmerians, they expelled the Medes, its ancient possessors. After this long absence from their country, the Scythians were desirous to return, but here as great a labour awaited them, as they had experienced in their expedition into Media; for the women, deprived so long of their husbands, had connected themselves with their slaves, and they found a numerous body in arms ready to dispute their progress.

II. It is a custom with the Scythians to deprive all their slaves of sight, on account of the milk, which is their customary drink. They have a particular kind of bone, shaped like a flute : this is applied to the private parts of a mare, and blown into from the mouth. It is one man's office to blow, another's to milk the mare. Their idea is, that, the veins of the animal being thus inflated, the dugs are proportionably filled. When the milk is thus obtained, they place it in deep wooden vessels, and the slaves are directed to keep it in continual agitation. Of this, that which remains at top is most esteemed, what subsides is of inferior

value. This it is which induces the Scythians to deprive all their captives of sight, for they do not cultivate the ground, but lead a pastoral life.

III. From the union of these slaves with the Seythian women, a numerous progeny was born, who, when informed of their origin, readily advanced to oppose those who were returning from Media. Their first exertion was to intersect the country by a large and deep trench, which extended from the mountains of Tauris, to the Palus Mæotis. They then encamped opposite to the Scythians, who were endeavouring to effect their passage. Various engagements ensued, in which the Scythians obtained no advantage. My countrymen," at length one of them exclaimed, "what are we doing? In this contest with our slaves, every action diminishes our number, and by killing those who oppose us, the value of victory decreases: let us throw aside our darts and our arrows, and rush upon them only with the whips which we use for our horses. Whilst they see us with arms, they think themselves our equals in birth and importance; but as soon as they shall perceive the whip in our hands, they will be impressed with the sense of their servile condition, and resist no longer."

IV. The Scythians approved the advice; their opponents forgot their former exertions, and fled: in this manner the Scythians obtained the sovereignty of Asia; and thus, after having been expelled by the Medes, they returned to their country. From the above motives, Darius, eager for revenge, prepared to lead an army against them.

V. The Scythians affirm of their country that it was of all others the last formed, which happened in this manner: when this region was in its original and desert state, the first inhabitant was named Targitaus, a son, as they say, (but which to me seems incredible) of Jupiter, by a daughter of the Borysthenes. This Targitaus had three sons, Lipoxais, Arpoxais, and lastly Colaxais. Whilst they possessed the country, there fell from heaven into the Scythian district a plough, a yoke, an axe, and a goblet, all of gold. The eldest of the brothers was the first who saw them;

ho, running to take them, was burnt by the gold. n his retiring, the second brother approached, and as burnt also. When these two had been repelled y the burning gold, last of all the youngest brother dvanced; upon him the gold had no effect, and he arried it to his house. The two elder brothers, oberving what had happened, resigned all authority to he youngest.

VI. From Lipoxais those Scythians were descendd who are termed the Auchate; from Arpoxais, the econd brother, those who are called the Catiari and he Traspies; from the youngest, who was king, came he Paralatæ. Generally speaking, these people are amed Scoloti, from a surname of their king, but the Greeks call them Scythians.

VII. This is the account which the Scythians give of their origin; and they add, that from their first king Targitaus, to the invasion of their country by Darius, is a period of a thousand years, and no more. The sacred gold is preserved by their kings with the greatest care; and every year there are solemn sacrifices, at which the prince assists. They have a tradition, that if the person who has the custody of this gold, sleeps in the open air during the time of their annual festival, he dies before the end of the year; for this reason they give him as much land as he can pass over on horseback in the course of a day. As this region is extensive, king Colaxais divided the country into three parts, which he gave to three sons, making that portion the largest in which the gold was deposited. As to the district which lies farther to the north, and beyond the extreme inhabitants of the country, they say that it neither can be passed, nor yet discerned with the eye, on account of the feathers which are continually falling: with these both the earth and the air are so filled, as effectually to obstruct the view..

VIII. Such is the manner in which the Scythians describe themselves and the country beyond them. The Greeks who inhabit Pontus speak of both as follows: Hercules, when he was driving away the heifers of Geryon, came to this region, now inhabited by the