*voured you, ruled over Perfia. The fame for << tune now feems propitious to them, and they only retaliate your own conduct upon you. We did not before offer any injury to this people, "neither without provocation fhall we do fo now: «but if he attack our country, and commence "hoftilities against us, he will find that we fhall 284 27 not patiently endure the infult. Until he fhall << do this we fhall remain neuter. We cannot "believe that the Perfians intend any injury to us, "but to thofe alone who firft offended them." CXX. When the Scythians heard this, and found that they had no affiftance to expect, they determined to avoid all open and decifive encounters: with this view they divided themfelves into two bodies, and retiring gradually before the enemy, they filled up the wells and fountains which lay in their way, and deftroyed the produce of their fields. The Sauromate were directed to advance to the district under the authority of Scopafis, with orders, upon the advance of the Perfians, to retreat towards the Mootis, by the river Tanais. If the Perfians retreated, they were to harrafs and purfue them. This was the difpofition of one part of their power. The two other divifions of their country, the greater one under Indathyrfus, and the third under Taxacis, were to join themselves to the Geloni and Budini, and advancing a day's march before the Perfians, were gradually to retreat, and in other respects perform what had been previously determined in council. They were particularly enjoined 284 enjoined to allure the enemy to pass the dominions of thofe nations who had withheld their affiftance, in order that their indignation might be provoked; that as they were unwilling to unite in any hoftilities before, they should now be compelled to take arms in their own defence. They were finally to retire into their own country, and to attack the enemy, if it could be done with any profpect of fuccefs 15. CXXI. The Scythians having determined upon these measures, advanced filently before the forces of Darius, fending forwards as fcouts a felect detachment of their cavalry: they also dispatched before them the carriages in which their wives and children usually live, together with their cattle, referving only fuch a number as was necessary to their fubfiftence, giving directions that their route fhould be regularly towards the north. CXXII. Thefe carriages accordingly advanced as they were directed; the Scythian fcouts, finding that the Perfians had proceeded a three days journey from the Ifter, encamped at the diftance of one day's march from their army, and destroyed all the produce of the lands. The Perfians, as foon 125 Profpect of fuccefs.]—The very judicious plan of operation here pourtrayed feems rather to belong to a civilized nation, acquainted with all the fubterfuges of the moft improved military difcipline, than to a people fo rude and barbarous as the Scythians are elsewhere reprefented. The conduct of the Roman Fabius, who, to use the words of Ennius, cunctando reftituit rem, was not very unlike this.-T. MEL POM EN E. 289 th as they came in fight of the Scythian cavalry, commenced the purfuit; whilft the Scythians regularly retired before them. Directing their attention to one part of the enemy in particular, the Perfians continued to advance eastward towards the Tanais, The Scythians having croffed this river, the Perfians did the fame, till paffing over the country of the 184Sauromatæ, they came to that of the Budini. 29 148 CXXIII. As long as the Perfians remained in 278 of wood, which the inhabitants had totally stripped 126 Thyageta]-This people are indifferently named the Thyffagete, the Thyrfagetæ, and the Tyrregeta; mention is made of them by Strabo, Pliny, and Valerius Flaccus.-This latter author fays, fotou meet toots A 1 Non ego fanguineis geftantem tympana bellis Pellibus. VOL. II. U T. CXXIV. CXXIV. As foon as Darius arrived at the above folitude, he halted, and encamped his army upon the banks of the Oarus: he then conftructed eight large forts, at the distance of fixty stadia from each other, the ruins of which have been visible to my time. Whilst he was thus employed, that detachment of the enemy which he had purfued, making a circuit by the higher parts of the country, returned into Scythia. When these had disappeared, and were no more to be difcovered, Darius left his forts in an unfinished ftate, and directed his march weftward, thinking that the Scythians whom he had pursued were the whole of the nation, and had fled towards the weft: accelerating therefore his march, he arrived in Scythia, and met with two detachments of Scythians; thefe alfo he purfued, who took care to keep from him at the distance of 'one day's march. CXXV. Darius continued his purfuit, and the Scythians, ás had been previoufly concerted, led him into the country of those who had refused to accede to their alliance, and firft of all into that of the MeJanchlani. When the lands of this people had been effectually haraffed by the Scythians, as well as the Perfians, the latter were again led by the former into the district of the Androphagi. Having in like manner diftreffed thefe, the Perfians were allured on to the Neuri: the Neuri being alfo alarmed and haraffed, the attempt was made to carry the Perfians amongst the Agathyrfi. This people however had obferved, that before their own country had had fuffered any injury from the invaders, the Scythians had taken care to diftrefs the lands of their neighbours; they accordingly difpatched to them a meffenger, forbidding their nearer approach, and threatening that any attempt to advance fhould meet with their hoftile refiftance with this determination the Agathyrfi appeared in arms upon their borders. But the Melanchlani, the Androphagi, and the Neuri, although they had fuffered equally from the Perfians and the Scythians, neither made any exertions, nor remembered what they had before menaced, but fled in alarm to the deferts of the north. The Scythians, turning afide from the Agathyrfi, who had refused to affift them, retreated from the country of the Neuri, towards Scythia, whither they were purfued by the Perfians.. CXXVI. As they continued to perfevere in the fame conduct, Darius was induced to fend a mef fenger to Indathyrfus, the Scythian prince. "Most "wretched man," said the ambaffador," why do r you thus continue to fly, having the choice of "one one of thefe alternatives-If you think yourself "able to contend with me, ftop and let us engage: « if feel a conscious inferiority, bring to me, "as to your fuperior, earth and water; let us come to a conference." you * 「 ** CXXVII. 27 Earth and water.]-Amongst the ancient nations of the weft, to fhew that they confeffed themfelves overcome, or that they furrendered at difcretion, they gathered fome grafs, and prefented it to the conqueror. By this action they refigned all the claims they poffeffed to their country. In the time of Pliny, the Germans ftill obferved this cuftom. Summum apud U 2 antiquos |