the history-第76章

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d　differently：　it　is　stripped　bare；　cleansed；　and　set　in　gold。　It　then　becomes　an　ornament　on　which　they　pride　themselves；　and　is　brought　out　year　by　year　at　the　great　festival　which　sons　keep　in　honour　of　their　fathers'　death；　just　as　the　Greeks　keep　their　Genesia。　In　other　respects　the　Issedonians　are　reputed　to　be　observers　of　justice：　and　it　is　to　be　remarked　that　their　women　have　equal　authority　with　the　men。　Thus　our　knowledge　extends　as　far　as　this　nation。　　　　　The　regions　beyond　are　known　only　from　the　accounts　of　the　Issedonians；　by　whom　the　stories　are　told　of　the　one…eyed　race　of　men　and　the　gold…guarding　griffins。　These　stories　are　received　by　the　Scythians　from　the　Issedonians；　and　by　them　passed　on　to　us　Greeks：　whence　it　arises　that　we　give　the　one…eyed　race　the　Scythian　name　of　Arimaspi；　〃arima〃　being　the　Scythic　word　for　〃one；〃　and　〃spu〃　for　〃the　eye。〃　　　　　The　whole　district　whereof　we　have　here　discoursed　has　winters　of　exceeding　rigour。　During　eight　months　the　frost　is　so　intense　that　water　poured　upon　the　ground　does　not　form　mud；　but　if　a　fire　be　lighted　on　it　mud　is　produced。　The　sea　freezes；　and　the　Cimmerian　Bosphorus　is　frozen　over。　At　that　season　the　Scythians　who　dwell　inside　the　trench　make　warlike　expeditions　upon　the　ice；　and　even　drive　their　waggons　across　to　the　country　of　the　Sindians。　Such　is　the　intensity　of　the　cold　during　eight　months　out　of　the　twelve；　and　even　in　the　remaining　four　the　climate　is　still　cool。　The　character　of　the　winter　likewise　is　unlike　that　of　the　same　season　in　any　other　country；　for　at　that　time；　when　the　rains　ought　to　fall　in　Scythia；　there　is　scarcely　any　rain　worth　mentioning；　while　in　summer　it　never　gives　over　raining；　and　thunder；　which　elsewhere　is　frequent　then；　in　Scythia　is　unknown　in　that　part　of　the　year；　coming　only　in　summer；　when　it　is　very　heavy。　Thunder　in　the　winter…time　is　there　accounted　a　prodigy；　as　also　are　earthquakes；　whether　they　happen　in　winter　or　summer。　Horses　bear　the　winter　well；　cold　as　it　is；　but　mules　and　asses　are　quite　unable　to　bear　it；　whereas　in　other　countries　mules　and　asses　are　found　to　endure　the　cold；　while　horses；　if　they　stand　still；　are　frost…bitten。　　　　　To　me　it　seems　that　the　cold　may　likewise　be　the　cause　which　prevents　the　oxen　in　Scythia　from　having　horns。　There　is　a　line　of　Homer's　in　the　Odyssey　which　gives　a　support　to　my　opinion：…

　　　　Libya　too；　where　horns　hud　quick　on　the　foreheads　of　lambkins。

He　means　to　say　what　is　quite　true；　that　in　warm　countries　the　horns　come　early。　So　too　in　countries　where　the　cold　is　severe　animals　either　have　no　horns；　or　grow　them　with　difficulty…　the　cold　being　the　cause　in　this　instance。　　　　　Here　I　must　express　my　wonder…　additions　being　what　my　work　always　from　the　very　first　affected…　that　in　Elis；　where　the　cold　is　not　remarkable；　and　there　is　nothing　else　to　account　for　it；　mules　are　never　produced。　The　Eleans　say　it　is　in　consequence　of　a　curse；　and　their　habit　is；　when　the　breeding…time　comes；　to　take　their　mares　into　one　of　the　adjoining　countries；　and　there　keep　them　till　they　are　in　foal；　when　they　bring　them　back　again　into　Elis。　　　　　With　respect　to　the　feathers　which　are　said　by　the　Scythians　to　fill　the　air；　and　to　prevent　persons　from　penetrating　into　the　remoter　parts　of　the　continent；　even　having　any　view　of　those　regions；　my　opinion　is　that　in　the　countries　above　Scythia　it　always　snows…　less；　of　course；　in　the　summer　than　in　the　wintertime。　Now　snow　when　it　falls　looks　like　feathers；　as　every　one　is　aware　who　has　seen　it　come　down　close　to　him。　These　northern　regions；　therefore；　are　uninhabitable　by　reason　of　the　severity　of　the　winter；　and　the　Scythians；　with　their　neighbours；　call　the　snow…flakes　feathers　because；　I　think；　of　the　likeness　which　they　bear　to　them。　I　have　now　related　what　is　said　of　the　most　distant　parts　of　this　continent　whereof　any　account　is　given。　　　　　Of　the　Hyperboreans　nothing　is　said　either　by　the　Scythians　or　by　any　of　the　other　dwellers　in　these　regions；　unless　it　be　the　Issedonians。　But　in　my　opinion；　even　the　Issedonians　are　silent　concerning　them；　otherwise　the　Scythians　would　have　repeated　their　statements；　as　they　do　those　concerning　the　one…eyed　men。　Hesiod；　however；　mentions　them；　and　Homer　also　in　the　Epigoni；　if　that　be　really　a　work　of　his。　　　　　But　the　persons　who　have　by　far　the　most　to　say　on　this　subject　are　the　Delians。　They　declare　that　certain　offerings；　packed　in　wheaten　straw；　were　brought　from　the　country　of　the　Hyperboreans　into　Scythia；　and　that　the　Scythians　received　them　and　passed　them　on　to　their　neighbours　upon　the　west；　who　continued　to　pass　them　on　until　at　last　they　reached　the　Adriatic。　From　hence　they　were　sent　southward；　and　when　they　came　to　Greece；　were　received　first　of　all　by　the　Dodonaeans。　Thence　they　descended　to　the　Maliac　Gulf；　from　which　they　were　carried　across　into　Euboea；　where　the　people　handed　them　on　from　city　to　city；　till　they　came　at　length　to　Carystus。　The　Carystians　took　them　over　to　Tenos；　without　stopping　at　Andros；　and　the　Tenians　brought　them　finally　to　Delos。　Such；　according　to　their　own　account；　was　the　road　by　which　the　offerings　reached　the　Delians。　Two　damsels；　they　say；　named　Hyperoche　and　Laodice；　brought　the　first　offerings　from　the　Hyperboreans；　and　with　them　the　Hyperboreans　sent　five　men　to　keep　them　from　all　harm　by　the　way；　these　are　the　persons　whom　the　Delians　call　〃Perpherees；〃　and　to　whom　great　honours　are　paid　at　Delos。　Afterwards　the　Hyperboreans；　when　they　found　that　their　messengers　did　not　return；　thinking　it　would　be　a　grievous　thing　always　to　be　liable　to　lose　the　envoys　they　should　send；　adopted　the　following　plan：…　they　wrapped　their　offerings　in　the　wheaten　straw；　and　bearing　them　to　their　borders；　charged　their　neighbours　to　send　them　forward　from　one　nation　to　another；　which　was　done　accordingly；　and　in　this　way　the　offerings　reached　Delos。　I　myself　know　of　a　practice　like　this；　which　obtains　with　the　women　of　Thrace　and　Paeonia。　They　in　their　sacrifices　to　the　queenly　Diana　bring　wheaten　straw　always　with　their　offerings。　Of　my　own　knowledge　I　can　testify　that　this　is　so。　　　　　The　damsels　sent　by　the　Hyperboreans　died　in　Delos；　and　in　their　honour　all　the　Delian　girls　and　youths　are　wont　to　cut　off　their　hair。　The　girls；　before　their　marriage…day；　cut　off　a　curl；　and　twining　it　round　a　distaff；　lay　it　upon　the　grave　of　the　strangers。　This　grave　is　on　the　left　as　one　enters　the　precinct　of　Diana；　and　has　an　olive…tree　growing　on　it。　The　youths　wind　some　of　their　hair　round　a　kind　of　grass；　and；　like　the　girls；　place　it　upon　the　tomb。　Such　are　the　honours　paid　to　these　damsels　by　the　Delians。　　　　　They　add　that；　once　before；　there　came　to　Delos　by　the　same　road　as　Hyperoche　and　Laodice；　two　other　virgins　from　the　Hyperboreans；　whose　names　were　Arge　and　Opis。　Hyperoche　and　Laodice　came　to　bring　to　Ilithyia　the　offering　which　they　had　laid　upon　themselves；　in　acknowledgment　of　their　quick　labours；　but　Arge　and　Opis　came　at　the　same　time　as　the　gods　of　Delos；'　and　are　honoured　by　the　Delians　in　a　different　way。　For　the　Delian　women　make　collections　in　these　maidens'　names；　and　invoke　them　in　the　hymn　which　Olen；　a　Lycian；　composed　for　them；　and　the　rest　of　the　islanders；　and　even　the　Ionians；　have　been　taught　by　the　Delians　to　do　the　like。　This　Olen；　who　came　from　Lycia；　made　the　other　old　hymns　also　which　are　sung　in　Delos。　The　Delians　add　that　the　ashes　from　the　thigh…bones　burnt　upon　the　altar　are　scattered　over　the　tomb　of　Opis　and　Arge。　Their　tomb　lies　behind　the　temple　of　Diana；　facing　the　east；　near　the　banqueting…hall　of　the　Ceians。　Thus　much　then；　and　no　more；　concerning　the　Hyperboreans。　　　　　As　for　the　tale　of　Abaris；　who　is　said　to　have　been　a　Hyperborean；　and　to　have　gone　with　his　arrow　all　round　the　world　without　once　eating；　I　shall　pass　it　by　in　silence。　Thus　much；　however；　is　clear：　if　there　are　Hyperboreans；　there　must　also　be　Hypernotians。　For　my　part；　I　cannot　but　laugh　when　I　see　numbers　of　persons　drawing　maps　of　the　world　without　having　any　reason　to　guide　them；　making；　as　they　do；　the　ocean…stream　to　run　all　round　the　earth；　and　the　earth　itself　to　be　an　exact　circle；　as　if　described　by　a　pair　of　compasses；　with　Europe　and　Asia　just　of