43. But let me tell you about another man equally honoured, Belitta, cousin of that same Amizoces. He saw that his friend Basthes had been dragged off his horse by a lion (it chanced that they were hunting together), and already the lion, lying upon him, had fastened upon his throat and was tearing him with his claws. Springing to the ground, he attacked the animal from behind and tried to draw him away, provoking him, diverting his attention, inserting his fingers between his teeth, and endeavouring in every possible way to extract Basthes from the grip of his jaws, until at last the lion left Basthes halfdead and turning upon Belitta, seized and killed him. In dying, however, he at least succeeded in stabbing the lion in the breast with his sword, so that they all died together, and in burying them we made two barrows in close proximity, one for the friends and one facing it for the lion.
43. Τόξαρις: ἄκουε δʼ οὖν καὶ ἄλλον ἰσότιμον, Βελίτταν, Ἀμιζώκου τούτου ἀνεψιόν, ὃς ἐπεὶ κατασπασθέντα ἐκ τοῦ ἵππου ὑπὸ λέοντος εἶδε Βάσθην τὸν φίλον (ἅμα δὲ ἔτυχον θηρῶντες) καὶ ἤδη ὁ λέων περιπλακεὶς αὐτῷ ἐνεπεφύκει τῷ λαιμῷ καὶ τοῖς ὄνυξιν ἐσπάρασσε, καταπηδήσας καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιπίπτει κατόπιν τῷ θηρίῳ καὶ περιέσπα, πρὸς ἑαυτὸν παροξύνων καὶ μετάγων καὶ διὰ τῶν ὀδόντων μεταξὺ διείρων τοὺς δακτύλους καὶ τὸν Βάσθην, ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν, ὑπεξελεῖν πειρώμενος τοῦ δήγματος, ἄχρι δὴ ὁ λέων ἀφεὶς ἐκεῖνον ἡμιθνῆτα ἤδη ἐπὶ τὸν Βελίτταν ἀπεστράφη καὶ συμπλακεὶς ἀπέκτεινε κἀκεῖνον· ὁ δὲ ἀποθνήσκων τὸ γοῦν τοσοῦτον ἔφθη πατάξας τῷ ἀκινάκῃ τὸν λέοντα εἰς τὸ στέρνον ὥστε ἅμα πάντες ἀπέθανον, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐθάψαμεν αὐτοὺς δύο τάφους ἀναχώσαντες πλησίον, ἕνα μὲν τῶν φίλων, ἕνα δὲ καταντικρὺ τοῦ λέοντος.
44. The third friendship of which I shall tell you, Mnesippus, is that of Macentes, Lonchates, and Arsacomas. This Arsacomas fell in love with Mazaea, the daughter of Leucanor, who had become king in Bosporus, when he was there on a mission regarding the tribute which is regularly paid us by the people of Bosporus but at that time was more than two months overdue. Well, at the banquet he caught sight of Mazaea, a tall and beautiful girl, instantly fell in love with her and was hard hit. The matter of the contributions had been settled already, and the king was giving him audience and entertaining him in connection with his dismissal. It is customary, however, in Bosporus for suitors to bespeak brides at dinner and tell who they are that they should think themselves worthy of acceptance, and at this time it chanced that many of them were at the banquet, kings and the sons of kings; Tigrapates the dynast of the Lazi was there, and Adyrmachus, the ruler of Machlyene, and many others. Each of the suitors, after announcing that he has come to propose, must then take dinner, lying in his place among the others, in silence; but when they have finished dinner, he must call for a goblet of wine, pour a drink-offering upon the table, and sue for the girl’s hand, commending himself freely according to his standing in family or wealth or power.
44. Τόξαρις: τρίτην δέ σοι διηγήσομαι, ὦ Μνήσιππε, τὴν Μακέντου φιλίαν καὶ Λογχάτου καὶ Ἀρσακόμα. ὁ γὰρ Ἀρσακόμας οὗτος ἠράσθη Μαζαίας τῆς Λευκάνορος, τοῦ βασιλεύσαντος ἐν Βοσπόρῳ, ὁπότε ἐπρέσβευεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ δασμοῦ ὃν οἱ Βοσπορανοὶ ἀεὶ φέροντες ἡμῖν τότε ἤδη τρίτον μῆνα ὑπερήμεροι ἐγεγένηντο. ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ οὖν ἰδὼν τὴν Μαζαίαν μεγάλην καὶ καλὴν παρθένον ἤρα καὶ πονηρῶς εἶχε. τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ τῶν φόρων διεπέπρακτο ἤδη, καὶ ἐχρημάτιζεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἱστία, ἤδη αὐτὸν ἀποπέμπων. ἔθος δέ ἐστιν ἐν Βοσπόρῳ τοὺς μνηστῆρας ἐπὶ τῷ δείπνῳ αἰτεῖν τὰς κόρας καὶ λέγειν οἵτινες ὄντες ἀξιοῦσι καταδεχθῆναι ἐπὶ τὸν γάμον, καὶ δὴ καὶ τότε ἔτυχον ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ πολλοὶ μνηστῆρες παρόντες, βασιλεῖς καὶ βασιλέων παῖδες· καὶ Τιγραπάτης ἦν ὁ Λαζῶν δυνάστης καὶ Ἀδύρμαχος ὁ Μαχλυηνῆς ἄρχων καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοί. δεῖ δὲ τῶν μνηστήρων ἕκαστον, προσαγγείλαντα ἑαυτὸν διότι μνηστευσόμενος ἥκει, δειπνεῖν ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις κατακείμενον ἐφʼ ἡσυχίας· ἐπὰν δὲ παύσωνται δειπνοῦντες, αἰτήσαντα φιάλην ἐπισπεῖσαι κατὰ τῆς τραπέζης καὶ μνηστεύεσθαι τὴν παῖδα πολλὰ ἐπαινοῦντα ἑαυτόν, ὥς τις ἢ γένους ἢ πλούτου ἢ δυνάμεως ἔχει.
45. Many, therefore, in accordance with this usage had poured their libation, made their request, and enumerated their kingdoms and treasures. Then, last of all, Arsacomas asked for the cup. He did not make libation, for it is not our custom to pour out our wine; on the contrary, we hold that to be an offence to the god. Instead, he drank it out at a single draught, and said: “O King, give me your daughter Mazaea for my wife, since I am a much better match than these men, at least in point of wealth and property.”” Leucanor was surprised, for he knew that Arsacomas was poor and just an ordinary Scythian, and he asked: “How many cattle and how many wagons have you, Arsacomas, since they constitute the wealth of your people?” “Why,’ said he, “I own no wagons or herds, but I have two noble friends, such as no other Scythian has.” Well, at the time they laughed at him on account of this remark and ignored him, thinking that he was drunk; Adyrmachus was preferred, and in the morning was to take away his bride along Lake Maeotis to the Machlyans.
45. Τόξαρις: πολλῶν οὖν κατὰ τόνδε τὸν νόμον σπεισάντων καὶ αἰτησάντων καὶ βασιλείας καὶ πλούτους καταριθμησαμένων τελευταῖος ὁ Ἀρσακόμας αἰτήσας τὴν φιάλην οὐκ ἔσπεισεν, οὐ γὰρ ἔθος ἡμῖν ἐκχεῖν τὸν οἶνον, ἀλλὰ ὕβρις εἶναι δοκεῖ τοῦτο εἰς τὸν θεόν· πιὼν δὲ ἀμυστί, δός μοι, εἶπεν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, τὴν θυγατέρα σου Μαζαίαν γυναῖκα ἔχειν πολὺ ἐπιτηδειοτέρῳ τούτων ὄντι ὁπόσα γε ἐπὶ τῷ πλούτῳ καὶ τοῖς κτήμασι. τοῦ δὲ Λευκάνορος θαυμάσαντος — ἠπίστατο γὰρ πένητα τὸν Ἀρσακόμαν καὶ Σκυθῶν τῶν πολλῶν — καὶ ἐρομένου, πόσα δὲ βοσκήματα ἢ πόσας ἁμάξας ἔχεις, ὦ Ἀρσακόμα; ταῦτα γὰρ ὑμεῖς πλουτεῖτε, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἁμάξας, ἔφη, ἔχω οὐδὲ ἀγέλας, ἀλλʼ εἰσί μοι δύο φίλοι καλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ οἷοι οὐκ ἄλλῳ Σκυθῶν. Τότε μὲν οὖν ἐγελάσθη ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ παρώφθη καὶ μεθύειν ἔδοξεν, ἕωθεν δὲ προκριθεὶς τῶν ἄλλων Ἀδύρμαχος ἔμελλεν ἀπάξειν τὴν νύμφην παρὰ τὴν Μαιῶτιν ἐς τοὺς Μάχλυας.
46. But Arsacomas returned home and informed his friends how he had been dishonoured by the king and laughed at in the banquet because he was considered poor. “And yet,” said he, “I told him what riches I possess in you two, Lonchates and Macentes, and that your devotion was better and more lasting than sovereignty over the people of Bosporus. But in spite of my saying this, he ridiculed and contemned us, and gave the maiden to Adyrmachus the Machlyan to take away, because he was said to own ten golden goblets, eighty four-bunk wagons, and many sheep and cattle. So far above brave men did he value great flocks and herds, artistic drinking-cups, and heavy wagons. “Now for my part, my friends, I am doubly distressed, for not only do I love Mazaea but this insult in the presence of so many men has affected me deeply. And I think that you also have been equally injured, for a third of the disgrace belonged to each of us, since we live in the understanding that from the time when we came together we have been but as one man, distressed by the same things, pleased by the same things.” “Not only that,” Lonchates added, “but each of us is completely disgraced in your suffering such treatment.”
46. Τόξαρις: ὁ δὲ Ἀρσακόμας ἐπανελθὼν οἴκαδε μηνύει τοῖς φίλοις ὡς ἀτιμασθείη ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ γελασθείη ἐν τῷ συμποσίῳ, πένης εἶναι δόξας. καίτοι, ἔφη, ἐγὼ διηγησάμην αὐτῷ τὸν πλοῦτον ὁπόσος ἐστίν μοι, ὑμᾶς, ὦ Λογχάτα καὶ Μακέντα, καὶ τὴν εὔνοιαν τὴν ὑμετέραν, πολὺ ἀμείνω καὶ βεβαιοτέραν τῆς Βοσπορανῶν δυνάμεως. ἀλλʼ ἐμοῦ ταῦτα διεξιόντος ἡμᾶς μὲν ἐχλεύαζεν καὶ κατεφρόνει, Ἀδυρμάχῳ δὲ τῷ Μάχλυϊ παρέδωκεν ἀπάγειν τὴν νύμφην, ὅτι χρυσᾶς τε φιάλας ἐλέγετο ἔχειν δέκα καὶ ἁμάξας τετρακλίνους ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ πρόβατα καὶ βοῦς πολλούς. οὕτως ἄρα προετίμησεν ἀνδρῶν ἀγαθῶν βοσκήματα πολλὰ καὶ ἐκπώματα περίεργα καὶ ἁμάξας βαρείας. ἐγὼ δέ, ὦ φίλοι, διʼ ἀμφότερα ἀνιῶμαι· καὶ γὰρ ἐρῶ τῆς Μαζαίας, καὶ ἡ ὕβρις ἐν τοσούτοις ἀνθρώποις οὐ μετρίως μου καθίκετο. οἶμαι δὲ καὶ ὑμᾶς ἐπʼ ἴσης ἠδικῆσθαι· τὸ γὰρ τρίτον μετῆν ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν τῆς ἀτιμίας, εἴ γε οὕτω βιοῦμεν ὡς ἀφʼ οὗ συνεληλύθαμεν εἷς ἄνθρωπος ὄντες καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ ἀνιώμενοι καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ χαίροντες. οὐ μόνον, ἐπεῖπεν ὁ Λογχάτης, ἀλλὰ ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ὅλος ὕβρισται, ὁπότε σὺ τοιαῦτα ἔπαθες.
47. “How, then, shall we handle the situation?” said Macentes. “Let us divide the task between us,” Lonchates replied; “I engage to bring Arsacomas the head of Leucanor, and you must fetch his bride home to him.” “Very well,” said the other; “and in the meantime, Arsacomas, as it is likely that we shall presently need to take the field and go to war, you, awaiting us here, should collect and make ready arms, horses, and a very large force. You might very easily enlist many, since you yourself are brave and we have plenty of relatives, and it would be especially easy if you should sit on the ox-hide.” Those plans were approved, and Lonchates, just as he was, made straight for Bosporus, while Macentes headed for the Machlyans, both of them mounted. Arsacomas, remaining at home, held conferences with his comrades and armed a force recruited from his relatives; then at last he sat upon the hide.
47. Τόξαρις: πῶς οὖν, ὁ Μακέντης ἔφη, χρησόμεθα τοῖς παροῦσι; ʼ διελώμεθα, ἔφη ὁ Λογχάτης, τὸ ἔργον· καὶ ἐγὼ μὲν ὑπισχνοῦμαι Ἀρσακόμᾳ τὴν κεφαλὴν κομιεῖν τὴν Λευκάνορος, σὲ δὲ χρὴ τὴν νύμφην ἐπανάγειν αὐτῷ. οὕτω γινέσθω, ἔφη· σὺ δέ, ὦ Ἀρσακόμα, ἐν τοσούτῳ — εἰκὸς γὰρ καὶ στρατιᾶς καὶ πολέμου τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο δεήσειν — ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ περιμένων συνάγειρε καὶ παρασκεύαζε ὅπλα καὶ ἵππους καὶ τὴν ἄλλην δύναμιν ὡς πλείστην. ῥᾷστα δʼ ἂν πολλοὺς προσαγάγοις αὐτός τε ἀγαθὸς ὢν καὶ ἡμῖν οὐκ ὀλίγων ὄντων οἰκείων, μάλιστα δὲ εἰ καθέζοιο ἐπὶ τῆς βύρσης τοῦ βοός. ἔδοξε ταῦτα, καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐχώρει ὡς εἶχεν εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ Βοσπόρου, ὁ Λογχάτης, ὁ Μακέντης δὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς Μάχλυας, ἱππότης ἑκάτερος, ὁ δὲ Ἀρσακόμας οἴκοι μένων τοῖς τε ἡλικιώταις διελέγετο καὶ ὥπλιζε δύναμιν παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων, τέλος δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς βύρσης ἐκαθέζετο.
48. Our custom in the matter of the hide is as follows. When a man who has been wronged by another wishes to avenge himself but sees that by himself he is not strong enough, he sacrifices a bull, cuts up and cooks the meat, spreads the hide out on the ground, and sits on it, with his hands held behind his back like a man bound by the elbows. That is our strongest appeal for aid. The meat of the bull is served up, and as the man’s kinsmen and all else who wish approach, each takes a portion of it, and then, setting his right foot upon the hide, makes a pledge according to his ability, one that he will furnish five horsemen to serve without rations or pay, another ten, another still more, another foot-soldiers, heavy- armed or light-armed, as many as he can, and another simply himself, if he is very poor. So a very large force is sometimes raised on the hide, and such an army is especially dependable as regards holding together and very hard for the enemy to conquer, since it is under oath; for setting foot on the hide is an oath. Arsacomas, then, was thus engaged; and he raised some five thousand horse and twenty thousand foot, heavy-armed and light-armed together.
48. Τόξαρις: τὸ δὲ ἔθος ἡμῖν τὸ περὶ τὴν βύρσαν οὕτως ἔχει· ἐπειδὰν ἀδικηθείς τις πρὸς ἑτέρου, ἀμύνασθαι βουλόμενος, ἴδῃ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἀξιόμαχος ὤν, βοῦν ἱερεύσας τὰ μὲν κρέα κατακόψας ἥψησεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκπετάσας χαμαὶ τὴν βύρσαν κάθηται ἐπʼ αὐτῆς, εἰς τοὐπίσω παραγαγὼν τὼ χεῖρε ὥσπερ οἱ ἐκ τῶν ἀγκώνων δεδεμένοι. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡμῖν ἡ μεγίστη ἱκετηρία. παρακειμένων δὲ τῶν κρεῶν τοῦ βοὸς προσιόντες οἱ οἰκεῖοι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὁ βουλόμενος μοῖραν ἕκαστος λαβὼν ἐπιβὰς τῇ βύρσῃ τὸν δεξιὸν πόδα ὑπισχνεῖται κατὰ δύναμιν, ὁ μὲν πέντε ἱππέας παρέξειν ἀσίτους καὶ ἀμίσθους, ὁ δὲ δέκα, ὁ δὲ πλείους, ὁ δὲ ὁπλίτας ἢ πεζοὺς ὁπόσους ἂν δύνηται, ὁ δὲ μόνον ἑαυτόν, ὁ πενέστατος. ἀθροίζεται οὖν ἐπὶ τῆς βύρσης πολὺ πλῆθος ἐνίοτε, καὶ τὸ τοιοῦτο σύνταγμα βεβαιότατόν τέ ἐστι συμμεῖναι καὶ ἀπρόσμαχον τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἅτε καὶ ἔνορκον ὄν· τὸ γὰρ ἐπιβῆναι τῆς βύρσης ὅρκος ἐστίν. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀρσακόμας ἐν τούτοις ἦν, καὶ ἠθροίσθησαν αὐτῷ ἱππεὶς μὲν ἀμφὶ τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους, ὁπλῖται δὲ καὶ πεζοὶ συναμφότεροι δισμύριοι.
49. Lonchates in the meantime entered Bosporus unrecognised, approached the king while he was attending to a matter of government, and said that he came with a message from the Scythian commonwealth, but also in his private capacity brought him important news. When he was bidden to speak, he said: ‘The Scythians make one of their ordinary, every-da’ requests, that your herdsmen shall not encroac upon the plain but shall graze only as far as the stony ground; and they say that the cattle-lifters whom you charge with overrunning your country are not sent out by order of the state but steal for profit, each on his own account; if any one of them should be captured, you have full authority to punish him. That is their message.
49. Τόξαρις: ὁ δὲ Λογχάτης ἀγνοούμενος παρελθὼν ἐς τὸν Βόσπορον προσέρχεται τῷ βασιλεῖ διοικουμένῳ τι τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ φησὶν ἥκειν μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Σκυθῶν, ἰδίᾳ δὲ αὐτῷ μεγάλα πράγματα κομίζων. τοῦ δὲ λέγειν κελεύσαντος, οἱ μὲν Σκύθαι, φησίν, τὰ κοινὰ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ καθʼ ἡμέραν ἀξιοῦσιν, μὴ ὑπερβαίνειν τοὺς νομέας ὑμῶν ἐς τὸ πεδίον ἀλλὰ μέχρι τοῦ τράχωνος νέμειν· τοὺς δὲ λῃστὰς οὓς αἰτιᾶσθε ὡς κατατρέχοντας ὑμῶν τὴν χώραν οὐ φασὶν ἀπὸ κοινῆς γνώμης ἐκπέμπεσθαι, ἀλλὰ ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστον ἐπὶ τῷ κέρδει κλωπεύειν· εἰ δέ τις ἁλίσκοιτο αὐτῶν, σὲ κύριον εἶναι κολάζειν. ταῦτα μὲν ἐκεῖνοι ἐπεστάλκασιν, Τόξαρις: ἐγὼ δὲ μηνύω σοι μεγάλην ἔφοδον ἐσομένην ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς ὑπʼ Ἀρσακόμα τοῦ Μαριάντα, ὃς ἐπρέσβευε πρῴην παρὰ σὲ καί, οἶμαι, διότι αἰτήσας τὴν θυγατέρα οὐκ ἔτυχε παρὰ σοῦ, ἀγανακτεῖ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς βύρσης ἑβδόμην ἡμέραν ἤδη κάθηται καὶ συνῆκται στρατὸς οὐκ ὀλίγος αὐτῷ.
50. But on my own part, I give you notice that a great attack upon you is about to be made by Arsacomas, the son of Mariantes, who came to you recently on a mission, and—no doubt because he asked you for your daughter and did not obtain his request from you— is incensed; he has been sitting on the hide for six days now, and has collected a great host.” “I myself,” said Leucanor, “had heard that a force was being raised on the hide, but did not know that it is being formed against us or that Arsacomas is the organiser of it.” “Why,” said Lonchates, “the preparations are directed at youin person. But Arsacomas is no friend of mine, bearing a grudge against me because I am held in higher regard by our dignitaries and considered in all respects a better man. If you will promise me your other daughter, Barcetis, since even on other grounds I am not unworthy of alliance with you, before lon I will come and bring you his head.” “I promise,” said the king, who had become thoroughly alarmed because he recognised the just ground for the anger of Arsacomas in connection with his proposal of marriage; and besides, he stood in perpetual dread of the Scythians. Lonchates replied: “Swear that you will keep the agreement, and will not go back on your word then, when the thing is done.”” When the king lifted his hands toward Heaven and was in purpose to swear, the other said: “Not here, for fear that some onlooker may suspect the reason of our oath. No, let us enter the sanctuary of Ares yonder and lock the doors before we swear; and let nobody hear us! If Arsacomas should get any knowledge of this, I am afraid that he may initiate the war by making a victim of me, as he is already surrounded by a large band.” “Let us enter,’ responded the king. ‘Gentlemen, withdraw as far as possible, and let no one present himself in the temple who is not summoned by me.” When they had entered and the guardsmen had withdrawn, Lonchates drew his sword, clapped one hand over the king’s mouth, that he might not cry out, and stabbed him in the breast. Then he cut off his head and carried it out (ith him under his cloak, keeping up, as he did so, a pretended conversation with him and saying that he would return speedily, as if he had been sent by the king to fetch something. Getting in this way to the place where he had left his horse tied, he mounted and rode off to Scythia. There was no pursuit of him, since the Bosporans remained long in ignorance of what had happened, and when they did find out about it, they fell to squabbling over the throne.
50. ἤκουσα, ἔφη ὁ Λευκάνωρ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀθροίζεσθαι δύναμιν ἀπὸ βύρσης, ὅτι δʼ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς συνίσταται καὶ ὅτι Ἀρσακόμας ὁ ἐλαύνων ἐστὶν ἠγνόουν. ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ σέ, ἔφη ὁ Λογχάτης, ἡ παρασκευή. ἐμοὶ δὲ ἐχθρὸς ὁ Ἀρσακόμας ἐστί, καὶ ἄχθεται διότι προτιμῶμαι αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τῶν γεραιτέρων καὶ ἀμείνων τὰ πάντα δοκῶ εἶναι· εἰ δέ μοι ὑπόσχοιο τὴν ἑτέραν σου θυγατέρα Βαρκέτιν, οὐδὲ τὰ ἄλλα ἀναξίῳ ὑμῶν ὄντι, οὐκ εἰς μακράν σοι ἥξω τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ κομίζων. ὑπισχνοῦμαι, ἔφη ὁ βασιλεύς, μάλα περιδεὴς γενόμενος· ἔγνω γὰρ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ὀργῆς τῆς Ἀρσακόμα τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ γάμῳ, καὶ ἄλλως ὑπέπτησσεν ἀεὶ τοὺς Σκύθας. ὁ δὲ Λογχάτης, ὄμοσον, εἶπεν, ἦ μὴν φυλάξειν τὰς συνθήκας, μηδὲ ἀπαρνήσεσθαι τότε ἤδη, τούτων γενομένων. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἀνατείνας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἤθελεν ὀμνύειν, μὴ σύ γε ἐνταῦθα, εἶπεν, μὴ καί τις ὑπίδηται τῶν ὁρώντων ἐφʼ ὅτῳ ὁρκωμοτοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἄρεως τουτὶ εἰσελθόντες, ἐπικλεισάμενοι τὰς θύρας ὀμνύωμεν, ἀκουσάτω δὲ μηδείς· εἰ γάρ τι τούτων πύθοιτο Ἀρσακόμας, δέδια μὴ προθύσηται με τοῦ πολέμου, χεῖρα οὐ μικρὰν ἤδη περιβεβλημένος. εἰσίωμεν, ἔφη ὁ βασιλεύς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀπόστητε ὅτι πορρωτάτω· μηδεὶς δὲ παρέστω ἐς τὸν νεὼν ὅντινα μὴ ἐγὼ καλέσω. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οἱ μὲν εἰσῆλθον, οἱ δορυφόροι δὲ ἀπέστησαν, σπασάμενος τὸν ἀκινάκην, ἐπισχὼν τῇ ἑτέρᾳ τὸ στόμα ὡς μὴ βοήσειε, παίει παρὰ τὸν μαστόν, εἶτα ἀποτεμὼν τὴν κεφαλὴν ὑπὸ τῇ χλαμύδι ἔχων ἐξῄει, μεταξὺ διαλεγόμενος δῆθεν αὐτῷ καὶ διὰ ταχέων ἥξειν λέγων, ὡς δὴ ἐπί τι πεμφθεὶς ὑπʼ ἐκείνου. καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον ἀφικόμενος ἔνθα καταδεδεμένον καταλελοίπει τὸν ἵππον, ἀναβὰς ἀφιππάσατο εἰς τὴν Σκυθίαν. δίωξις δὲ οὐκ ἐγένετο αὐτοῦ, ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀγνοησάντων τὸ γεγονὸς τῶν Βοσπορανῶν, καὶ ὅτε ἔγνωσαν, ὑπὲρ τῆς βασιλείας στασιαζόντων.
51. That, then, is what Lonchates did, and so fulfilled his promise to Arsacomas by giving him the head of Leucanor. As for Macentes, while on his way he had heard what had happened in Bosporus, and. when he reached the Machlyans was the first to report to them the tidings of the king’s death, adding: “And the city, Adyrmachus, calls you to the throne, as his son-in-law; so you yourself must ride on ahead and take over the government, appear- ing suddenly in the midst of things while they are unsettled; but the girl must follow you in your wagontrain, for in that way it will be easier for you to win over the common people in Bosporus, after they have seen the daughter of Leucanor. For myself, I am an Alan, and also related to the girl through her mother, since Masteira, whom Leucanor married, was of our people; and I come to you now on the part of Masteira’s brothers in the country of the Alans, who urge you to ride with all speed to Bosporus and not to let the government go over to Eubiotus, who being the illegitimate brother of Leucanor, is always friendly to the Scythians and detests the Alans.” Macentes was able to say this because he wore the same dress and spoke the same tongue as the Alans. These characteristics are common to Alans and Scythians, except that the Alans do not wear their hair very long, as the Scythians do. Macentes, however, had made himself resemble them in this also, and had docked his hair by as much as an Alan’s would probably be shorter than a Scythian’s. Therefore he was believed, and was thought to be a relative of Masteira and Mazaea.
51. Τόξαρις: ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Λογχάτης ἔπραξεν καὶ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἀπεπλήρωσεν τῷ Ἀρσακόμᾳ παραδοὺς τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ Λευκάνορος. ὁ Μακέντης δὲ καθʼ ὁδὸν ἀκούσας τὰ ἐν Βοσπόρῳ γενόμενα ἧκεν εἰς τοὺς Μάχλυας καὶ πρῶτος ἀγγείλας αὐτοῖς τὸν φόνον τοῦ βασιλέως, ἡ πόλις δέ, ἔφη, ὦ Ἀδύρμαχε, σὲ γαμβρὸν ὄντα ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν καλεῖ· ὥστε σὺ μὲν προελάσας παραλάμβανε τὴν ἀρχήν, τεταραγμένοις τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐπιφανείς, ἡ κόρη δέ σοι κατόπιν ἐπὶ τῶν ἁμαξῶν ἑπέσθω· ῥᾷον γὰρ οὕτω προσάξεις Βοσπορανῶν τοὺς πολλούς, ἰδόντας τὴν Λευκάνορος θυγατέρα. ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀλανός τέ εἰμι καὶ τῇ παιδὶ ταύτῃ συγγενὴς μητρόθεν· παρʼ ἡμῶν γὰρ οὖσαν τὴν Μάστειραν ἠγάγετο ὁ Λευκάνωρ. καὶ νῦν σοι ἥκω παρὰ τῶν Μαστείρας ἀδελφῶν τῶν ἐν Ἀλανίᾳ παρακελευομένων ὅτι τάχιστα ἐλαύνειν ἐπὶ τὸν Βόσπορον καὶ μὴ περιιδεῖν ἐς Εὐβίοτον περιελθοῦσαν τὴν ἀρχήν, ὃς ἀδελφὸς ὢν νόθος Λευκάνορος Σκύθαις μὲν ἀεὶ φίλος ἐστίν, Ἀλανοῖς δὲ ἀπέχθεται. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν ὁ Μακέντης ὁμόσκευος καὶ ὁμόγλωττος τοῖς Ἀλανοῖς ὤν· κοινὰ γὰρ ταῦτα Ἀλανοῖς καὶ Σκύθαις, πλὴν ὅτι οὐ πάνυ κομῶσιν οἱ Ἀλανοὶ ὥσπερ οἱ Σκύθαι. ἀλλὰ ὁ Μακέντης καὶ τοῦτο εἴκαστο αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀποκεκάρκει τῆς κόμης ὁπόσον εἰκὸς ἦν ἔλαττον κομᾶν τὸν Ἀλανὸν τοῦ Σκύθου· ὥστε ἐπιστεύετο διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐδόκει Μαστείρας καὶ Μαζαίας συγγενὴς εἶναι.
52. “Now then, Adyrmachus,” said he, “I am ready to ride with you to Bosporus, if you wish, or to remain, if necessary, and conduct the girl.” “That,” said Adyrmachus, “is what I should like better—that as you are of her blood, you should conduct Mazaea. For if you go with us to Bosporus, we should gain but a single horseman; but if you should conduct my wife, you would be as good as many.” That was put into effect, and he rode off, leaving it to Macentes to conduct Mazaea, who was still a maid. And he did indeed escort her upon her wagon during the day; but when night overtook them, he set her upon his horse—he had seen to it that only one other horseman should attend them — himself leaped to his seat, and instead of continuing to ride along the shore of Lake Maecotis, turned off into the interior, taking on his right the mountains of the Mitraeans. Stopping only at intervals to allow the girl to rest, on the third day he succeeded in reaching Scythia from Machlyene; his horse, on ceasing to run, stood still for a moment and fell dead, while Macentes, delivering Mazaea to Arsacomas, said: “Accept from me also the fulfilment of my promise!”
52. Τόξαρις: καὶ νῦν, ἔφη, ὦ Ἀδύρμαχε, ἐλαύνειν τε ἕτοιμος ἅμα σοι ἐπὶ τὸν Βόσπορον, ἢν ἐθέλῃς, μένειν τε, εἰ δέοι, καὶ τὴν παῖδα ἄγειν. τοῦτο, ἔφη, καὶ μᾶλλον, ὁ Ἀδύρμαχος, ἐθελήσαιμʼ ἄν, ἀφʼ αἵματος ὄντα σε Μαζαίαν ἄγειν. ἢν μὲν γὰρ ἅμα ἡμῖν ἴῃς ἐπὶ Βόσπορον, ἱππεῖ ἑνὶ πλείους ἂν γενοίμεθα· εἰ δέ μοι τὴν γυναῖκα ἄγοις, ἀντὶ πολλῶν ἂν γένοιο. Ταῦτα ἐγίνετο καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀπήλαυνε παραδοὺς τῷ Μακέντῃ ἄγειν τὴν Μαζαίαν παρθένον ἔτι οὖσαν. ὁ δὲ ἡμέρας μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς ἁμάξης ἦγεν αὐτήν, ἐπεὶ δὲ νὺξ κατέλαβεν, ἀναθέμενος ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον — ἐτεθεραπεύκει δὲ ἕνα σφίσιν ἄλλον ἱππέα ἕπεσθαι — ἀναπηδήσας καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκέτι παρὰ τὴν Μαιῶτιν ἤλαυνεν, ἀλλʼ ἀποτραπόμενος εἰς τὴν μεσόγειαν ἐν δεξιᾷ λαβὼν τὰ Μιτραίων ὄρη, διαναπαύων μεταξὺ τὴν παῖδα, τριταῖος ἐτέλεσεν ἐκ Μαχλύων ἐς Σκύθας. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἵππος αὐτῷ, ἐπειδὴ ἐπαύσατο τοῦ δρόμου, μικρὸν ἐπιστὰς ἀποθνήσκει, Τόξαρις: ὁ δὲ Μακέντης ἐγχειρίσας τὴν Μαζαίαν τῷ Ἀρσακόμᾳ, δέδεξο εἶπεν, καὶ παρʼ ἐμοῦ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν.
53. Arsacomas was amazed at the unexpectedness of that sight, and tried to express his gratitude, but Macentes said: “Stop making me a different person from yourself! To express gratitude to me for what I have done in this is just as if my left hand should be grateful to my right for ministering to it when it had been wounded and taking care of it fondly while it was weak. So with us—it would be ridiculous if, after having fused ourselves together long ago and united, as far as we could, into a single person, we should continue to think it a great thing if this or that part of us has done something useful in behalf of the whole body; for it was working in its own behalf as a part of the whole organism to which the good was being done.” This, then, was the reply of Macentes to Arsacomas when he expressed his gratitude.
53. Τοῦ δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀνέλπιστον τοῦ θεάματος καταπλαγέντος καὶ χάριν ὁμολογοῦντος, παῦε, ἔφη ὁ Μακέντης, ἄλλον με ποιῶν σεαυτοῦ· τὸ γὰρ χάριν ἐμοὶ ὁμολογεῖν ἐφʼ οἷς ἔπραξα τούτοις τοιόνδε ἐστὶν ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ ἡ ἀριστερά μου χάριν εἰδείη τῇ δεξιᾷ διότι τρωθεῖσάν ποτε αὐτὴν ἐθεράπευσε καὶ φιλοφρόνως ἐπεμελήθη καμνούσης. γελοῖα τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἂν ποιοῖμεν εἰ πάλαι ἀναμιχθέντες καὶ ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν εἰς ἕνα συνελθόντες ἔτι μέγα νομίζοιμεν εἶναι εἰ τὸ μέρος ἡμῶν ἔπραξέ τι χρηστὸν ὑπὲρ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος· ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ γὰρ ἔπραττεν, μέρος ὂν τοῦ ὅλου εὖ πάσχοντος. Οὕτως μὲν ὁ Μακέντης ἔφη τῷ Ἀρσακόμᾳ χάριν ὁμολογήσαντι.
54. But when Adyrmachus heard of the stratagem, instead of going on to Bosporus, inasmuch as Eubiotus had been summoned from the Sauromatae, with whom he was living, and was already on the throne, he returned to his own country, and after assembling a great army, advanced through the hill-country into Scythia. Eubiotus, too, presently made an incursion with his Greeks in full force and allied levies of Alans and Sauromatae numbering twenty thousand from each. After Eubiotus and Adyrmachus had combined their armies, they amounted in all to ninety thousand, a third of them mounted archers. For our part (and I say our, because I myself took part in their expedition, having offered on the hide at that time a hundred self-supporting horsemen) we had raised not much less than thirty thousand, including the horsemen, and were awaiting their onset; our commander was Arsacomas. When we saw them coming on, we marched forward to meet them, sending our horsemen out in advance. After a long and hard-fought battle, our side in time began to give ground, the phalanx began to break, and at last the entire Scythian force was cut in two. One part began to withdraw, but it was not at all certain that they were beaten; indeed, their flight was considered a retreat, for even the Alans did not venture to pursue them any distance. The other, smaller part was surrounded by the Alans and Machlyans, who were hammering it from all sides, loosing arrows and javelins without stint; so that those of us who had been surrounded were suffering severely, and the rank and file were already throwing away their arms.
54. Τόξαρις: ὁ δὲ Ἀδύρμαχος ὡς ἤκουσε τὴν ἐπιβουλήν, εἰς μὲν τὸν Βόσπορον οὐκέτι ἦλθεν — ἤδη γὰρ Εὐβίοτος ἦρχεν, ἐπικληθεὶς ἐκ Σαυροματῶν, παρʼ οἷς διέτριβεν — εἰς δὲ τὴν αὑτοῦ ἐπανελθὼν καὶ στρατιὰν πολλὴν συναγαγὼν διὰ τῆς ὀρεινῆς εἰσέβαλεν εἰς τὴν Σκυθίαν· καὶ ὁ Εὐβίοτος οὐ μετὰ πολὺ καὶ οὗτος εἰσέπεσεν ἄγων πανδημεὶ μὲν τοὺς Ἕλληνας, Ἀλανοὺς δὲ καὶ Σαυρομάτας ἐπικλήτους ἑκατέρους δισμυρίους. ἀναμίξαντες δὲ τὰ στρατεύματα ὁ Εὐβίοτος καὶ ὁ Ἀδύρμαχος, ἐννέα μυριάδες ἅπαντες ἐγένοντο καὶ τούτων τὸ τρίτον ἱπποτοξόται. ἡμεῖς δὲ — καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς μετέσχον τῆς ἐξόδου αὐτοῖς, ἐπιδοὺς ἐν τῇ βύρσῃ τότε ἱππέας αὐτοτελεῖς ἑκατόν — οὐ πολλῷ ἔλαττον τῶν τρισμυρίων σὺν τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν ἀθροισθέντες ὑπεμένομεν τὴν ἔφοδον· ἐστρατήγει δὲ ὁ Ἀρσακόμας. καὶ ἐπειδὴ προσιόντας εἴδομεν αὐτούς, ἀντεπήγομεν, προεπαφέντες τὸ ἱππικόν. γενομένης δὲ ἐπὶ πολὺ μάχης καρτερᾶς ἐνεδίδου ἤδη τὰ ἡμέτερα καὶ παρερρήγνυτο ἡ φάλαγξ, καὶ τέλος εἰς δύο διεκόπη τὸ Σκυθικὸν ἅπαν, καὶ τὸ μὲν ὑπέφευγεν, οὐ πάνυ σαφῶς ἡττημένον, ἀλλʼ ἀναχώρησις ἐδόκει ἡ φυγή· οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ Ἀλανοὶ ἐτόλμων ἐπὶ πολὺ διώκειν. τὸ δὲ ἥμισυ, ὅπερ καὶ ἔλαττον, περισχόντες οἱ Ἀλανοὶ καὶ Μάχλυες ἔκοπτον πανταχόθεν ἀφθόνως ἀφιέντες τῶν ὀϊστῶν καὶ ἀκοντίων, ὥστε πάνυ ἐπονοῦντο ἡμῶν οἱ περιεσχημένοι, καὶ ἤδη προΐεντο οἱ πολλοὶ τὰ ὅπλα.
55. Lonchates and Macentes happened to be in this part, and had already received wounds from fighting in the front ranks, Lonchates in the thigh with the spike of a spear-butt, Macentes on the head with an axe and on the shoulder with a javelin. When Arsacomas, who was with us others, perceived that, thinking it would be dreadful if he should go away and abandon his friends, he put spurs to his horse, gave a great shout, and charged among the enemy with uplifted battle-axe, so that the Machlyans could not even face the fury of his wrath but separated and allowed him to go through. He encouraged his friends and rallied all the others, then rushed at Adyrmachus, struck him at the base of the neck with his axe, and clove him to the belt. Upon his fall they gave way—the whole Machlyan force first, the Alans not long afterwards, and the Greeks next. So we had the upper hand once more, and might have pursued them for a long distance, killing them, if night had not ended the business. On the next day men came to us as suppliants from the enemy and asked us to make friends; the Bosporans promised to pay us twice as much tribute, the Machlyans said that they would give hostages, and the Alans to make up for that attack undertook to help us by subduing the Sindians, who had revolted some time previously. On those terms we assented, but only after the approval of Arsacomas and Lonchates had been given; and when the treaty of peace was made, they negotiated the details. Such are the deeds, Mnesippus, that Scythians dare to do for their friends.
55. Τόξαρις: ἐν τούτοις δὲ καὶ ὁ Λογχάτης καὶ ὁ Μακέντης ἔτυχον ὄντες καὶ ἐτέτρωντο ἤδη προκινδυνεύοντες, ὁ μὲν στυρακίῳ εἰς τὸν μηρόν, ὁ Λογχάτης, ὁ Μακέντης δὲ πελέκει εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ κοντῷ εἰς τὸν ὦμον. ὅπερ αἰσθόμενος ὁ Ἀρσακόμας, ἐν ἡμῖν τοῖς ἄλλοις ὤν, δεινὸν ἡγησάμενος εἰ ἄπεισι καταλιπὼν τοὺς φίλους, προσβαλὼν τοὺς μύωπας τῷ ἵππῳ ἐμβοήσας ἤλαυνε διὰ τῶν πολεμίων κοπίδα διηρμένος, ὥστε τοὺς Μάχλυας μηδὲ ὑποστῆναι τὸ ῥόθιον τοῦ θυμοῦ, ἀλλὰ διαιρεθέντες ἔδωκαν αὐτῷ διεξελθεῖν. Ὁ δὲ ἀνακτησάμενος τοὺς φίλους καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας παρακαλέσας ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀδύρμαχον καὶ πατάξας τῇ κοπίδι παρὰ τὸν αὐχένα μέχρι τῆς ζώνης διέτεμεν. πεσόντος δὲ ἐκείνου διελύθη τὸ Μαχλυϊκὸν ἅπαν, καὶ τὸ Ἀλανικὸν οὐ μετὰ πολύ, καὶ οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐπὶ τούτοις· ὥστε ἐκρατοῦμεν ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς ἡμεῖς καὶ ἐπεξήλθομεν ἂν ἐπὶ πολὺ κτείνοντες, εἰ μὴ νὺξ τὸ ἔργον ἀφείλετο. εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἱκέται παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἥκοντες ἐδέοντο φιλίαν ποιεῖσθαι, Βοσπορανοὶ μὲν ὑποτελέσειν διπλάσιον τὸν δασμὸν ὑπισχνούμενοι, Μάχλυες δὲ ὁμήρους δώσειν ἔφασαν, οἱ Ἀλανοὶ δὲ ἀντὶ τῆς ἐφόδου ἐκείνης Σινδιανοὺς ἡμῖν χειρώσασθαι ὑπέστησαν ἐκ πολλοῦ διεστῶτας. ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐπείσθημεν, δόξαν πολὺ πρότερον Ἀρσακόμᾳ καὶ Λογχάτῃ, καὶ ἐγένετο εἰρήνη ἐκείνων πρυτανευόντων ἕκαστα. τοιαῦτα, ὦ Μνήσιππε, τολμῶσιν ποιεῖν Σκύθαι ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων.
56. MNESIPPUS They are very dramatic, Toxaris, and quite like fables. May Glaive and Wind, by whom you swore, be good to me, but really, if one were to disbelieve them, one would not seem very open to criticism. TOXARIS But see to it, my gallant adversary, that your disbelief is not jealousy! Nevertheless, I am not the man to let your disbelieving me deter me from telling you other such deeds that I know to have been done by Scythians. MNESIPPUS Only don’t let them be too protracted, my excellent friend, and don’t use such an unembarrassed flow of speech; for as it is, by running hither and thither through Scythia and Machlyene, and by going off to Bosporus and then coming back again, you have taken very liberal advantage of my silence. TOXARIS In this too I must obey your dictates; I must speak briefly so that I shall not have you getting completely tired out by following me all about with your attention.
56. Μνήσιππος: πάνυ τραγικά, ὦ Τόξαρι, καὶ μύθοις ὅμοια· καὶ ἵλεως μὲν ὁ Ἀκινάκης καὶ ὁ Ἄνεμος εἶεν, οὓς ὤμοσας· εἰ δʼ οὖν τις ἀπιστοίη αὐτοῖς, οὐ πάνυ μεμπτὸς εἶναι δόξειεν ἄν. Τόξαρις: ἀλλʼ ὅρα, ὦ γενναῖε, μὴ φθόνος ὑμῶν ἡ ἀπιστία ᾖ. πλὴν οὐκ ἐμὲ ἀποτρέψεις ἀπιστῶν καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα εἰπεῖν ἃ οἶδα ὑπὸ Σκυθῶν γενόμενα. Μνήσιππος: μὴ μακρὰ μόνον, ὦ ἄριστε, μηδὲ οὕτως ἀφέτοις χρώμενος τοῖς λόγοις· ὡς νῦν γε, ἄνω καὶ κάτω τὴν Σκυθίαν καὶ τὴν Μαχλυανὴν διαθέων καὶ εἰς τὸν Βόσπορον ἀπιών, εἶτʼ ἐπανιών, πάνυ μου κατεχρήσω τῇ σιωπῇ. Τόξαρις: πειστέον καὶ ταῦτά σοι νομοθετοῦντι καὶ διὰ βραχέων λεκτέον, μὴ καὶ κάμῃς ἡμῖν τῇ ἀκοῇ συμπερινοστῶν.
57. No, rather let me tell you how I myself was assisted by a friend named Sisinnes. When I was going away from home to Athens by reason of my desire for Greek culture, I put in at Amastris, on the Black Sea; the city is a port of call for those sailing this way from Scythia, not far distant from Carambis. I was accompanied by Sisinnes, who had been my companion from childhood. After looking out a lodging near the port and transferring our effects to it from the vessel, we went shopping, without suspecting any mischief. In the meantime thieves pried the door open and carried off everything, so as not to leave even enough to suffice for that day. When we returned home and found out what had happened, we did not think it best to proceed against the neighbours, who were numerous, or against our host, fearing that we should be accounted blackmailers in public opinion if we said that someone had robbed us of four hundred darics, a great deal of clothing, some rugs, and all the other things that we had.
57. Τόξαρις: μᾶλλον δὲ ἄκουσον ἐμοὶ αὐτῷ οἷα φίλος, Σισίννης τοὔνομα, ὑπηρέτησεν. Ὅτε γὰρ Ἀθήναζε ἀπῄειν οἴκοθεν ἐπιθυμίᾳ παιδείας τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς, κατέπλευσα ἐς Ἄμαστριν τὴν Ποντικήν· ἐν προσβολῇ δέ ἐστιν τοῖς ἀπὸ Σκυθίας προσπλέουσιν, οὐ πολὺ τῆς Καράμβεως ἀπέχουσα, ἡ πόλις. εἵπετο δὲ ὁ Σισίννης ἑταῖρος ἐκ παιδὸς ὤν. ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν καταγωγήν τινα ἐπὶ τῷ λιμένι σκεψάμενοι κἀκ τοῦ πλοίου ἐς αὐτὴν μετασκευασάμενοι ἠγοράζομεν, οὐδὲν πονηρὸν ὑφορώμενοι· ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ κλῶπές τινες ἀνασπάσαντες τὸ κλεῖστρον ἐκφέρουσιν ἅπαντα, ὡς μηδὲ τὰ ἐς ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν διαρκέσοντα καταλιπεῖν. ἐπανελθόντες οὖν οἶκαδε καὶ τὸ γεγονὸς μαθόντες, δικάζεσθαι μὲν τοῖς γείτοσι πολλοῖς οὖσιν ἢ τῷ ξένῳ οὐκ ἐδοκιμάζομεν, δεδιότες μὴ συκοφάνται δόξωμεν τοῖς πολλοῖς λέγοντες ὡς ὑφείλετο ἡμῶν τις δαρεικοὺς τετρακοσίους καὶ ἐσθῆτα πολλὴν καὶ δάπιδάς τινας καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὁπόσα εἴχομεν·
58. So we discussed the situation to see what we should do, now that we had become absolutely penniless in a strange country. My own thought was to plunge my sword into my side forthwith, and make my exit from life before enduring any unseemly experience under the pressure of hunger or thirst, but Sisinnes encouraged me and begged me not to do anything of that sort, for he himself would discover a means of our having enough to live on. That day, therefore, he carried lumber in from the port and came back with supplies for us which he had procured with his wages. But the next morning, while going about in the market-place he saw a sort of procession, as he put it, of high-spirited, handsome young men. These had been enrolled to fight duels for hire and were to settle their combats on the next day but one. Well, he found out all about them, and then came to me, saying: “Toxaris, you need not call yourself a poor man any longer; on the day after to-morrow I shall make you rich.”
58. Τόξαρις: ἐσκοπούμεθα δὲ περὶ τῶν παρόντων ὅ τι πράξομεν, ἄποροι παντάπασιν ἐν τῇ ἀλλοδαπῇ γενόμενοι. κἀμοὶ μὲν ἐδόκει ὡς εἶχον αὐτοῦ παραβύσαντα ἐς τὴν πλευρὰν τὸν ἀκινάκην ἀπελθεῖν τοῦ βίου πρὶν ἀγεννές τι ὑποστῆναι λιμῷ ἢ δίψει πιεσθέντα, ὁ δὲ Σισίννης παρεμυθεῖτο καὶ ἱκέτευεν μηδὲν τοιοῦτο ποιεῖν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐπινοήσειν ὅθεν ἕξομεν ἱκανῶς τὰς τροφάς. καὶ τότε μὲν ξύλα ἐκ τοῦ λιμένος παρεκόμισεν καὶ ἧκεν ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ μισθοῦ ἐπισιτισάμενος· ἕωθεν δὲ περιιὼν κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν εἶδε προπομπήν τινα, ὡς ἔφη, γενναίων καὶ καλῶν νεανίσκων. μονομαχεῖν δὲ οὗτοι ἐπὶ μισθῷ ἀνδρολογηθέντες εἰς τρίτην ἡμέραν διαγωνιεῖσθαι ἔμελλον. καὶ δὴ τὸ πᾶν ὡς εἶχεν ἀμφʼ αὐτοὺς πυθόμενος, ἐλθὼν ὡς ἐμέ, μηκέτι, ὦ Τόξαρι, ἔφη, σαυτὸν πένητα λέγε, εἰς γὰρ τρίτην ἡμέραν πλούσιόν σε ἀποφανῶ.
59. Those were his words; accordingly, we eked out a wretched existence during the interval, and when at length the spectacle began we were there looking on, for taking me with him on the pretext of going to see a Greek show that would be enjoyable and novel, he had brought me to the theatre. We took our seats, and first we saw wild beasts brought down with javelins, hunted with dogs, and loosed upon men in chains—criminals, we conjectured. Then the gladiators entered, and the herald, bringing in a tall youth, said that whoever wanted to fight with that man should come forward, and would receive ten thousand drachmas in payment for the encounter. Thereupon Sisinnes arose, and, leaping down, undertook to fight and requested arms. On receiving his pay, the ten thousand drachmas, he promptly put it in my hands, saying: “If I win, Toxaris, we shall go away together, with all that we need; but if I fall, bury me and go back to Scythia.”
59. Τόξαρις: Ταῦτα εἶπε, καὶ πονηρῶς τὸ μεταξὺ ἀποζήσαντες, ἐνστάσης ἤδη τῆς θέας ἐθεώμεθα καὶ αὐτοί· παραλαβὼν γάρ με ὡς ἐπὶ τερπνόν τι καὶ παράδοξον θέαμα τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν ἄγει εἰς τὸ θέατρον. καὶ καθίσαντες ἑωρῶμεν τὸ μὲν πρῶτον θηρία κατακοντιζόμενα καὶ ὑπὸ κυνῶν διωκόμενα καὶ ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπους δεδεμένους ἀφιέμενα, κακούργους τινάς, ὡς εἰκάζομεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ εἰσῆλθον οἱ μονομάχοι καί τινα παραγαγὼν ὁ κῆρυξ εὐμεγέθη νεανίσκον εἶπεν, ὅστις ἂν ἐθέλῃ τούτῳ μονομαχῆσαι, ἥκειν εἰς τὸ μέσον δραχμὰς ληψόμενον μυρίας μισθὸν τῆς μάχης, ἐνταῦθα ἐξανίσταται ὁ Σισίννης καὶ καταπηδήσας ὑπέστη μαχεῖσθαι καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ᾔτει, καὶ τὸν μισθὸν λαβών, τὰς μυρίας ἐμοὶ φέρων ἐνεχείρισε, καὶ εἰ μὲν κρατήσαιμι, ὦ Τόξαρι, εἶπεν, ἅμα ἄπιμεν ἔχοντες τὰ ἀρκοῦντα, ἢν δὲ πέσω, θάψας με ὑποχώρει ὀπίσω ἐς Σκύθας.
60. While I was lamenting over this, he was given his armour and fastened it on, except that he did not put on the helmet but took position bareheaded and fought that way. He himself received the first wound, an under-cut in the back of the thigh, dealt with a curved sword, so that blood flowed copiously. For my part, I was already as good as dead in my fright. But he waited until his opponent rushed upon him too confidently; then he stabbed him in the breast and ran him through, so that on the instant he fell at his feet. Himself labouring under his wound, he sat down upon the body and his life almost left him, but I, running up, revived and inspirited him. When at length he was dismissed as victor, I picked him up and carried him to our lodgings. After long treatment he survived and still lives in Scythia, with my sister as his wife; he is lame, however, from his wound. That, Mnesippus, did not happen either in Machlyene or among the Alans, so as to be unattested and possible to disbelieve; there are many Amastrians here who remember the fight of Sisinnes.
60. Τόξαρις: ἐγὼ μὲν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐκώκυον, ὁ δὲ λαβὼν τὰ ὅπλα τὰ μὲν ἄλλα περιεδήσατο, τὸ κράνος δὲ οὐκ ἐπέθηκεν, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ γυμνῆς τῆς κεφαλῆς καταστὰς ἐμάχετο. καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον τιτρώσκεται αὐτός, καμπύλῳ τῷ ξίφει ὑποτμηθεὶς τὴν ἰγνύαν, ὥστε αἷμα ἔρρει πολύ· ἐγὼ δὲ προετεθνήκειν ἤδη τῷ δέει. θρασύτερον δὲ ἐπιφερόμενον τηρήσας τὸν ἀντίπαλον παίει εἰς τὸ στέρνον καὶ διήλασεν, ὥστε αὐτίκα ἐπεπτώκει πρὸ τοῖν ποδοῖν αὐτοῦ. ὁ δὲ κάμνων καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ τραύματος ἐπεκάθιζε τῷ νεκρῷ, καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν ἡ ψυχή, ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ προσδραμὼν ἀνέστησα καὶ παρεμυθησάμην. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀφεῖτο ἤδη νενικηκώς, ἀράμενος αὐτὸν ἐκόμισα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν· καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ θεραπευθεὶς ἐπέζησε μὲν καὶ ἔστι μέχρι νῦν ἐν Σκύθαις, γήμας τὴν ἐμὴν ἀδελφήν· χωλὸς δέ ἐστιν ὅμως ἀπὸ τοῦ τραύματος. τοῦτο, ὦ Μνήσιππε, οὐκ ἐν Μάχλυσιν οὐδὲ ἐν Ἀλανίᾳ ἐγένετο, ὡς ἀμάρτυρον εἶναι καὶ ἀπιστεῖσθαι δύνασθαι, ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ πάρεισιν Ἀμαστριανῶν μεμνημένοι τὴν μάχην τοῦ Σισίννου.
61. As the fifth, I shall tell you the deed of Abauchas, and then I shall stop. Once upon a time this man Abauchas came to the city of the Borysthenites, bringing his wife, of whom he was exceptionally fond, and two children, one of whom, a boy, was a child in arms, while the other, a girl, was seven years old. There came with him also a companion of his, Gyndanes, who was ill of a wound which he had received on the way from robbers who had attacked them. In fighting with them he had got a thrust in the thigh, so that he could not even stand for the pain of it. During the night, as they slept— they chanced to be living in an upper story—a great fire broke out, every avenue of escape was being cut off, and the flames were encompassing the house on all sides. At that juncture Abauchas woke up; abandoning his crying children, shaking off his wife as she hung upon him and urging her to save herself, he carried his comrade down and managed to burst through at a place which the fire had not yet completely burned away. His wife, carrying the baby, followed, telling the girl too to come along. Halfburned, she let the child fall from her arms and barely leaped through the flames, and with her the little girl, who also came very near losing her life. When someone afterwards rebuked Abauchas for abandoning his wife and children but bringing out Gyndanes, he said: “Why, I can easily have other children, and it was uncertain whether these would be good for anything but I could not in a long time find another friend like Gyndanes, who has given me abundant proof of his devotion.”
61. Τόξαρις: πέμπτον ἔτι σοι τὸ Ἀβαύχα ἔργον διηγησάμενος παύσομαι. ἧκέν ποτε οὗτος ὁ Ἀβαύχας εἰς τὴν Βορυσθενιτῶν πόλιν ἐπαγόμενος καὶ γυναῖκα, ἧς ἤρα μάλιστα, καὶ παιδία δύο· τὸ μὲν ἐπιμαστίδιον ἄρρεν, τὸ δὲ ἕτερον, ἡ κόρη, ἑπτέτις ἦν. συναπεδήμει δὲ καὶ ἑταῖρος αὐτοῦ, Γυνδάνης, οὗτος μὲν καὶ νοσῶν ἀπὸ τραύματος ὃ ἐτέτρωτο κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ὑπὸ λῃστῶν ἐπιπεσόντων σφίσι· διαμαχόμενος γὰρ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐλαύνεται εἰς τὸν μηρόν, ὥστε οὐδὲ ἑστάναι ἐδύνατο ὑπὸ τῆς ὀδύνης. νύκτωρ δὲ καθευδόντων — ἔτυχον δὲ ἐν ὑπερῴῳ τινὶ οἰκοῦντες — πυρκαϊὰ μεγάλη ἐξανίσταται καὶ πάντα περιεκλείετο καὶ περιεῖχεν ἡ φλὸξ ἁπανταχόθεν τὴν οἰκίαν. ἐνταῦθα δὴ ἀνεγρόμενος ὁ Ἀβαύχας καταλιπὼν τὰ παιδία κλαυθμυριζόμενα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα ἐκκρεμαννυμένην ἀποσεισάμενος καὶ σώζειν αὑτὴν παρακελευσάμενος, ἀράμενος τὸν ἑταῖρον κατῆλθεν καὶ ἔφθη διεκπαίσας καθʼ ὃ μηδέπω τελέως ἀπεκέκαυτο ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρός. ἡ γυνὴ δὲ φέρουσα τὸ βρέφος εἵπετο, ἀκολουθεῖν κελεύσασα καὶ τὴν κόρην. ἡ δὲ ἡμίφλεκτος ἀφεῖσα τὸ παιδίον ἐκ τῆς ἀγκάλης μόλις διεπήδησε τὴν φλόγα, καὶ ἡ παῖς σὺν αὐτῇ, παρὰ μικρὸν ἐλθοῦσα κἀκείνη ἀποθανεῖν. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὠνείδισέν τις ὕστερον τὸν Ἀβαύχαν διότι προδοὺς τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα ὁ δὲ Γυνδάνην ἐξεκόμισεν, ἀλλὰ παῖδας μέν, ἔφη, καὶ αὖθις ποιήσασθαί μοι ῥᾴδιον, καὶ ἄδηλον εἰ ἀγαθοὶ ἔσονται οὗτοι· φίλον δὲ οὐκ ἂν εὕροιμι ἄλλον ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ τοιοῦτον οἷος Γυνδάνης ἐστίν, πεῖράν μοι πολλὴν τῆς εὐνοίας παρεσχημένος.
62. I have finished, Mnesippus, the story of these five, whom I have selected out of many. And now it is perhaps time to decide which of us is to have either his tongue or his right hand cut off, as the case may be. Who, then, will be our judge? MNESIPPUS No one at all; for we did not appoint any judge of the debate. “But do you know what we ought to do? Since this time we have shot into the void, let us some other day choose an umpire and in his presence tell of other friends; then, whichever of us gets beaten shall at that time have his tongue cut off if it be I, or his right hand if it be you. Or, if that is crude, inasmuch as you have resolved to extol friendship and I myself think that men have no other possession better or nobler than this, why should not we ourselves make an agreement with each other to be friends from this instant and remain so for ever, content that both have won and thereby have obtained magnificent prizes, since instead of a single tongue or a single right hand each of us will get two, and what is more, two pairs of eyes and of feet; in a word, everything multiplied by two? For the union of two or three friends is like the pictures of Geryon that artists exhibit—a man with six hands and three heads. Indeed, to my mind Geryon was three persons acting together in all things, as is right if they are really friends.
62. Τόξαρις: εἴρηκα, ὦ Μνήσιππε, ἀπὸ πολλῶν πέντε τούτους προχειρισάμενος. ἤδη δὲ καιρὸς ἂν εἴη κεκρίσθαι ὁπότερον ἡμῶν ἢ τὴν γλῶτταν ἢ τὴν δεξιὰν ἀποτετμῆσθαι δέοι. τίς οὖν ὁ δικάσων ἐστίν; Μνήσιππος: οὐδὲ εἷς· οὐ γὰρ ἐκαθίσαμέν τινα δικαστὴν τοῦ λόγου. ἀλλʼ οἶσθα ὃ δράσωμεν; ἐπειδὴ νῦν ἄσκοπα τετοξεύκαμεν, αὖθις ἑλόμενοι διαιτητὴν ἄλλους ἐπʼ ἐκείνῳ εἴπωμεν φίλους, εἶτα ὃς ἂν ἥττων γένηται, ἀποτετμήσεται τότε, ἢ ἐγὼ τὴν γλῶτταν ἢ σὺ τὴν δεξιάν. ἢ τοῦτο μὲν ἄγροικον, ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ σὺ φιλίαν ἐπαινεῖν ἔδοξας, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἡγοῦμαι ἀνθρώποις εἶναι τούτου κτῆμα ἄμεινον ἢ κάλλιον, τί οὐχὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς συνθέμενοι πρὸς ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς φίλοι τε αὐτόθεν εἶναι καὶ εἰσαεὶ ἔσεσθαι ἀγαπῶμεν ἄμφω νικήσαντες, τὰ μέγιστα ἆθλα προσλαβόντες, ἀντὶ μιᾶς γλώττης καὶ μιᾶς δεξιᾶς δύο ἑκάτερος ἐπικτησάμενοι καὶ προσέτι γε καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς τέτταρας καὶ πόδας τέτταρας καὶ ὅλως διπλᾶ πάντα; τοιοῦτόν τι γάρ ἐστι συνελθόντες δύο ἢ τρεῖς φίλοι, ὁποῖον τὸν Γηρυόνην οἱ γραφεῖς ἐνδείκνυνται, ἄνθρωπον ἑξάχειρα καὶ τρικέφαλον· ἐμοὶ γὰρ δοκεῖν, τρεῖς ἐκεῖνοι ἦσαν ἅμα πράττοντες πάντα, ὥσπερ ἐστὶ δίκαιον φίλους γε ὄντας.
63. TOXARIS Good! let us do so. MNESIPPUS But let us not feel the need of blood, Toxaris, or any sword to confirm our friendship. This conversation of ours just now and the similarity of our ideals are far more dependable sureties than that cup which your people drink, since achievements like these require resolution rather than compulsion, it seems to me.TOXARIS I approve all this; so let us now be friends and each the other’s host, you mine here in Hellas and I yours if ever you should come to Scythia. MNESIPPUS Truly you may be very sure that I shall not hesitate to go even farther if I am to meet such friends as you, Toxaris, have clearly shown me that you are, by what you have said.
63. Τόξαρις: εὖ λέγεις· καὶ οὕτω ποιῶμεν. Μνήσιππος: ἀλλὰ μήτε αἵματος, ὦ Τόξαρι, μήτε ἀκινάκου δεώμεθα τὴν φιλίαν ἡμῖν βεβαιώσοντος· ὁ γὰρ λόγος ὁ παρὼν καὶ τὸ τῶν ὁμοίων ὀρέγεσθαι πολὺ πιστότερα τῆς κύλικος ἐκείνης ἣν πίνετε, ἐπεὶ τά γε τοιαῦτα οὐκ ἀνάγκης ἀλλὰ γνώμης δεῖσθαί μοι δοκεῖ. Τόξαρις: ἐπαινῶ ταῦτα, καὶ ἤδη ὦμεν φίλοι καὶ ξένοι, ἐμοὶ μὲν σὺ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ἐγὼ δὲ σοὶ εἴ ποτε ἐς τὴν Σκυθίαν ἀφίκοιο. Μνήσιππος: καὶ μήν, εὖ ἴσθι, οὐκ ἂν ὀκνήσαιμι καὶ ἔτι πορρωτέρω ἐλθεῖν, εἰ μέλλω τοιούτοις φίλοις ἐντεύξεσθαι οἷος σύ, ὦ Τόξαρι, διεφάνης ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων.