第 83 节
作者:
孤独半圆 更新:2021-02-21 16:05 字数:9322
and from these goat…skins the Greeks get their word Aegis (goat…harness)。 I think for my part that the loud cries uttered in our sacred rites came also from thence; for the Libyan women are greatly given to such cries and utter them very sweetly。 Likewise the Greeks learnt from the Libyans to yoke four horses to a chariot。 All the wandering tribes bury their dead according to the fashion of the Greeks; except the Nasamonians。 They bury them sitting; and are right careful when the sick man is at the point of giving up the ghost; to make him sit and not let him die lying down。 The dwellings of these people are made of the stems of the asphodel; and of rushes wattled together。 They can be carried from place to place。 Such are the customs of the afore…mentioned tribes。 Westward of the river Triton and adjoining upon the Auseans; are other Libyans who till the ground; and live in houses: these people are named the Maxyans。 They let the hair grow long on the right side of their heads; and shave it close on the left; they besmear their bodies with red paint; and they say that they are descended from the men of Troy。 Their country and the remainder of Libya towards the west is far fuller of wild beasts and of wood than the country of the wandering people。 For the eastern side of Libya; where the wanderers dwell; is low and sandy; as far as the river Triton; but westward of that the land of the husbandmen is very hilly; and abounds with forests and wild beasts。 For this is the tract in which the huge serpents are found; and the lions; the elephants; the bears; the aspicks; and the horned asses。 Here too are the dog…faced creatures; and the creatures without heads; whom the Libyans declare to have their eyes in their breasts; and also the wild men; and wild women; and many other far less fabulous beasts。 Among the wanderers are none of these; but quite other animals; as antelopes; gazelles; buffaloes; and asses; not of the horned sort; but of a kind which does not need to drink; also oryxes; whose horns are used for the curved sides of citherns; and whose size is about that of the ox; foxes; hyaenas porcupines; wild rams; dictyes; jackals; panthers; boryes; land…crocodiles about three cubits in length; very like lizards; ostriches; and little snakes; each with a single horn。 All these animals are found here; and likewise those belonging to other countries; except the stag and the wild boar; but neither stag nor wild…boar are found in any part of Libya。 There are; however; three sorts of mice in these parts; the first are called two…footed; the next; zegeries; which is a Libyan word meaning 〃hills〃; and the third; urchins。 Weasels also are found in the Silphium region; much like the Tartessian。 So many; therefore; are the animals belonging to the land of the wandering Libyans; in so far at least as my researches have been able to reach。 Next to the Maxyan Libyans are the Zavecians; whose wives drive their chariots to battle。 On them border the Gyzantians; in whose country a vast deal of honey is made by bees; very much more; however; by the skill of men。 The people all paint themselves red; and eat monkeys; whereof there is inexhaustible store in the hills。 Off their coast; as the Carthaginians report; lies an island; by name Cyraunis; the length of which is two hundred furlongs; its breadth not great; and which is soon reached from the mainland。 Vines and olive trees cover the whole of it; and there is in the island a lake; from which the young maidens of the country draw up gold…dust; by dipping into the mud birds' feathers smeared with pitch。 If this be true; I know not; I but write what is said。 It may be even so; however; since I myself have seen pitch drawn up out of the water from a lake in Zacynthus。 At the place I speak of there are a number of lakes; but one is larger than the rest; being seventy feet every way; and two fathoms in depth。 Here they let down a pole into the water; with a bunch of myrtle tied to one end; and when they raise it again; there is pitch sticking to the myrtle; which in smell is like to bitumen; but in all else is better than the pitch of Pieria。 This they pour into a trench dug by the lake's side; and when a good deal has thus been got together; they draw it off and put it up in jars。 Whatever falls into the lake passes underground; and comes up in the sea; which is no less than four furlongs distant。 So then what is said of the island off the Libyan coast is not without likelihood。 The Carthaginians also relate the following:… There is a country in Libya; and a nation; beyond the Pillars of Hercules; which they are wont to visit; where they no sooner arrive but forthwith they unlade their wares; and; having disposed them after an orderly fashion along the beach; leave them; and; returning aboard their ships; raise a great smoke。 The natives; when they see the smoke; come down to the shore; and; laying out to view so much gold as they think the worth of the wares; withdraw to a distance。 The Carthaginians upon this come ashore and look。 If they think the gold enough; they take it and go their way; but if it does not seem to them sufficient; they go aboard ship once more; and wait patiently。 Then the others approach and add to their gold; till the Carthaginians are content。 Neither party deals unfairly by the other: for they themselves never touch the gold till it comes up to the worth of their goods; nor do the natives ever carry off the goods till the gold is taken away。 These be the Libyan tribes whereof I am able to give the names; and most of these cared little then; and indeed care little now; for the king of the Medes。 One thing more also I can add concerning this region; namely; that; so far as our knowledge reaches; four nations; and no more; inhabit it; and two of these nations are indigenous; while two are not。 The two indigenous are the Libyans and Ethiopians; who dwell respectively in the north and the south of Libya。 The Phoenicians and the Greek are in…comers。 It seems to me that Libya is not to compare for goodness of soil with either Asia or Europe; except the Cinyps region; which is named after the river that waters it。 This piece of land is equal to any country in the world for cereal crops; and is in nothing like the rest of Libya。 For the soil here is black; and springs of water abound; so that there is nothing to fear from drought; nor do heavy rains (and it rains in that part of Libya) do any harm when they soak the ground。 The returns of the harvest come up to the measure which prevails in Babylonia。 The soil is likewise good in the country of the Euesperites; for there the land brings forth in the best years a hundred…fold。 But the Cinyps region yields three hundred…fold。 The country of the Cyrenaeans; which is the highest tract within the part of Libya inhabited by the wandering tribes; has three seasons that deserve remark。 First the crops along the sea…coast begin to ripen; and are ready for the harvest and the vintage; after they have been gathered in; the crops of the middle tract above the coast region (the hill…country; as they call it) need harvesting; while about the time when this middle crop is housed; the fruits ripen and are fit for cutting in the highest tract of all。 So that the produce of the first tract has been all eaten and drunk by the time that the last harvest comes in。 And the harvest…time of the Cyrenaeans continues thus for eight full months。 So much concerning these matters。 When the Persians sent from Egypt by Aryandes to help Pheretima reached Barca; they laid siege to the town; calling on those within to give up the men who had been guilty of the murder of Arcesilaus。 The townspeople; however; as they had one and all taken part in the deed; refused to entertain the proposition。 So the Persians beleaguered Barca for nine months; in the course of which they dug several mines from their own lines to the walls; and likewise made a number of vigorous assaults。 But their mines were discovered by a man who was a worker in brass; who went with a brazen shield all round the fortress; and laid it on the ground inside the city。 In other Places the shield; when he laid it down; was quite dumb; but where the ground was undermined; there the brass of the shield rang。 Here; therefore; the Barcaeans countermined; and slew the Persian diggers。 Such was the way in which the mines were discovered; as for the assaults; the Barcaeans beat them back。 When much time had been consumed; and great numbers had fallen on both sides; nor had the Persians lost fewer than their adversaries; Amasis; the leader of the land…army; perceiving that; although the Barcaeans would never be conquered by force; they might be overcome by fraud; contrived as follows One night he dug a wide trench; and laid light planks of wood across the opening; after which he brought mould and placed it upon the planks; taking care to make the place level with the surrounding ground。 At dawn of day he summoned the Barcaeans to a parley: and they gladly hearkening; the terms were at length agreed upon。 Oaths were interchanged upon the ground over the hidden trench; and the agreement ran thus… 〃So long as the ground beneath our feet stands firm; the oath shall abide unchange