12 Mart 2022, Cumartesi
saat: 22:37
"I thought about this frequently, sensing at the same time, not without surprise and even a measure of anxiety, that as I immersed myself increasingly in Herodotus’s book, I identified more and more, emotionally and cognitively, with the world and events that he recalls. I felt more deeply about the destruction of Athens than about the latest military coup in the Sudan, and the sinking Persian fleet struck me as more tragic than yet another mutiny of troops in Congo. The world that I was experiencing was not only the African one, about which I was supposed to be writing as the correspondent of a press agency, but also that one far from here which vanished hundreds of years ago."
83. The preparations of Darius against the Scythians had begun, messengers has been dispatched on all sides with the king's commands, some being required to furnish troops, others to supply ships, others again to bridge the Thracian Bosporus, when Artabanus, son of Hystaspes and brother of Darius, entreated the king to desist from his expedition, urging on him the great difficulty of attacking Scythia. Good, however, as the advice of Artabanus was, it failed to persuade Darius. He therefore ceased his reasonings, and Darius, when his preparations were complete, led his army forth from Susa.
102. The Scythians, reflecting on their situation, perceived that they were not strong enough by themselves to contend with the army of Darius in open fight. They, therefore, sent envoys to the neighbouring nations, whose kings had already met, and were in consultation upon the advance of so vast a host. Now they who had come
together were the kings of the Tauri, the Agathyrsi, the Neuri, the Man-eaters, the Black-cloaks, the Geloni, the Budini, and the Sauromatae.
118. The envoys of the Scythians, on being introduced into the presence of the kings of these nations, who were assembled to deliberate, made it known to
them, that the Persian, after subduing the whole of the other continent, had thrown a bridge over the strait of the Bosporus, and crossed into the continent of Europe,
where he had reduced the Thracians, and was now mak-
ing a bridge over the Ister, his aim being to bring under
his sway all Europe also. "Stand not aloof then from
this contest," they went on to say, "look not on tamely
while we are perishing-but make common cause with
us, and together let us meet the enemy. If you refuse, we
must yield to the pressure, and either quit our country, or make terms with the invaders. For what else is left for
us to do, if your aid be withheld from us? The blow, be
sure, will not light on you more gently upon this account. The Persian comes against you no less than against
us: and will not be content, after we are conquered, to
leave you in peace. We can bring strong proof of what we here advance. Had the Persian leader indeed come to
avenge the wrongs which he suffered at our hands when we enslaved his people, and to war on us only, he would have been bound to march straight upon Scythia, without molesting any nation by the way. Then it would have been plain to all, that Scythia alone was aimed at. But now, what has his conduct been? From the moment of his entrance into Europe, he has subjugated without exception every nation that lay in his path. All the tribes of the Thracians have been brought under his sway, and among them even our next neighbours, the Getae."
119. The assembled princes of the nations, after hear-
ing all that the Scythians had to say, deliberated. At
the end opinion was divided-the kings of the Geloni,
Budini, and Sauromatae were of accord, and pledged
themselves to give assistance to the Scythians; but the
Agathyrsian and Neurian princes, together with the
sovereigns of the Man-eaters, the Black-cloaks, and the
Tauri, replied to their request as follows, "If you had
not been the first to wrong the Persians, and begin the
war, we should have thought the request you make just; we should then have complied with your wishes, and joined our arms with yours. Now, however, the case
stands thus -you, independently of us, invaded the land
of the Persians, and so long as God gave you the power,
lorded it over them: raised up now by the same God,
they are come to do to you the like. We, on our part,
did no wrong to these men in the former war, and will
not be the first to commit wrong now. If they invade
our land, and begin aggressions upon us, we will not
suffer them; but, till we see this come to pass, we will remain at home. For we believe that the Persians are not come to attack us, but to punish those who are guilty of first injuring them."
120. When this reply reached the Scythians, they re-
solved, as the neighbouring nations refused their alliance,
that they would not openly venture on any pitched battle
with the enemy, but would retire before them, driving
off their herds, choking up all the wells and springs as
they retreated, and leaving the whole country bare of
forage. They divided themselves into three bands, one of
which, namely that commanded by Scopasis, it was
agreed should be joined by the Sauromatae, and if the Persians advanced in the direction of the Tanais, should
retreat along the shores of Lake Maeotis and make for that river; while if the Persians retired, they should at once pursue and harass them. The two other divisions,
the principal one under the command of Idanthyrsus,
and the third, of which Taxacis was king, were to unite
in one, and, joined by the detachments of the Geloni
and Budini, were, like the others, to keep at the distance
of a day's march from the Persians, falling back as they
advanced, and doing the same as the others. At first, they were to take the direction of the nations which had re-
fused to join the alliance, and were to draw the war upon
them: that so, if they would not of their own free will
engage in the contest, they might by these means be
forced into it. Afterwards, it was agreed that they should
retire into their own land, and, should it on deliberation
appear to them expedient, join battle with the enemy.
121. When these measures had been determined on,
the Scythians went out to meet the army of Darius, send-
ing on in front as scouts the fleetest of their horsemen.
Their waggons, wherein their women and their children
lived, and all their cattle, except such a number as was
wanted for food, which they kept with them, were made
to precede them in their retreat, and departed, with or-
ders to keep marching, without change of course, to the north.
126. This had gone on so long, and seemed so interminable, that Darius at last sent a horseman to Idanthyrsus, the Scythian king, with the following message, "Strange man, why do you keep on flying before me, when there are two things you might do so easily? If you deem yourself able to resist my arms, cease your wanderings and come, let us engage in battle. Or if you are conscious that my strength is greater than yours -even so you should cease to run away-you have but to bring your lord earth and water, and to come at once to a conference."
127. To this message Idanthyrsus, the Scythian king replied, "This is my way, Persian. I never fear men or
fly from them. I have not done so in times past, nor do
I now fly from you. There is nothing new or strange in
what I do; I only follow my common mode of life in
peaceful years. Now I will tell you why I do not at once join battle with you. We Scythians have neither towns nor cultivated lands, which might induce us, through fear of being taken or ravaged, to be in any hurry to fight with you. If, however, you must need to come to blows with us speedily, look you now, there are out fathers' tombs - seek them out, and attempt to meddle with them - then you shall see whether or no we will fight with you. Till you do this, be sure we shall not join battle, unless it pleases us. This is my answer to the challenge to fight. As for lords, I acknowledge only Zeus my ancestor, and Hestia, the Scythian queen. Earth and water, the tribute you ask, I do not send, but you shall soon receive more suitable gifts. Last of all, in return for calling yourself my lord, I say to you 'Go howl'." So the herald departed, bearing this message to Darius.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
"On the other hand, if reason ruled the world, would history even exist?"
(Kapuscinski, Travels with Herodotus)
