§1.138.1ἅσσα δέ σφι ποιέειν οὐκ ἔξεστι, ταῦτα οὐδὲ λέγειν ἔξεστι.
What things it is not lawful for them to do, these they are not even allowed to speak of.
αἴσχιστον δὲ αὐτοῖσι τὸ ψεύδεσθαι νενόμισται, δεύτερα δὲ τὸ ὀφείλειν χρέος, πολλῶν μὲν καὶ ἄλλων εἵνεκα, μάλιστα δὲ ἀναγκαίην φασὶ εἶναι τὸν ὀφείλοντα καί τι ψεῦδος λέγειν. ὃς ἂν δὲ τῶν ἀστῶν λέπρην ἢ λεύκην ἔχῃ, ἐς πόλιν οὗτος οὐ κατέρχεται οὐδὲ συμμίσγεται τοῖσι ἄλλοισι Πέρσῃσι· φασὶ δέ μιν ἐς τὸν ἥλιον ἁμαρτόντα τι ταῦτα ἔχειν.
To tell a lie is considered by them to be the most shameful thing, and second to that, to owe a debt, for many other reasons indeed, but especially because they say it is a necessity that the debtor should also tell some lie. Whosoever of the citizens has leprosy or white eruption does not enter into the city, nor does he associate with the other Persians; and they say that he has these because he has committed some sin against the sun.
§1.138.2ξεῖνον δὲ πάντα τὸν λαμβανόμενον ὑπὸ τουτέων πολλοὶ ἐξελαύνουσι ἐκ τῆς χώρης, καὶ τὰς λευκὰς περιστεράς, τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίην ἐπιφέροντες. ἐς ποταμὸν δὲ οὔτε ἐνουρέουσι οὔτε ἐμπτύουσι, οὐ χεῖρας ἐναπονίζονται, οὐδὲ ἄλλον οὐδένα περιορῶσι, ἀλλὰ σέβονται ποταμοὺς μάλιστα.
And any stranger who is caught by these diseases, many drive him out of the country, and also white doves, bringing the same charge against them. And any stranger who is caught by these diseases, many drive him out of the country, and also white doves, bringing the same charge against them. They neither urinate nor spit into a river, nor do they wash their hands in it, nor do they allow anyone else to do so, but they revere rivers most of all. They neither urinate nor spit into a river, nor do they wash their hands in it, nor do they allow anyone else to do so, but they revere rivers most of all.