§4.119.1ταῦτα Σκυθέων ἐπαγγελλομένων ἐβουλεύοντο οἱ βασιλέες οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνέων ἥκοντες, καί σφεων ἐσχίσθησαν αἱ γνῶμαι·
When the Scythians made these proposals, the kings who had come from the nations held a council, and their opinions were divided.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ Γελωνὸς καὶ ὁ Βουδῖνος καὶ ὁ Σαυρομάτης κατὰ τὠυτὸ γενόμενοι ὑπεδέκοντο Σκύθῃσι τιμωρήσειν, ὁ δὲ Ἀγάθυρσος καὶ Νευρὸς καὶ Ἀνδροφάγος καὶ οἱ τῶν Μελαγχλαίνων καὶ Ταύρων τάδε Σκύθῃσι ὑπεκρίναντο. §4.119.2εἰ μὲν μὴ ὑμεῖς ἔατε οἱ πρότεροι ἀδικήσαντες Πέρσας καὶ ἄρξαντες πολέμου, τούτων δεόμενοι τῶν νῦν δέεσθε λέγειν τε ἂν ἐφαίνεσθε ἡμῖν ὀρθά, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑπακούσαντες τὠυτὸ ἂν ὑμῖν ἐπρήσσομεν.
For the Gelonian, the Budinian, and the Sauromatian, acting in unison, promised to help the Scythians; but the Agathyrsian, the Neurian, the Androphagian, and the kings of the Melanchlaenians and the Taurians answered the Scythians as follows: "If you had not been the ones who first wronged the Persians and began the war, in making these requests which you now make, you would have seemed to us to speak justly, and we, obeying you, would have acted in unison with you.
§4.119.3νῦν δὲ ὑμεῖς τε ἐς τὴν ἐκείνων ἐσβαλόντες γῆν ἄνευ ἡμέων ἐπεκρατέετε Περσέων ὅσον χρόνον ὑμῖν ὁ θεὸς παρεδίδου, καὶ ἐκεῖνοι, ἐπεί σφεας ὡυτὸς θεὸς ἐγείρει, τὴν ὁμοίην ὑμῖν ἀποδιδοῦσι.
But as it is, you invaded their land without us and ruled over the Persians for as long as God granted it to you; and they, now that the same God rouses them, are paying you back in like coin.
§4.119.4ἡμεῖς δὲ οὔτε τι τότε ἠδικήσαμεν τοὺς ἄνδρας τούτους οὐδὲν οὔτε νῦν πρότεροι πειρησόμεθα ἀδικέειν.
As for us, we did not do these men any wrong at all back then, nor will we now be the first to try to do them wrong.
ἢν μέντοι ἐπίῃ καὶ τὴν ἡμετέρην ἄρξῃ τε ἀδικέων, καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐ πεισόμεθα,μέχρι δὲ τοῦτο ἴδωμεν, μενέομεν παρʼ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖσι·
If, however, he should invade our land also and begin to do us wrong, we too will not tolerate it; but until we see this, we shall remain by ourselves.
ἥκειν γὰρ δοκέομεν οὐκ ἐπʼ ἡμέας Πέρσας ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τοὺς αἰτίους τῆς ἀδικίης γενομὲνους.
For we think that the Persians have come not against us, but against those who became the cause of the wrong."