Herodotus · Histories §4.75.1-4.75.3

Hemp Vapor Baths and Scythian Women's Cleansing Custom

Passage 639 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

This passage describes the Scythians' vapor-baths using hemp seeds thrown onto red-hot stones inside felt tents, as well as the Scythian women's unique, waterless method of cleansing and scenting themselves with a paste made of ground aromatic woods.

§4.75.1ταύτης ὦν οἱ Σκύθαι τῆς καννάβιος τὸ σπέρμα ἐπεὰν λάβωσι, ὑποδύνουσι ὑπὸ τοὺς πίλους, καὶ ἔπειτα ἐπιβάλλουσι τὸ σπέρμα ἐπὶ τοὺς διαφανέας λίθους τῷ πυρί· τὸ δὲ θυμιᾶται ἐπιβαλλόμενον καὶ ἀτμίδα παρέχεται τοσαύτην ὥστε Ἑλληνικὴ οὐδεμία ἄν μιν πυρίη ἀποκρατήσειε.

Then, when the Scythians take the seed of this hemp, they creep under the felt tents, and then they throw the seed upon the stones made red-hot by the fire; and the seed being thrown on smokes and gives off such a vapor that no Greek vapor-bath could surpass it.

§4.75.2οἱ δὲ Σκύθαι ἀγάμενοι τῇ πυρίῃ ὠρύονται. τοῦτό σφι ἀντὶ λουτροῦ ἐστι. οὐ γὰρ δὴ λούονται ὕδατι τὸ παράπαν τὸ σῶμα.

And the Scythians, delighted with the vapor-bath, shout for joy; this serves them instead of a bath, for they do not wash their bodies with water at all.

§4.75.3αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν ὕδωρ παραχέουσαι κατασώχουσι περὶ λίθον τρηχὺν τῆς κυπαρίσσου καὶ κέδρου καὶ λιβάνου ξύλου, καὶ ἔπειτα τὸ κατασωχόμενον τοῦτο παχὺ ἐὸν καταπλάσσονται πᾶν τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον· καὶ ἅμα μὲν εὐωδίη σφέας ἀπὸ τούτου ἴσχει, ἅμα δὲ ἀπαιρέουσαι τῇ δευτέρῃ ἡμέρῃ τὴν καταπλαστὺν γίνονται καθαραὶ καὶ λαμπραί.

But their women, pouring on water, grind upon a rough stone the wood of cypress, cedar, and frankincense, and then they plaster this ground stuff, which is thick, over all their body and face; and on the one hand a sweet odor comes upon them from this, and on the other, when they take off the plaster on the second day, they become clean and shining.

Notes

4.75.1διαφανέας λίθους τῷ πυρί — Literally 'stones transparent by the fire'. The dative τῷ πυρί (expressing means or cause) modifies the adjective διαφανέας ('transparent', 'translucent'), describing stones that have become so red-hot from the fire that they appear translucent.
4.75.3παχὺ ἐὸν — A combination of the adjective παχύ ('thick', 'dense') and the neuter singular nominative participle ἐόν (Ionic form of ὤν, from εἰμί). It functions predicatively with respect to the substantivized participle τὸ κατασωχόμενον, meaning 'while it is in a thick or paste-like state'.
4.75.3καταπλάσσονται — Third-person plural present middle of καταπλάσσω ('to plaster over'). The middle voice is used reflexively or protectively ('they plaster for themselves' or 'they plaster their own...'), taking πᾶν τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον either as a direct object or as an accusative of specification.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.75.1-4.75.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.75.1-4.75.3

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