§7.3.8οἱ μέντοι πρὸ ἡμῶν καὶ μάλιστα οἱ ἐγγὺς τοῖς Ὁμήρου χρόνοις τοιοῦτοί τινες ἦσαν καὶ ὑπελαμβάνοντο παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ὁποίους Ὅμηρός φησιν.
However, those before our time, and especially those close to the times of Homer, were indeed of such a character, and were conceived of among the Greeks to be such as Homer says.
ὅρα δὲ ἃ λέγει Ἡρόδοτος περὶ τοῦ τῶν Σκυθῶν βασιλέως, ἐφʼ ὃν ἐστράτευσε Δαρεῖος, καὶ τὰ ἐπεσταλμένα παρʼ αὐτοῦ.
And see what Herodotus says about the king of the Scythians against whom Darius marched, and the messages sent by him.
ὅρα δὲ καὶ ἃ λέγει Χρύσιππος περὶ τῶν τοῦ Βοσπόρου βασιλέων τῶν περὶ Λεύκωνα.
And see also what Chrysippus says about the kings of the Bosporus, those around Leucon.
πλήρεις δὲ καὶ αἱ Περσικαὶ ἐπιστολαὶ τῆς ἁπλότητος ἧς λέγω, καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ Βαβυλωνίων καὶ Ἰνδῶν ἀπομνημονευόμενα.
And the Persian letters are full of the simplicity of which I speak, as are also the things recorded by the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Indians.
διὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἀνάχαρσις καὶ Ἄβαρις καί τινες ἄλλοι τοιοῦτοι παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν εὐδοκίμουν, ὅτι ἐθνικόν τινα χαρακτῆρα ἐπέφαινον εὐκολίας καὶ λιτότητος καὶ δικαιοσύνης.
And for this reason Anacharsis and Abaris and some other such men were highly esteemed among the Greeks, because they displayed a certain national character of good nature, frugality, and justice.
καὶ τί δεῖ τοὺς πάλαι λέγειν;
And why need one speak of the men of old?
Ἀλέξανδρος γὰρ ὁ Φιλίππου κατὰ τὴν ἐπὶ Θρᾷκας τοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Αἵμου στρατείαν ἐμβαλὼν εἰς Τριβαλλούς, ὁρῶν μέχρι τοῦ Ἴστρου καθήκοντας καὶ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ νήσου Πεύκης, τὰ πέραν δὲ Γέτας ἔχοντας, ἀφῖχθαι λέγεται μέχρι δεῦρο, καὶ εἰς μὲν τὴν νῆσον ἀποβῆναι μὴ δύνασθαι σπάνει πλοίων (ἐκεῖσε γὰρ καταφυγόντα τὸν τῶν Τριβαλλῶν βασιλέα Σύρμον ἀντισχεῖν πρὸς τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν), εἰς δὲ τοὺς Γέτας διαβάντα ἑλεῖν αὐτῶν πόλιν καὶ ἀναστρέψαι διὰ ταχέων εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν, λαβόντα δῶρα τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Σύρμου.
For Alexander, the son of Philip, on his expedition against the Thracians who live beyond the Haemus, invaded the territory of the Triballi, and seeing that they extended as far as the Ister and the island of Peuce in it, and that the Getae held the lands beyond, is said to have reached as far as this place; and though he was unable to land on the island because of a lack of boats (for Syrmus, the king of the Triballi, had taken refuge there and resisted the attempt), yet he crossed over to the Getae, took one of their cities, and returned quickly to his own country, having received gifts from these nations and also from Syrmus.
φησὶ δὲ Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Λάγου κατὰ ταύτην τὴν στρατείαν συμμῖξαι τῷ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ Κελτοὺς τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἀδρίαν φιλίας καὶ ξενίας χάριν, δεξάμενον δὲ αὐτοὺς φιλοφρόνως τὸν βασιλέα ἐρέσθαι παρὰ πότον, τί μάλιστα εἴη ὃ φοβοῖντο, νομίζοντα αὐτὸν ἐρεῖν· αὐτοὺς δʼ ἀποκρίνασθαι ὅτι οὐδὲν πλὴν εἰ ἄρα μὴ ὁ οὐρανὸς αὐτοῖς ἐπιπέσοι, φιλίαν γε μὴν ἀνδρὸς τοιούτου περὶ παντὸς τίθεσθαι.
And Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, says that during this campaign the Celts who lived around the Adriatic met Alexander for the sake of friendship and hospitality; and the king, having received them kindly, asked them at a banquet what it was that they feared most, thinking that they would say himself; but they replied that they feared nothing, unless indeed the sky should fall upon them, but that they valued the friendship of such a man above all things.
ταῦτα δὲ ἁπλότητος τῆς τῶν βαρβάρων ἐστὶ σημεῖα, τοῦ τε μὴ συγχωρήσαντος μὲν τὴν ἀπόβασιν τὴν εἰς τὴν νῆσον, δῶρα δὲ πέμψαντος καὶ συνθεμένου φιλίαν, καὶ τῶν φοβεῖσθαι μὲν οὐδένα φαμένων, φιλίαν δὲ περὶ παντὸς τίθεσθαι μεγάλων ἀνδρῶν.
These are signs of the simplicity of the barbarians, both on the part of the one who did not permit the landing on the island but sent gifts and concluded a friendship, and of those who said they feared no one, but valued the friendship of great men above all things.
ὅ τε Δρομιχαίτης κατὰ τοὺς διαδόχους ἦν Γετῶν βασιλεύς· ἐκεῖνος τοίνυν λαβὼν ζωγρίᾳ Λυσίμαχον ἐπιστρατεύσαντα αὐτῷ, δείξας τὴν πενίαν τήν τε ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἔθνους, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὴν αὐτάρκειαν, ἐκέλευσε τοῖς τοιούτοις μὴ πολεμεῖν, ἀλλὰ φίλοις χρῆσθαι· ταῦτα δʼ εἰπών, ξενίσας καὶ συνθέμενος φιλίαν ἀπέλυσεν αὐτόν.
And Dromichaetes was king of the Getae in the time of the successors; he, then, having captured alive Lysimachus, who had marched against him, showed him both his own poverty and that of his tribe, and likewise their self-sufficiency, and urged him not to make war on such people, but to treat them as friends; and having said this, he entertained him, concluded a friendship, and released him.
§7.3.9ἔφορος δʼ ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ μὲν τῆς ἱστορίας Εὐρώπῃ δʼ ἐπιγραφομένῃ βίβλῳ, περιοδεύσας τὴν Εὐρώπην μέχρι Σκυθῶν ἐπὶ τέλει φησὶν εἶναι τῶν τε ἄλλων Σκυθῶν καὶ τῶν Σαυροματῶν τοὺς βίους ἀνομοίους· τοὺς μὲν γὰρ εἶναι χαλεποὺς ὥστε καὶ ἀνθρωποφαγεῖν, τοὺς δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων ἀπέχεσθαι.
And Ephorus, in the fourth book of his History, which is entitled "Europe," having traversed Europe as far as the Scythians, says at the end that the ways of life of both the other Scythians and the Sauromatae are unlike; for some are cruel to the extent of even eating human flesh, while others abstain even from other animals.
οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι, φησί, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὠμότητος αὐτῶν λέγουσιν, εἰδότες τὸ δεινόν τε καὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν ἐκπληκτικὸν ὄν· δεῖν δὲ τἀναντία καὶ λέγειν καὶ παραδείγματα ποιεῖσθαι· καὶ αὐτὸς οὖν περὶ τῶν δικαιοτάτοις ἤθεσι χρωμένων ποιήσεσθαι τοὺς λόγους· εἶναι γάρ τινας τῶν νομάδων Σκυθῶν γάλακτι τρεφομένους ἵππων τῇ τε δικαιοσύνῃ πάντων διαφέρειν·
The others, then, he says, speak of their cruelty because they know that what is terrible and wonderful is striking; but one ought to speak of the opposite also and make them examples; and therefore he himself will make his discourse about those who practice the most just habits; for there are some of the nomad Scythians who feed on the milk of horses and excel all men in justice.
μεμνῆσθαι δʼ αὐτῶν τοὺς ποιητάς, Ὅμηρον μὲν
"
γλακτοφάγων Ἀβίων τε, δικαιοτάτων ἀνθρώπων
"
φήσαντα τὴν γῆν καθορᾶν τὸν Δία, Ἡσίοδον δʼ ἐν τῇ καλουμένῃ γῆς περιόδῳ τὸν Φινέα ὑπὸ τῶν Ἁρπυιῶν ἄγεσθαι
"
γλακτοφάγων εἰς γαῖαν ἀπήναις οἰκίʼ ἐχόντων.
And the poets mention them, Homer indeed saying that Zeus looks down upon the land "of the Galactophagi and Abii, most just men, "and Hesiod, in the work called "Circuit of the Earth," saying that Phineus is carried by the Harpies "to the land of the Galactophagi, who have their homes on wagons.
"
εἶτʼ αἰτιολογεῖ διότι ταῖς διαίταις εὐτελεῖς ὄντες καὶ οὐ χρηματισταὶ πρός τε ἀλλήλους εὐνομοῦνται, κοινὰ πάντα ἔχοντες τά τε ἄλλα καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τέκνα καὶ τὴν ὅλην συγγένειαν, πρός τε τοὺς ἐκτὸς ἄμαχοί εἰσι καὶ ἀνίκητοι, οὐδὲν ἔχοντες ὑπὲρ οὗ δουλεύσουσι.
"Then he gives the reason, because, being simple in their ways of life and not money-makers, they are well-governed towards one another, holding all things in common, both other things and their wives, children, and their whole kindred, and they are invincible and unconquerable towards those outside, having nothing for which they would become slaves.
καλεῖ δὲ καὶ Χοιρίλον εἰπόντα ἐν τῇ διαβάσει τῆς σχεδίας ἣν ἔζευξε Δαρεῖος
"
μηλονόμοι τε Σάκαι, γενεῇ Σκύθαι· αὐτὰρ ἔναιον
Ἀσίδα πυροφόρον· νομάδων γε μὲν ἦσαν ἄποικοι,
ἀνθρώπων νομίμων.
And he also quotes Choerilus, who says in his passage on the crossing of the pontoon-bridge which Darius built: "And the sheep-tending Sacae, of Scythian race; but they inhabited wheat-bearing Asia; and indeed they were colonists of the nomads, law-abiding men.
"
καὶ τὸν Ἀνάχαρσιν δὲ σοφὸν καλῶν ὁ Ἔφορος τούτου τοῦ γένους φησὶν εἶναι· νομισθῆναι δὲ καὶ τῶν ἑπτὰ σοφῶν ἐπʼ εὐτελείᾳ σωφροσύνῃ καὶ συνέσει· εὑρήματά τε αὐτοῦ λέγει τά τε ζώπυρα καὶ τὴν ἀμφίβολον ἄγκυραν καὶ τὸν κεραμικὸν τροχόν.
"And Ephorus, calling Anacharsis wise, says that he belongs to this race; and that he was also considered one of the Seven Sages because of his simplicity, temperance, and intelligence; and he says that his inventions were the bellows, the double-fluked anchor, and the potter's wheel.
ταῦτα δὲ λέγω σαφῶς μὲν εἰδὼς ὅτι καὶ οὗτος αὐτὸς οὐ τἀληθέστατα λέγει περὶ πάντων, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἀναχάρσιδος· πῶς γὰρ ὁ τροχὸς εὕρημα αὐτοῦ, ὃν οἶδεν Ὅμηρος πρεσβύτερος ὤν;
Now I say these things, though I know well that this writer himself does not speak the absolute truth about everything, and especially in the case of Anacharsis; for how could the wheel be his invention, which Homer knew, who was older than he?
ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνα διασημῆναι βουλόμενος ὅτι κοινῇ τινι φήμῃ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ὑστέρων πεπιστεῦσθαι συνέβαινε τὸ τῶν νομάδων, τοὺς μάλιστα ἀπῳκισμένους ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων γαλακτοφάγους τε εἶναι καὶ ἀβίους καὶ δικαιοτάτους, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὑπὸ Ὁμήρου πεπλάσθαι.
But I wish to make clear that there was a common report, believed both by the ancients and by later writers, concerning the nomads, that those who lived farthest away from other men were indeed Galactophagi, Abii, and most just, and that this was not invented by Homer.