Page:History of Greece Vol IV.djvu/285

 UNINTELLIGIBLE MARCH OF DARIUS. 267 tte northern desert, having been thus compelled against their will to share in the consequences of the war. The Agathyrsi peremp- torily require the Scythians to abstain from drawing the Persians into their territory, on pain of being themselves treated as ene- mies : l the Scythians in consequence respect the boundaries of the Agathyrsi, and direct their retreat in such a manner as to draw the Persians again southward into Scychia. During all this long march backwards and forwards, there are partial skir- mishes and combats of horse, but the Scythians steadily refuse any general engagement. And though Darius challenges them formally, by means of a herald, with taunts of cowardice, the Scythian king Idanthyrsus not only refuses battle, but explains and defends his policy, and defies the Persian to come and destroy the tombs of their fathers, it will then, he adds, be seen whether the Scythians are cowards or not. 2 The difficulties of Darius have by this time become serious, when Idanthyrsus sends to him, the menacing presents of a bird, a mouse, a frog, and five arrows : the Persians are obliged to commence a rapid retreat towards the Danube, leaving, in order to check and slacken the Scythian pursuit, the least effective and the sick part of their army encamped, together with the asses which had been brought with them, animals unknown to the Scythians, and causing great alarm by their braying. 3 However, notwithstanding some delay thus caused, as well as the anxious haste of Darius to reach the Danube, the Scythians, far more rapid in their movements, arrive at the river before him, and open a negotiation with the lonians left in guard of the bridge, urging them to break it down and leave the Persian king to his fate, inevitable destruction with his whole army. 4 1 Herodot. iv, 125. Hekatseus ranks the Melanchlseni as a Scythian (Hckat. Fragment. 154, ed. Klausen) : he also mentions several other sub- divisions of Scythians, who cannot be farther authenticated (Fragm. 155- 160). 8 Herodot. iv, 126, 127. 3 Herodot. iv, 128-132. The bird, the mouse, the frog, and the arrows, are explained to mean : Unless you take to the air like a bird, to the earth like a mouse, or to the water like a frog, you will become the victim of the Bcythian arrows.
 * Herodot. iv, 133.