herodotus

in proportion to his stature, this man they appoint to reign overthem. 21. So when the Ichthyophagoi had come to this people theypresented their gifts to the king who ruled over them, and at the sametime they said as follows: "The king of the Persians Cambyses,desiring to become a friend and guest to thee, sent us with command tocome to speech with thee, and he gives thee for gifts these thingswhich he himself most delights to use." The Ethiopian however,perceiving that they had come as spies, spoke to them as follows:"Neither did the king of the Persians send you bearing gifts becausehe thought it a matter of great moment to become my guest-friend, nordo ye speak true things (for ye have come as spies of my kingdom), noragain is he a righteous man; for if he had been righteous he would nothave coveted a land other than his own, nor would he be leading awayinto slavery men at whose hands he has received no wrong. Now howevergive him this bow and speak to him these words: The king of theEthiopians gives this counsel to the king of the Persians, that whenthe Persians draw their bows (of equal size to mine) as easily as I dothis, then he should march against the Long-lived Ethiopians, providedthat he be superior in numbers; but until that time he should feelgratitude to the gods that they do not put it into the mind of thesons of the Ethiopians to acquire another land in addition to theirown." 22. Having thus said and having unbent the bow, he delivered itto those who had come. Then he took the garment of purple and askedwhat it was and how it had been made: and when the Ichthyophagoi hadtold him the truth about the purple-fish and the dyeing of the tissue,he said that the men were deceitful and deceitful also were theirgarments. Then secondly he asked concerning the twisted gold of thecollar and the bracelets; and when the Ichthyophagoi were settingforth to him the manner in which it was fashioned, the king broke intoa laugh and said, supposing them to be fetters, that they had strongerfetters than those in their country. Thirdly he asked about theperfumed ointment, and when they had told him of the manner of itsmaking and of the anointing with it, he said the same as he had saidbefore about the garment. Then when he came to the wine, and hadlearned about the manner of its making, being exceedingly delightedwith the taste of the drink he asked besides what food the king ate,and what was the longest time that a Persian man lived. They told himthat he ate bread, explaining to him first the manner of growing thewheat, and they said that eighty years was the longest term of lifeappointed for a Persian man. In answer to this the Ethiopian said thathe did not wonder that they lived but a few years, when they fed upondung; for indeed they would not be able to live even so many years asthis, if they did not renew their vigour with the drink, indicating tothe Ichthyophagoi the wine; for in regard to this, he said, his peoplewere much behind the Persians. 23. Then when the Ichthyophagoi askedthe king in return about the length of days and the manner of life of