herodotus

Then again towards the North of Europe, there is evidently a quantityof gold by far larger than in any other land: as to how it is got,here again I am not able to say for certain, but it is said to becarried off from the griffins by Arimaspians, a one-eyed race ofmen.[104] But I do not believe this tale either, that nature producesone-eyed men which in all other respects are like other men. However,it would seem that the extremities which bound the rest of the worldon every side and enclose it in the midst, possess the things which byus are thought to be the most beautiful and the most rare.117. Now there is a plain in Asia bounded by mountains on all sides,and through the mountains there are five clefts. This plain belongedonce to the Chorasmians, and it lies on the borders of the Chorasmiansthemselves, the Hyrcanians, Parthians, Sarangians, and Thamanaians;but from the time that the Persians began to bear rule it belongs tothe king. From this enclosing mountain of which I speak there flows agreat river, and its name is Akes. This formerly watered the lands ofthese nations which have been mentioned, being divided into fivestreams and conducted through a separate cleft in the mountains toeach separate nation; but from the time that they have come to beunder the Persians they have suffered as follows:--the king built upthe clefts in the mountains and set gates at each cleft; and so, sincethe water has been shut off from its outlet, the plain within themountains is made into a sea, because the river runs into it and hasno way out in any direction. Those therefore who in former times hadbeen wont to make use of the water, not being able now to make use ofit are in great trouble: for during the winter they have rain fromheaven, as also other men have, but in the summer they desire to usethe water when they sow millet and sesame seed. So then, the water notbeing granted to them, they come to the Persians both themselves andtheir wives, and standing at the gates of the king's court they cryand howl; and the king orders that for those who need it most, thegates which lead to their land shall be opened; and when their landhas become satiated with drinking in the water, these gates areclosed, and he orders the gates to be opened for others, that is tosay those most needing it of the rest who remain: and, as I haveheard, he exacts large sums of money for opening them, besides theregular tribute.118. Thus it is with these matters: but of the seven men who had risenagainst the Magian, it happened to one, namely Intaphrenes, to be putto death immediately after their insurrection for an outrage which Ishall relate. He desired to enter into the king's palace and conferwith the king; for the law was in fact so, that those who had risen upagainst the Magian were permitted to go in to the king's presencewithout any one to announce them, unless the king happened to be lying