herodotus

cattle, but especially horses.62. To the others of the gods they sacrifice thus and these kinds ofbeasts, but to Ares as follows:--In each district of the severalgovernments[61] they have a temple of Ares set up in this way:--bundles of brushwood are heaped up for about three furlongs[62] inlength and in breadth, but less in height; and on the top of thisthere is a level square made, and three of the sides rise sheer but bythe remaining one side the pile may be ascended. Every year they pileon a hundred and fifty waggon-loads of brushwood, for it is constantlysettling down by reason of the weather.[63] Upon this pile of which Ispeak each people has an ancient iron sword[64] set up, and this isthe sacred symbol[65] of Ares. To this sword they bring yearlyofferings of cattle and of horses; and they have the followingsacrifice in addition, beyond what they make to the other gods, thatis to say, of all the enemies whom they take captive in war theysacrifice one man in every hundred, not in the same manner as theysacrifice cattle, but in a different manner: for they first pour wineover their heads, and after that they cut the throats of the men, sothat the blood runs into a bowl; and then they carry this up to thetop of the pile of brushwood and pour the blood over the sword. This,I say, they carry up; and meanwhile below by the side of the templethey are doing thus:--they cut off all the right arms of theslaughtered men with the hands and throw them up into the air, andthen when they have finished offering the other victims, they go away;and the arm lies wheresoever it has chanced to fall, and the corpseapart from it. 63. Such are the sacrifices which are established amongthem; but of swine these make no use, nor indeed are they wont to keepthem at all in their land.64. That which relates to war is thus ordered with them:--When aScythian has slain his first man, he drinks some of his blood: and ofall those whom he slays in the battle he bears the heads to the king;for if he has brought a head he shares in the spoil which they havetaken, but otherwise not. And he takes off the skin of the head bycutting it round about the ears and then taking hold of the scalp andshaking it off; afterwards he scrapes off the flesh with the rib of anox, and works the skin about with his hands; and when he has thustempered it, he keeps it as a napkin to wipe the hands upon, and hangsit from the bridle of the horse on which he himself rides, and takespride in it; for whosoever has the greatest number of skins to wipethe hands upon, he is judged to be the bravest man. Many also makecloaks to wear of the skins stripped off, sewing them together likeshepherds' cloaks of skins;[66] and many take the skin together withthe finger-nails off the right hands of their enemies when they aredead, and make them into covers for their quivers: now human skin it