herodotus

Dareios left those fortifications half finished, and turning backhimself began to go towards the West, supposing that these were thewhole body of the Scythians and that they were flying towards theWest. 125. And marching his army as quickly as possible, when he cameto Scythia he met with the two divisions of the Scythians together,and having fallen in with these he continued to pursue them, whilethey retired out of his way one day's journey in advance: and asDareios did not cease to come after them, the Scythians according tothe plan which they had made continued to retire before him towardsthe land of those who had refused to give their alliance, and firsttowards that of the Melanchlainoi; and when Scythians and Persiansboth together had invaded and disturbed these, the Scythians led theway to the country of the Androphagoi; and when these had also beendisturbed, they proceeded to the land of the Neuroi; and while thesetoo were being disturbed, the Scythians went on retiring before theenemy to the Agathyrsians. The Agathyrsians however, seeing that theirnext neighbours also were flying from the Scythians and had beendisturbed, sent a herald before the Scythians invaded their land andproclaimed to the Scythians not to set foot upon their confines,warning them that if they should attempt to invade the country, theywould first have to fight with them. The Agathyrsians then havinggiven this warning came out in arms to their borders, meaning to driveoff those who were coming upon them; but the Melanchlainoi andAndrophagoi and Neuroi, when the Persians and Scythians togetherinvaded them, did not betake themselves to brave defence but forgottheir former threat[115] and fled in confusion ever further towardsthe North to the desert region. The Scythians however, when theAgathyrsians had warned them off, did not attempt any more to come tothese, but led the Persians from the country of the Neuroi back totheir own land.126. Now as this went on for a long time and did not cease, Dareiossent a horseman to Idanthyrsos king of the Scythians and said asfollows: "Thou most wondrous man, why dost thou fly for ever, whenthou mightest do of these two things one?--if thou thinkest thyselfable to make opposition to my power, stand thou still and cease fromwandering abroad, and fight; but if thou dost acknowledge thyself tooweak, cease then in that case also from thy course, and come to speechwith thy master, bringing to him gifts of earth and water." 127. Tothis the king of the Scythians Idanthyrsos made answer thus: "My case,O Persian, stands thus:--Never yet did I fly because I was afraid,either before this time from any other man, or now from thee; nor haveI done anything different now from that which I was wont to do also intime of peace: and as to the cause why I do not fight with thee atonce, this also I will declare to thee. We have neither cities norland sown with crops, about which we should fear lest they should be