herodotus

value of the merchandise, they take it up and go their way; but ifnot, they embark again in their ships and sit there; and the othersapproach and straightway add more gold to the former, until theysatisfy them: and they say that neither party wrongs the other; forneither do the Carthaginians lay hands on the gold until it is madeequal to the value of their merchandise, nor do the others lay handson the merchandise until the Carthaginians have taken the gold.197. These are the Libyan tribes whom we are able to name; and ofthese the greater number neither now pay any regard to the king of theMedes nor did they then. Thus much also I have to say about this land,namely that it is occupied by four races and no more, so far as weknow; and of these races two are natives of the soil and the other twonot so; for the Libyans and the Ethiopians are natives, the one racedwelling in the Northern parts of Libya and the other in the Southern,while the Phenicians and the Hellenes are strangers.198. I think moreover that (besides other things) in goodness of soilLibya does not very greatly excel[178] as compared with Asia orEurope, except only the region of Kinyps, for the same name is givento the land as to the river. This region is equal to the best of landsin bringing forth the fruit of Demeter,[179] nor does it at allresemble the rest of Libya; for it has black soil and is watered bysprings, and neither has it fear of drought nor is it hurt by drinkingtoo abundantly of rain; for rain there is in this part of Libya. Ofthe produce of the crops the same measures hold good here as for theBabylonian land. And that is good land also which the Euesperitesoccupy, for when it bears best it produces a hundred-fold, but theland in the region of Kinyps produces sometimes as much as threehundred-fold.199. Moreover the land of Kyrene, which is the highestland of the part of Libya which is occupied by nomads, has within itsconfines three seasons of harvest, at which we may marvel: for theparts by the sea-coasts first have their fruits ripe for reaping andfor gathering the vintage; and when these have been gathered in, theparts which lie above the sea-side places, those situated in themiddle, which they call the hills,[180] are ripe for the gathering in;and as soon as this middle crop has been gathered in, that in thehighest part of the land comes to perfection and is ripe; so that bythe time the first crop has been eaten and drunk up, the last is justcoming in. Thus the harvest for the Kyrenians lasts eight months. Letso much as has been said suffice for these things.*****200. Now when the Persian helpers of Pheretime,[181] having been sentfrom Egypt by Aryandes, had arrived at Barca, they laid siege to the