herodotus

their commander Otanes the father of Amestris the wife of Xerxes. Nowthese were called by the Hellenes in ancient time Kephenes; bythemselves however and by their neighbours they were called Artaians:but when Perseus, the son of Danae and Zeus, came to Kepheus the sonof Belos[58] and took to wife his daughter Andromeda, there was bornto them a son to whom he gave the name Perses, and this son he leftbehind there, for it chanced that Kepheus had no male offspring: afterhim therefore this race was named. 62. The Medes served in theexpedition equipped in precisely the same manner; for this equipmentis in fact Median and not Persian: and the Medes acknowledged as theircommander Tigranes an Achaimenid. These in ancient time used to begenerally called Arians; but when Medea the Colchian came from Athensto these Arians, they also changed their name. Thus the Medesthemselves report about themselves. The Kissians served with equipmentin other respects like that of the Persians, but instead of the feltcaps they wore fillets:[59] and of the Kissians Anaphes the son ofOtanes was commander. The Hyrcanians were armed like the Persians,acknowledging as their leader Megapanos, the same who after theseevents became governor of Babylon. 63. The Assyrians served withhelmets about their heads made of bronze or plaited in a Barbarianstyle which it is not easy to describe; and they had shields andspears, and daggers like the Egyptian knives,[60] and moreover theyhad wooden clubs with knobs of iron, and corslets of linen. These areby the Hellenes called Syrians, but by the Barbarians they have beencalled always[61] Assyrians: [among these were the Chaldeans]:[62] andthe commander of them was Otaspes the son of Artachaies. 64. TheBactrians served wearing about their heads nearly the same covering asthe Medes, and having native bows of reed and short spears. The ScaranScythians had about their heads caps[63] which were carried up to apoint and set upright and stiff; and they wore trousers, and carriednative bows and daggers, and besides this axes of the kind called/sagaris/. These were called Amyrgian Sacans, being in fact Scythians;for the Persians call all the Scythians Sacans: and of the Bactriansand Sacans the commander was Hystaspes, the son of Dareios and ofAtossa the daughter of Cyrus. 65. The Indians wore garments made oftree-wool, and they had bows of reed and arrows of reed with ironpoints. Thus were the Indians equipped; and serving with the rest theyhad been assigned to Pharnazathres the son of Artabates. 66. TheArians[64] were equipped with Median bows, and in other respects likethe Bactrians: and of the Arians Sisamnes the son of Hydarnes was incommand. The Parthians and Chorasmians and Sogdians and Gandarians andDadicans served with the same equipment as the Bactrians. Of these thecommanders were, Artabazos the son of Pharnakes of the Parthians andChorasmians, Azanes the son of Artaios of the Sogdians, and Artyphiosthe son of Artabanos of the Gandarians and Dadicans. [67] The Caspiansserved wearing coats of skin[65] and having native bows of reed and