The Old and the Restless - The Egyptians and the Scythians in Herodotus' Histories by Robert J. Hagan

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throughout the Histories; it is begun by the Lydians and inherited by their new overlords the
Persians. When Cyrus attacks the Massagetae it is because of his overconfidence stemming from
his miraculous birth and good fortune in war, much like Croesus’ false assurance of an oracle
that is favorable to his campaign (1.75). Even Croesus’ advice and presence does not prevent
Cyrus’ defeat, and his same experience is repeated.
Rivers: The Final Frontier
As we have seen, Herodotus shows how the Egyptians and Scythians treat the land in
their own particular style, the former digging into the soil to grow crops, and the latter using it to
graze and to their military advantage. As integral parts of their geographies, their respective great
rivers, the Nile and the Ister, also help define the character of their cultures. A sedentary,
agricultural society, the Egyptians rely completely on the Nile to feed them. The Scythians too
find the Ister and other rivers useful for their meadows for cattle-grazing, fishing, and drinking
water (4.53), but do not rely on them nearly as much to sustain their nomadic way of life.
The way Herodotus shows the Persians’ dealings with the land, and particularly rivers
defines the Persian character as well, in a way very different from the Egyptians and Scythians.
As the belligerent in many wars of conquest across Eurasia, Herodotus makes it clear that
Persian culture encourages war and imperialism. Aside from his Persian ethnography, Herodotus
frames the Persians primarily as conquerors, and this is thoroughly supported by their encounters
with rivers. Rivers, rather than nurturing and enriching, are often obstacles to imperial conquest,
and like the peoples the Persians intend to subjugate, rivers as natural obstructions are overcome
with the same aggression.