Histories

Nowhere are men so ignorant as in the lands by the +Black Sea [38,42] (sea) Euxine +Black Sea [38,42] (sea) Pontus (excluding the Scythian nation) into which Darius led his army. For we cannot show that any nation within the region of the +Black Sea [38,42] (sea) Pontus has any cleverness, nor do we know of (overlooking the Scythian nation and Anacharsis) any notable man born there.

But the Scythian race has made the cleverest discovery that we know in what is the most important of all human affairs; I do not praise the Scythians in all respects, but in this, the most important: that they have contrived that no one who attacks them can escape, and no one can catch them if they do not want to be found.

For when men have no established cities or forts, but are all nomads and mounted archers, not living by tilling the soil but by raising cattle and carrying their dwellings on wagons, how can they not be invincible and unapproachable?

They have made this discovery in a land that suits their purpose and has rivers that are their allies; for their country is flat and grassy and well-watered, and rivers run through it not very many fewer in number than the canals of Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt.

As many of them as are famous and can be entered from the sea, I shall name. There is the Ister, which has five mouths, and the +Dnestr (river), Europe Tyras, and Hypanis, and +Dnepr (river), Europe Borysthenes, and Panticapes, and Hypacuris, and Gerrhus, and +Azov [39.433,47.1] (inhabited place), Rostov, Rossiya, Russia, Asia Tanaïs. Their courses are as I shall indicate.