Histories

So a vast number of arrow-heads was brought, and he decided to make and leave a memorial out of them; and he made of these this bronze vessel, and set it up in this country Exampaeus. This much I heard about the number of the Scythians.

As for marvels, there are none in the land, except that it has by far the greatest and the most numerous rivers in the world; and over and above the rivers and the great extent of the plains there is one most marvellous thing for me to mention: they show a footprint of Heracles by the Tyras river stamped on rock, like the mark of a man's foot, but forty inches in length. Having described this, I will now return to the story which I began to tell.[*](In Hdt. 4.1.)

While Darius was making preparations[*](The date of Darius' expedition is uncertain. Grote thinks it probable that it took place before 514 B.C.) against the Scythians, and sending messengers to direct some to furnish infantry and some to furnish ships, and others again to bridge the Karadeniz Bogazi (strait), Istanbul, Marmara, Turkey, AsiaThracian Bosporus, Artabanus, son of Hystaspes and Darius' brother, by no means wanted him to make an expedition against the Scythians, telling him how hard that people were to deal with.

But when, for all his good advice, he could not deter the king, Artabanus ceased to advise, and Darius, all his preparations made, led his army from Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa.

Then the PersianOeobazus, who had three sons, all with the army, asked Darius that one be left behind. “You are my friend,” said the king, “and your request is reasonable; I will leave all your sons.”