Whether we are juster and more
pious than the Greeks in these other matters,
such as our relations with our parents, is not a
point that I care to dispute with you at present;
but it is easy to show that Scythian friends are
far truer than Greek friends, and friendship is
made more of by us than by you. Now, by the
gods of the Greeks, do not take it ill if I tell you
some of the things I have noted in my long stay
among you. You seem to me to be able to discuss friendship, it is true, better than other people, but your practice of it is by no means worthy
of your preaching. In fact, you are perfectly satisfied when you have eulogized it and shown how
great a good it is, and in time of need you forsake your theories and make your escape somehow
Come, now, let us do something of this sort, if
it takes your fancy. Let us leave the friends of
old whom you or I could count out of the question; for under that head you would be rich in
them, summoning many credible poets to testify
to the friendship of Achilles and Patroklos, and
the camaraderie of Theseus and Peirithoos and
the others, singing them in metre with the most
beautiful language. But let us select a few from
our contemporaries and tell their exploits-I for
Scythia, you for Greece-and he who is victorious and able to produce the best friends will be
openly the better man, and will proclaim his the
better country, because he has won in a very noble
It is no joke, Toxaris, to venture single combat with a man like you for opponent, equipped with arguments so pointed and so apt. However, I will not basely leave the whole Greek cause in the lurch on such short notice and retire before you; for, seeing that so many Scythians, as your stories and ancient paintings show, of which you delivered such a vigorous account a little while ago, were worsted by two, it would be a great scandal if all the Greeks, so many nations and so many cities as they are, should lose their case by default to you. If this should happen, it would be fair to cut off, not my right hand, as your custom is, but my tongue. But shall we limit ourselves as to the number of friendly exploits, or shall he who is able to mention most have so much better chance of victory?
Oh dear, no. Let us agree that victory shall not lie in the number of exploits; but
if yours are better and more striking than mine,
though the same in number, they will, of course,
wound me more vitally, and I shall give way
sooner before their blows.
Very well. Let us agree how many are enough. Five apiece, it strikes me.
I think so, too. But first declare, and upon oath, that you will speak the very truth. Otherwise, to invent this kind of thing is no great job, and refutation would be difficult; but if you should take your oath it would be impious not to believe you.
We will swear, if you do not think an oath superfluous. But which of our gods do you Or will the God of Friendship do?
Certainly; but I will take our national oath when it is my turn to speak.
Then let Zeus, the God of Friendship, witness that all I shall tell you I speak either of my own knowledge or having learned from others, with all the exactitude in my power, and adding nothing of my own to the story.
[His first story celebrates the friendship of
Agathokles of Samos for Deinias of Ephesos.
Deinias was a very rich young man, who was
surrounded by evil companions, and soon wasted
his whole substance in riotous living. Thereupon Agathokles, a man of moderate means and
his friend from childhood, whose good advice
had made him insupportable in the heyday of
Deinias's prosperity, sold the house of his fathers
and handed over the proceeds to his friend. Deinias finally killed two persons in a disgraceful