Histories

For the Scythians, as I have said before, ruled upper Asia (continent)Asia [*](That is, the eastern highlands of the Persian empire.) for twenty-eight years; they invaded Asia (continent)Asia in their pursuit of the Cimmerians, and ended the power of the Medes, who were the rulers of Asia (continent)Asia before the Scythians came.

But when the Scythians had been away from their homes for twenty-eight years and returned to their country after so long an absence, as much trouble as their Median war awaited them. They found themselves opposed by a great force; for the Scythian women, when their husbands were away for so long, turned to their slaves.

Now the Scythians blind all their slaves, because of the milk[*](Herodotus means that the slaves are blinded to prevent them stealing the best of the milk. Probably the story of blind slaves arises from some Scythian name for slaves, misunderstood by the Greeks.) they drink; and this is how they get it: taking tubes of bone very much like flutes, they insert these into the genitalia of the mares and blow into them, some blowing while others milk. According to them, their reason for doing this is that blowing makes the mare's veins swell and her udder drop.

When done milking, they pour the milk into deep wooden buckets, and make their slaves stand around the buckets and shake the milk; they draw off what stands on the surface and value this most; what lies at the bottom is less valued. This is why the Scythians blind all prisoners whom they take: for they do not cultivate the soil, but are nomads.