Histories

This is the produce of these rivers, and after these there is a fifth river called Panticapas; this also flows from the north out of a lake, and the land between it and the +Dnepr (river), Europe Borysthenes is inhabited by the farming Scythians; it flows into the woodland country, after passing which it mingles with the +Dnepr (river), Europe Borysthenes.

The sixth is the Hypacuris river,[*](Perhaps in the Molotschna region, considerably east of the +Dnepr (river), Europe Dnieper. The “city of Carcine” lay at the eastern end of the Scythian coast, close to the Tauric Chersonese ( +Krym [34,45] (autonomous republic), Ukraine, Europe Crimea). The Racecourse of Achilles was a strip of land, now broken into islands, about 80 miles long, between the +Krym [34,45] (autonomous republic), Ukraine, Europe Crimea and the mouth of the +Dnepr (river), Europe Dnieper.) which rises from a lake, and flowing through the midst of the nomadic Scythians flows out near the city of Carcine, bordering on its right the Woodland and the region called the Racecourse of Achilles .

The seventh river, the Gerrhus, separates from the +Dnepr (river), Europe Borysthenes at about the place which is the end of our knowledge of that river; at this place it separates, and has the same name as the place itself, Gerrhus; then in its course to the sea it divides the country of the Nomads and the country of the Royal Scythians, and empties into the Hypacuris.

The eighth is the +Azov [39.433,47.1] (inhabited place), Rostov, Rossiya, Russia, Asia Tanaïs river;[*](The Don.) in its upper course, this begins by flowing out of a great lake, and enters a yet greater lake called the Maeetian, which divides the Royal Scythians from the Sauromatae; another river, called Hyrgis,[*](Perhaps the “Syrgis” of Hdt. 4.123; it may be the modern Donetz.) is a tributary of this +Azov [39.433,47.1] (inhabited place), Rostov, Rossiya, Russia, Asia Tanaïs.

These are the rivers of note with which the Scythians are provided. For rearing cattle, the grass growing in Scythia (region (general)), AsiaScythia is the most productive of bile of all pastures which we know; that this is so can be judged by opening up the bodies of the cattle.

The most important things are thus provided them. It remains now to show the customs which are established among them. The only gods whom they propitiate are these: Hestia in particular, and secondly Zeus and Earth, whom they believe to be the wife of Zeus; after these, Apollo, and the Heavenly Aphrodite, and Heracles, and Ares. All the Scythians worship these as gods; the Scythians called Royal sacrifice to Poseidon also.