Histories

After saying this, he tied sixty knots in a thong, and summoning the Ionian sovereigns to an audience said to them:

“Gentlemen of Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia, I take back the decision which I delivered before about the bridge; now, take this thong and do as follows. Begin to reckon from the day when you see me march away against the Scythians, and untie one knot each day: and if the days marked by the knots have all passed and I have not returned, embark for your own homes.

But until then, since the plan is changed, guard the bridge, making every effort to keep and watch it. You will please me very much if you do this.” Having said this, Darius hastened to march further.

Thrace (region (general)), EuropeThrace runs farther out into the sea than Scythia (region (general)), AsiaScythia; and Scythia (region (general)), AsiaScythia begins where a bay is formed in its coast, and the mouth of the Ister, facing southeast, is in that country.

Now I am going to describe the coast of the true Scythia (region (general)), AsiaScythia from the Ister, and give its measurements. The ancient Scythian land begins at the Ister and faces south and the south wind, as far as the city called Carcinitis.

Beyond this place, the country fronting the same sea is hilly and projects into the +Black Sea [38,42] (sea) Pontus; it is inhabited by the Tauric nation as far as what is called the Rough Peninsula; and this ends in the eastern sea.[*](Here = the Sea of +Azov [39.433,47.1] (inhabited place), Rostov, Rossiya, Russia, Asia Azov.)