Toxaris vel amicitia

Lucian of Samosata

Lucian, Vol. 5. Harmon, A. M., editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1936.

Lonchates in the meantime entered Bosporus unrecognised, approached the king while he was attending to a matter of government, and said that he came with a message from the Scythian commonwealth, but also in his private capacity brought him important news. When he was bidden to speak, he said: ‘The Scythians make one of their ordinary, every-da’ requests, that your herdsmen shall not encroac upon the plain but shall graze only as far as the stony ground; and they say that the cattle-lifters whom you charge with overrunning your country are not sent out by order of the state but steal for profit, each on his own account; if any one of them should be captured, you have full authority to punish him. That is their message.

But on my own part, I give you notice that a great attack upon you is about to be made by Arsacomas, the son of

v.5.p.183
Mariantes, who came to you recently on a mission, and—no doubt because he asked you for your daughter and did not obtain his request from you— is incensed; he has been sitting on the hide for six days now,[*](It should not be inferred that it has taken Lonchates all this time to reach the city and its king. As the king has heard of the Scythian mustering before Lonchates sees him, it is evident that there was some delay, whether accidental or deliberate, ) and has collected a great host.”

“I myself,” said Leucanor, “had heard that a force was being raised on the hide, but did not know that it is being formed against us or that Arsacomas is the organiser of it.” “Why,” said Lonchates, “the preparations are directed at youin person. But Arsacomas is no friend of mine, bearing a grudge against me because I am held in higher regard by our dignitaries and considered in all respects a better man. If you will promise me your other daughter, Barcetis, since even on other grounds I am not unworthy of alliance with you, before lon I will come and bring you his head.” “I promise,” said the king, who had become thoroughly alarmed because he recognised the just ground for the anger of Arsacomas in connection with his proposal of marriage; and besides, he stood in perpetual dread of the Scythians.

Lonchates replied: “Swear that you will keep the agreement, and will not go back on your word then, when the thing is done.”” When the king lifted his hands toward Heaven and was in purpose to swear, the other said: “Not here, for fear that some onlooker may suspect the reason of our oath. No, let us enter the sanctuary of Ares yonder and lock the doors before we swear; and let nobody hear us!

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If Arsacomas should get any knowledge of this, I am afraid that he may initiate the war by making a victim of me, as he is already surrounded by a large band.” “Let us enter,’ responded the king. ‘Gentlemen, withdraw as far as possible, and let no one present himself in the temple who is not summoned by me.”

When they had entered and the guardsmen had withdrawn, Lonchates drew his sword, clapped one hand over the king’s mouth, that he might not cry out, and stabbed him in the breast. Then he cut off his head and carried it out (ith him under his cloak, keeping up, as he did so, a pretended conversation with him and saying that he would return speedily, as if he had been sent by the king to fetch something. Getting in this way to the place where he had left his horse tied, he mounted and rode off to Scythia. There was no pursuit of him, since the Bosporans remained long in ignorance of what had happened, and when they did find out about it, they fell to squabbling over the throne.

That, then, is what Lonchates did, and so fulfilled his promise to Arsacomas by giving him the head of Leucanor. As for Macentes, while on his way he had heard what had happened in Bosporus, and. when he reached the Machlyans was the first to report to them the tidings of the king’s death,[*](It should not be inferred that it has taken Lonchates all this time to reach the city and its king. As the king has heard of the Scythian mustering before Lonchates sees him, it is evident that there was some delay, whether accidental or deliberate, week or more (p. 183 and note) has elapsed before Macentes reaches the Machlyans, yet he returns in less than forty-eight hours, riding night and day, to be sure, but with the horse earrying double and therefore obliged to rest frequently. ) adding: “And the city, Adyrmachus, calls you to the throne, as his son-in-law; so you yourself must ride on ahead and take over the government, appear-

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ing suddenly in the midst of things while they are unsettled; but the girl must follow you in your wagontrain, for in that way it will be easier for you to win over the common people in Bosporus, after they have seen the daughter of Leucanor. For myself, I am an Alan, and also related to the girl through her mother, since Masteira, whom Leucanor married, was of our people; and I come to you now on the part of Masteira’s brothers in the country of the Alans, who urge you to ride with all speed to Bosporus and not to let the government go over to Eubiotus, who being the illegitimate brother of Leucanor, is always friendly to the Scythians and detests the Alans.”[*](Abridgement seems to enter here; for the fact that Eubiotus is the illegitimate brother of Leucanor does not in itself adequately account for his attitude toward the Scythians and the Alans. Was his mother a Scythian, or perhaps a Sarmatian? At this time he is living among the Sarmatians (§ 54). )

Macentes was able to say this because he wore the same dress and spoke the same tongue as the Alans. These characteristics are common to Alans and Scythians, except that the Alans do not wear their hair very long, as the Scythians do. Macentes, however, had made himself resemble them in this also, and had docked his hair by as much as an Alan’s would probably be shorter than a Scythian’s. Therefore he was believed, and was thought to be a relative of Masteira and Mazaea.