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5.
The Scythians say that their nation is the youngest in the world, and that it came into being in this way. A man whose name was Targitaüs appeared in this country, which was then desolate. They say that his parents were Zeus and a daughter of the Borysthenes river (I do not believe the story, but it is told).1
[2]
Such was Targitaüs' lineage; and he had three sons: Lipoxaïs, Arpoxaïs, and Colaxaïs, youngest of the three.
[3]
In the time of their rule (the story goes) certain implements—namely, a plough, a yoke, a sword, and a flask, all of gold—fell down from the sky into Scythia. The eldest of them, seeing these, approached them meaning to take them; but the gold began to burn as he neared, and he stopped.
[4]
Then the second approached, and the gold did as before. When these two had been driven back by the burning gold, the youngest brother approached and the burning stopped, and he took the gold to his own house. In view of this, the elder brothers agreed to give all the royal power to the youngest.
Herodotus, with an English translation by A. D. Godley. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 1920.
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References (14 total)
- Commentary references to this page
(1):
- Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Trachiniae, 1238
- Cross-references to this page (6):
- Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page
(7):
- LSJ, κατα-σβέννυ_μι
- LSJ, οὖν
- LSJ, ποί-ημα
- LSJ, σάγα^ρις
- LSJ, σβέννυ_μι
- LSJ, συγγιγνώσκω
- LSJ, ὡς
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