The originall of the Nation of the Basilides, commeth from Hercules and Echidna. Theyr manners are Prince-like, their weapons are onelie arrows. The wandering Nomades, follow the pastures for their cattell and as feeding for them lasteth so is their continuance of abiding in one place. The Georgi occupy tillage of ye ground and husbandrie. The Axiacæ knowe not what stealing means; and therefore they neither keep theyr own nor touch another man’s. They that dwel more upland live after a hard sort, and have a country less husbanded. They love warre and slaughter, and it is their custome to sucke the bloode cleane out of the wounds of him they kill first. As everie of them hath slain most, so is he counted the joliest fellowe among them. But to be cleere from slaughter, is of all reproaches the greatest. Not so much as their love-daies are made without blood-shed. For they that ondertake the matter, wound themselves, and letting their blood drop out into a vessel, wher they have stird it together they drinke of it thinking that to be a most assured pledge of the promise to be performed. In their feasting their greatest myrth and commonest talke, is in making report what everie man hath slaine, and they that have told of most, are set betweene two cuppes full of drinke, for that is the cheefe honour among them. As the Essedones make cuppes of the heads of their Parents; so doo these of the heads of their enimies.
Among the Androphagi, the daintiest dishes are made of mens’ fleshe. The Geloni apparell themselves and their horses, in the skins of their enimies heads, themselves with the skinnes of the rest of their bodies. The Melanchlæni goe in blacke cloathes, and thereof they have their name. The Neuri have a certain time to evrie of them limited wherein they may (if they will) be chaunged into Woolves, and returne to their former shape againe. The God of them all is Mars, to whome in steade of Images they dedicate Swords and Tents, and offer to him men in Sacrifice. The Countries spread verie large, and by reason that the rivers doo divers times over flow their bankes there is everie where great store of good pasture. But some places are in all other respects so barreine that the inhabiters, for lacke of Woodde, are fayne to make fyre of bones.[c]
DIODORUS ON THE AMAZONS AND THE HYPERBOREANS
The Scythians anciently enjoy’d but a small Tract of Ground, but (through their Valour) growing stronger by degrees, they inlarg’d their Dominion far and near, and attain’d at last to a vast and glorious Empire.
At the First a very few of them, and those very despicable for their mean original seated themselves near to the River Araxes. Afterwards one of their Ancient Kings, who was a warlike Prince, and skilful in Arms, gain’d to their Country all the Mountainous Parts as far as to Mount Caucasus, and all the Champain Country, to the Ocean, and the Lake Mæotis, and all the rest of the plain to the River Tanais. Then they tell a Story, That a Virgin was born among them of the Earth, of the shape of a Woman from the Middle upwards, and of a Viper downwards: and that Jupiter begot of her a Son call’d Scythes: they say, that from this Prince (being more eminent than any of his Ancestors) the People were call’d Scythians: There were Two Brothers that descended from this King, that were remarkable for Valour, the one call’d Palus and the other Napas. These Two Brothers, after many Glorious Actions done by them, divided the Country between them, and from their own Names call’d one part of the Inhabitants Palians, and the other Napians.
Some time afterwards their Posterity becoming famous and eminent for Valour and martial affairs, subdu’d many Territories beyond Tanais.
Then turning their Arms the other way they led their Forces as far as to the River Nile in Egypt, and having subdu’d many Nations lying between, they inlarg’d the Empire of the Scythians as far as to the Eastern Ocean one way, and to the Caspian Sea and the Lake of Mæotis another.
This Nation prosper’d still more and more, and had Kings that were very famous; from whom the Sacæ, the Massagetæ, and the Arimaspani, and many others call’d by other Names derive their Original. Amongst others, there were two remarkable Colonies that were drawn out of the conquer’d Nations by those Kings; the one they brought out of Assyria, and settl’d in the Country lying between Paphlagonia and Pontus; the other out of Media, which they placed near the River Tanais, which People are call’d Sauromatians, who many Years after increasing in number and power, wasting the greatest part of Scythia, and rooting out all that they conquer’d, totally ruinated the whole Nation. Afterwards the Royal Line failing, they say, Women remarkable for Courage and Strength of Body reign’d instead of Kings. For in these Nations, Women like Men, are train’d up for the Wars, being nothing inferior to Men for Courage.
Henceforward many and great things were done by famous Women, not only in Scythia, but in the Neighbouring Nations. For when Cyrus King of Persia the most Powerful Prince in his Age, led a mighty Army into Scythia, the Queen of Scythia routed the Persian Army, and taking Cyrus himself in the Battel Prisoner, afterwards Crucify’d him. And such was the Valour of the Amazons, after they had strengthened themselves, that they not only overran their Neighbours, but conquer’d a great part both of Europe and Asia. But since now we have begun to speak of the Amazons, we conceive it not impertinent if we here relate cursorily those things concerning them which for the strangeness of the matter may seem to resemble Romantic Fables.
There was heretofore a Potent Nation seated upon the River Thermodon, govern’d always by Women, as their Queens; in which the Women, like Men, manag’d all their Martial Affairs. Amongst these Female Princes (they say) there was one that excell’d all the rest for strength and valour, who got together an Army of Women, and having train’d them up in Martial Discipline, first subdued some of her Neighbouring Nations; afterwards by her Valour growing more fam’d and renown’d, she led her Army against the rest, and Fortune favouring her Arms, she was so puft up, that she call’d herself The Daughter of Mars, and ordered the Men to spin Wool, and do the Womens Work within Doors.