f the
milk which they drink; and they do as follows:--they take blow-pipes of
bone just like flutes, and these they insert into the vagina of the mare
and blow with their mouths, and others milk while they blow: and they
say that they do this because the veins of the mare are thus filled,
being blown out, and so the udder is let down. When they had drawn the
milk they pour it into wooden vessels hollowed out, and they set the
blind slaves in order about 6 the vessels and agitate the milk. Then
that which comes to the top they skim off, considering it the more
valuable part, whereas they esteem that which settles down to be less
good than the other. For this reason 7 the Scythians put out the eyes of
all whom they catch; for they are not tillers of the soil but nomads.

3. From these their slaves then, I say, and from their wives had been
born and bred up a generation of young men, who having learnt the manner
of their birth set themselves to oppose the Scythians as they were
returning from the Medes. And first they cut off their land by digging
a broad trench extending from the Tauric mountains to the Maiotian
lake, at the point where 8 this is broadest; then afterwards when the
Scythians attempted to invade the land, they took up a position against
them and fought; and as they fought many times, and the Scythians were
not able to get any advantage in the fighting, one of them said: "What a
thing is this that we are doing, Scythians! We are fighting against our
own slaves, and we are not only becoming fewer in number ourselves by
being slain in battle, but also we are killing them, and so we shall
have fewer to rule over in future. Now therefore to me it seems good
that we leave spears and bows and that each one take his horse-whip
and so go up close to them: for so long as they saw us with arms in our
hands, they thought themselves equal to us and of equal birth; but when
they shall see that we have whips instead of arms, they will perceive
that they are our slaves, and having acknowledged this they will not
await our onset."

4. When they heard this, the Scythians proceeded to do that which he
said, and the others being panic-stricken by that which was done forgot
their fighting and fled. Thus the Scythians had ruled over Asia; and
in such manner, when they were driven out again by the Medes, they had
returned to their own land. For this Dareios wished to take vengeance
upon them, and was gathering together an army t