cause to be the settler
of this land; but whosoever of them fails in the deeds which I enjoin,
send him forth out of the land: and if thou shalt do thus, thou wilt
both have delight thyself and perform that which has been enjoined to
thee."

10. Upon this he drew one of his bows (for up to that time Heracles,
they say, was wont to carry two) and showed her the girdle, and then he
delivered to her both the bow and the girdle, which had at the end of
its clasp a golden cup; and having given them he departed. She then,
when her sons had been born and had grown to be men, gave them names
first, calling one of them Agathyrsos and the next Gelonos and the
youngest Skythes; then bearing in mind the charge given to her, she did
that which was enjoined. And two of her sons, Agathyrsos and Gelonos,
not having proved themselves able to attain to the task set before them,
departed from the land, being cast out by her who bore them; but Skythes
the youngest of them performed the task and remained in the land:
and from Skythes the son of Heracles were descended, they say, the
succeeding kings of the Scythians (Skythians): and they say moreover
that it is by reason of the cup that the Scythians still even to this
day wear cups attached to their girdles: and this alone his mother
contrived for Skythes. 13 Such is the story told by the Hellenes who
dwell about the Pontus.

11. There is however also another story, which is as follows, and to
this I am most inclined myself. It is to the effect that the nomad
Scythians dwelling in Asia, being hard pressed in war by the Massagetai,
left their abode and crossing the river Araxes came towards the
Kimmerian land (for the land which now is occupied by the Scythians is
said to have been in former times the land of the Kimmerians); and the
Kimmerians, when the Scythians were coming against them, took counsel
together, seeing that a great host was coming to fight against them;
and it proved that their opinions were divided, both opinions being
vehemently maintained, but the better being that of their kings: for the
opinion of the people was that it was necessary to depart and that they
ought not to run the risk of fighting against so many, 14 but that of
the kings was to fight for their land with those who came against them:
and as neither the people were willing by means to agree to the counsel
of the kings nor the kings to that of the people, the people planned
to depart without fighting and t