its long. This then is such as I have said; and I will go back
now to the history which I was about to tell at first.

83. While Dareios was preparing to go against the Scythians and was
sending messengers to appoint to some the furnishing of a land-army, to
others that of ships, and to others the bridging over of the Thracian
Bosphorus, Artabanos, the son of Hystaspes and brother of Dareios, urged
him by no means to make the march against the Scythians, telling him
how difficult the Scythians were to deal with. Since however he did not
persuade him, though he gave him good counsel, he ceased to urge; and
Dareios, when all his preparations had been made, began to march his
army forth from Susa.

84. Then one of the Persians, Oiobazos, made request to Dareios that as
he had three sons and all were serving in the expedition, one might be
left behind for him: and Dareios said that as he was a friend and made a
reasonable request, he would leave behind all the sons. So Oiobazos was
greatly rejoiced, supposing that his sons had been freed from service,
but Dareios commanded those who had the charge of such things to put to
death all the sons of Oiobazos.

85. These then were left, having been slain upon the spot where they
were: and Dareios meanwhile set forth from Susa and arrived at the
place on the Bosphorus where the bridge of ships had been made, in the
territory of Chalcedon; and there he embarked in a ship and sailed
to the so-called Kyanean rocks, which the Hellenes say formerly moved
backwards and forwards; and taking his seat at the temple 83 he gazed
upon the Pontus, which is a sight well worth seeing. Of all seas indeed
it is the most marvellous in its nature. The length of it is eleven
thousand one hundred furlongs, 84 and the breadth, where it is broadest,
three thousand three hundred: and of this great Sea the mouth is but
four furlongs broad, and the length of the mouth, that is of the neck of
water which is called Bosphorus, where, as I said, the bridge of ships
had been made, is not less than a hundred and twenty furlongs. This
Bosphorus extends to the Propontis; and the Propontis, being in breadth
five hundred furlongs and in length one thousand four hundred, has its
outlet into the Hellespont, which is but seven furlongs broad at the
narrowest place, though it is four hundred furlongs in length: and the
Hellespont runs out into that expanse of sea which is called the Egean.

86. These measurements I ha