ng-hall, 96 where he received and feasted the chief
men of the tribe and instructed them meanwhile that neither he himself
nor his guests nor their descendants in succession after them would die;
but that they would come to a place where they would live for ever and
have all things good. While he was doing that which has been mentioned
and was saying these things, he was making for himself meanwhile
a chamber under the ground; and when his chamber was finished, he
disappeared from among the Thracians and went down into the underground
chamber, where he continued to live for three years: and they grieved
for his loss and mourned for him as dead. Then in the fourth year he
appeared to the Thracians, and in this way the things which Salmoxis
said became credible to them.

96. Thus they say that he did; but as to this matter and the chamber
under ground, I neither disbelieve it nor do I very strongly believe,
but I think that this Salmoxis lived many years before Pythagoras.
However, whether there ever lived a man Salmoxis, or whether he is
simply a native deity of the Getai, let us bid farewell to him now.

97. These, I say, having such manners as I have said, were subdued by
the Persians and accompanied the rest of the army: and when Dareios and
with him the land-army arrived at the Ister, then after all had passed
over, Dareios commanded the Ionians to break up the floating bridge and
to accompany him by land, as well as the rest of the troops which were
in the ships: and when the Ionians were just about to break it up and to
do that which he commanded, Coes the son of Erxander, who was commander
of the Mytilenians, said thus to Dareios, having first inquired whether
he was disposed to listen to an opinion from one who desired to declare
it: "O king, seeing that thou art about to march upon a land where no
cultivated ground will be seen nor any inhabited town, do thou therefore
let this bridge remain where it is, leaving to guard it those same
men who constructed it. Then, if we find the Scythians and fare as we
desire, we have a way of return; and also even if we shall not be able
to find them, at least our way of return is secured: for that we should
be worsted by the Scythians in fight I never feared yet, but rather that
we might not be able to find them, and might suffer some disaster in
wandering about. Perhaps some one will say that in speaking thus I am
speaking for my own advantage, in order that I may remain beh