edes
was Kyaxares the son of Phraortes, the son of Deiokes, who at first
dealt well with these Scythians, being suppliants for his protection;
and esteeming them very highly he delivered boys to them to learn their
speech and the art of shooting with the bow. Then time went by, and the
Scythians used to go out continually to the chase and always brought
back something; till once it happened that they took nothing, and when
they ed with empty hands Kyaxares (being, as he showed on this occasion,
not of an eminently good disposition 87) dealt with them very harshly
and used insult towards them. And they, when they had received this
treatment from Kyaxares, considering that they had suffered indignity,
planned to kill and to cut up one of the boys who were being instructed
among them, and having dressed his flesh as they had been wont to dress
the wild animals, to bear it to Kyaxares and give it to him, pretending
that it was game taken in hunting; and when they had given it, their
design was to make their way as quickly as possible to Alyattes the son
of Sadyattes at Sardis. This then was done; and Kyaxares with the guests
who ate at his table tasted of that meat, and the Scythians having so
done became suppliants for the protection of Alyattes.

74. After this, seeing that Alyattes would not give up the Scythians
when Kyaxares demanded them, there had arisen war between the Lydians
and the Medes lasting five years; in which years the Medes often
discomfited the Lydians and the Lydians often discomfited the Medes (and
among others they fought also a battle by night): 88 and as they still
carried on the war with equally balanced fortune, in the sixth year a
battle took place in which it happened, when the fight had begun, that
suddenly the day became night. And this change of the day Thales the
Milesian had foretold to the Ionians laying down as a limit this very
year in which the change took place. The Lydians however and the Medes,
when they saw that it had become night instead of day, ceased from their
fighting and were much more eager both of them that peace should be made
between them. And they who brought about the peace between them were
Syennesis the Kilikian and Labynetos the Babylonian: 89 these were they
who urged also the taking of the oath by them, and they brought about an
interchange of marriages; for they decided that Alyattes should give his
daughter Aryenis to Astyages the son of Kyaxares, seeing that with