Book 4
Then they brought the Greeks to what is called the Fountain of Apollo, and said to them: “Here, Greeks, it is suitable for you to live; for here the sky is torn.”That is, there is abundance of rain.
Now in the time of Battus the founder of the colony, who ruled for forty years, and of his son Arcesilaus who ruled for sixteen, the inhabitants of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene were no more in number than when they had first gone out to the colony.
But in the time of the third ruler, Battus, who was called the Fortunate, the Pythian priestess warned all Greeks by an oracle to cross the sea and live in Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya with the Cyrenaeans; for the Cyrenaeans invited them, promising a distribution of land;
and this was the oracle: “Whoever goes to beloved Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya after The fields are divided, I say shall be sorry afterward.”
So a great multitude gathered at Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene, and cut out great tracts of land from the territory of the neighboring Libyans. Robbed of their lands and treated violently by the Cyrenaeans, these then sent to Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt together with their king, whose name was Adicran, and put their affairs in the hands of Apries, the king of that country.
Apries mustered a great force of Egyptians and sent it against Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene; the Cyrenaeans marched out to Irasa and the Thestes spring, and there fought with the Egyptians and beat them;
for the Egyptians had as yet had no experience of Greeks, and despised their enemy; as a result of which, they were so utterly destroyed that few of them returned to Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt. Because of this misfortune, and because they blamed him for it, the Egyptians revolted from Apries.In 570 B.C.; cp. Hdt. 2.161.
This Battus had a son Arcesilaus; on his first coming to reign, he quarrelled with his brothers, until they left him and went away to another place in Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, where they founded a city for themselves, which was then and is now called +Al Marj [20.833,32.5] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Barce; and while they were founding it, they persuaded the Libyans to revolt from the Cyrenaeans.
Then Arcesilaus led an army into the country of the Libyans who had received his brothers and had also revolted; and they fled in fear of him to the eastern Libyans.
Arcesilaus pursued them until he came in his pursuit to Leucon in Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, where the Libyans resolved to attack him; they engaged, and so wholly overcame the Cyrenaeans that seven thousand Cyrenaean soldiers were killed there.
After this disaster, Arcesilaus, being worn down and having taken a drug, was strangled by his brother Learchus; Learchus was deftly killed by Arcesilaus' wife, Eryxo.
Arcesilaus' kingship passed to his son Battus, who was lame and infirm in his feet. The Cyrenaeans, in view of the affliction that had overtaken them, sent to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to ask what political arrangement would enable them to live best;
the priestess told them bring a mediator from +Mantinea [22.3833,37.6167] (Perseus) Mantinea in +Arcadia [22.25,37.583] (department), Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Arcadia. When the Cyrenaeans sent their request, the Mantineans gave them their most valued citizen, whose name was Demonax.
When this man came to Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene and learned everything, he divided the people into three tribes;According to the principle of division customary in a Dorian city state. of which the Theraeans and dispossessed Libyans were one, the Peloponnesians and Cretans the second, and all the islanders the third; furthermore, he set apart certain domains and priesthoods for their king Battus, but all the rest, which had belonged to the kings, were now to be held by the people in common.
During the life of this Battus, these ordinances held good, but in the time of his son Arcesilaus much contention arose about the king's rights.
Arcesilaus, son of the lame Battus and Pheretime, would not abide by the ordinances of Demonax, but demanded back the prerogatives of his forefathers, and made himself head of a faction; but he was defeated and banished to +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, and his mother fled to Salamis [33.9,35.166] (deserted settlement), Famagusta, Cyprus, AsiaSalamis in Cyprus [33,35] (island), AsiaCyprus.
Now Salamis [33.9,35.166] (deserted settlement), Famagusta, Cyprus, AsiaSalamis at this time was ruled by Evelthon, who dedicated that marvellous censer at Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi which stands in the treasury of the Corinthians. Pheretime came to him, asking him for an army to bring her and her son back to Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene;
Evelthon was willing to give her everything else, only not an army, and when she accepted what he gave her, she said that it was fine, but it would be better to give her an army as she asked.
This she said whatever the gift, until at last Evelthon sent her a golden spindle and distaff, and wool, and when Pheretime uttered the same words as before, he answered that these, and not armies, were gifts for women.
Meanwhile Arcesilaus was in +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, collecting all the men that he could and promising them a new division of land; and while a great army was thus gathering, he made a journey to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi, to ask the oracle about his return.
The priestess gave him this answer: “For the lifetimes of four Battuses and four Arcesilauses, eight generations of men, Loxias grants to your house the kingship of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene; more than this he advises you not even to try.
But you, return to your country and live there in peace. But if you find the oven full of amphora, do not bake the amphora, but let them go unscathed. And if you bake them in the oven, do not go into the tidal place; for if you do, then you shall be killed yourself, and also the bull that is fairest of the herd.” This was the oracle given by the priestess to Arcesilaus.
But he returned to Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene with the men from +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, and having made himself master of it he forgot the oracle, and demanded justice upon his enemies for his banishment.
Some of these left the country altogether; others, Arcesilaus seized and sent away to Cyprus [33,35] (island), AsiaCyprus to be killed there. These were carried off their course to +Cnidus Nova [27.366,36.666] (deserted settlement), Mugla Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Cnidus, where the Cnidians saved them and sent them to +Thera [25.433,36.4] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Thera. Others of the Cyrenaeans fled for refuge into a great tower that belonged to one Aglomachus, a private man, and Arcesilaus piled wood around it and burnt them there.
Then, perceiving too late that this was the meaning of the Delphic oracle which forbade him to bake the amphora if he found them in the oven, he deliberately refrained from going into the city of the Cyrenaeans, fearing the death prophesied and supposing the tidal place to be Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene.
Now he had a wife who was a relation of his, a daughter of Alazir king of the Barcaeans, and Arcesilaus went to Alazir; but men of +Al Marj [20.833,32.5] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Barce and some of the exiles from Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene were aware of him and killed him as he walked in the town, and Alazir his father-in-law too. So Arcesilaus whether with or without meaning to missed the meaning of the oracle and fulfilled his destiny.
While Arcesilaus was living at +Al Marj [20.833,32.5] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Barce, accomplishing his own destruction, his mother Pheretime held her son's prerogative at Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene, where she administered all his business and sat with others in council.
But when she learned of her son's death at +Al Marj [20.833,32.5] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Barce, she made her escape to Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt, trusting to the good service which Arcesilaus had done Cambyses the son of Cyrus; for this was the Arcesilaus who gave Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene to Cambyses and agreed to pay tribute.
So, on her arrival in Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt, Pheretime supplicated Aryandes, asking that he avenge her, on the plea that her son had been killed for allying himself with the Medes.
This Aryandes had been appointed viceroy of Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt by Cambyses; at a later day, he was put to death for making himself equal to Darius. For, learning and seeing that Darius desired to leave a memorial of himself such as no king ever had, Aryandes imitated him, until he got his reward;
for Darius had coined money out of gold refined to an extreme purity,The gold coins called δαρεικοί are said to contain only 3 percent of alloy. and Aryandes, then ruling Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt, made a similar silver coinage; and now there is no silver money so pure as is the Aryandic. But when Darius heard that Aryandes was doing so, he put him to death, not on this charge but as a rebel.
At this time, Aryandes took pity on Pheretime and gave her all the Egyptian land and sea forces, appointing Amasis, a Maraphian, general of the army, and Badres of the tribe of the +Pasargadae (deserted settlement), Fars, Iran, Asia Pasargadae, admiral of the fleet.
But before despatching the troops, Aryandes sent a herald to +Al Marj [20.833,32.5] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Barce to ask who it was who had killed Arcesilaus. The Barcaeans answered that it was the deed of the whole city, for the many wrongs that Arcesilaus had done them; when he heard this, Aryandes sent his troops with Pheretime.
This was the pretext; but I myself think that the troops were sent to subjugate Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya. For the Libyan tribes are many and of different kinds, and though a few of them were the king's subjects, the greater part cared nothing for Darius.
Now, concerning the lands inhabited by Libyans, the Adyrmachidae are the people that live nearest to Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt; they follow Egyptian customs for the most part, but dress like other Libyans. Their women wear twisted bronze ornaments on both legs; their hair is long; each catches her own lice, then bites and throws them away.
They are the only Libyans that do this, and who show the king all virgins that are to be married; the king then takes the virginity of whichever of these pleases him. These Adyrmachidae extend from Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt to the harbor called Plynus.
Next to them are the Giligamae, who inhabit the country to the west as far as the island of +Geyve [30.3,40.533] (inhabited place), Sakarya, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Aphrodisias; in between lies the island of Platea, which the Cyrenaeans colonized, and on the mainland is the harbor called Menelaus, and the Aziris which was a settlement of the Cyrenaeans. Here the country of silphium begins,
which reaches from the island of Platea to the entrance of the Golfe de Gabes [10.417,34.000] (gulf), Tunis, AfricaSyrtis. This people is like the others in its customs.
The next people west of the Giligamae are the Asbystae, who live inland of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene, not coming down to the coast, for that is Cyrenaean territory. These drive four-horse chariots to a greater extent than any other Libyans; it is their practice to imitate most of the Cyrenaean customs.
Next west of the Asbystae are the Auschisae, dwelling inland of +Al Marj [20.833,32.5] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Barce, and touching the coast at Euhesperidae. About the middle of the land of the Auschisae lives the little tribe of the Bacales, whose territory comes down to the sea at +Tukrah [20.583,32.533] (inhabited place), Banghazi, Libya, Africa Tauchira, a town in the Barcaean country; their customs are the same as those of the dwellers inland of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene.