Book 6
1.6
And the Paphlagonians set up a cry. Then the first man despoiled the other of his arms and marched out singing the Sitalcas,A Thracian war-song, apparently composed in honour of an early king named Sitalcas. while other Thracians carried off the fallen dancer, as though he were dead; in fact, he had not been hurt at all.
1.7
After this some Aenianians and Magnesians arose and danced under arms the so-called carpaea.A dance known to us from this passage only.
1.8
The manner of the dance was this: a man is sowing and driving a yoke of oxen, his arms laid at one side, and he turns about frequently as one in fear; a robber approaches; as soon as the sower sees him coming, he snatches up his arms, goes to meet him, and fights with him to save his oxen. The two men do all this in rhythm to the music of the flute. Finally, the robber binds the man and drives off the oxen; or sometimes the master of the oxen binds the robber, and then he yokes him alongside the oxen, his hands tied behind him, and drives off.
1.9
After this a Mysian came in carrying a light shield in each hand, and at one moment in his dance he would go through a pantomime as though two men were arrayed against him, again he would use his shields as though against one antagonist, and again he would whirl and throw somersaults while holding the shields in his hands, so that the spectacle was a fine one.
