A True History (1.34-1.38)

He was greatly astonished, and in turn gave us an account of his own fortunes. "By birth, friends, I am a Cypriote. Being engaged

As far as these things go, our life was perhaps tolerable; but our neighbors, the people who live near us, are extremely rough and violent, for they are savages

Such is the nature of the country; it is for you to see to it that we may be able to hold our own in war with so many tribes and get our living." "What are their numbers in all ?" said I. "More than a thousand," he replied. "And what arms have they?" "None," said he, "except fish-bones." "Very well, then," I said; "it would be best to engage them in battle, for they are unarmed and

But we had suspected their attack, and awaited them fully armed, having sent forward an ambuscade of twenty-five men. The order given to the men in ambush was that when they perceived the enemy had passed by they should spring out, and this is what they did. Springing out, they fell upon them from the rear; and we ourselves, who were also twenty-five in number (for Skintharos and his son fought with us), met them in front and joined battle, fighting desperately with might and main ; and finally we put them to flight and chased them to their caves. The enemy lost one hundred and seventy men; we lost one, and the pilot was wounded in the back with the rib of a mullet.

That day and night we encamped on the battle-field, and raised a trophy by fixing the dried spine of a dolphin upright. But the next day all