But Arsakomas made his way
home and told his friends how he had been insulted by the king, and laughed to scorn at the
dinner because they thought him poor.
"And yet," said he, "I explained to the king
how rich I am in having you, Lonchates and Makentes, and how much better and more secure
your devotion is than the power of the Bosporians.
But while I was going through this he flouted
me and passed me by, and bestowed the right to
lead away the bride on Adyrmachos the Machlyean, because he said he owned ten golden goblets
and eighty four-seated wagons, and any amount
of sheep and cattle. You see how high above
true men he rates store of beeves and superfluous
drinking-cups and heavy wagons. For my part,
my friends, I was doubly wounded, both because
I love Mazaia, and because this public affront cut
me deeply, and I think you were as much wronged
as I.
For a third of the insult belongs to each
of you, at least if we were living as though we
were one man since the day we came together,
and feel pain and pleasure from the same
causes."
"Not only so," rejoined Lonchates, "but each
of us feels the whole of the insult when you are
treated in that way."


 


 
“The next question,” said Makentes, “is, what
Ishall we do in this case?"
"Let us parcel out the job," said Lonchates.
"I, for my part, promise to bring to Arsakomas
the head of Leukanor, and you must fetch him
the bride."
"Very good," said he. "And you, Arsakomas,
seeing that this is a great business, must stay here
to collect and make ready arms and horses and
other equipment as much as you can get. For it
is not unlikely that an army and a war will be
what we shall need next. You will have no trouble in gathering a goodly following since you are
a true man yourself, and our kinsmen are not
few; but the best way will be to take your seat
on the ox-hide."
These plans were agreed to, and Lonchates
went off, just as he was, direct to the Bosporos,
and Makentes to the Machlyëans, both on horseback. Arsakomas stayed at home and addressed
himself to the young men, armed a force of his
kinsmen, and finally seated himself on the oxhide.
 
The custom of the hide is this: When a man
has received an injury and wishes to revenge
himself on some one, but sees that his unaided
strength will not suffice him, he sacrifices an ox,
cuts the flesh in pieces and boils it, stretches the
hide on the ground and seats himself on it, drawing


 


his hands behind his back as if his arms were
tied at the elbow. This is our most urgent form
of supplication. The flesh of the ox lies alongside, and kinsmen, and any one else who will, take
a morsel, and, setting the right foot on the hide,
promise aid according to the ability of each, one
agreeing to furnish five horsemen, found and paid,
another ten, another yet more, another hoplites or
foot-soldiers as many as he is able, and the poorest offering himself alone. Sometimes a great
throng gathers about the hide, and a force of this
sort is most sure to hang together and most irresistible in battle because they are upon oath, for
stepping upon the hide constitutes an oath.
In this way Arsakomas occupied himself, and
about five thousand horsemen joined him, and
hoplites and foot-soldiers to the number of twen.
ty thousand. 
Lonchates made his way to the Bosporos incognito, and presented himself before the king,
who was engaged in affairs of state, saying that
he came as a public emissary from Scythia, but
brought also private news of great moment to the
king. When he was bidden speak, he said:
"The Scythians make this public and open demand: that your herdsmen will not cross over
into our plains, but pasture their flocks only to
the end of the rocky ground. And they deny that
the plunderers of whose incursions into your


 



country you complain were sent out with the
general consent, but declare that each of them
carries on his robbery for his own private advantage; and that if one of them should be caught
you are authorized to punish him. This is their
communication. But I will inform you on my
own account of a great expedition that is coming
against you under Arsakomas, son of Mariantes,
who was recently an envoy to your court. I believe your rejection of him as a suitor for your
daughter is the cause of his enmity. He has been
sitting on the ox-hide this week past and has collected a considerable force."
"I had heard myself," rejoined Leukanor,
"that a force was being gathered by some one's
ox-hide, but I did not know that it was collected
against us, or that Arsakomas was at the head of it."

"It is against you, however, that it is being
prepared," said Lonchates. But Arsakomas is
an enemy of mine, and he takes it ill that I am
honored before him by the elders and am thought
the better man in all respects. And if you should
promise me your other daughter, Barketis-since
I am no unworthy match in other respects-I will
come before long and bring you his head.
"I promise," said the king, growing extremely
frightened, for he knew the reason Arsakomas
had for being angry about the marriage, and he
always trembled at the Scythians anyhow.


 


"Swear, then," said Lonchates, "in very truth
to keep your agreement and not to repudiate it."
At this point, and just as the king had lifted
his hand to heaven, intending to swear, Lonchates said,
"Not here, for some of the by-standers might
suspect the matter of our oath. But let us go
into the temple of Ares here and shut the doors
and take our oaths so that nobody can hear them.
For if Arsakomas should get wind of this I am
afraid he would offer me up ås a sacrifice before
battle, since he is already surrounded by no small
force."
"Very well," said the king. Then, turning to
his attendants," Remove to a distance, and let
no one be found in the temple unless I call him."
When they had entered and the body-guard
had withdrawn, Lonchates drew his sword, grasped the king's mouth with his other hand to prevent his crying out, and smote him in the breast.
Then he cut off his head and went out with it
under his cloak, pretending to speak with the
king as he went, and saying that he would be
back directly, as if Leukanor had sent him on
some errand.
When he had thus made his way to the place
where he had left his horse tied, he mounted and
spurred off to Scythia. There was no pursuit,
for it was a long time before the Bosporians



 



found out what had happened, and when they
did find it out they fell to quarrelling about the
succession.