Toxaris; Or, Friendship (55-57)

As it happened, both Lonchates and Makentes were in this division, and they had both been wounded already through their hardihood-Lonchates in the thigh with the butt-end of a lance, and Makentes in the head with an axe, and in the shoulder with the shaft of a pike.

When Arsakomas, who was with us in the other division, perceived this, he felt that it would be a shocking thing if he were to go off and leave his friends behind, so he clapped spurs to his horse, and, raising a shout, rode through the enemy, waving his sword on high, so that the Machlyëans could not withstand the rush of his courage, but fell apart and gave way to him to pass through. When he had recovered his friends and heartened up the others, he darted upon Adyrmachos, and, striking him in the neck with his sword, cleft him to the belt. At his fall the whole force of the Machyleans fell into disorder, and then the Alanians and the Greeks followed suit, so that we began to have the advantage, and we should have gone on killing for a long time if night had not robbed us of the business. On the following day suppliants came from the enemy asking for peace, the Bosporians promising to pay double their tribute, the Machlyëans saying that they would give hostages, and the Alanians agreeing to subdue for us as indemnity for that invasion, the Sindianoi, who had been at feud with us for a long time. On these terms we made a treaty, as had been agreed upon much earlier by Arsakomas and Lonchates, and peace was made under the direction of these men. Such deeds, Mnesippos, the Scythians dare do for friends.

Mnesippos Very tragical and romance-like. But may the Sword and the Wind, by whom you swore, have mercy on me; for I do not think a man would be much to blame if he should disbelieve your tales.

Toxaris Beware, my friend, lest your doubt be envy. Doubt as you will, you will not keep me from telling other such deeds of Scythians that I know of.

Mnesippos Only not at great length, my dear fellow, nor using such unbridled words. You abused my silence to run up and down through Scythia and Machlyëne, and off to the Bosporos and back again.

Toxaris I must obey your commands even in this, and speak briefly lest you weary of following me about with your ears.

But hear what services I myself received from a friend named Sisinnes. When I left home and went to Athens, through my desire for a Greek education, I put in at Amastris, on the Pontos; for ships from Scythia call there, the city being not far from Karambis. Sisinnes accompanied me, my friend from childhood. We spied a sort of lodginghouse near the harbor, and, removing our luggage into it from the ship, we went out to stroll in the market-lace, suspecting no evil. But in the mean time some thieves forced the bolt and carried off everything, leaving us not even enough to

get through the day with. Now when we came home and found what had happened, we felt it would not do to accuse the neighbors, for there were many of them, or the landlord, for we were afraid most people would think us sharpers if we said that some one had robbed us of fifteen hundred dollars, a great deal of clothing, some rugs, and everything else we had.