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of which we have many contradictory accounts. All historians however agree in representing them as extremely ignorant and savage, not avaricious and even destitute of a knowledge of the use of gold and silver but ever anxious for virtue. As was a Scythian king who taught his sons the following beautiful lesson. The king on his death bed called all of his sons to him and gave to each one after another a bunch of arrows desiring them to break them. "Then he untyed the arrows and giving them one by one they were easily broken. Let this emblem said the father be a lesson to you teaching you the great advantage which results from unity & concord". As the Scythians became intermingled with more learned and avaricious nations they seemed to lose their peculiar characteristics of innocence simplicity and frugality and were transformed into very different individuals. It was before this change that Darius warred with them. There seems to have been no real cause for this war but was engaged in on the part of Darius to gratify ambitious desires. He did not as his brothers advised him consider whether it was just and for the good of his subjects but hastily assembled a large army with which he thought to conquer them easily and marched forward but he soon wearied of the long marches which he was obliged to take through countries which the Scythians had rendered destitute of water by filling up the wells and springs which were not very abundant at any time. Darius desiring to put an end to the tiresome journeys through this land sent to the king of the Scythians to know why he did not give him battle or acknowledge him master by sending him water and earth. Indathyrsus answered "If I fly before the prince of the Persians it is not because I fear thee, what I do now is no more than what I am used to doing in time of peace. We Scythians have neither cities or lands to defend if thou has a mind to force us to an