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The assembled princes of the nations, after hearing all that the
Scythians had to say, deliberated. At the end opinion was divided -
the kings of the Geloni, Budini, and Sauromatae were of accord,
and pledged themselves to give assistance to the Scythians; but the
Agathyrsian and Neurian princes, together with the sovereigns of the
Androphagi, the Melanchaeni, and the Tauri, replied to their
request as follows: "If you had not been the first to wrong the
Persians, and begin the war, we should have thought the request you
make just; - we should then have complied with your wishes, and
joined our arms with yours. Now, however, the case stands thus -
you, independently of us, invaded the land of the Persians, and so
long as God gave you the power, lorded it over them: raised up now by
the same God, they are come to do to you the like. We, on our
part, did no wrong to these men in the former war, and will not be the
first to commit wrong now. If they invade our land, and begin
aggressions upon us, we will not suffer them; but, till we see this
come to pass, we will remain at home. For we believe that the
Persians are not come to attack us, but to punish those who are guilty
of first injuring them."
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