Lucian of Samosata Toxaris vel amicitia 50

[50] And now for my own news. You will shortly be invaded by a large host under Arsacomas the son of Mariantas, who was lately at your court as an ambassador. I suppose the cause of his resentment is your refusing him your daughter’s hand. He has now been on the ox-hide for seven days, and has got together aconsiderable force.’ ‘I had heard,’ exclaimed Leucanor, ‘that an army was being raised on the hide: but who was raising it, and what was its destination, I had no idea.’ ‘You know now,’ said Lonchates. ‘Arsacomas is a personal enemy of mine: the superior esteem in which I am held, and the preference shown: for me by our elders, are things which he cannot forgive. Now promise me your other daughter Barcetis: apart from my present services, I shall be no discreditable son-in-law; promise me this, and in no long time I will return bringing you the head of Arsacomas.’ ‘I promise,’ cried the king, in great perturbation; for he realized the provocation he had given to. Arsacomas, and had a wholesome respect for the Scythians at all times. ‘Swear,’ insisted Lonchates, ‘that you will not go back from your promise.’ The king was already raising up his hand to Heaven, when the other interrupted him. ‘Wait!’ he exclaimed; ‘not here! these people must not know what is the subject of our oath. Let us go into the temple of Ares yonder, and swear with closed doors, where none may hear. If Arsacomas should get wind of this, I am likely to be offered up as a preliminary sacrifice; he has a good number of men already.’ ‘To the temple, then, let us go,’ said the king; and he ordered the guards to remain aloof, and forbade any one to approach the temple unless summoned by him, As soon as they were inside, and the guards had withdrawn, Lonchates drew hissword, and putting his left hand on the king’s mouth to prevent his crying out, plunged it into his breast; then, cutting off his head, he went out from the temple carrying it under his cloak;. affecting all the time to be speaking to the king, and promising that he would not be long, as if the king had sent him on some errand. He thus succeeded in reaching the place where he had left his horse tethered, leapt on to his back, and rode off into Scythia. There was no pursuit: the people of Bosphorus took some time to discover what had happened; and then they were occupied with disputes as to the succession.

[50] 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 as 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.