Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners/Part IV/III
III.ANECDOTES.
A neat compliment.
141.Darius put Megabazus, a Persian, in command of the army, and he had honoured him greatly by uttering this saying of him before the Persians. Darius had desired to eat some pomegranates: and after he opened the first pomegranate, his brother Artabanus asked him what there was, of which he wished he had as a great a number, as the number of seeds in a pomegranate? And Darius answered him, ‘That he would like to have as many Megabazi; for he would prefer that to Greece subdued under his power.’
The gold trade.
142.The Carthaginians relate that there is a place in Libya, beyond the Columns of Hercules, and men living there: and that when they themselves approach them for the sake of trading, the merchandise being landed from the ship is laid out by them on the sea shore itself: then that they, having again embarked, raise a smoke: that the aborigines, on seeing the smoke approach the sea, and having laid down gold instead of her merchandise again retire from the shore : that the Carthaginians having disembarked, then see into the business; and, if they find a sufficient quantity of gold, go away: but if not, that they retire to their vessels until enough gold has been found.
An odd remedy for a cold.
143.They say that the wandering tribes of Libya do as follows. When boys have completed their fourth year, then they burn the veins on the top of their heads with wool, some also burn the veins of the temple. And they do this for this reason, namely, that they may not in succeeding time be troubled with any disease of the head. For this leason they say that they enjoy admirable health. For truly the Libyans enjoy the strongest health of any men we know. Whether this happens from this reason, I, for my part, cannot say for certain, but they are certainly very strong. Moreover, I relate things which are told by the Africans themselves.