Polymnia   

arms, which have been already described, they glittered all over
with gold, vast quantities of which they wore about their persons.
They were followed by litters, wherein rode their concubines, and by a
numerous train of attendants handsomely dressed. Camels and
sumpter-beasts carried their provision, apart from that of the other
soldiers.
All these various nations fight on horseback; they did not,
however, at this time all furnish horsemen, but only the following:-
(i.) The Persians, who were armed in the same way as their own
footmen, excepting that some of them wore upon their heads devices
fashioned with the hammer in brass or steel.
(ii.) The wandering tribe known by the name of Sagartians- a
people Persian in language, and in dress half Persian, half Pactyan,
who furnished to the army as many as eight thousand horse. It is not
the wont of this people to carry arms, either of bronze or steel,
except only a dirk; but they use lassoes made of thongs plaited
together, and trust to these whenever they go to the wars. Now the
manner in which they fight is the following: when they meet their
enemy, straightway they discharge their lassoes, which end in a noose;
then, whatever the noose encircles, be it man or be it horse, they
drag towards them; and the foe, entangled in the toils, is forthwith
slain. Such is the manner in which this people fight; and now their
horsemen were drawn up with the Persians.
(iii.) The Medes, and Cissians, who had the same equipment as
their foot-soldiers.
(iv.) The Indians, equipped as their foot. men, but some on
horseback and some in chariots- the chariots drawn either by horses,
or by wild asses.
(v.) The Bactrians and Caspians, arrayed as their foot-soldiers.
(vi.) The Libyans, equipped as their foot-soldiers, like the rest;
but all riding in chariots.
(vii.) The Caspeirians and Paricanians, equipped as their
foot-soldiers.
(viii.) The Arabians, in the same array as their footmen, but
all riding on camels, not inferior in fleetness to horses.
These nations, and these only, furnished horse to the army: and
the number of the horse was eighty thousand, without counting camels
or chariots. All were marshalled in squadrons, excepting the Arabians;
who were placed last, to avoid frightening the horses, which cannot
endure the sight of the camel.
The horse was commanded by Armamithras and Tithaeus, sons of
Datis. The other commander, Pharnuches, who was to have been their
colleague, had been left sick at Sardis; since at the moment that he
was leaving the city, a sad mischance befell him:- a dog ran under the
feet of the horse upon which he was mounted; and the horse, not seeing
it coming, was startled, and, rearing bolt upright, threw his rider.
After this fall Pharnuches spat blood, and fell into a consumption. As
for the horse, he was treated at once as Pharnuches ordered: the
attendants took him to the spot where he had thrown his master, and
there cut off his four legs at the hough. Thus Pharnuches lost his
command.
The triremes amounted in all to twelve hundred and seven; and were
furnished by the following nations:-
(i.) The Phoenicians, with the Syrians of Palestine, furnished
three hundred vessels, the crews of which were thus accoutred: upon
their heads they wore helmets made nearly in the Grecian manner; about
their bodies they had breastplates of linen; they carried shields
without rims; and were armed with javelins. This nation, according
to their own account, dwelt anciently upon the Erythraean Sea, but
crossing thence, fixed themselves on the seacoast of Syria, where they
still inhabit. This part of Syria, and all the region extending from
hence to Egypt, is known by the name of Palestine.
(ii.) The Egyptians furnished two hundred ships. Their crews had
plaited helmets upon their heads, and bore concave shields with rims