The Origin and Deeds of the Goths by Jordanes
page 18 of 130 (13%)
page 18 of 130 (13%)
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In their third dwelling place, which was above the Sea 42
of Pontus, they had now become more civilized and, as I have said before, were more learned. Then the people were divided under ruling families. The Visigoths served the family of the Balthi and the Ostrogoths served the renowned Amali. They were the first race of men to 43 string the bow with cords, as Lucan, who is more of a historian than a poet, affirms: "They string Armenian bows with Getic cords." [Sidenote: THE RIVER DON] [Sidenote: THE DNIEPER] In earliest times they sang of the deeds of their ancestors in strains of song accompanied by the cithara; chanting of Eterpamara, Hanala, Fritigern, Vidigoia and others whose fame among them is great; such heroes as admiring antiquity scarce proclaims its own to be. Then, 44 as the story goes, Vesosis waged a war disastrous to himself against the Scythians, whom ancient tradition asserts to have been the husbands of the Amazons. Concerning these female warriors Orosius speaks in convincing language. Thus we can clearly prove that Vesosis then fought with the Goths, since we know surely that he waged war with the husbands of the Amazons. They dwelt at that time along a bend of Lake Maeotis, from the river Borysthenes, which the natives call the Danaper, to the stream of the Tanais. By the Tanais I mean the 45 |
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