Descendants of the Scythians - Страница 31

“Do you want to imply that Skolot, on the contrary, is against oppressing the Scythians and wants to free them from Dorbatay’s yoke?” Ivan Semenovich interrupted the archeologist, his voice full of irony. “That would be the first recorded instance in the history of mankind when a plutocrat goes out of his way to make those he oppresses happy, wiping, so to say, their tears, with his own hands.” The remark annoyed Dmitro Borisovich and when he replied, it was evident that he had taken offense:

“I wish you’d hear me out before you go jumping to unfounded conclusions. Besides, if we continue to indulge in arguments of this sort, I’ll never be able to tell you what I’ve barely understood myself.”

“I’m sorry, Dmitro Borisovich. Pray, go ahead!”

“Well, as I was saying, we’ve got quite a complicated situation here. Varkan told me that the two ruling factions have clashed more than once in the past. There are other factors that complicate the picture even further. For example: we saw a big group of captives driven back here from somewhere by the warriors. In fact, they were runaway slaves who revolted against their oppressors. The rebellion was put down, and some of the rebels ran away. Skolot’s warriors found them and brought them back. We witnessed their return.”

“Yes,” said Ivan Semenovich thoughtfully. “It is a complicated situation indeed… Incidentally, who is that blackhaired beardless man who was reassuring the captives? Do you remember, Dmitro Borisovich, the one whose words you could make out?”

“Of course I remember him! I’ll ask Varkan now.”

The archeologist spoke to Varkan, and the young Scythian smiled when he heard the question. It took him quite some time to answer. Ivan Semenovich, without being able to understand anything, caught one word that attracted his attention.

“Wait, wait a second,” he said, interrupting Varkan. “Dmitro Borisovich, it seems I heard a familiar name. What was it that Varkan just said? It was something like ‘Ronis.’ It has familiar ring, as though I’ve heard it before.”

“Yes, it’s a person’s name. As a matter of fact, the name of the man you asked about. And what Varkan is telling me is extremely interesting.”

“Go ahead, tell us!”

“In point of fact, Varkan’s story is known to me as an archeologist, in rough outline, without his having to tell me. Don’t look so puzzled, I’ll explain now. It concerns the relations of the numerous Scythian tribes with the Greek colonists who settled along the shores of the Black Sea and founded their fortified towns, like Olvia and others. You’ve heard about Olvia, haven’t you? I once told you about it. Well, getting back to the present story, the Greeks first acted as peaceable merchants, but as their settlements grew in number and size they began to put pressure on the local population. The wily, shrewd Greek merchants pushed further and further north, spreading their trade monopoly over some of the Scythian tribes, especially those who had already settled down and engaged in agriculture. The grain grown by the Scythians was exported in large quantities to Greece. Little by little, the Greek merchants made themselves virtual masters over the vast Scythian territories. They began introducing slavery, turning the free Scythians into slaves.”

“Weren’t they real aggressors and plunderers? Not only did they seize the Scythian lands, but they also made the Scythians into slaves!” the passionate Artem could not help crying out in indignation.

“To a certain extent they were, though the terms you have used are hardly applicable to them,” Dmitro Borisovich said. “Those Scythians who resented being subjugated by the Greeks migrated further north, fighting rear guard actions. These were mostly nomadic Scythians. The outcome of the clashes was often undecided, but in most cases, the Greeks, who were better armed and more disciplined, defeated the Scythians, took many of them prisoner, and made them into slaves. On the other hand, the Scythians, for their part, regularly raided the Greek colonies. Varkan said that his tribe raided even Olvia, though that was a long time ago! In most cases, the raids met with little success, because the Greek towns were well-fortified with high walls and ramparts which the raiding Scythians could not breach or take by storm. Many Scythians died in the fighting, and quite a lot were taken captive to be sold as slaves in Olvia and other Greek colonies. But on rare occasions, the Scythians managed to capture some Greeks, and they became slaves of the Scythians.”

“Right! Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!” said Artem, who was listening to the archeologist with unflagging attention.

“Maybe you’re right,” Dmitro Borisovich said. “But the Scythians never sold their slaves; they kept them for them selves. Besides, very few Greeks were captured by the Scythians since, as I’ve already mentioned, the Greeks were almost invariably on the winning side. Varkan says that this was what happened to his own tribe more than once. But once, a very long time ago, his tribe succeeded in capturing quite a few Greeks. They stayed with the tribe, their status hardly different from that of slaves. It happened such a long time ago that the memory of these events remained only in legends passed down from one generation to another. I must tell you that there’s nothing in this story that would contradict history as we know it… But I’ve just recounted what Varkan’s been telling me, and now comes something that no history books could contain…”

“Oh, go ahead, Dmitro Borisovich, go ahead! It’s both important and interesting,” Ivan Semenovich urged the archeologist, noticing that he was sinking deep into his own reflections.

“So, Varkan tells me that his tribe has lost contacts with the Greek colonists for unknown reasons. His tribe has never come across them since those ancient times, and has never engaged in more fighting with them.”

“That is quite understandable if we remember where this trine lives now,” the geologist said. “Does he know why there’s no contacts? Have the Scythians tried to figure out the reasons?”

“Apparently they have not. Now, back to our story. The Scythians never saw any more of the Greeks, and the Greek slaves remained with the tribe. Many of them married into the Scythian families, picking up some of their customs and habits, and, naturally, passing some of their own on to the Scythians. Mutual historical influence, so to say, exchange of ideas,” added Dmitro Borisovich with a smile. “But the descendants of those captured Greeks preserved their language to a large extent and some elements of their dress. The relations between the Scythians and the Greeks grew rather friendly. Or rather they were friendly, until Dorbatay came on the scene.”

“Again that old scoundrel!” Artem cried out.

“Yes, Dorbatay caused the truce to be broken. As I’ve already told you, he went to great lengths in his attempts to establish his influence over the Scythians. Now, when the appropriate moment presented itself, he, using some religious motives, managed to sow hatred for the Greeks among the Scythians. Of course, Dorbatay was not alone in stirring up trouble — he was supported by some Scythian elders and the rich who put pressure on the rest of the tribe. Skolot evidently did not oppose the soothsayer in this matter. The rest of the Scythians fell into the trap very easily, as it is very simple to set one group of people against another by playing on their religious prejudices. It goes without saying that the majority of the Scythians do not profit by the discord in any way, but they fear their gods and do whatever Dorbatay tells them to appease those deities. The soothsayer keeps reminding the Scythians that the Greeks have been forsaken by their gods and stirs them up against the Greeks. Very shrewd, isn’t it?”

“There’s likable Skolot for you!” Artem cried out in a fit of indignation. “He’s likable only in appearance, but inside he’s as rotten as Dorbatay!”

“Ah, did you expect him to be a friend of the slaves or what?” Ivan Semenovich smiled sardonically. “Don’t forget he is Dorbatay’s brother… and it’s not their parents that matters but their social status; that is by far the most important factor.”

“But why do the slaves put up with the situation?” Artem said, still hotly. “If I were in their place…”

“They don’t put up with it, my young friend,” Dmitro Borisovich protested. “I told you already that they revolted recently, but you saw what came of it! You saw the captured slaves…”

“It’s still not clear to me why the majority of the Scythians can be so easily manipulated by Dorbatay. Why wouldn’t they side with the slaves? You said yourself that they did not profit from abusing the Greeks. Besides, they have their common enemies in Dorbatay, Skolot and the rich! I’d spell it all out to them nice and clear all right! Ask Varkan what he thinks about all that!” the young man continued pressing the subject.

The archeologist translated Artem’s guestion to Varkan. The Scythian stared at the young man and knit his brows as though pondering the question intently. Then, after a short pause, he replied, looking Artem straight in the eye. Dmitro Borisovich translated:

“Varkan says that you, Artem, have much to learn here. Maybe sometime in the future Varkan will be able to answer your question, but not now. But he wants you to know that he has many friends among the Greeks, Ronis, for example, the man Ivan Semenovich asked about. He’s one of Varkan’s closest friends. From this fact, Varkan asks you to draw certain conclusions. How things will develop you’ll see for yourself…”