Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

214 THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
Answer
the Amazons, they read it and returned to him
an answer [which was as follows:—
of "In the Name of God, the Mcrciful, the Gracious:
the Ama-
zons.
And when the letter of the Two-horned reached
From the Amazons' to the Two-horned [Greeting].
"Behold, inasmuch as God Almighty hath delivered
"us from thy anger, we all submit unto thee, and
"to thee will we render service and tribute. And
"we will go forth to thee as thou desirest, and
"we will come to thee, together with our women
"and our possessions; and we will come to thee,
"and thou shalt be judge over us according to
"thy desire. Peace be upon thee".''
^ We must either strike out 'i'h/^ '•
or
read 'Vfl '• ^7-/*" '
^ In the Greek and Syriac versions Alexander writes two
letters to the Amazons, and the chief Amazon writes two
letters to him. In her first, the chief Amazon describes the
dvvelling-placej number, and manners and customs of her
fellows. They live in a place surrounded by a river, and they
are 1,400,000 in number. There are no men among thera,
for they live across the river, but once a year, when for 30
days they sacrifice to Zeus, Poseidon, Hephaestus, and Ares,
the men cross over and live with them. The female children
are brought up by the men until they are seven years old.
When attacked by an enemy 120,000 horsewomen ride out
against them followed by the men. See Mliller, p. 136, col.
2. In her second letter the chief Amazon gives Alexander
permission to come to their land, and she promises to pay
him a yearly tribute of one hundred talents of gold; she
sends 500 women to receive him and to take to him the
gold and 100 fine horses. See Miiller, p. 137. The second
letters of Alexander and the Amazon form chap. 26 of
Book III.