A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Embassies from Persia and Thrace 199
Just. WTiat chests? you're an impostor.—Stand away,
Keep off; and let me alone to question him.
(to Shamartabas) You Sir, you Persian! answer me distinctly
And plainly in the presence of this fist of mine;
On pain of a royal purple bloody nose.
Will the King send us gold, or will he not?
(Shamartabas shakes his head)
Have our Ambassadors bamboozled us?
(Shamartabas nods)
These fellows nod to us in the Grecian fashion;
They're some of our own people, I'll be bound. . . .
Her.
Theorus, our ambassador into Thrace,
Returned from King Sitalces!
Theorus. Here am I.
Just. More co.^combs called for! Here's another coming.
Theo. We should not have remained so long in Thrace . . .
Just.
If you hadn't been overpaid I know you wouldn't.
Theo. But for the snow which covered all the country,
And buried up the roads, and froze the rivers.
'Twas singular this change of weather happened
Just when Theognis here, our frostj' poet.
Brought out his tragedJ^ We passed our time
In drinking with Sitalces. He's your friend,
Your friend and lover, if there ever was one,
Theorus, ambassador
to
*rhrace, has
returned, and
wishes to report.
The tragedy
of Theognis
has caused a
snow storm.
And writes the name of Athens on his walls. . . .
And now he has sent some warriors from a tribe
The fiercest in all Thrace.
Just.
Her.
Well, come—That's fair.
The Thracians that came hither with Theorus!
Let them come forward!
Just.
What the plague are these?
Theo. The Odomantian army.
Just.
The Odomantians?
Thracians? and what has brought them here from Thrace
So strangely equipped, disguised, and circumcised?
Theo. These are a race of fellows, if you'd hire them,
Only a couple of drachmas daily pay;
With their light javelins, and their little bucklers,
They'd worry and skirmish all over Boeotia.