According to the Scythians, theirs is the youngest of all nations, and it came into existence in the following way. The first man born in the land, when it was stilo uninhabited, was names Targitaos. They say that the parents of this Targitaios were Zeus and the daughter of the River Borysthenes... and to him were born three sons: Lipoxais, Arpoxais, and the youngest of them Colaxais. While they reigned, certain objects made of gold fell from the sky: they were a plow, a yoke, a battle-axe, and a cup. When these objects came to rest on Scythian ground, they were seen first by the eldest son, who, wanting to take them up, approached where they lay. But as he came near them, the gold cought on fire, so he left them there; and when the second son approached, the same thing happened. Thus the burning gold drove both of them away, but when the third and youngest son approached, the fire stopped burning and went out, so he carried the gold home, and the elder brothers reacted to this event by agreeing to surrender the entire kingdom to the youngest.
From the Lipoxais were descended the Scythians known as the tribe of the Auchatai; from the middle brother, Arpoxais, the tribes of the Katiaroi and Traspies; and from the youngest, the royal tribe, called the Paralatai. The name of all this tribes collectively is Skolotoi, derived from the king's name, but the Hellens have named them Scythians. So, that is how the Scythians explain the origin of their race.
A sanctuary for Ares is set up in district of their provinces at the seat of government; they pile together bundles of sticks up to 580 yards in length and width, and slightly less in height, The top of it is squared and flattened off. and three of the other sides are steep, while the fourth can be climbed. Each year an additional 150 wagonloads of sticks are heaped upon it, since the pile always settles and sinks due to storms in winter. On top of each pile is set an ancient iron sword, which serves as the cult image of Ares. Every year the bring to the sword sacrifices of horses and other animals; and they also sacrifice another kind of victim to Ares more than they do for the other gods. Of all the enemies they capture alife in war, they sacrifice one out of every hundred, but in a different manner than they sacrifice animals. They pour wine over the man's head, cut his throat over the cup, carry the cup up to the pile of sticks, and pour the blood upon the sword. In addition to taking the blood up to the sword, down below, they cut off the right hands and arms of all the men who have been slaughtered and the cast them up in the air. After the other victims have been sacrificed, they depart, leaving behind the hands and arms to lie just where they have fallen, apart from their bodies.