Note 480 — Chapter XVII · LYDIANS. — MEDES. — CIMMERIANS. — SCYTHIANS.
Reading edition
Strabo i, p. 61; Kallimachus, Hymn. ad Dianam, 251-260—
... ἠλαίνων ἀλαπάζεμεν ἠπείλησε (Ἔφεσον) Λύγδαμις ὑβριστὴς, ἐπὶ δὲ στρατὸν ἱππημόλγων Ἤγαγε Κιμμερίων, ψαμάθῳ ἴσον, οἳ ῥα παρ᾽ αὐτὸν Κεκλίμενοι ναίουσι βοὸς πόρον Ἰναχιώνης. Ἆ δειλὸς βασιλέων ὅσον ἤλιτεν· οὐ γὰρ ἔμελλε Οὔτ᾽ αὐτὸς Σκυθίηνδε παλίμπετες, οὔτε τις ἄλλος Ὅσσων ἐν λειμῶνι Καϋστρίῳ ἦσαν ἅμαξαι, Ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν....
In the explanation of the proverb Σκυθῶν ἐρημία, allusion is made to a sudden panic and flight of Scythians from Ephesus (Hesychius, v. Σκυθῶν ἐρημία),—probably this must refer to some story of interference on the part of Artemis to protect the town against these Cimmerians. The confusion between Cimmerians and Scythians is very frequent.