The Twitter Herodotus

1.131 And now for some Persian customs. They don't build temples or altars, but they do sacrifice, e.g., to Aphrodite, whom they call Mitra.

1.132 When a Persian sacrifices, he slays & cuts up an animal, then stews it. Later he takes the meat home. A Magus must be there to chant.

1.133 The Persians feast on their birthdays and love wine. It is forbidden among them to vomit or urinate in anyone else's presence.

1.134 The Persians honor themselves most among men. Others are ranked according to their distance from Persia: the farther away, the worse.

1.135 They are happy to borrow practices from other cultures. For example, they learned pederasty from the Greeks.

1.136 A man's worth is shown by his valor in battle & the no. of his sons. They teach boys 3 things: horsemanship, archery, & truth-telling.

1.137 The Persians may not kill someone for a single offense only. They claim that patricide and matricide are unknown among them.

1.138 Lying is the biggest offense among them, followed by indebtedness. They will not spit or urinate in rivers or watch anyone else do so.

1.139 I've also noticed this--though the Persians themselves haven't: all their names end in -s.

1.140 All this I know from personal knowledge. I've heard, too, things re. their burial practices. But enough of this! Back to the story.