cyropaedia-第69节

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whatsoever：　to　be　known　to　have　wealth　is　more　dangerous　than　guilt；
so　that　the　rich　do　not　care　to　have　any　dealings　with　the　powerful；
and　dare　not　even　risk　appearing　at　the　muster　of　the　royal　troops。
＇7＇　Therefore；　when　any　man　makes　war　on　Persia；　whoever　he　may　be；　he
can　roam　up　and　down　the　country　to　his　heart's　content　without
striking　a　blow；　because　they　have　forgotten　the　gods　and　are　unjust
to　their　fellow…men。　In　every　way　their　hearts　and　minds　are　lower
than　in　days　gone　by。

＇8＇　Nor　do　they　care　for　their　bodies　as　they　did　of　old。　It　was
always　their　custom　neither　to　spit　nor　blow　the　nose；　only　it　is
clear　this　was　instituted　not　from　concern　for　the　humours　of　the
body；　but　in　order　to　strengthen　themselves　by　toil　and　sweat。　But
nowadays；　though　this　habit　is　still　in　vogue；　to　harden　the　body　by
exercise　has　quite　gone　out　of　fashion。　＇9＇　Again；　from　the　first　it
was　their　rule　only　to　take　a　single　meal　in　the　day；　which　left　them
free　to　give　their　time　to　business　and　exercise。　The　single　meal　is
still　the　rule；　but　it　commences　at　the　earliest　hour　ever　chosen　for
breakfast；　and　the　eating　and　drinking　goes　on　till　the　last　moment
which　the　latest　reveller　would　choose　for　bed。　＇10＇　It　was　always
forbidden　to　bring　chamber…pots　into　the　banquet…hall；　but　the　reason
lay　in　their　belief　that　the　right　way　to　keep　body　and　brain　from
weakness　was　to　avoid　drinking　in　excess。　But　to…day；　though　as　in　the
old　time　no　such　vessels　may　be　carried　in；　they　drink　so　deep　that
they　themselves　are　carried　out；　too　weak　to　stand　on　their　own　legs。
＇11＇　It　was　a　national　custom　from　the　first　not　to　eat　and　drink　on
the　march　nor　be　seen　satisfying　the　wants　of　nature；　but　nowadays；
though　they　still　abstain；　they　make　each　march　so　short　that　no　man
need　wonder　at　their　abstinence。

＇12＇　In　the　old　time　they　went　out　to　hunt　so　often　that　the　chase
gave　enough　exercise　and　training　for　man　and　horse　alike。　But　when
the　day　came　that　Artaxerxes　and　all　his　court　were　the　worse　for
wine；　the　old　custom　of　the　king　leading　the　hunt　in　person　began　to
pass　away。　And　if　any　eager　spirits　hunted　with　their　own　followers　it
was　easy　to　see　the　jealousy；　and　even　the　hatred；　aroused　by　such
superiority。

＇13＇　It　is　still　the　habit　to　bring　up　the　boys　at　the　palace…gates；
but　fine　horsemanship　has　disappeared；　for　there　is　no　place　where　the
lads　can　win　applause　by　their　skill。　The　old　belief　that　the　children
of　Persia　would　learn　justice　by　hearing　the　judges　decide　the　cases
has　been　turned　upside　down：　the　children　have　only　to　use　their　eyes
and　they　see　that　the　verdict　goes　to　the　man　with　the　longest　purse。
＇14＇　Children　in　former　times　were　taught　the　properties　of　plants　in
order　to　use　the　wholesome　and　avoid　the　harmful；　but　now　they　seem　to
learn　it　for　the　mere　sake　of　doing　harm：　at　any　rate；　there　is　no
country　where　deaths　from　poison　are　so　common。　＇15＇　And　the　Persian
to…day　is　far　more　luxurious　than　he　was　in　the　time　of　Cyrus。　Then
they　still　clung　to　the　Persian　style　of　education　and　the　Persian
self…restraint；　merely　adopting　the　Median　dress　and　a　certain　grace
of　life。　But　now　the　old　Persian　hardihood　may　perish　for　all　they
care；　if　only　they　preserve　the　softness　of　the　Mede。　＇16＇　I　might
give　instances　of　their　luxury。　They　are　not　content　with　soft　sheets
and　rugs　for　their　beds；　they　must　have　carpets　laid　under　the　bed…
posts　to　prevent　any　jarring　from　the　floor。　They　have　given　up　none
of　the　cooked　dishes　invented　in　former　days；　on　the　contrary；　they
are　always　devising　new　ones；　and　condiments　to　boot：　in　fact；　they
keep　men　for　the　very　purpose。　＇17＇　In　the　winter　it　is　not　enough　to
have　the　body　covered；　and　the　head　and　the　feet；　they　must　have　warm
sleeves　as　well　and　gloves　for　the　hands：　and　in　the　summer　they　are
not　content　with　the　shade　from　the　trees　or　the　rocks；　they　must　have
servants　standing　beside　them　with　artificial　screens。　＇18＇　To　have　an
endless　array　of　cups　and　goblets　is　their　special　pride：　and　if　these
are　come　by　unjustly；　and　all　the　world　knows　it；　why；　there　is
nothing　to　blush　for　in　that：　injustice　has　grown　too　common　among
them；　and　ill…gotten　gain。　＇19＇　Formerly　no　Persian　was　ever　to　be
seen　on　foot；　but　the　sole　object　of　the　custom　was　to　make　them
perfect　horsemen。　Now　they　lay　more　rugs　on　their　horses'　backs　than
on　their　own　beds；　it　is　not　a　firm　seat　they　care　for；　but　a　soft
saddle。

＇20＇　As　soldiers　we　may　imagine　how　they　have　sunk　below　the　ancient
standard；　in　past　times　it　was　a　national　institution　that　the　land…
owner　should　furnish　troopers　from　his　own　estate；　and　men　were　bound
to　go　on　active　service；　while　the　garrison　troops　in　the　country
received　regular　pay；　but　now　the　Persian　grandees　have　manufactured　a
new　type　of　cavalry；　who　earn　their　pay　as　butlers　and　cooks　and
confectioners　and　cupbearers　and　bathmen　and　flunkeys　to　serve　at
table　or　remove　the　dishes；　and　serving…men　to　put　their　lords　to　bed
and　help　them　to　rise；　and　perfumers　to　anoint　them　and　rub　them　and
make　them　beautiful。　＇21＇　In　numbers　they　make　a　very　splendid　show；
but　they　are　no　use　for　fighting；　as　may　be　seen　by　what　actually
takes　place：　an　enemy　can　move　about　their　country　more　freely　than
the　inhabitants　themselves。　＇22＇　It　will　be　remembered　that　Cyrus　put
a　stop　to　the　old　style　of　fighting　at　long　range；　and　by　arming　men
and　horses　with　breastplates　and　giving　each　trooper　a　short　spear　he
taught　them　to　fight　at　close　quarters。　But　nowadays　they　will　fight
in　neither　one　style　nor　the　other。　＇23＇　The　infantry　still　carry　the
large　shields；　the　battle…axes；　and　the　swords；　as　if　they　meant　to　do
battle　as　they　did　in　Cyrus'　day。　＇24＇　But　they　will　never　close　with
the　enemy。　Nor　do　they　use　the　scythe…bearing　chariots　as　Cyrus
intended。　By　the　honours　he　gave　he　raised　the　dignity　and　improved
the　quality　of　his　charioteers　till　he　had　a　body　of　men　who　would
charge　right　into　the　enemy's　ranks；　but　the　generals　of　to…day；
though　they　do　not　even　know　the　charioteers　by　sight；　flatter
themselves　that　untrained　men　will　serve　their　purpose　quite　as　well
as　trained。　＇25＇　So　the　charioteers　will　dash　off；　but　before　they
reach　the　enemy　half　the　men　have　fallen　from　their　boxes；　and　the
others　will　jump　out　of　their　own　accord；　and　the　teams；　left　without
their　drivers；　will　do　more　harm　to　their　friends　than　to　their　foes。
＇26＇　And　since　in　their　hearts　the　Persians　of　to…day　are　well　aware
what　their　fighting　condition　really　is；　they　always　give　up　the
struggle；　and　now　none　of　them　will　take　the　field　at　all　without
Hellenes　to　help　them；　whether　they　are　fighting　among　themselves　or
whether　Hellenes　are　in　arms　against　them：　even　then　it　is　a　settled
thing　that　they　must　have　the　aid　of　other　Hellenes　to　face　them。

＇27＇　I　venture　to　think　I　have　shown　the　truth　of　the　statement　that　I
made。　I　asserted　that　the　Persians　of　to…day　and　their　allies　are　less
religious　than　they　were　of　old；　less　dutiful　to　their　kindred；　less
just　and　righteous　towards　other　men；　and　less　valiant　in　war。　And　if
any　man　doubts　me；　let　him　examine　their　actions　for　himself；　and　he
will　find　full　confirmation　of　all　I　say。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NOTES

C1。　Xenophon　puts　into　the　mouth　of　Chrysantas　his　favourite　theory　of
monarchism；　the　relationship　strongly　cemented　by　obedience　and　trust
between　subjects　and　king。

C1。4；　med。　On　/willing/　service。　This　again　is　one　of　the　best
utterances　in　all　Xenophon。　It　has　a　deep　spiritual　import。

C1。4；　fin。　He　is　thinking　of　Athens；　perhaps。　It　is　a　choice：　obey　the
ruler　or　knock　under　to　foreign　foes。

C1。8。　Surely　a　remark　of　the　author。　It　is　an　old　inveterate　thought
of　his：　〃the　Master's　eye。〃　I　feel　the　/old/　man　at　times。

C1。9…10。　This　side　of　the　Persian　state…machine　strongly　impressed　the
mind　and　imagination　of　Xenophon。　Hence　he　works　it　into　the　treatise
on　economy　as　well　as　here。　In　fact　his　expansion　of　the　Socratic
reflections　into　the　/Economist/　has　to　do；　I　believe；　with　these
reflections　on　state　economy。

C1。13。　Hellenic　aristocratic　theory　of　existence。　Leisure　for　the
grand　duties　which　devolve　on　the　lords　of　mankind。　It　doesn't　seem　to
strike　Xenophon　that　this　rigid　system　of　self…absorption　in　the
higher　selfhood　of　the　social　system　might　be　destructive　of
individual　life。　Of　course　he　would　say；　〃No；　it　enlarges　the
individual　life。〃

C1。17…20。　Seems　to　me　to　show　Xenophon　struggling　with　the　hard　parts
of　the　later　Persian　system。　The　theory　of　Persian　feudalism　is　too
high…strung　for　these　grand　satraps；　rulers　of　provinces　as　big　as
ordinary　kingdoms。　It　tends　to　snap；　and　from　the　beginning　did。　The
archic　man　has　no　charm　to　compel　his　followers　to　archic　virtue。　It
is　a　negative　｛episteme｝　after　all。　Does　Xenophon　realise　this；　or　is
hgd。　wrong？

C1。21。　Cf。　headmasters　with　preposters　in　a　public　school；　based　on
the　same　system　of　high　aims　and　duties　corresponding　to　rights。

C1。23；　init。　Cf。　Louis　Napoleon　in　Browning's　poem　＇/Prince
Hohensteil…Schwangau/＇。

C1。23；　med。　The　Magians；　the　Persian　order　of　priests。　Y