the history-第126节

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　　　　　So　when　these　resolutions　had　been　agreed　upon；　and　the　quarrels　between　the　states　made　up；　first　of　all　they　sent　into　Asia　three　men　as　spies。　These　men　reached　Sardis；　and　took　note　of　the　king's　forces；　but；　being　discovered；　were　examined　by　order　of　the　generals　who　commanded　the　land　army；　and；　having　been　condemned　to　suffer　death；　were　led　out　to　execution。　Xerxes；　however；　when　the　news　reached　him；　disapproving　the　sentence　of　the　generals；　sent　some　of　his　bodyguard　with　instructions；　if　they　found　the　spies　still　alive；　to　bring　them　into　his　presence。　The　messengers　found　the　spies　alive；　and　brought　them　before　the　king；　who；　when　he　heard　the　purpose　for　which　they　had　come；　gave　orders　to　his　guards　to　take　them　round　the　camp；　and　show　them　all　the　footmen　and　all　the　horse；　letting　them　gaze　at　everything　to　their　hearts'　content；　then；　when　they　were　satisfied；　to　send　them　away　unharmed　to　whatever　country　they　desired。　　　　　For　these　orders　Xerxes　gave　afterwards　the　following　reasons。　〃Had　the　spies　been　put　to　death；〃　he　said；　〃the　Greeks　would　have　continued　ignorant　of　the　vastness　of　his　army；　which　surpassed　the　common　report　of　it；　while　he　would　have　done　them　a　very　small　injury　by　killing　three　of　their　men。　On　the　other　hand；　by　the　return　of　the　spies　to　Greece；　his　power　would　become　known；　and　the　Greeks；〃　he　expected；　〃would　make　surrender　of　their　freedom　before　he　began　his　march；　by　which　means　his　troops　would　be　saved　all　the　trouble　of　an　expedition。〃　This　reasoning　was　like　to　that　which　he　used　upon　another　occasion。　While　he　was　staying　at　Abydos；　he　saw　some　corn…ships；　which　were　passing　through　the　Hellespont　from　the　Euxine；　on　their　way　to　Egina　and　the　Peloponnese。　His　attendants；　hearing　that　they　were　the　enemy's；　were　ready　to　capture　them；　and　looked　to　see　when　Xerxes　would　give　the　signal。　He；　however；　merely　asked　〃whither　the　ships　were　bound？〃　and　when　they　answered；　〃For　thy　foes；　master；　with　corn　on　board；　〃We　too　are　bound　thither；〃　he　rejoined；　〃laden；　among　other　things；　with　corn。　What　harm　is　it；　if　they　carry　our　provisions　for　us？〃　　　　　So　the　spies；　when　they　had　seen　everything；　were　dismissed；　and　came　back　to　Europe。　　　　　The　Greeks　who　had　banded　themselves　together　against　the　Persian　king；　after　despatching　the　spies　into　Asia；　sent　next　ambassadors　to　Argos。　The　account　which　the　Argives　give　of　their　own　proceedings　is　the　following。　They　say　that　they　had　information　from　the　very　first　of　the　preparations　which　the　barbarians　were　making　against　Greece。　So；　as　they　expected　that　the　Greeks　would　come　upon　them　for　aid　against　the　assailant；　they　sent　envoys　to　Delphi　to　inquire　of　the　god　what　it　would　be　best　for　them　to　do　in　the　matter。　They　had　lost；　not　long　before；　six　thousand　citizens；　who　had　been　slain　by　the　Lacedaemonians　under　Cleomenes　the　son　of　Anaxandridas；　which　was　the　reason　why　they　now　sent　to　Delphi。　When　the　Pythoness　heard　their　question；　she　replied…

　　　　Hated　of　all　thy　neighbors；　beloved　of　the　blessed　Immortals；　　　　　Sit　thou　still；　with　thy　lance　drawn　inward；　patiently　watching；　　　　　Warily　guard　thine　head；　and　the　head　will　take　care　of　the　body。

This　prophecy　had　been　given　them　some　time　before　the　envoys　came；　but　still；　when　they　afterwards　arrived；　it　was　permitted　them　to　enter　the　council…house；　and　there　deliver　their　message。　And　this　answer　was　returned　to　their　demands…　〃Argos　is　ready　to　do　as　ye　require；　if　the　Lacedaemonians　will　first　make　a　truce　for　thirty　years；　and　will　further　divide　with　Argos　the　leadership　of　the　allied　army。　Although　in　strict　right　the　whole　command　should　be　hers；　she　will　be　content　to　have　the　leadership　divided　equally。〃　　　　　Such；　they　say；　was　the　reply　made　by　the　council；　in　spite　of　the　oracle　which　forbade　them　to　enter　into　a　league　with　the　Greeks。　For；　while　not　without　fear　of　disobeying　the　oracle；　they　were　greatly　desirous　of　obtaining　a　thirty　years'　truce；　to　give　time　for　their　sons　to　grow　to　man's　estate。　They　reflected；　that　if　no　such　truce　were　concluded；　and　it　should　be　their　lot　to　suffer　a　second　calamity　at　the　hands　of　the　Persians；　it　was　likely　they　would　fall　hopelessly　under　the　power　of　Sparta。　But　to　the　demands　of　the　Argive　council　the　Lacedaemonian　envoys　made　answer…　〃They　would　bring　before　the　people　the　question　of　concluding　a　truce。　With　regard　to　the　leadership；　they　had　received　orders　what　to　say；　and　the　reply　was　that　Sparta　had　two　kings；　Argos　but　one…　it　was　not　possible　that　either　of　the　two　Spartans　should　be　stripped　of　his　dignity…　but　they　did　not　oppose　the　Argive　king　having　one　vote　like　each　of　them。〃　The　Argives　say　that　they　could　not　brook　this　arrogance　on　the　part　of　Sparta；　and　rather　than　yield　one　jot　to　it；　they　preferred　to　be　under　the　rule　of　the　barbarians。　So　they　told　the　envoys　to　be　gone；　before　sunset；　from　their　territory；　or　they　should　be　treated　as　enemies。　　　　　Such　is　the　account　which　is　given　of　these　matters　by　the　Argives　themselves。　There　is　another　story；　which　is　told　generally　through　Greece；　of　a　different　tenor。　Xerxes；　it　is　said；　before　he　set　forth　on　his　expedition　against　Greece；　sent　a　herald　to　Argos；　who　on　his　arrival　spoke　as　follows：　〃Men　of　Argos；　King　Xerxes　speaks　thus　to　you。　We　Persians　deem　that　the　Perses　from　whom　we　descend　was　the　child　of　Perseus　the　son　of　Danae；　and　of　Andromeda　the　daughter　of　Cepheus。　Hereby　it　would　seem　that　we　come　of　your　stock　and　lineage。　So　then　it　neither　befits　us　to　make　war　upon　those　from　whom　we　spring；　nor　can　it　be　right　for　you　to　fight；　on　behalf　of　others；　against　us。　Your　place　is　to　keep　quiet　and　hold　yourself　aloof。　Only　let　matters　proceed　as　I　wish；　and　there　is　no　people　whom　I　shall　have　in　higher　esteem　than　you。〃　　　　　This　address；　says　the　story；　was　highly　valued　by　the　Argives；　who　therefore　at　the　first　neither　gave　a　promise　to　the　Greeks　nor　yet　put　forward　a　demand。　Afterwards；　however；　when　the　Greeks　called　upon　them　to　give　their　aid；　they　made　the　claim　which　has　been　mentioned；　because　they　knew　well　that　the　Lacedaemonians　would　never　yield　it；　and　so　they　would　have　a　pretext　for　taking　no　part　in　the　war。　　　　　Some　of　the　Greeks　say　that　this　account　agrees　remarkably　with　what　happened　many　years　afterwards。　Callias；　the　son　of　Hipponicus；　and　certain　others　with　him；　had　gone　up　to　Susa；　the　city　of　Memnon；　as　ambassadors　of　the　Athenians；　upon　a　business　quite　distinct　from　this。　While　they　were　there；　it　happened　that　the　Argives　likewise　sent　ambassadors　to　Susa；　to　ask　Artaxerxes；　the　son　of　Xerxes；　〃if　the　friendship　which　they　had　formed　with　his　father　still　continued；　or　if　he　looked　upon　them　as　his　enemies？〃…　to　which　King　Artaxerxes　replied；　〃Most　certainly　it　continues；　and　there　is　no　city　which　I　reckon　more　my　friend　than　Argos。〃　　　　　For　my　own　part　I　cannot　positively　say　whether　Xerxes　did　send　the　herald　to　Argos　or　not；　nor　whether　Argive　ambassadors　at　Susa　did　really　put　this　question　to　Artaxerxes　about　the　friendship　between　them　and　him；　neither　do　I　deliver　any　opinion　hereupon　other　than　that　of　the　Argives　themselves。　This；　however；　I　know…　that　if　every　nation　were　to　bring　all　its　evil　deeds　to　a　given　place；　in　order　to　make　an　exchange　with　some　other　nation；　when　they　had　all　looked　carefully　at　their　neighbours'　faults；　they　would　be　truly　glad　to　carry　their　own　back　again。　So；　after　all；　the　conduct　of　the　Argives　was　not　perhaps　more　disgraceful　than　that　of　others。　For　myself；　my　duty　is　to　report　all　that　is　said；　but　I　am　not　obliged　to　believe　it　all　alike…　a　remark　which　may　be　understood　to　apply　to　my　whole　History。　Some　even　go　so　far　as　to　say　that　the　Argives　first　invited　the　Persians　to　invade　Greece；　because　of　their　ill　success　in　the　war　with　Lacedaemon；　since　they　preferred　anything　to　the　smart　of　their　actual　sufferings。　Thus　much　concerning　the　Argives。　　　　　Other　ambassadors；　among　whom　was　Syagrus　from　Lacedaemon；　were　sent　by　the　allies　into　Sicily；　with　instructions　to　confer　with　Gelo。　　　　　The　ancestor　of　this　Gelo；　who　first　settled　at　Gela；　was　a　native　of　the　isle　of　Telos；　which　lies　off　Triopium。　When　Gela　was　colonised　by　Antiphemus　and　the　Lindians　of　Rhodes；　he　likewise　took　part　in　the　expedition。　In　course　of　time　his　descendants　became　the　high…priests　of　the　gods　who　dwell　below…　an　office　which　they　held　continually；　from　the　time　that　Telines；　one　of　Gelo's　ancestors；　obtained　it　in　the　way　which　I　will　now　mention。　Certain　citizens　of　Gela；　worsted　in　a　sedition；　had　found　a　refuge　at　Mactorium；　a　town　situated　on　the　heights　above　Gela。　Telines　reinstated　these　men；　without　any　human　help；　solely　by　means　of　the　sacred　rites　of　these　deities。　From　whom　he　received　them；　or　how　he　himself　acquired　them；　I　cannot　say；　but　certain　it　is　that　relying　on　their　power　he　brought　the　exiles　back。　For　this　his　reward　was　to　be　the　office　of　high…priest　of　those　gods　for　himself　and　his　seed　for　ever。　It　surprises　me　especially　that　such　a　feat　should　have　been　performed　by　Telines；　for　I　have　always　looked　upon　acts　of　this　nature　as　beyond　the　abilities　of　common　men；　and　only　to　be　achieved　by　such　as　are　of　a　bold　and　manly　spirit；