the history-第52节

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to　see　Polycrates。　Then　Polycrates　allowed　him　to　come　in；　and　the　fisherman　gave　him　the　fish　with　these　words　following…　〃Sir　king；　when　I　took　this　prize；　I　thought　I　would　not　carry　it　to　market；　though　I　am　a　poor　man　who　live　by　my　trade。　I　said　to　myself；　it　is　worthy　of　Polycrates　and　his　greatness；　and　so　I　brought　it　here　to　give　it　to　you。〃　The　speech　pleased　the　king；　who　thus　spoke　in　reply：…　〃Thou　didst　right　well；　friend；　and　I　am　doubly　indebted；　both　for　the　gift；　and　for　the　speech。　Come　now；　and　sup　with　me。〃　So　the　fisherman　went　home；　esteeming　it　a　high　honour　that　he　had　been　asked　to　sup　with　the　king。　Meanwhile　the　servants；　on　cutting　open　the　fish；　found　the　signet　of　their　master　in　its　belly。　No　sooner　did　they　see　it　than　they　seized　upon　it；　and　hastening　to　Polycrates　with　great　joy；　restored　it　to　him；　and　told　him　in　what　way　it　had　been　found。　The　king；　who　saw　something　providential　in　the　matter；　forthwith　wrote　a　letter　to　Amasis；　telling　him　all　that　had　happened；　what　he　had　himself　done；　and　what　had　been　the　upshot…　and　despatched　the　letter　to　Egypt。　　　　　When　Amasis　had　read　the　letter　of　Polycrates；　he　perceived　that　it　does　not　belong　to　man　to　save　his　fellow…man　from　the　fate　which　is　in　store　for　him；　likewise　he　felt　certain　that　Polycrates　would　end　ill；　as　he　prospered　in　everything；　even　finding　what　he　had　thrown　away。　So　he　sent　a　herald　to　Samos；　and　dissolved　the　contract　of　friendship。　This　he　did；　that　when　the　great　and　heavy　misfortune　came；　he　might　escape　the　grief　which　he　would　have　felt　if　the　sufferer　had　been　his　bond…friend。　　　　　It　was　with　this　Polycrates；　so　fortunate　in　every　undertaking；　that　the　Lacedaemonians　now　went　to　war。　Certain　Samians；　the　same　who　afterwards　founded　the　city　of　Cydonia　in　Crete；　had　earnestly　intreated　their　help。　For　Polycrates；　at　the　time　when　Cambyses；　son　of　Cyrus；　was　gathering　together　an　armament　against　Egypt；　had　sent　to　beg　him　not　to　omit　to　ask　aid　from　Samos；　whereupon　Cambyses　with　much　readiness　despatched　a　messenger　to　the　island；　and　made　request　that　Polycrates　would　give　some　ships　to　the　naval　force　which　he　was　collecting　against　Egypt。　Polycrates　straightway　picked　out　from　among　the　citizens　such　as　he　thought　most　likely　to　stir　revolt　against　him；　and　manned　with　them　forty　triremes；　which　he　sent　to　Cambyses；　bidding　him　keep　the　men　safe；　and　never　allow　them　to　return　home。　　　　　Now　some　accounts　say　that　these　Samians　did　not　reach　Egypt；　for　that　when　they　were　off　Carpathus；　they　took　counsel　together　and　resolved　to　sail　no　further。　But　others　maintain　that　they　did　go　to　Egypt；　and；　finding　themselves　watched；　deserted；　and　sailed　back　to　Samos。　There　Polycrates　went　out　against　them　with　his　fleet；　and　a　battle　was　fought　and　gained　by　the　exiles；　after　which　they　disembarked　upon　the　island　and　engaged　the　land　forces　of　Polycrates；　but　were　defeated；　and　so　sailed　off　to　Lacedaemon。　Some　relate　that　the　Samians　from　Egypt　overcame　Polycrates；　but　it　seems　to　me　untruly；　for　had　the　Samians　been　strong　enough　to　conquer　Polycrates　by　themselves；　they　would　not　have　needed　to　call　in　the　aid　of　the　Lacedaemonians。　And　moreover；　it　is　not　likely　that　a　king　who　had　in　his　pay　so　large　a　body　of　foreign　mercenaries；　and　maintained　likewise　such　a　force　of　native　bowmen；　would　have　been　worsted　by　an　army　so　small　as　that　of　the　returned　Samians。　As　for　his　own　subjects；　to　hinder　them　from　betraying　him　and　joining　the　exiles；　Polycrates　shut　up　their　wives　and　children　in　the　sheds　built　to　shelter　his　ships；　and　was　ready　to　burn　sheds　and　all　in　case　of　need。　　　　　When　the　banished　Samians　reached　Sparta；　they　had　audience　of　the　magistrates；　before　whom　they　made　a　long　speech；　as　was　natural　with　persons　greatly　in　want　of　aid。　Accordingly　at　this　first　sitting　the　Spartans　answered　them　that　they　had　forgotten　the　first　half　of　their　speech；　and　could　make　nothing　of　the　remainder。　Afterwards　the　Samians　had　another　audience；　whereat　they　simply　said；　showing　a　bag　which　they　had　brought　with　them；　〃The　bag　wants　flour。〃　The　Spartans　answered　that　they　did　not　need　to　have　said　〃the　bag〃；　however；　they　resolved　to　give　them　aid。　　　　　Then　the　Lacedaemonians　made　ready　and　set　forth　to　the　attack　of　Samos；　from　a　motive　of　gratitude；　if　we　may　believe　the　Samians；　because　the　Samians　had　once　sent　ships　to　their　aid　against　the　Messenians；　but　as　the　Spartans　themselves　say；　not　so　much　from　any　wish　to　assist　the　Samians　who　begged　their　help；　as　from　a　desire　to　punish　the　people　who　had　seized　the　bowl　which　they　sent　to　Croesus；　and　the　corselet　which　Amasis；　king　of　Egypt；　sent　as　a　present　to　them。　The　Samians　made　prize　of　this　corselet　the　year　before　they　took　the　bowl…　it　was　of　linen；　and　had　a　vast　number　of　figures　of　animals　inwoven　into　its　fabric；　and　was　likewise　embroidered　with　gold　and　tree…wool。　What　is　most　worthy　of　admiration　in　it　is　that　each　of　the　twists；　although　of　fine　texture；　contains　within　it　three　hundred　and　sixty　threads；　all　of　them　clearly　visible。　The　corselet　which　Amasis　gave　to　the　temple　of　Minerva　in　Lindus　is　just　such　another。　　　　　The　Corinthians　likewise　right　willingly　lent　a　helping　hand　towards　the　expedition　against　Samos；　for　a　generation　earlier；　about　the　time　of　the　seizure　of　the　wine…bowl；　they　too　had　suffered　insult　at　the　hands　of　the　Samians。　It　happened　that　Periander；　son　of　Cypselus；　had　taken　three　hundred　boys；　children　of　the　chief　nobles　among　the　Corcyraeans；　and　sent　them　to　Alyattes　for　eunuchs；　the　men　who　had　them　in　charge　touched　at　Samos　on　their　way　to　Sardis；　whereupon　the　Samians；　having　found　out　what　was　to　become　of　the　boys　when　they　reached　that　city；　first　prompted　them　to　take　sanctuary　at　the　temple　of　Diana；　and　after　this；　when　the　Corinthians；　as　they　were　forbidden　to　tear　the　suppliants　from　the　holy　place；　sought　to　cut　off　from　them　all　supplies　of　food；　invented　a　festival　in　their　behalf；　which　they　celebrate　to　this　day　with　the　selfsame　rites。　Each　evening；　as　night　closed　in；　during　the　whole　time　that　the　boys　continued　there；　choirs　of　youths　and　virgins　were　placed　about　the　temple；　carrying　in　their　hands　cakes　made　of　sesame　and　honey；　in　order　that　the　Corcyraean　boys　might　snatch　the　cakes；　and　so　get　enough　to　live　upon。　　　　　And　this　went　on　for　so　long；　that　at　last　the　Corinthians　who　had　charge　of　the　boys　gave　them　up；　and　took　their　departure；　upon　which　the　Samians　conveyed　them　back　to　Corcyra。　If　now；　after　the　death　of　Periander；　the　Corinthians　and　Corcyraeans　had　been　good　friends；　it　is　not　to　be　imagined　that　the　former　would　ever　have　taken　part　in　the　expedition　against　Samos　for　such　a　reason　as　this；　but　as；　in　fact；　the　two　people　have　always；　ever　since　the　first　settlement　of　the　island；　been　enemies　to　one　another；　this　outrage　was　remembered；　and　the　Corinthians　bore　the　Samians　a　grudge　for　it。　Periander　had　chosen　the　youths　from　among　the　first　families　in　Corcyra；　and　sent　them　a　present　to　Alyattes；　to　avenge　a　wrong　which　he　had　received。　For　it　was　the　Corcyraeans　who　began　the　quarrel　and　injured　Periander　by　an　outrage　of　a　horrid　nature。　　　　　After　Periander　had　put　to　death　his　wife　Melissa；　it　chanced　that　on　this　first　affliction　a　second　followed　of　a　different　kind。　His　wife　had　borne　him　two　sons；　and　one　of　them　had　now　reached　the　age　of　seventeen；　the　other　of　eighteen　years；　when　their　mother's　father；　Procles；　tyrant　of　Epidaurus；　asked　them　to　his　court。　They　went；　and　Procles　treated　them　with　much　kindness；　as　was　natural；　considering　they　were　his　own　daughter's　children。　At　length；　when　the　time　for　parting　came；　Procles；　as　he　was　sending　them　on　their　way；　said；　〃Know　you　now；　my　children；　who　it　was　that　caused　your　mother's　death？〃　The　elder　son　took　no　account　of　this　speech；　but　the　younger；　whose　name　was　Lycophron；　was　sorely　troubled　at　it…　so　much　so；　that　when　he　got　back　to　Corinth；　looking　upon　his　father　as　his　mother's　murderer；　he　would　neither　speak　to　him；　nor　answer　when　spoken　to；　nor　utter　a　word　in　reply　to　all　his　questionings。　So　Periander　at　last；　growing　furious　at　such　behaviour；　banished　him　from　his　house。　　　　　The　younger　son　gone；　he　turned　to　the　elder　and　asked　him；　〃what　it　was　that　their　grandfather　had　said　to　them？〃　Then　he　related　in　how　kind　and　friendly　a　fashion　he　had　received　them；　but；　not　having　taken　any　notice　of　the　speech　which　Procles　had　uttered　at　parting；　he　quite　forgot　to　mention　it。　Periander　insisted　that　it　was　not　possible　this　should　be　all…　their　grandfather　must　have　given　them　some　hint　or　other…　and　he　went　on　pressing　him；　till　at　last　the　lad　remembered　the　parting　speech　and　told　it。　Periander；　after　he　had　turned　the　whole　matter　over　in　his　thoughts；　and　felt　unwilling　to　give　way　at　all；　sent　a　messenger　to　the　persons　who　had　opened　their　houses　to　his　outcast　son；　and　forbade　them　to　harbour　him。　Then　the　boy；　when　he　was　chased　from　one　friend；　sought　refuge　with　another；　but　was　driven　from　shelter　to　shelter　by　the　threats　of　his　father；　who　menaced　all　those　that　took　him　in；　and　commanded　them　to　shut　their　doors　against　him。　Still；　as　fast　as　he　was　forced　to　leave　one　house　he