the history-第94节

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eus。　Aetion；　as　he　had　no　child；　either　by　this　wife　or　by　any　other；　went　to　Delphi　to　consult　the　oracle　concerning　the　matter。　Scarcely　had　he　entered　the　temple　when　the　Pythoness　saluted　him　in　these　words…

　　　　No　one　honours　thee　now；　Aetion；　worthy　of　honour…　　　　　Labda　shall　soon　be　a　mother…　her　offspring　a　rock；　that　will　　　　　　　one　day　　　　　Fall　on　the　kingly　race；　and　right　the　city　of　Corinth。

By　some　chance　this　address　of　the　oracle　to　Aetion　came　to　the　ears　of　the　Bacchiadae；　who　till　then　had　been　unable　to　perceive　the　meaning　of　another　earlier　prophecy　which　likewise　bore　upon　Corinth；　and　pointed　to　the　same　event　as　Aetion's　prediction。　It　was　the　following：…

　　　　When　mid　the　rocks　an　eagle　shall　bear　a　carnivorous　lion；　　　　　Mighty　and　fierce；　he　shall　loosen　the　limbs　of　many　beneath　them…

　　　　Brood　ye　well　upon　this；　all　ye　Corinthian　people；　　　　　Ye　who　dwell　by　fair　Peirene；　and　beetling　Corinth。

　　　　（SS　3。）　The　Bacchiadae　had　possessed　this　oracle　for　some　time；　but　they　were　quite　at　a　loss　to　know　what　it　meant　until　they　heard　the　response　given　to　Aetion；　then　however　they　at　once　perceived　its　meaning；　since　the　two　agreed　so　well　together。　Nevertheless；　though　the　bearing　of　the　first　prophecy　was　now　clear　to　them；　they　remained　quiet；　being　minded　to　put　to　death　the　child　which　Aetion　was　expecting。　As　soon；　therefore；　as　his　wife　was　delivered；　they　sent　ten　of　their　number　to　the　township　where　Aetion　lived；　with　orders　to　make　away　with　the　baby。　So　the　men　came　to　Petra；　and　went　into　Aetion's　house；　and　there　asked　if　they　might　see　the　child；　and　Labda；　who　knew　nothing　of　their　purpose；　but　thought　their　inquiries　arose　from　a　kindly　feeling　towards　her　husband；　brought　the　child；　and　laid　him　in　the　arms　of　one　of　them。　Now　they　had　agreed　by　the　way　that　whoever　first　got　hold　of　the　child　should　dash　it　against　the　ground。　It　happened；　however；　by　a　providential　chance；　that　the　babe；　just　as　Labda　put　him　into　the　man's　arms；　smiled　in　his　face。　The　man　saw　the　smile；　and　was　touched　with　pity；　so　that　he　could　not　kill　it；　he　therefore　passed　it　on　to　his　next　neighbour；　who　gave　it　to　a　third；　and　so　it　went　through　all　the　ten　without　any　one　choosing　to　be　the　murderer。　The　mother　received　her　child　back；　and　the　men　went　out　of　the　house；　and　stood　near　the　door；　and　there　blamed　and　reproached　one　another；　chiefly　however　accusing　the　man　who　had　first　had　the　child　in　his　arms；　because　he　had　not　done　as　had　been　agreed　upon。　At　last；　after　much　time　had　been　thus　spent；　they　resolved　to　go　into　the　house　again　and　all　take　part　in　the　murder。　（SS　4。）　But　it　was　fated　that　evil　should　come　upon　Corinth　from　the　progeny　of　Aetion；　and　so　it　chanced　that　Labda；　as　she　stood　near　the　door；　heard　all　that　the　men　said　to　one　another；　and　fearful　of　their　changing　their　mind；　and　returning　to　destroy　her　baby；　she　carried　him　off　and　hid　him　in　what　seemed　to　her　the　most　unlikely　place　to　be　suspected；　viz。；　a　'cypsel'　or　corn…bin。　She　knew　that　if　they　came　back　to　look　for　the　child；　they　would　search　all　her　house；　and　so　indeed　they　did；　but　not　finding　the　child　after　looking　everywhere；　they　thought　it　best　to　go　away；　and　declare　to　those　by　whom　they　had　been　sent　that　they　had　done　their　bidding。　And　thus　they　reported　on　their　return　home。　（SS　5。）　Aetion's　son　grew　up；　and；　in　remembrance　of　the　danger　from　which　he　had　escaped；　was　named　Cypselus；　after　the　cornbin。　When　he　reached　to　man's　estate；　he　went　to　Delphi；　and　on　consulting　the　oracle；　received　a　response　which　was　two…sided。　It　was　the　following：

　　　　See　there　comes　to　my　dwelling　a　man　much　favour'd　of　fortune；　　　　　Cypselus；　son　of　Aetion；　and　king　of　the　glorious　Corinth…　　　　　He　and　his　children　too；　but　not　his　children's　children。

Such　was　the　oracle；　and　Cypselus　put　so　much　faith　in　it　that　he　forthwith　made　his　attempt；　and　thereby　became　master　of　Corinth。　Having　thus　got　the　tyranny；　he　showed　himself　a　harsh　ruler…　many　of　the　Corinthians　he　drove　into　banishment；　many　he　deprived　of　their　fortunes；　and　a　still　greater　number　of　their　lives。　（SS　6。）　His　reign　lasted　thirty　years；　and　was　prosperous　to　its　close；　insomuch　that　he　left　the　government　to　Periander；　his　son。　This　prince　at　the　beginning　of　his　reign　was　of　a　milder　temper　than　his　father；　but　after　he　corresponded　by　means　of　messengers　with　Thrasybulus；　tyrant　of　Miletus；　he　became　even　more　sanguinary。　On　one　occasion　he　sent　a　herald　to　ask　Thrasybulus　what　mode　of　government　it　was　safest　to　set　up　in　order　to　rule　with　honour。　Thrasybulus　led　the　messenger　without　the　city；　and　took　him　into　a　field　of　corn；　through　which　he　began　to　walk；　while　he　asked　him　again　and　again　concerning　his　coming　from　Corinth；　ever　as　he　went　breaking　off　and　throwing　away　all　such　ears　of　corn　as　over…topped　the　rest。　In　this　way　he　went　through　the　whole　field；　and　destroyed　all　the　best　and　richest　part　of　the　crop；　then；　without　a　word；　he　sent　the　messenger　back。　On　the　return　of　the　man　to　Corinth；　Periander　was　eager　to　know　what　Thrasybulus　had　counselled；　but　the　messenger　reported　that　he　had　said　nothing；　and　he　wondered　that　Periander　had　sent　him　to　so　strange　a　man；　who　seemed　to　have　lost　his　senses；　since　he　did　nothing　but　destroy　his　own　property。　And　upon　this　he　told　how　Thrasybulus　had　behaved　at　the　interview。　（SS　7。）　Periander；　perceiving　what　the　action　meant；　and　knowing　that　Thrasybulus　advised　the　destruction　of　all　the　leading　citizens；　treated　his　subjects　from　this　time　forward　with　the　very　greatest　cruelty。　Where　Cypselus　had　spared　any；　and　had　neither　put　them　to　death　nor　banished　them；　Periander　completed　what　his　father　had　left　unfinished。　One　day　he　stripped　all　the　women　of　Corinth　stark　naked；　for　the　sake　of　his　own　wife　Melissa。　He　had　sent　messengers　into　Thesprotia　to　consult　the　oracle　of　the　dead　upon　the　Acheron　concerning　a　pledge　which　had　been　given　into　his　charge　by　a　stranger；　and　Melissa　appeared；　but　refused　to　speak　or　tell　where　the　pledge　was…　'she　was　chill；'　she　said；　'having　no　clothes；　the　garments　buried　with　her　were　of　no　manner　of　use；　since　they　had　not　been　burnt。　And　this　should　be　her　token　to　Periander；　that　what　she　said　was　true…　the　oven　was　cold　when　he　baked　his　loaves　in　it。'　When　this　message　was　brought　him；　Periander　knew　the　token；　wherefore　he　straightway　made　proclamation；　that　all　the　wives　of　the　Corinthians　should　go　forth　to　the　temple　of　Juno。　So　the　women　apparelled　themselves　in　their　bravest；　and　went　forth；　as　if　to　a　festival。　Then；　with　the　help　of　his　guards；　whom　he　had　placed　for　the　purpose；　he　stripped　them　one　and　all；　making　no　difference　between　the　free　women　and　the　slaves；　and；　taking　their　clothes　to　a　pit；　he　called　on　the　name　of　Melissa；　and　burnt　the　whole　heap。　This　done；　he　sent　a　second　time　to　the　oracle；　and　Melissa's　ghost　told　him　where　he　would　find　the　stranger's　pledge。　Such；　O　Lacedaemonians！　is　tyranny；　and　such　are　the　deeds　which　spring　from　it。　We　Corinthians　marvelled　greatly　when　we　first　knew　of　your　having　sent　for　Hippias；　and　now　it　surprises　us　still　more　to　hear　you　speak　as　you　do。　We　adjure　you；　by　the　common　gods　of　Greece；　plant　not　despots　in　her　cities。　If　however　you　are　determined；　if　you　persist；　against　all　justice；　in　seeking　to　restore　Hippias…　know；　at　least；　that　the　Corinthians　will　not　approve　your　conduct。〃　　　　　When　Sosicles；　the　deputy　from　Corinth；　had　thus　spoken；　Hippias　replied；　and；　invoking　the　same　gods；　he　said…〃Of　a　surety　the　Corinthians　will；　beyond　all　others；　regret　the　Pisistratidae；　when　the　fated　days　come　for　them　to　be　distressed　by　the　Athenians。〃　Hippias　spoke　thus　because　he　knew　the　prophecies　better　than　any　man　living。　But　the　rest　of　the　allies；　who　till　Sosicles　spoke　had　remained　quiet；　when　they　heard　him　utter　his　thoughts　thus　boldly；　all　together　broke　silence；　and　declared　themselves　of　the　same　mind；　and　withal；　they　conjured　the　Lacedaemonians　〃not　to　revolutionise　a　Grecian　city。〃　And　in　this　way　the　enterprise　came　to　nought。　　　　　Hippias　hereupon　withdrew；　and　Amyntas　the　Macedonian　offered　him　the　city　of　Anthemus；　while　the　Thessalians　were　willing　to　give　him　Iolcos：　but　he　would　accept　neither　the　one　nor　the　other；　preferring　to　go　back　to　Sigeum；　which　city　Pisistratus　had　taken　by　force　of　arms　from　the　Mytilenaeans。　Pisistratus；　when　he　became　master　of　the　place；　established　there　as　tyrant　his　own　natural　son；　Hegesistratus；　whose　mother　was　an　Argive　woman。　But　this　prince　was　not　allowed　to　enjoy　peaceably　what　his　father　had　made　over　to　him；　for　during　very　many　years　there　had　been　war　between　the　Athenians　of　Sigeum　and　the　Mytilenaeans　of　the　city　called　Achilleum。　They　of　Mytilene　insisted　on　having　the　place　restored　to　them：　but　the　Athenians　refused；　since　they　argued　that　the　Aeolians　had　no　better　claim　to　the　Trojan　territory　than　themselves；　or　than　any　of　the　other　Greeks　who　helped　Menelaus　on　occasion　of　the　rape　of　Helen。　　　　　War　accordingly　continued；　with　many　and　various　incidents；　whereof　the　following　was　one。　In　a　battle　which　was　gained　by　the　Athenians；　the　poet　Alcaeus　took　to　flight；　and　saved　himself；　but　lost　his　a