pompey-第21节

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preparations；　he　began　to　consider　what　place　would　yield　him　the
safest　refuge　and　retreat　at　present。　A　consultation　was　held；　and
it　was　generally　agreed　that　no　province　of　the　Romans　was　secure
enough。　As　for　foreign　kingdoms；　he　himself　was　of　opinion　that
Parthia　would　be　the　fittest　to　receive　and　defend　them　in　their
present　weakness；　and　best　able　to　furnish　them　with　new　means；　and
send　them　out　again　with　large　forces。　Others　of　the　council　were
for　going　into　Africa；　and　to　King　Juba。　But　Theophanes　the　Lesbian
thought　it　madness　to　leave　Egypt；　that　was　but　at　a　distance　of　three
days'　sailing；　and　make　no　use　of　Ptolemy；　who　was　still　a　boy；　and
was　highly　indebted　to　Pompey　for　the　friendship　and　favour　he　had
shown　to　his　father；　only　to　put　himself　under　the　Parthian；　and　trust
the　most　treacherous　nation　in　the　world；　and　rather　than　make　any
trial　of　the　clemency　of　a　Roman；　and　his　own　near　connection；　to　whom
if　he　would　but　yield　to　be　second　he　might　be　the　first　and　chief
over　all　the　rest；　to　go　and　place　himself　at　the　mercy　of　Arsaces；
which　even　Crassus　had　not　submitted　to　while　alive；　and；　moreover；　to
expose　his　young　wife；　of　the　family　of　the　Scipios；　among　a　barbarous
people；　who　govern　by　their　lusts；　and　measure　their　greatness　by
their　power　to　commit　affronts　and　insolences；　from　whom；　though　she
suffered　no　dishonour；　yet　it　might　be　thought　she　did；　being　in　the
hands　of　those　who　had　the　power　to　do　it。　This　argument　alone；　they
say；　was　persuasive　enough　to　divert　his　course；　that　was　designed
towards　Euphrates；　if　it　were　so　indeed　that　any　counsel　of
Pompey's；　and　not　some　superior　power；　made　him　take　this　other　way。
　　As　soon；　therefore；　as　it　was　resolved　upon　that　he　should　fly
into　Egypt；　setting　sail　from　Cyprus　in　a　galley　of　Seleucia；　together
with　Cornelia；　while　the　rest　of　his　company　sailed　along　near　him；
some　in　ships　of　war；　and　others　in　merchant　vessels；　he　passed　over
sea　without　danger。　But　on　hearing　that　King　Ptolemy　was　posted　with
his　army　at　the　city　of　Pelusium；　making　war　against　his　sister；　he
steered　his　course　that　way；　and　sent　a　messenger　before　to　acquaint
the　king　with　his　arrival；　and　to　crave　his　protection。　Ptolemy
himself　was　quite　young；　therefore　Pothinus；　who　the　principal
administration　of　affairs；　called　a　council　of　the　chief　men；　those
being　the　greatest　whom　he　pleased　to　make　so；　and　commanded　them
every　man　to　deliver　his　opinion　touching　the　reception　of　Pompey。
It　was；　indeed；　a　miserable　thing　that　the　fate　of　the　great　Pompey
should　be　left　to　the　determinations　of　Pothinus　the　eunuch；　Theodotus
of　Chois；　the　paid　rhetoric　master；　and　Achillas　the　Egyptian。　For
these；　among　the　chamberlains　and　menial　domestics　that　made　up　the
rest　of　the　council；　were　the　chief　and　leading　men。　Pompey；　who
thought　it　dishonourable　for　him　to　owe　his　safety　to　Caesar；　riding
at　anchor　at　a　distance　from　shore；　was　forced　to　wait　the　sentence　of
this　tribunal。　It　seems　they　were　so　far　different　in　their　opinions
that　some　were　for　sending　the　man　away；　and　others；　again；　for
inviting　and　receiving　him；　but　Theodotus；　to　show　his　cleverness
and　the　cogency　of　his　rhetoric；　undertook　to　demonstrate　that　neither
the　one　nor　the　other　was　safe　in　that　juncture　of　affairs。　For　if
they　entertained　him；　they　would　be　sure　to　make　Caesar　their　enemy
and　Pompey　their　master；　or　if　they　dismissed　him；　they　might　render
themselves　hereafter　obnoxious　to　Pompey；　for　that　inhospitable
expulsion；　and　to　Caesar；　for　the　escape；　so　that　the　most　expedient
course　would　be　to　send　for　him　and　take　away　his　life；　for　by　that
means　they　would　ingratiate　themselves　with　the　one；　and　have　no
reason　to　fear　the　other；　adding；　it　is　related；　with　a　smile；　that　〃a
dead　man　cannot　bite。〃
　　This　advice　being　approved　of；　they　committed　the　execution　of　it　to
Achillas。　He；　therefore；　taking　with　him　as　his　accomplices　one
Septimius；　a　man　that　had　formerly　held　a　command　under　Pompey；　and
Salvius；　another　centurion；　with　three　or　four　attendants；　made　up
towards　Pompey　galley。　In　the　meantime；　all　the　chiefest　of　those
who　accompanied　Pompey　in　this　voyage　were　come　into　his　ship　to　learn
the　event　of　their　embassy。　But　when　they　saw　the　manner　of　their
reception；　that　in　appearance　it　was　neither　princely　nor
honourable；　nor　indeed　in　any　way　answerable　to　the　hopes　of
Theophanes；　or　their　expectation　（for　there　came　but　a　few　men　in　a
fisherman's　boat　to　meet　them）；　they　began　to　suspect　the　meanness
of　their　entertainment；　and　gave　warning　to　Pompey　that　he　should
row　back　his　galley；　whilst　he　was　out　of　their　reach；　and　make　for
the　sea。　By　this　time　the　Egyptian　boat　drew　near；　and　Septimius
standing　up　first；　saluted　Pompey；　in　the　Latin　tongue；　by　the　title
of　imperator。　Then　Achillas；　saluting　him　in　the　Greek　language；
desired　him　to　come　aboard　his　vessel；　telling　him　that　the　sea　was
very　shallow　towards　the　shore；　and　that　a　galley　of　that　burden　could
not　avoid　striking　upon　the　sands。　At　the　same　time　they　saw　several
of　the　king's　galleys　getting　their　men　on　board；　and　all　the　shore
covered　with　soldiers；　so　that　even　if　they　changed　their　minds；　it
seemed　impossible　for　them　to　escape；　and　besides；　their　distrust
would　have　given　the　assassins　a　pretence　for　their　cruelty。　Pompey；
therefore；　taking　his　leave　of　Cornelia；　who　was　already　lamenting　his
death　before　it　came；　bade　two　centurions；　with　Philip；　one　of　his
freedmen；　and　a　slave　called　Scythes；　go　on　board　the　boat　before　him。
And　as　some　of　the　crew　with　Achillas　were　reaching　out　their　hands　to
help　him；　he　turned　about　towards　his　wife　and　son；　and　repeated　those
iambics　of　Sophocles…

　　　　　　　　　〃He　that　once　enters　at　a　tyrant's　door
　　　　　　　　　　Becomes　a　slave；　though　he　were　free　before。〃

These　were　the　last　words　he　spoke　to　his　friends；　and　so　he　went
aboard。　Observing　presently　that　notwithstanding　there　was　a
considerable　distance　betwixt　his　galley　and　the　shore；　yet　none　of
the　company　addressed　any　words　of　friendliness　or　welcome　to　him
all　the　way；　he　looked　earnestly　upon　Septimius；　and　said；　〃I　am　not
mistaken；　surely；　in　believing　you　to　have　been　formerly　my
fellow…soldier。〃　But　he　only　nodded　with　his　head；　making　no　reply
at　all；　nor　showing　any　other　courtesy。　Since；　therefore；　they
continued　silent；　Pompey　took　a　little　book　in　his　hand；　in　which
was　written　out　an　address　in　Greek；　which　he　intended　to　make　to　King
Ptolemy；　and　began　to　read　it。　When　they　drew　near　to　the　shore；
Cornelia；　together　with　the　rest　of　his　friends　in　the　galley；　was
very　impatient　to　see　the　event；　and　began　to　take　courage　at　last
when　she　saw　several　of　the　royal　escort　coming　to　meet　him；
apparently　to　give　him　a　more　honourable　reception；　but　in　the
meantime；　as　Pompey　took　Philip　by　the　hand　to　rise　up　more　easily。
Septimius　first　stabbed　him　from　behind　with　his　sword；　and　after
him　likewise　Salvius　and　Achillas　drew　out　their　swords。　He；
therefore；　taking　up　his　gown　with　both　hands；　drew　it　over　his
face；　and　neither　saying　nor　doing　anything　unworthy　of　himself；
only　groaning　a　little；　endured　the　wounds　they　gave　him；　and　so　ended
his　life；　in　the　fifty…ninth　year　of　his　age；　the　very　next　day
after　the　day　of　his　birth。
　　Cornelia；　with　her　company　from　the　galley；　seeing　him　murdered；
gave　such　a　cry　that　it　was　heard　on　the　shore；　and　weighing　anchor
with　all　speed；　they　hoisted　sail；　and　fled。　A　strong　breeze　from
the　shore　assisted　their　flight　into　the　open　sea；　so　that　the
Egyptians；　though　desirous　to　overtake　them；　desisted　from　the
pursuit。　But　they　cut　off　Pompey's　head；　and　threw　the　rest　of　his
body　overboard；　leaving　it　naked　upon　the　shore；　to　be　viewed　by　any
that　had　the　curiosity　to　see　so　sad　a　spectacle。　Philip　stayed　by　and
watched　till　they　had　glutted　their　eyes　in　viewing　it；　and　then
washing　it　with　sea…water；　having　nothing　else；　he　wrapped　it　up　in
a　shirt　of　his　own　for　a　winding…sheet。　Then　seeking　up　and　down　about
the　sands；　at　last　he　found　some　rotten　planks　of　a　little
fisher…boat；　not　much；　but　yet　enough　to　make　up　a　funeral　pile　for
a　naked　body；　and　that　not　quite　entire。　As　Philip　was　busy　in
gathering　and　putting　these　old　planks　together；　an　old　Roman　citizen；
who　in　his　youth　had　served　in　the　wars　under　Pompey；　came　up　to　him
and　demanded　who　he　was　that　was　preparing　the　funeral　of　Pompey　the
Great。　And　Philip　making　answer　that　he　was　his　freedman；　〃Nay；　then；〃
said　he；　〃you　shall　not　have　this　honour　alone；　let　even　me；　too；　I
pray　you；　have　my　share　in　such　a　pious　office；　that　I　may　not
altogether　repent　me　of　this　pilgrimage　in　a　strange　land；　but　in
compensation　of　many　misfortunes　may　obtain　this　happiness　at　last；
even　with　mine　own　hands　to　touch　the　body　of　Pompey；　and　do　the
last　duties　to　the　greatest　general　among　the　Romans。〃　And　in　this
manner　were　the　obsequies　of　Pompey　performed。　The　next　day　Lucius
Lentulus；　not　knowing　what　had　passed；　came　sailing　from　Cyprus
along　the　shore　of　that　coast；　and　seeing　a　funeral　pile；　and　Philip
standing　by；　exclaimed；　before　he　was　yet　seen　by　any　one；　〃Who　is
this　t