timoleon-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


success　to　the　sole　favour　of　fortune；　and　both　in　the　letters　which
he　wrote　to　his　friends　at　Corinth；　and　in　the　speeches　he　made　to　the
people　of　Syracuse；　he　would　say；　that　he　was　thankful　unto　God；
who；　designing　to　save　Sicily；　was　pleased　to　honour　him　with　the　name
and　title　of　the　deliverance　he　vouchsafed　it。　And　having　built　a
chapel　in　his　house；　he　there　sacrificed　to　Good　Hap；　as　a　deity
that　had　favoured　him；　and　devoted　the　house　itself　to　the　Sacred
Genius；　it　being　a　house　which　the　Syracusans　had　selected　for　him；　as
a　special　reward　and　monument　of　his　brave　exploits；　granting　him
together　with　it　the　most　agreeable　and　beautiful　piece　of　land　in　the
whole　country；　where　he　kept　his　residence　for　the　most　part；　and
enjoyed　a　private　life　with　his　wife　and　children；　who　came　to　him
from　Corinth。　For　he　returned　thither　no　more；　unwilling　to　be
concerned　in　the　broils　and　tumults　of　Greece；　or　to　expose　himself　to
public　envy　（the　fatal　mischief　which　great　commanders　continually　run
into；　from　the　insatiable　appetite　for　honours　and　authority）；　but
wisely　chose　to　spend　the　remainder　of　his　days　in　Sicily；　and　there
partake　of　the　blessings　he　himself　had　procured；　the　greatest　of
which　was　to　behold　so　many　cities　flourish；　and　so　many　thousands
of　people　live　happy　through　his　means。
　　As；　however；　not　only；　as　Simonides　says；　〃on　every　lark　must　grow　a
crest；〃　but　also　in　every　democracy　there　must　spring　up　a　false
accuser；　so　was　it　at　Syracuse：　two　of　their　popular　spokesmen；
Laphystius　and　Demaenetus　by　name；　fell　to　slander　Timoleon。　The
former　of　whom　requiring　him　to　put　in　sureties　that　he　would　answer
to　an　indictment　that　would　be　brought　against　him；　Timoleon　would　not
suffer　the　citizens；　who　were　incensed　at　this　demand；　to　oppose　it　or
hinder　the　proceeding；　since　he　of　his　own　accord　had　been；　he　said；
at　all　that　trouble；　and　run　so　many　dangerous　risks　for　this　very　end
and　purpose；　that　every　one　who　wished　to　try　matters　by　law　should
freely　have　recourse　to　it。　And　when　Demaenetus；　in　a　full　audience　of
the　people；　laid　several　things　to　his　charge　which　had　been　done
while　he　was　general；　he　made　no　reply　to　him；　but　only　said　he　was
much　indebted　to　the　gods　for　granting　the　request　he　had　so　often
made　them；　namely；　that　he　might　live　to　see　the　Syracusans　enjoy　that
liberty　of　speech　which　they　now　seemed　to　be　masters　of。
　　Timoleon；　therefore；　having　by　confession　of　all　done　the　greatest
and　the　noblest　things　of　any　Greek　of　his　age；　and　alone
distinguished　himself　in　those　actions　to　which　their　orators　and
philosophers；　in　their　harangues　and　panegyrics　at　their　solemn
national　assemblies；　used　to　exhort　and　incite　the　Greeks；　and　being
withdrawn　beforehand　by　happy　fortune；　unspotted　and　without　blood；
from　the　calamities　of　civil　war；　in　which　ancient　Greece　was　soon
after　involved；　having　also　given　full　proof；　as　of　his　sage　conduct
and　manly　courage　to　the　barbarians　and　tyrants；　so　of　his　justice　and
gentleness　to　the　Greeks；　and　his　friends　in　general；　having　raised；
too；　the　greater　part　of　those　trophies　he　won　in　battle　without　any
tears　shed　or　any　mourning　worn　by　the　citizens　either　of　Syracuse
or　Corinth；　and　within　less　than　eight　years'　space　delivered　Sicily
from　its　inveterate　grievances　and　intestine　distempers；　and　given
it　up　free　to　the　native　inhabitants；　began；　as　he　was　now　growing
old；　to　find　his　eyes　fail；　and　awhile　after　became　perfectly　blind。
Not　that　he　had　done　anything　himself　which　might　occasion　this
defect；　or　was　deprived　of　his　sight　by　any　outrage　of　fortune；　it
seems　rather　to　have　been　some　inbred　and　hereditary　weakness　that　was
founded　in　natural　causes；　which　by　length　of　time　came　to　discover
itself。　For　it　is　said；　that　several　of　his　kindred　and　family　were
subject　to　the　like　gradual　decay；　and　lost　all　use　of　their　eyes；
as　he　did；　in　their　declining　years。　Athanis　the　historian　tells　us
that　even　during　the　war　against　Hippo　and　Mamercus；　while　he　was　in
his　camp　at　Mylae；　there　appeared　a　white　speck　within　his　eye；　from
whence　all　could　foresee　the　deprivation　that　was　coming　on　him；　this；
however；　did　not　hinder　him　then　from　continuing　the　siege；　and
prosecuting　the　war；　till　he　got　both　the　tyrants　into　his　power；
but　upon　his　coming　back　to　Syracuse；　he　presently　resigned　the
authority　of　sole　commander；　and　besought　the　citizens　to　excuse　him
from　any　further　service；　since　things　were　already　brought　to　so　fair
an　issue。　Nor　is　it　so　much　to　be　wondered　that　he　himself　should　bear
the　misfortune　without　any　marks　of　trouble；　but　the　respect　and
gratitude　which　the　Syracusans　showed　him　when　he　was　entirely　blind
may　justly　deserve　our　admiration。　They　used　to　go　themselves　to　visit
him　in　troops　and　brought　all　the　strangers　that　travelled　through
their　country　to　his　house　and　manor；　that　they　also　might　have　the
pleasure　to　see　their　noble　benefactor；　making　it　the　great　matter
of　their　joy　and　exultation；　that　when；　after　so　many　brave　and
happy　exploits；　he　might　have　returned　with　triumph　into　Greece；　he
should　disregard　all　the　glorious　preparations　that　were　there　made　to
receive　him；　and　choose　rather　to　stay　here　and　end　his　days　among
them。　Of　the　various　things　decreed　and　done　in　honour　of　Timoleon；
I　consider　one　most　signal　testimony　to　have　been　the　vote　which
they　passed；　that；　whenever　they　should　be　at　war　with　any　foreign
nation；　they　should　make　use　of　none　but　a　Corinthian　general。　The
method；　also；　of　their　proceeding　in　council　was　a　noble　demonstration
of　the　same　deference　for　his　person。　For；　determining　matters　of　less
consequence　themselves；　they　always　called　him　to　advise　in　the　more
difficult　cases；　and　such　as　were　of　greater　moment。　He　was；　on
these　occasions；　carried　through　the　market…place　in　a　litter；　and
brought　in；　sitting；　into　the　theatre；　where　the　people　with　one　voice
saluted　him　by　his　name；　and　then；　after　returning　the　courtesy；　and
pausing　for　a　time；　till　the　noise　of　their　gratulations　and　blessings
began　to　cease；　he　heard　the　business　in　debate；　and　delivered　his
opinion。　This　being　confirmed　by　a　general　suffrage；　his　servants　went
back　with　the　litter　through　the　midst　of　the　assembly；　the　people
waiting　on　him　out　with　acclamations　and　applauses；　and　then　returning
to　consider　other　public　matters；　which　they　could　despatch　in　his
absence。　Being　thus　cherished　in　his　old　age；　with　all　the　respect　and
tenderness　due　to　a　common　father；　he　was　seized　with　a　very　slight
indisposition；　which；　however；　was　sufficient；　with　the　aid　of　time；
to　put　a　period　to　his　life。　There　was　an　allotment　then　of　certain
days　given；　within　the　space　of　which　the　Syracusans　were　to　provide
whatever　should　be　necessary　for　his　burial；　and　all　the
neighbouring　country　people　and　strangers　were　to　make　their
appearance　in　a　body；　so　that　the　funeral　pomp　was　set　out　with
great　splendour　and　magnificence　in　all　other　respects；　and　the
bier；　decked　with　ornaments　and　trophies；　was　borne　by　a　select　body
of　young　men　over　that　ground　where　the　palace　and　castle　of　Dionysius
stood　before　they　were　demolished　by　Timoleon。　There　attended　on　the
solemnity　several　thousands　of　men　and　women；　all　crowned　with
flowers；　and　arrayed　in　fresh　and　clean　attire；　which　made　it　look
like　the　procession　of　a　public　festival；　while　the　language　of　all；
and　their　tears　mingling　with　their　praise　and　benediction　of　the　dead
Timoleon；　manifestly　showed　that　it　was　not　any　superficial　honour；　or
commanded　homage；　which　they　paid　him；　but　the　testimony　of　a　just
sorrow　for　his　death；　and　the　expression　of　true　affection。　The　bier
at　length　being　placed　upon　the　pile　of　wood　that　was　kindled　to
consume　his　corpse；　Demetrius；　one　of　their　loudest　criers；
proceeded　to　read　a　proclamation　to　the　following　purpose：　〃The　people
of　Syracuse　have　made　a　special　decree　to　inter　Timoleon；　the　son　of
Timodemus；　the　Corinthian；　at　the　common　expense　of　two　hundred　minas；
and　to　honour　his　memory　for　ever；　by　the　establishment　of　annual
prizes　to　be　competed　for　in　music；　and　horse…races；　and　all　sorts
of　bodily　exercise；　and　this；　because　he　suppressed　the　tyrants；
overthrew　the　barbarians；　replenished　the　principal　cities；　that
were　desolate；　with　new　inhabitants；　and　then　restored　the　Sicilian
Greeks　to　the　privilege　of　living　by　their　own　laws。〃　Besides　this；
they　made　a　tomb　for　him　in　the　market…place；　which　they　afterwards
built　round　with　colonnades；　and　attached　to　it　places　of　exercise　for
the　young　men；　and　gave　it　the　name　of　the　Timoleonteum。　And　keeping
to　that　form　and　order　of　civil　policy　and　observing　those　laws　and
constitutions　which　he　left　them；　they　lived　themselves　a　long　time　in
great　prosperity。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END