timoleon-第9节

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kindness　which　the　gods　had　for　Timoleon　was　thus　as　distinctly
recognized　in　his　disasters　as　in　his　successes。
　　What　most　annoyed　the　Syracusans　was　their　being　insulted　and　mocked
by　the　tyrants；　as；　for　example；　by　Mamercus；　who　valued　himself
much　upon　his　gift　for　writing　poems　and　tragedies；　and　took　occasion；
when　coming　to　present　the　gods　with　the　bucklers　of　the　hired
soldiers　whom　he　had　killed；　to　make　a　boast　of　his　victory　in　an
insulting　elegiac　inscription：…

　　　　　　　　〃These　shields　with　purple；　gold；　and　ivory　wrought；
　　　　　　　　　Were　won　by　us　that　but　with　poor　ones　fought。〃

　　After　this；　while　Timoleon　marched　to　Calauria；　Hicetes　made　an
inroad　into　the　borders　of　Syracuse；　where　he　met　with　considerable
booty；　and　having　done　much　mischief　and　havoc；　returned　back　to
Calauria　itself；　in　contempt　of　Timoleon　and　the　slender　force　he
had　then　with　him。　He；　suffering　Hicetes　to　pass　forward；　pursued
him　with　his　horsemen　and　light　infantry；　which　Hicetes　perceiving；
crossed　the　river　Damyrias；　and　then　stood　in　a　posture　to　receive
him；　the　difficulty　of　the　passage；　and　the　height　and　steepness　of
the　bank　on　each　side；　giving　advantage　enough　to　make　him
confident。　A　strange　contention　and　dispute；　meantime；　among　the
officers　of　Timoleon　a　little　retarded　the　conflict；　no　one　of　them
was　willing　to　let　another　pass　over　before　him　to　engage　the　enemy；
each　man　claiming　it　as　a　right　to　venture　first　and　begin　the
onset；　so　that　their　fording　was　likely　to　be　tumultuous　and　without
order；　a　mere　general　struggle　which　should　be　the　foremost。　Timoleon；
therefore；　desiring　to　decide　the　quarrel　by　lot；　took　a　ring　from
each　of　the　pretenders；　which　he　cast　into　his　own　cloak；　and；　after
he　had　shaken　all　together；　the　first　he　drew　out　had；　by　good
fortune；　the　figure　of　a　trophy　engraved　as　a　seal　upon　it；　at　the
sight　of　which　the　young　captains　all　shouted　for　joy；　and；　without
waiting　any　longer　to　see　how　chance　would　determine　it　for　the
rest；　took　every　man　his　way　through　the　river　with　all　the　speed　they
could　make；　and　fell　to　blows　with　the　enemies；　who　were　not　able　to
bear　up　against　the　violence　of　their　attack；　but　fled　in　haste　and
left　their　arms　behind　them　all　alike；　and　a　thousand　dead　upon　the
place。
　　Not　long　after；　Timoleon；　marching　up　to　the　city　of　the
Leontines；　took　Hicetes　alive；　and　his　son　Eupolemus；　and　Euthymus；
the　commander　of　his　horse；　who　were　bound　and　brought　to　him　by　their
own　soldiers。　Hicetes　and　the　stripling　his　son　were　then　executed
as　tyrants　and　traitors；　and　Euthymus；　though　a　brave　man；　and　one
of　singular　courage；　could　obtain　no　mercy；　because　he　was　charged
with　contemptuous　language　in　disparagement　of　the　Corinthians　when
they　first　sent　their　forces　into　Sicily；　it　is　said　that　he　told
the　Leontini　in　a　speech　that　the　news　did　not　sound　terrible；　nor　was
any　great　danger　to　be　feared　because　of…

　　　　　　　　　　〃Corinthian　women　coming　out　of　doors。〃

So　true　it　is　that　men　are　usually　more　stung　and　galled　by
reproachful　words　than　hostile　actions：　and　they　bear　an　affront
with　less　patience　than　an　injury；　to　do　harm　and　mischief　by　deeds　is
counted　pardonable　from　the　enemies；　as　nothing　less　can　be　expected
in　a　state　of　war；　whereas　virulent　and　contumelious　words　appear　to
be　the　expression　of　needless　hatred；　and　to　proceed　from　an　excess　of
rancour。
　　When　Timoleon　came　back　to　Syracuse；　the　citizens　brought　the
wives　and　daughters　of　Hicetes　and　his　son　to　a　public　trial；　and
condemned　and　put　them　to　death。　This　seems　to　be　the　least　pleasing
action　of　Timoleon's　life；　since　if　he　had　interposed；　the　unhappy
women　would　have　been　spared。　He　would　appear　to　have　disregarded
the　thing；　and　to　have　given　them　up　to　the　citizens；　who　were　eager
to　take　vengeance　for　the　wrongs　done　to　Dion；　who　expelled　Dionysius；
since　it　was　this　very　Hicetes　who　took　Arete　the　wife　and　Aristomache
the　sister　of　Dion；　with　a　son　that　had　not　yet　passed　his
childhood；　and　threw　them　all　together　into　the　sea　alive；　as
related　in　the　life　of　Dion。
　　After　this；　he　moved　towards　Catana　against　Mamercus；　who　gave　him
battle　near　the　river　Abolus；　and　was　overthrown　and　put　to　flight；
losing　above　two　thousand　men；　a　considerable　part　of　whom　were　the
Phoenician　troops　sent　by　Gisco　to　his　assistance。　After　this　defeat
the　Carthaginians　sued　for　peace；　which　was　granted　on　the
conditions　that　they　should　confine　themselves　to　the　country　within
the　river　Lycus；　that　those　of　the　inhabitants　who　wished　to　remove　to
the　Syracusan　territories　should　be　allowed　to　depart　with　their　whole
families　and　fortunes；　and；　lastly；　that　Carthage　should　renounce
all　engagements　to　the　tyrants。　Mamercus；　now　forsaken　and
despairing　of　success；　took　ship　for　Italy　with　the　design　of　bringing
in　the　Lucanians　against　Timoleon　and　the　people　of　Syracuse；　but
the　men　in　his　galleys　turning　back　and　landing　again　and　delivering
up　Catana　to　Timoleon；　thus　obliged　him　to　fly　for　his　own　safety　to
Messena；　where　Hippo　was　tyrant。　Timoleon；　however；　coming　up
against　them；　and　besieging　the　city　both　by　sea　and　land；　Hippo；
fearful　of　the　event；　endeavoured　to　slip　away　in　a　vessel；　which
the　people　of　Messena　surprised　as　it　was　putting　off；　and　seizing
on　his　person；　and　bringing　all　their　children　from　school　into　the
theatre；　to　witness　the　glorious　spectacle　of　a　tyrant　punished；
they　first　publicly　scourged　and　then　put　him　to　death。　Mamercus
made　surrender　of　himself　to　Timoleon；　with　the　proviso　that　he　should
be　tried　at　Syracuse　and　Timoleon　should　take　no　part　in　his
accusation。　Thither　he　was　brought　accordingly；　and　presenting　himself
to　plead　before　the　people；　he　essayed　to　pronounce　an　oration　he
had　long　before　composed　in　his　own　defence；　but　finding　himself
interrupted　by　noise　and　clamours；　and　observing　from　their　aspect　and
demeanour　that　the　assembly　was　inexorable；　he　threw　off　his　upper
garment；　and　running　across　the　theatre　as　hard　as　he　could；　dashed
his　head　against　one　of　the　stones　under　the　seats　with　intention　to
have　killed　himself；　but　he　had　not　the　fortune　to　perish　as　he
designed；　but　was　taken　up　alive；　and　suffered　the　death　of　a　robber。
　　Thus　did　Timoleon　cut　the　nerves　of　tyranny　and　put　a　period　to
the　wars；　and；　whereas；　at　his　first　entering　upon　Sicily；　the
island　was　as　it　were　become　wild　again；　and　was　hateful　to　the　very
natives　on　account　of　the　evils　and　miseries　they　suffered　there；　he
so　civilized　and　restored　it；　and　rendered　it　so　desirable　to　all　men；
that　even　strangers　now　came　by　sea　to　inhabit　those　towns　and
places　which　their　own　citizens　had　formerly　forsaken　and　left
desolate。　Agrigentum　and　Gela；　two　famous　cities　that　had　been
ruined　and　laid　waste　by　the　Carthaginians　after　the　Attic　war；　were
then　peopled　again；　the　one　by　Megellus　and　Pheristus　from　Elea；　the
other　by　Gorgus；　from　the　island　of　Ceos；　partly　with　new　settlers；
partly　with　the　old　inhabitants　whom　they　collected　again　from　various
parts；　to　all　of　whom　Timoleon　not　only　afforded　a　secure　and　peaceful
abode　after　so　obstinate　a　war；　but　was　further　so　zealous　in
assisting　and　providing　for　them　that　he　was　honoured　among　them　as
their　founder。　Similar　feelings　also　possessed　to　such　a　degree　all
the　rest　of　the　Sicilians　that　there　was　no　proposal　for　peace；　nor
reformation　of　laws；　nor　assignation　of　land；　nor　reconstruction　of
government；　which　they　could　think　well　of；　unless　he　lent　his　aid
as　a　chief　architect；　to　finish　and　adorn　the　work；　and　superadd
some　touches　from　his　own　hand；　which　might　render　it　pleasing　both　to
God　and　man。
　　Although　Greece　had　in　his　time　produced　several　persons　of
extraordinary　worth；　and　much　renowned　for　their　achievements；　such　as
Timotheus　and　Agesilaus　and　Pelopidas　and　（Timoleon's　chief　model）
Epaminondas；　yet　the　lustre　of　their　best　actions　was　obscured　by　a
degree　of　violence　and　labour；　insomuch　that　some　of　them　were
matter　of　blame　and　of　repentance；　whereas　there　is　not　any　one　act　of
Timoleon's；　setting　aside　the　necessity　he　was　placed　under　in
reference　to　his　brother；　to　which；　as　Timaeus　observes；　we　may　not
fitly　apply　that　exclamation　of　Sophocles…

　　　　　　　　〃O　gods！　what　Venus；　or　what　grace　divine；
　　　　　　　　　Did　here　with　human　workmanship　combine？〃

For　as　the　poetry　of　Antimachus；　and　the　painting　of　Dionysius；　the
artists　of　Colophon；　though　full　of　force　and　vigour；　yet　appeared
to　be　strained　and　elaborate　in　comparison　with　the　pictures　of
Nicomachus　and　the　verses　of　Homer；　which；　besides　their　general
strength　and　beauty；　have　the　peculiar　charm　of　seeming　to　have　been
executed　with　perfect　ease　and　readiness；　so　the　expeditions　and
acts　of　Epaminondas　or　Agesilaus；　that　were　full　of　toil　and　effort；
when　compared　with　the　easy　and　natural　as　well　as　noble　and
glorious　achievements　of　Timoleon；　compel　our　fair　and　unbiased
judgment　to　pronounce　the　latter　not　indeed　the　effect　of　fortune；　but
the　success　of　fortunate　merit。　Though　he　himself　indeed　ascribed　that
success　to　the　sole　favour　of　fortune；　and　both　in　the　letters　which
he　wrote　to　his　friends　at　Co