aratus-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！


safe　for　him　to　use。　For　it　was　very　plain　that　Aratus　was　much
troubled　at　several　things；　as　appeared　by　the　business　about　the
statues。　For　Antigonus　replaced　the　statues　of　the　tyrants　of　Argos
that　had　been　thrown　down；　and　on　the　contrary　threw　down　the
statues　of　all　those　that　had　taken　the　Acro…Corinthus；　except　that　of
Aratus；　nor　could　Aratus；　by　all　his　entreaties；　dissuade　him。　Also；
the　usage　of　the　Mantineans　by　the　Achaeans　seemed　not　in　accordance
with　the　Grecian　feelings　and　manners。　For　being　master　of　their
city　by　the　help　of　Antigonus；　they　put　to　death　the　chief　and　most
noted　men　amongst　them；　and　of　the　rest；　some　they　sold；　others　they
sent；　bound　in　fetters；　into　Macedonia；　and　made　slaves　of　their　wives
and　children；　and　of　the　money　thus　raised；　a　third　part　they
divided　among　themselves；　and　the　other　two…thirds　were　distributed
among　the　Macedonians。　And　this　might　seem　to　have　been　justified　by
the　law　of　retaliation；　for　although　it　be　a　barbarous　thing　for　men
of　the　same　nation　and　blood　thus　to　deal　with　one　another　in　their
fury；　yet　necessity　makes　it；　as　Simonides　says；　sweet　and　something
excusable；　being　the　proper　thing；　in　the　mind's　painful　and
inflamed　condition；　to　give　alleviation　and　relief。　But　for　what　was
afterwards　done　to　that　city；　Aratus　cannot　be　defended　on　any
ground　either　of　reason　or　necessity。　For　the　Argives　having　had　the
city　bestowed　on　them　by　Antigonus；　and　resolving　to　people　it；　he
being　then　chosen　as　the　new　founder；　and　being　general　at　that
time；　decreed　that　it　should　no　longer　be　called　Mantinea；　but
Antigonea；　which　name　it　still　bears。　So　that　he　may　be　said　to　have
been　the　cause　that　the　old　memory　of　the　〃beautiful　Mantinea〃　has
been　wholly　extinguished　and　the　city　to　this　day　has　the　name　of
the　destroyer　and　slayer　of　its　citizens。
　　After　this；　Cleomenes；　being　overthrown　in　a　great　battle　near
Sellasia；　forsook　Sparta　and　fled　into　Egypt；　and　Antigonus；　having
shown　all　manner　of　kindness　and　fair…dealing　to　Aratus；　retired
into　Macedonia。　There；　falling　sick；　he　sent　Philip；　the　heir　of　the
kingdom；　into　Peloponnesus；　being　yet　scarce　a　youth；　commanding　him
to　follow　above　all　the　counsel　of　Aratus；　to　communicate　with　the
cities　through　him；　and　through　him　to　make　acquaintance　with　the
Achaeans；　and　Aratus；　receiving　him　accordingly；　so　managed　him　as
to　send　him　back　to　Macedon　both　well　affected　to　himself　and　full
of　desire　and　ambition　to　take　an　honourable　part　in　the　affairs　of
Greece。
　　When　Antigonus　was　dead；　the　Aetolians；　despising　the　sloth　and
negligence　of　the　Achaeans；　who　having　learnt　to　be　defended　by
other　men's　valour　and　to　shelter　themselves　under　the　Macedonian
arms；　lived　in　ease　and　without　any　discipline；　now　attempted　to
interfere　in　Peloponnesus。　And　plundering　the　land　of　Patrae　and
Dyme　in　their　way；　they　invaded　Messene　and　ravaged　it；　at　which
Aratus　being　indignant；　and　finding　that　Timoxenus；　then　general；
was　hesitating　and　letting　the　time　go　by；　being　now　on　the　point　of
laying　down　his　office；　in　which　he　himself　was　chosen　to　succeed　him；
he　anticipated　the　proper　term　by　five　days；　that　he　might　bring
relief　to　the　Messenians。　And　mustering　the　Achaeans；　who　were　both　in
their　persons　unexercised　in　arms　and　in　their　minds　relaxed　and
averse　to　war；　he　met　with　a　defeat　at　Caphyae。　Having　thus　begun
the　war；　as　it　seemed；　with　too　much　heat　and　passion；　he　then　ran
into　the　other　extreme；　cooling　again　and　desponding　so　much　that　he
let　pass　and　overlooked　many　fair　opportunities　of　advantage　given
by　the　Aetolians；　and　allowed　them　to　run　riot；　as　it　were；　throughout
all　Peloponnesus；　with　all　manner　of　insolence　and　licentiousness。
Wherefore；　holding　forth　their　hands　once　more　to　the　Macedonians；
they　invited　and　drew　in　Philip　to　intermeddle　in　the　affairs　of
Greece；　chiefly　hoping；　because　of　his　affection　and　trust　that　he
felt　for　Aratus；　they　should　find　him　easy。　tempered；　and　ready　to
be　managed　as　they　pleased。
　　But　the　king；　being　now　persuaded　by　Apelles；　Megaleas；　and　other
courtiers；　that　endeavoured　to　ruin　the　credit　Aratus　had　with　him；
took　the　side　of　the　contrary　faction　and　joined　them　in　canvassing　to
have　Eperatus　chosen　general　by　the　Achaeans。　But　he　being
altogether　scorned　by　the　Achaeans；　and；　for　the　want　of　Aratus　to
help；　all　things　going　wrong；　Philip　saw　he　had　quite　mistaken　his
part；　and；　turning　about　and　reconciling　himself　to　Aratus；　he　was
wholly　his；　and　his　affairs；　now　going　on　favourably　both　for　his
power　and　reputation；　he　depended　upon　him　altogether　as　the　author　of
all　his　gains　in　both　respects；　Aratus　hereby　giving　a　proof　to　the
world　that　he　was　as　good　a　nursing　father　of　a　kingdom　as　he　had　been
of　a　democracy；　for　the　actions　of　the　king　had　in　them　the　touch
and　colour　of　his　judgment　and　character。　The　moderation　which　the
young　man　showed　to　the　Lacedaemonians；　who　had　incurred　his
displeasure；　and　his　affability　to　the　Cretans；　by　which　in　a　few　days
he　brought　over　the　whole　island　to　his　obedience；　and　his
expedition　against　the　Aetolians；　so　wonderfully　successful；　brought
Philip　reputation　for　hearkening　to　good　advice；　and　to　Aratus　for
giving　it；　for　which　things　the　king's　followers　envying　him　more　than
ever　and　finding　they　could　not　prevail　against　him　by　their　secret
practices；　began　openly　to　abuse　and　affront　him　at　the　banquets　and
over　their　wine；　with　every　kind　of　petulance　and　impudence；　so　that
once　they　threw　stones　at　him　as　he　was　going　back　from　supper　to
his　tent。　At　which　Philip　being　much　offended；　immediately　fined
them　twenty　talents；　and　finding　afterwards　that　they　still　went　on
disturbing　matters　and　doing　mischief　in　his　affairs；　he　put　them　to
death。
　　But　with　his　run　of　good　success；　prosperity　began　to　puff　him　up；
and　various　extravagant　desires　began　to　spring　and　show　themselves　in
his　mind；　and　his　natural　bad　inclinations　breaking　through　the。
artificial　restraints　he　had　put　upon　them；　in　a　little　time　laid　open
and　discovered　his　true　and　proper　character。　In　the　first　place；　he
privately　injured　the　younger　Aratus　in　his　wife；　which　was　not
known　of　a　good　while；　because　he　was　lodged　and　entertained　at
their　house；　then　he　began　to　be　more　rough　and　untractable　in　the
domestic　politics　of　Greece；　and　showed　plainly　that　he　was　wishing　to
shake　himself　loose　of　Aratus。　This　the　Messenian　affairs　first　gave
occasion　to　suspect。　For　they　falling　into　sedition；　and　Aratus
being　just　too　late　with　his　succours；　Philip；　who　got　into　the　city
one　day　before　him；　at　once　blew　up　the　flame　of　contention　amongst
them；　asking　privately；　on　the　one　hand；　the　Messenian　generals；　if
they　had　not　laws　whereby　to　suppress　the　insolence　of　the　common
people；　and　on　the　other；　the　leaders　of　the　people；　whether　they
had　not　hands　to　help　themselves　against　their　oppressors。　Upon
which　gathering　courage；　the　officers　attempted　to　lay　hands　on　the
heads　of　the　people；　and　they　on　the　other　side；　coming　upon　the
officers　with　the　multitude；　killed　them；　and　very　near　two　hundred
persons　with　them。
　　Philip　having　committed　this　wickedness；　and　doing　his　best　to　set
the　Messenians　by　the　ears　together　more　than　before；　Aratus　arrived
there；　and　both　showed　plainly　that　he　took　it　ill　himself；　and　also
he　suffered　his　son　bitterly　to　reproach　and　revile　him。　It　should
seem　that　the　young　man　had　an　attachment　for　Philip；　and　so　at　this
time　one　of　his　expressions　to　him　was；　that　he　no　longer　appeared
to　him　the　handsomest；　but　the　most　deformed　of　all　men；　after　so　foul
an　action。　To　all　which　Philip　gave　him　no　answer；　though　he　seemed　so
angry　as　to　make　it　expected　he　would；　and　though　several　times　he
cried　out　aloud　while　the　young　man　was　speaking。　But　as　for　the　elder
Aratus；　seeming　to　take　all　that　he　said　in　good　part；　and　as　if　he
were　by　nature　a　politic　character　and　had　a　good　command　of
himself；　he　gave　him　his　hand　and　led　him　out　of　the　theatre；　and
carried　him　with　him　to　the　Ithomatas；　to　sacrifice　there　to
Jupiter；　and　take　a　view　of　the　place；　for　it　is　a　post　as　fortifiable
as　the　Acro…Corinthus；　and；　with　a　garrison　in　it；　quite　as　strong　and
as　impregnable　to　the　attacks　of　all　around　it。　Philip　therefore
went　up　hither；　and　having　offered　sacrifice；　receiving　the　entrails
of　the　ox　with　both　his　hands　from　the　priest；　he　showed　them　to
Aratus　and　Demetrius　the　Pharian；　presenting　them　sometimes　to　the　one
and　sometimes　to　the　other；　asking　them　what　they　judged；　by　the
tokens　in　the　sacrifice；　was　to　be　done　with　the　fort；　was　he　to
keep　it　for　himself；　or　restore　it　to　the　Messenians。　Demetrius
laughed　and　answered；　〃If　you　have　in　you　the　soul　of　a　soothsayer；
you　will　restore　it；　but　if　of　a　prince　you　will　hold　the　ox　by　both
the　horns；〃　meaning　to　refer　to　Peloponnesus；　which　would　be　wholly　in
his　power　and　at　his　disposal　if　he　added　the　Ithomatas　to　the
Acro…Corinthus。　Aratus　said　not　a　word　for　a　good　while；　but　Philip
entreating　him　to　declare　his　opinion；　he　said：　〃Many　and　great
hills　are　there　in　Crete；　and　many　rocks　in　Boeotia　and　Phocis；　and
many　rem