aratus-第11节

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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　remarkable　strongholds　both　near　the　sea　and　in　the　midland　in
Acarnania；　and　yet　all　these　people　obey　your　orders；　though　you
have　not　possessed　yourself　of　any　one　of　those　places。　Robbers　nest
themselves　in　rocks　and　precipices；　but　the　strongest　fort　a　king
can　have　is　confidence　and　affection。　These　have　opened　to　you　the
Cretan　sea；　these　make　you　master　of　Peloponnesus；　and　by　the　help
of　these；　young　as　you　are；　are　you　become　captain　of　the　one；　and
lord　of　the　other。〃　While　he　was　still　speaking；　Philip　returned　the
entrails　to　the　priest；　and　drawing　Aratus　to　him　by　the　hand；
〃Come；　then；〃　said　he；　〃let　us　follow　the　same　course　as　if　he　felt
himself　forced　by　him；　and　obliged　to　give　up　the　town。
　　From　this　time　Aratus　began　to　withdraw　from　court；　and　retired　by
degrees　from　Philip's　company；　when　he　was　preparing　to　march　into
Epirus；　and　desired　him　that　he　would　accompany　him　thither；　he
excused　himself　and　stayed　at　home；　apprehending　that　he　should　get
nothing　but　discredit　by　having　anything　to　do　with　his　actions。　But
then；　afterwards；　having　shamefully　lost　his　fleet　against　the
Romans　and　miscarried　in　all　his　designs；　he　returned　into
Peloponnesus；　where　he　tried　once　more　to　beguile　the　Messenians　by
his　artifices；　and　failing　in　this；　began　openly　to　attack　them　and　to
ravage　their　country；　then　Aratus　fell　out　with　him　downright；　and
utterly　renounced　his　friendship；　for　he　had　begun　then　to　be　fully
aware　of　the　injuries　done　to　his　son　in　his　wife；　which　vexed　him
greatly；　though　he　concealed　them　from　his　son；　as　he　could　but　know
he　had　been　abused；　without　having　any　means　to　revenge　himself。
For；　indeed；　Philip　seems　to　have　been　an　instance　of　the　greatest　and
strangest　alteration　of　character；　after　being　a　mild　king　and
modest　and　chaste　youth；　he　became　a　lascivious　man　and　most　cruel
tyrant；　though　in　reality　this　was　not　a　change　of　his　nature；　but　a
bold　unmasking；　when　safe　opportunity　came；　of　the　evil　inclinations
which　his　fear　had　for　a　long　time　made　him　dissemble。
　　For　that　the　respect　he　at　the　beginning　bore　to　Aratus　had　a
great　alloy　of　fear　and　awe　appears　evidently　from　what　he　did　to
him　at　last。　For　being　desirous　to　put　him　to　death；　not　thinking
himself；　whilst　he　was　alive；　to　be　properly　free　as　a　man；　much
less　at　liberty　to　do　his　pleasure　as　king　or　tyrant；　he　durst　not
attempt　to　do　it　by　open　force；　but　commanded　Taurion；　one　of　his
captains　and　familiars；　to　make　him　away　secretly　by　poison；　if
possible；　in　his　absence。　Taurion；　therefore；　made　himself　intimate
with　Aratus；　and　gave　him　a　dose　not　of　your　strong　and　violent
poisons；　but　such　as　cause　gentle；　feverish　heats　at　first；　and　a　dull
cough；　and　so　by　degrees　bring　on　certain　death。　Aratus　perceived　what
was　done　to　him；　but；　knowing　that　it　was　in　vain　to　make　any　words　of
it；　bore　it　patiently　and　with　silence；　as　if　it　had　been　some
common　and　usual　distemper。　Only　once；　a　friend　of　his　being　with
him　in　his　chamber；　he　spat　some　blood；　which　his　friend　observing　and
wondering　at；　〃These；　O　Cephalon；〃　said　he；　〃are　the　wages　of　a　king's
love。〃
　　Thus　died　he　in　Aegium；　in　his　seventeenth　generalship。　The　Achaeans
were　very　desirous　that　he　should　be　buried　there　with　a　funeral　and
monument　suitable　to　his　life；　but　the　Sicyonians　treated　it　as　a
calamity　to　them　if　he　were　interred　anywhere　but　in　their　city；　and
prevailed　with　the　Achaeans　to　grant　them　the　disposal　of　the　body。
　　But　there　being　an　ancient　law　that　no　person　should　be　buried
within　the　walls　of　their　city；　and　besides　the　law　also　a　strong
religious　feeling　about　it；　they　sent　to　Delphi　to　ask　counsel　of
the　Pythoness；　who　returned　this　answer：…

　　　　　　　　　〃Sicyon；　whom　oft　he　rescued；　'Where；'　you　say；
　　　　　　　　　'Shall　we　the　relics　of　Aratus　lay？'
　　　　　　　　　　The　soil　that　would　not　lightly　o'er　him　rest；
　　　　　　　　　　Or　to　be　under　him　would　feel　opprest；
　　　　　　　　　　Were　in　the　sight　of　earth　and　seas　and　skies　unblest。〃

　　This　oracle　being　brought；　all　the　Achaeans　were　well　pleased　at。
it；　but　especially　the　Sicyonians；　who；　changing　their　mourning　into
public　joy；　immediately　fetched　the　body　from　Aegium；　and　in　a　kind　of
solemn　procession　brought　it　into　the　city；　being　crowned　with
garlands；　and　arrayed　in　white　garments；　with　singing　and　dancing；
and；　choosing　a　conspicuous　place；　they　buried　him　there；　as　the
founder　and　saviour　of　their　city。　The　place　is　to　this　day　called
Aratium；　and　there　they　yearly　make　two　solemn　sacrifices　to　him；
the　one　on　the　day　he　delivered　the　city　from　tyranny；　being　the　fifth
of　the　month　Daesius；　which　the　Athenians　call　Anthesterion；　and
this　sacrifice　they　call　Soteria；　the　other　in　the　month　of　his　birth；
which　is　still　remembered。　Now　the　first　of　these　was　performed　by　the
priest　of　Jupiter　Soter；　the　second　by　the　priest　of　Aratus；　wearing　a
band　around　his　head；　not　pure　white；　but　mingled　with　purple。　Hymns
were　sung　to　the　harp　by　the　singers　of　the　feasts　of　Bacchus；　the
procession　was　led　up　by　the　president　of　the　public　exercises；　with
the　boys　and　young　men；　these　were　followed　by　the　councillors　wearing
garlands；　and　other　citizens　such　as　pleased。　Of　these　observances；
some　small　traces；　it　is　still　made　a　point　of　religion　not　to　omit；
on　the　appointed　days；　but　the　greatest　part　of　the　ceremonies　have
through　time　and　other　intervening　accidents　been　disused。
　　And　such；　as　history　tells　us；　was　the　life　and　manners　of　the　elder
Aratus。　And　for　the　younger；　his　son；　Philip；　abominably　wicked　by
nature　and　a　savage　abuser　of　his　power；　gave　him　such　poisonous
medicines；　as　though　they　did　not　kill　him　indeed；　yet　made　him　lose
his　senses；　and　run　into　mild　and　absurd　attempts　and　desire　to　do
actions　and　satisfy　appetites　that　were　ridiculous　and　shameful。　So
that　his　death；　which　happened　to　him　while　he　was　yet　young　and　in
the　flower　of　his　age；　cannot　be　so　much　esteemed　a　misfortune　as　a
deliverance　and　end　of　his　misery。　However　Philip　paid　dearly；　all
through　the　rest　of　his　life；　for　these　impious　violations　of
friendship　and　hospitality。　For　being　overcome　by　the　Romans；　he　was
forced　to　put　himself　wholly　into　their　hands；　and；　being　deprived
of　his　other　dominions　and　surrendering　all　his　ships　except　five；
he　had　also　to　pay　a　fine　of　a　thousand　talents；　and　to　give　his　son
for　hostage；　and　only　out　of　mere　pity　he　was　suffered　to　keep
Macedonia　and　its　dependencies；　where　continually　putting　to　death　the
noblest　of　his　subjects　and　the　nearest　relations　he　had；　he　filled
the　whole　kingdom　with　horror　and　hatred　of　him。　And　whereas　amidst　so
many　misfortunes　he　had　but　one　good　chance；　which　was　the　having　a
son　of　great　virtue　and　merit；　him；　through　jealousy　and　envy　at　the
honour　had　for　him；　he　caused　to　be　murdered；　and　left　his　kingdom
to　Perseus；　who；　as　some　say；　was　not　his　own　child；　but
supposititious；　born　of　a　sempstress　Gnathaenion。　This　was　he　whom
Paulus　Aemilius　led　in　triumph；　and　in　whom　ended　the　succession　of
Antigonus's　line　and　kingdom。　But　the　posterity　of　Aratus　continued
still　in　our　days　at　Sicyon　and　Pellene。




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