artaxerxes-第4节

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Parysatis　thus　speaks　to　him：　〃A　magnificent　dress；　indeed；　O
Mithridates；　is　this　which　the　king　has　given　you；　the　chains　and
bracelets　are　glorious；　and　your　scymetar　of　invaluable　worth；　how
happy　has　he　made　you；　the　object　of　every　eye！〃　To　whom　he；　being　a
little　overcome　with　the　wine；　replied；　〃What　are　these　things；
Sparamizes？　Sure　I　am；　I　showed　myself　to　the　king　in　that　day　of
trial　to　be　one　deserving　greater　and　costlier　gifts　than　these。〃　At
which　Sparamizes　smiling；　said；　〃I　do　not　grudge　them　to　you；
Mithridates；　but　since　the　Grecians　tell　us　that　wine　and　truth　go
together；　let　me　hear　now；　my　friend；　what　glorious　or　mighty　matter
was　it　to　find　some　trappings　that　had　slipped　off　a　horse；　and　to
bring　them　to　the　king？〃　And　this　he　spoke；　not　as　ignorant　of　the
truth；　but　desiring　to　unbosom　him　to　the　company；　irritating　the
vanity　of　the　man；　whom　drink　had　now　made　eager　to　talk　and　incapable
of　controlling　himself。　So　he　forbore　nothing；　but　said　out；　〃Talk　you
what　you　please　of　horse…trappings　and　such　trifles；　I　tell　you
plainly；　that　this　hand　was　the　death　of　Cyrus。　For　I　threw　not　my
darts　as　Artagerses　did；　in　vain　and　to　no　purpose；　but　only　just
missing　his　eye；　and　hitting　him　right　on　the　temple；　and　piercing　him
through。　I　brought　him　to　the　ground；　and　of　that　wound　he　died。〃
The　rest　of　the　company；　who　saw　the　end　and　the　hapless　fate　of
Mithridates　as　if　it　were　already　completed；　bowed　their　heads　to
the　ground；　and　he　who　entertained　them　said；　〃Mithridates；　my　friend；
let　us　eat　and　drink　now；　revering　the　fortune　of　our　prince；　and
let　us　waive　discourse　which　is　too　weighty　for　us。〃
　　Presently　after；　Sparamizes　told　Parysatis　what　he　said；　and　she
told　the　king；　who　was　greatly　enraged　at　it；　as　having　the　lie
given　him；　and　being　in　danger　to　forfeit　the　most　glorious　and　most
pleasant　circumstance　of　his　victory。　For　it　was　his　desire　that　every
one；　whether　Greek　or　barbarian；　should　believe　that　in　the　mutual
assaults　and　conflicts　between　him　and　his　brother；　he；　giving　and
receiving　a　blow；　was　himself　indeed　wounded；　but　that　the　other
lost　his　life。　And；　therefore；　he　decreed　that　Mithridates　should　be
put　to　death　in　boats；　which　execution　is　after　the　following
manner：　Taking　two　boats　framed　exactly　to　fit　and　answer　each
other；　they　lay　down　in　one　of　them　the　malefactor　that　suffers；
upon　his　back；　then；　covering　it　with　the　other；　and　so　setting　them
together　that　the　head；　hands；　and　feet　of　him　are　left　outside；　and
the　rest　of　his　body　lies　shut　up　within；　they　offer　him　food；　and
if　he　refuse　to　eat　it；　they　force　him　to　do　it　by　pricking　his
eyes；　then；　after　he　has　eaten；　they　drench　him　with　a　mixture　of　milk
and　honey；　pouring　it　not　only　into　his　mouth；　but　all　over　his
face。　They　then　keep　his　face　continually　turned　towards　the　sun：
and　it　becomes　completely　covered　up　and　hidden　by　the　multitude　of
flies　that　settle　on　it。　And　as　within　the　boats　he　does　what　those
that　eat　and　drink　must　needs　do；　creeping　things　and　vermin　spring
out　of　the　corruption　and　rottenness　of　the　excrement；　and　these
entering　into　the　bowels　of　him；　his　body　is　consumed。　When　the　man　is
manifestly　dead；　the　uppermost　boat　being　taken　off；　they　find　his
flesh　devoured；　and　swarms　of　such　noisome　creatures　preying　upon　and；
as　it　were；　growing　to　his　inwards。　In　this　way　Mithridates；　after
suffering　for　seventeen　days；　at　last　expired。
　　Masabates；　the　king's　eunuch；　who　had　cut　off　the　hand　and　head　of
Cyrus；　remained　still　as　a　mark　for　Parysatis's　vengeance。　Whereas；
therefore；　he　was　so　circumspect；　that　he　gave　her　no　advantage
against　him；　she　framed　this　kind　of　snare　for　him。　She　was　a　very
ingenious　woman　in　other　ways；　and　was　an　excellent　player　at　dice；
and；　before　the　war；　had　often　played　with　the　king。　After　the　war；
too；　when　she　had　been　reconciled　to　him；　she　joined　readily　in　all
amusements　with　him；　played　at　dice　with　him；　was　his　confidant　in　his
love　matters；　and　in　every　way　did　her　best　to　leave　him　as　little
as　possible　in　the　company　of　Statira；　both　because　she　hated　her　more
than　any　other　person；　and　because　she　wished　to　have　no　one　so
powerful　as　herself。　And　so　once　when　Artaxerxes　was　at　leisure；　and
inclined　to　divert　himself；　she　challenged　him　to　play　at　dice　with
her　for　a　thousand　darics；　and　purposely　let　him　win　them；　and　paid
him　down　in　gold。　Yet；　pretending　to　be　concerned　for　her　loss；　and
that　she　would　gladly　have　her　revenge　for　it；　she　pressed　him　to
begin　a　new　game　for　a　eunuch；　to　which　he　consented。　But　first　they
agreed　that　each　of　them　might　except　five　of　their　most　trusty
eunuchs；　and　that　out　of　the　rest　of　them　the　loser　should　yield　up
any　the　winner　should　make　choice　of。　Upon　these　conditions　they
played。　Thus　being　bent　upon　her　design；　and　thoroughly　in　earnest
with　her　game；　and　the　dice　also　running　luckily　for　her；　when　she　had
got　the　game；　she　demanded　Masabates；　who　was　not　in　the　number　of　the
five　excepted。　And　before　the　king　could　suspect　the　matter；　having
delivered　him　up　to　the　tormentors；　she　enjoined　them　to　flay　him
alive；　to　set　his　body　upon　three　stakes；　and　to　stretch　his　skin　upon
stakes　separately　from　it。
　　These　things　being　done；　and　the　king　taking　them　ill；　and　being
incensed　against　her；　she　with　raillery　and　laughter　told　him；　〃You
are　a　comfortable　and　happy　man　indeed；　if　you　are　so　much　disturbed
for　the　sake　of　an　old　rascally　eunuch；　when　I；　though　I　have　thrown
away　a　thousand　darics；　hold　my　peace　and　acquiesce　in　my　fortune。〃　So
the　king；　vexed　with　himself　for　having　been　thus　deluded；　hushed　up
all。　But　Statira　both　in　other　matters　openly　opposed　her；　and　was
angry　with　her　for　thus；　against　all　law　and　humanity；　sacrificing
to　the　memory　of　Cyrus　the　king's　faithful　friend　and　eunuch。
　　Now　after　that　Tisaphernes　had　circumvented　and　by　a　false　oath
had　betrayed　Clearchus　and　the　other　commanders；　and；　taking　them；　had
sent　them　bound　in　chains　to　the　king；　Ctesias　says　that　he　was
asked　by　Clearchus　to　supply　him　with　a　comb；　and　that　when　he　had　it；
and　had　combed　his　head　with　it；　he　was　much　pleased　with　this　good
office；　and　gave　him　a　ring；　which　might　be　a　token　of　the
obligation　to　his　relatives　and　friends　in　Sparta；　and　that　the
engraving　upon　this　signet　was　a　set　of　Caryatides　dancing。　He　tells
us　that　the　soldiers；　his　fellow…captives；　used　to　purloin　a　part　of
the　allowance　of　food　sent　to　Clearchus；　giving　him　but　little　of
it；　which　thing　Ctesias　says　he　rectified；　causing　a　better
allowance　to　be　conveyed　to　him；　and　that　a　separate　share　should　be
distributed　to　the　soldiers　by　themselves；　adding　that　he　ministered
to　and　supplied　him　thus　by　the　interest　and　at　the　instance　of
Parysatis。　And　there　being　a　portion　of　ham　sent　daily　with　his
other　food　to　Clearchus；　she；　he　says；　advised　and　instructed　him；
that　he　ought　to　bury　a　small　knife　in　the　meat；　and　thus　send　it　to
his　friend；　and　not　leave　his　fate　to　be　determined　by　the　king's
cruelty；　which　he；　however；　he　says；　was　afraid　to　do。　However；
Artaxerxes　consented　to　the　entreaties　of　his　mother；　and　promised　her
with　an　oath　that　he　would　spare　Clearchus；　but　afterwards；　at　the
instigation　of　Statira；　he　put　every　one　of　them　to　death　except
Menon。　And　thenceforward；　he　says；　Parysatis　watched　her　advantage
against　Statira　and　made　up　poison　for　her；　not　a　very　probable　story；
or　a　very　likely　motive　to　account　for　her　conduct；　if　indeed　he　means
that　out　of　respect　to　Clearchus　she　dared　to　attempt　the　life　of
the　lawful　queen；　that　was　mother　of　those　who　were　heirs　of　the
empire。　But　it　is　evident　enough；　that　this　part　of　his　history　is　a
sort　of　funeral　exhibition　in　honour　of　Clearchus。　For　he　would　have
us　believe　that；　when　the　generals　were　executed；　the　rest　of　them
were　torn　in　pieces　by　dogs　and　birds；　but　as　for　the　remains　of
Clearchus；　that　a　violent　gust　of　wind；　bearing　before　it　a　vast
heap　of　earth；　raised　a　mound　to　cover　his　body；　upon　which；　after　a
short　time；　some　dates　having　fallen　there；　a　beautiful　grove　of　trees
grew　up　and　overshadowed　the　place；　so　that　the　king　himself
declared　his　sorrow；　concluding　that　in　Clearchus　he　put　to　death　a
man　beloved　of　the　gods。
　　Parysatis；　therefore；　having　from　the　first　entertained　a　secret
hatred　and　jealousy　against　Statira；　seeing　that　the　power　she　herself
had　with　Artaxerxes　was　founded　upon　feelings　of　honour　and　respect
for　her；　but　that　Statira's　influence　was　firmly　and　strongly　based
upon　love　and　confidence；　was　resolved　to　contrive　her　ruin；　playing
at　hazard；　as　she　thought；　for　the　greatest　stake　in　the　world。
Among　her　attendant　women　there　was　one　that　was　trusty　and　in　the
highest　esteem　with　her；　whose　name　was　Gigis；　who；　as　Dinon　avers；
assisted　in　making　up　the　poison。　Ctesias　allows　her　only　to　have　been
conscious　of　it；　and　that　against　her　will；　charging　Belitaras　with
actually　giving　the　drug；　whereas　Dinon　says　it　was　Melantas。　The
two　women　had　begun　again　to　visit　each　other　and　to　eat　together；　but
though　they　had　thus　far　relaxed　their　former　habits　of　jealousy　and
variance；　s