agesilaus-第2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！





he　would　trample　the　Hellenes　under　the　hoofs　of　his　horses　long



before　they　reached　the　district　where　no　cavalry　could　operate。







But　Agesilaus；　instead　of　advancing　upon　Caria；　turned　right　about　and



marched　in　the　direction　of　Phrygia。　Picking　up　the　various　forces



that　met　him　on　his　progress；　he　passed　onwards；　laying　city　after



city　at　his　feet；　and　by　the　suddenness　of　his　incursion　capturing



enormous　wealth。







Here　was　an　achievement　which　showed　the　genius　of　a　general；　as　all



agreed。　When　once　war　as　declared；　and　the　arts　of　circumvention　and



deceit　were　thereby　justified；　he　had　proved　Tissaphernes　to　be　a　very



bade　in　subtlety；＇9＇　and　with　what　sagacity　again　did　he　turn　the



circumstances　to　account　for　the　enrichment　of　his　friends。　Owing　to



the　quantity　of　wealth　captured；　precious　things　were　selling　for　a



mere　song。　Thereupon　he　gave　his　friends　warning　to　make　their



purchases；　adding　that　he　should　at　once　march　down　to　the　sea…coast



at　the　head　of　his　troops。　The　quartermasters　meanwhile　received



orders　to　make　a　note　of　the　purchasers　with　the　prices　of　the



articles；　and　to　consign　the　goods。　The　result　was　that；　without　prior



disbursement　on　their　part；　or　detriment　to　the　public　treasury；　his



friends　reaped　an　enormous　harvest。　Moreover；　when　deserters　came　with



offers　to　disclose　hidden　treasures；　and　naturally　enough　laid　their



proposal　before　the　king　himself；　he　took　care　to　have　the　capture　of



these　treasures　effected　by　his　friends；　which　would　enable　them　to　do



a　stroke　of　business；　and　at　the　same　time　redound　to　their　prestige。



For　this　reason　he　was　not　long　in　discovering　many　an　eager　aspirant



to　his　friendship。







＇9＇　See　below；　xi。　4；　〃Mem。〃　III。　i。　6；　IV。　ii。　15；　〃Cyrop。〃　I。　vi。



　　　　31；　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　xi。　（Clough；　iv。　10）。







But　a　country　pillaged　and　denuded　of　inhabitants　would　not　long



support　an　army。　That　he　felt。　A　more　perennial　source　of　supply　was



surely　to　be　found　in　waving　cornfields　and　thickly　clustering



homesteads。　So　with　infinite　pains　he　set　himself　not　merely　to　crush



his　foes　by　force；　but　also　to　win　them　to　his　side　by　gentleness。　In



this　spirit　he　often　enjoined　upon　his　soldiers　to　guard　their



captives　as　fellow…men　rather　than　take　vengeance　upon　them　as



evildoers；＇10＇　or；　on　a　change　of　quarters；　if　aware　of　little



children　left　behind　by　the　dealers　（since　the　men　often　sold　them　in



the　belief　that　it　would　be　impossible　to　carry　them　away　and　rear



them）；　he　would　show　concern　in　behalf　of　these　poor　waifs　and　have



them　conveyed　to　some　place　of　safety；　or　he　would　entrust　them　to　the



care　of　fellow…prisoners　also　left　behind　on　account　of　old　age；　in　no



case　must　they　be　left　to　ravening　dogs　and　wolves。　In　this　way　he　won



the　goodwill　not　only　of　those　who　heard　tell　of　these　doings　but　of



the　prisoners　themselves。　And　whenever　he　brought　over　a　city　to　his



side；　he　set　the　citizens　free　from　the　harsher　service　of　a　bondsman



to　his　lord；　imposing　the　gentler　obedience　of　a　freeman　to　his　ruler。



Indeed；　there　were　fortresses　impregnable　to　assault　which　he　brought



under　his　power　by　the　subtler　force　of　human　kindness。







＇10＇　See　Grote；　vol。　ix。　p。　365　foll。







But　when；　in　Phrygia　even；　the　freedom　of　his　march　along　the　flats



was　hampered　by　the　cavalry　of　Pharnabazus；　he　saw　that　if　he　wished



to　avoid　a　skulking　warfare　under　cover；　a　force　of　cavalry　was



indispensable。　Accordingly　he　enlisted　the　wealthiest　members　of　every



city　in　those　parts　to　breed　and　furnish　horses；　with　this　saving



clause；　however：　that　the　individual　who　furnished　a　horse　and　arms



with　a　good　rider　should　be　exempt　from　service　himself。　By　this　means



he　engendered　an　eagerness　to　discharge　the　obligation；　not　unlike



that　of　the　condemned　man；　casting　about　to　discover　some　one　to　die



in　his　place。＇11＇　He　further　ordered　some　of　the　states　themselves　to



furnish　contingents　of　mounted　troopers；　and　this　in　the　conviction



that　from　such　training…centres　he　would　presently　get　a　pick　of



cavaliers　proud　of　their　horsemanship。　And　thus　once　more　he　won



golden　opinions　by　the　skill　with　which　he　provided　himself　with　a



body　of　cavalry　in　the　plenitude　of　strength　and　ripe　for　active



service。







＇11＇　Instead　of　the　plain　｛zetoie｝　of　the　parallel　passage　（〃Hell。〃



　　　　III。　iv。　15）　the　encomiast　prefers　the　poetical　｛masteuoi｝。







On　the　approach　of　early　spring＇12＇　he　collected　his　whole　armament　at



Ephesus；　and　set　himself　to　the　work　of　training　it。　With　that　object



he　proposed　a　series　of　prizes：　one　set　for　the　cavalry　squadron　which



rode　best；　another　for　the　heavy　infantry　divisions　which　presented



the　best　physique；　another　again　for　various　light　troops；　peltasts；



and　bowmen；　which　showed　themselves　most　efficient　in　their　respective



duties。







＇12＇　B。C。　395；　see　〃Hell。〃　III。　iv。　16；　Plut。　〃Marcel。〃　（Clough；　ii。



　　　　262）；　Polyb。　xii。　20；　7。







Thereupon　it　was　a　sight　to　see　the　gymnasiums　thronged　with　warriors



going　through　their　exercises；　the　racecourses　crowded　with　troopers



on　prancing　steeds；　the　archers　and　the　javelin　men　shooting　at　the



butts。　Nay；　the　whole　city　in　which　he　lay　was　transformed　into　a



spectacle　itself；　so　filled　to　overflowing　was　the　market…place　with



arms　and　armour　of　every　sort；　and　horses；　all　for　sale。　Here　were



coppersmiths　and　carpenters；　ironfounders　and　cobblers；　painters　and



decoratorsone　and　all　busily　engaged　in　fabricating　the　implements



of　war；　so　that　an　onlooker　might　have　thought　the　city　of　Ephesus



itself　a　gigantic　arsenal。　It　would　have　kindled　courage　in　the　breast



of　a　coward　to　see　the　long　lines　of　soldiers；　with　Agesilaus　at　their



head；　all　garlanded　as　they　marched　in　proud　procession　from　the



gymnasiums　and　dedicated　their　wreaths　to　our　Lady　Artemis。　Since；



where　these　three　elements　existreverence　towards　heaven；　practice



in　military　affairs；　and　obedience　to　commandall　else　must　needs　be



full　of　happy　promise。







But　seeing　that　contempt　for　the　foe　is　calculated　to　infuse　a　certain



strength　in　face　of　battle；　he　ordered　his　criers　to　strip　naked　the



barbarians　captured　by　his　foraging　parties；　and　so　to　sell　them。　The



soldiers　who　saw　the　white　skins　of　these　folk；　unused　to　strip　for



toil；　soft　and　sleek　and　lazy…looking；　as　of　people　who　could　only



stir　abroad　in　carriages；　concluded　that　a　war　with　women　would



scarcely　be　more　formidable。　Then　he　published　a　further　order　to　the



soldiers：　〃I　shall　lead　you　at　once　by　the　shortest　route　to　the



stronghold＇13＇　of　the　enemy's　territory。　Your　general　asks　you　to　keep



yourselves　on　the　alert　in　mind　and　body；　as　men　about　to　enter　the



lists　of　battle　on　the　instant。〃







＇13＇　Or；　〃the　richest　parts　of　the　country；〃　viz。　Lydia；　Plut。　〃Ages。〃



　　　　x。







But　Tissaphernes　was　persuaded　that　this　was　all　talk　on　his　part　for



the　purpose　of　outwitting　him　a　second　time：　now　certainly　Agesilaus



would　make　an　incursion　into　Caria。　So　once　again　the　satrap



transported　his　infantry　over　into　that　country　just　has　he　had　done



before；　and　as　before　he　posted　his　cavalry　in　the　plain　of　the



Maeander。







This　time；　however；　Agesilaus　was　true　to　his　word。　In　accordance　with



his　published　order　he　advanced　straight　upon　the　region　of　Sardis；



and；　during　a　three　days'　march　through　a　country　where　not　an　enemy



was　to　be　seen；　provided　his　army　with　abundant　supplies。　On　the



fourth　day　the　enemy's　cavalry　came　up。　The　Persian　general　ordered



the　commandant　of　his　baggage　train　to　cross　the　Pactolus　and　encamp；



whilst　his　troopers；　who　had　caught　sight　of　the　camp　followers　of　the



Hellenes　scattered　in　search　of　booty；　put　many　of　them　to　the　sword。



Agesilaus；　aware　how　matters　were　going；　ordered　his　cavalry　to　the



rescue；　and　the　Persians　on　their　side；　seeing　the　enemy's　supports



approaching；　collected　and　formed　up　in　line　to　receive　them　with　the



serried　squadrons　of　their　cavalry。　And　now　Agesilaus；　conscious　that



his　enemy's　infantry　had　not　as　yet　arrived；　whilst　on　his　side　no



element　in　his　preparation　was　lacking；　felt　that　the　moment　was　come



to　join　battle　if　he　could。　Accordingly　he　sacrificed　and　advanced



against　the　opposing　lines　of　cavalry。　A　detachment　of　heavy　infantry；



the　ten…years…service　men；　had　orders　to　close　with　them　at　the　run；



while　the　light　infantry　division　were　told　to　show　them　the　way　at　a



swinging　pace。　At　the