agesilaus-第3节

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



swinging　pace。　At　the　same　time　he　passed　the　order　along　the　line　of



his　cavalry　to　charge　in　reliance　of　the　support　of　himself　and　the



main　body　in　their　rear。　Charge　they　did；　these　troopers；　and　the　pick



of　Persian　cavalry　received　them　bravely；　but　in　face　of　the　conjoint



horror　of　the　attack　they　swerved；　and　some　were　cut　down　at　once　in



the　river…bed；　while　others　sought　safety　in　flight。　The　Hellenes



followed　close　on　the　heels　of　the　flying　foe；　and　captured　his　camp。



Here　the　peltasts；　not　unnaturally；　fell　to　pillaging；　whereupon



Agesilaus　formed　a　cordon　of　troops；　round　the　property　of　friends　and



foes　alike；　and　so　encamped。







Presently　hearing　that　the　enemy　were　in　a　state　of　disorder；　the



result　of　every　one　holding　his　fellow　responsible　for　what　had



happened；　he　advanced　without　further　stay　on　Sardis。　Having　arrived；



he　fell　to　burning　and　ravaging　the　suburbs；　while　at　the　same　time　he



did　not　fail　to　make　it　known　by　proclamation　that　those　who　asked　for



freedom　should　join　his　standard；　or　if　there　were　any　who　claimed　a



right　of　property　in　Asia　he　challenged　them　to　come　out　and　meet　her



liberators　in　fair　fight　and　let　the　sword　decide　between　them。



Finding　that　no　one　ventured　to　come　out　to　meet　him；　his　march　became



for　the　future　a　peaceful　progress。　All　around　him　he　beheld　Hellenes



who　formerly　were　forced　to　bow　the　knee　to　brutal　governors　now



honoured　by　their　former　tyrants；　while　those　who　had　claimed　to　enjoy



divine　honours　were　so　humbled　by　him　that　they　scarce　dared　to　look　a



Hellene　in　the　face。　Everywhere　he　saved　the　territory　of　his　friends



from　devastation；　and　reaped　the　fruits　of　the　enemy's　soil　to　such



good　effect　that　within　two　years　he　was　able　to　dedicate　as　a　tithe



to　the　god　at　Delphi　more　than　one　hundred　talents。＇14＇







＇14＇　=　25；000　pounds　nearly。







It　was　then　that　the　Persian　king；　believing　that　Tissaphernes　was　to



blame　for　the　ill　success　of　his　affairs；　sent　down　Tithraustes　and



cut　off　the　satrap's　head。　After　this　the　fortunes　of　the　barbarians



grew　still　more　desperate；　whilst　those　of　Agesilaus　assumed　a　bolder



front。　On　all　side　embassies　from　the　surrounding　nations　came　to　make



terms　of　friendship；　and　numbers　even　came　over　to　him；　stretching　out



eager　arms　to　grasp　at　freedom。　So　that　Agesilaus　was　now　no　longer



the　chosen　captain　of　the　Hellenes　only；　but　of　many　Asiatics。







And　here　we　may　pause　and　consider　what　a　weight　of　admiration　is　due



to　one　who；　being　now　ruler　over　countless　cities　of　the　continent；



and　islands　also　（since　the　state　had　further　entrusted　the　navy　to



his　hands）；　just　when　he　had　reached　this　pinnacle　of　renown　and



power；　and　might　look　to　turn　to　account　his　thronging　fortunes；　when；



too；　which　overtops　all　else；　he　was　cherishing　fond　hopes　to　dissolve



that　empire　which　in　former　days　had　dared　to　march　on　Hellas；at



such　a　moment　suffered　himself　not　to　be　overmastered　by　these



promptings；　but　on　receipt　of　a　summons　of　the　home　authorities　to



come　to　the　assistance　of　the　fatherland；　obeyed　the　mandate　of　his



state　as　readily＇15＇　as　though　he　stood　confronted　face　to　face　with



the　Five　in　the　hall　of　ephors；　and　thus　gave　clear　proof　that　he



would　not　accept　the　whole　earth　in　exchange　for　the　land　of　his



fathers；　nor　newly…acquired　in　place　of　ancient　friends；　nor　base



gains　ingloriously　purchased　rather　than　the　perilous　pursuit　of



honour　and　uprightness。＇16＇







＇15＇　Cf。　Hor。　〃Od。〃　III。　v。　50。







＇16＇　See　Pindar；　〃Olymp。〃　vi。　14。







And；　indeed；　glancing　back　at　the　whole　period　during　which　he



remained　in　the　exercise　of　his　authority；　no　act　of　deeper



significance　in　proof　of　his　kingly　qualities　need　be　named　than　this。



He　found　the　cities　which　he　was　sent　out　to　govern　each　and　all　a



prey　to　factions；　the　result　of　constitutional　disturbances　consequent



on　the　cessation　of　the　Athenian　empire；　and　without　resort　to　exile



or　sanguinary　measures　he　so　disposed　them　by　his　healing　presence



that　civil　concord　and　material　prosperity　were　permanently



maintained。　Therefore　it　was　that　the　Hellenes　in　Asia　deplored　his



departure；＇17＇　as　though　they　had　lost；　not　simply　a　ruler；　but　a



father　or　bosom　friend；　and　in　the　end　they　showed　that　their



friendship　was　of　no　fictitious　character。　At　any　rate；　they



voluntarily　helped　him　to　succour　Lacedaemon；　though　it　involved；　as



they　knew；　the　need　of　doing　battle　with　combatants　of　equal　prowess



with　themselves。　So　the　tale　of　his　achievements　in　Asia　has　an　end。







＇17＇　See　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　xv。



















II







He　crossed　the　Hellespont　and　made　his　way　through　the　very　tribes



traversed　by　the　Persian＇1＇　with　his　multitudinous　equipment　in　former



days；　and　the　march　which　cost　the　barbarian　a　year　was　accomplished



by　Agesilaus　in　less　than　a　single　month。　He　did　not　want　to　arrive　a



day　too　late　to　serve　his　fatherland。　And　so　passing　through　Macedonia



he　arrived　in　Thessaly；　and　here　the　men　of　Larissa；　Crannon；



Scotussa；　and　Pharsalus；　who　were　allies　of　the　Boeotians；　and　indeed



all　the　Thessalians；　with　the　exception　of　those　who　were　in　exile　at



the　time；　combined　to　dog　his　steps　and　do　him　damage。　For　a　while　he



led　his　troops　in　a　hollow　square；　posting　one　half　of　his　cavalry　in



the　van　and　the　other　half　on　his　rear；　but　finding　his　march　hindered



by　frequent　attacks　of　the　Thessalians　on　his　hindmost　divisions；　he



sent　round　the　mass　of　his　cavalry　from　the　vanguard　to　support　his



rear；　reserving　only　his　personal　escort。＇2＇　And　now　in　battle　order



the　rival　squadrons　faced　each　other；　when　the　Thessalians；　not　liking



a　cavalry　engagement　in　face　of　heavy　infantry；　wheeled　and　step　by



step　retreated；　their　opponents　with　much　demureness　following。　Then



Agesilaus；　detecting　the　common　error　under　which　both　parties



laboured；　sent　round　his　own　bodyguard　of　stalwart　troopers　with



orders　to　their　predecessors　（an　order　they　would　act　upon　themselves）



to　charge　the　enemy　at　full　gallop　and　not　give　him　a　chance　to　rally。



The　Thessalians；　in　face　of　this　unexpected　charge；　either　could　not



so　much　as　rally；　or　in　the　attempt　to　do　so　were　caught　with　their



horses'　flanks　exposed　to　the　enemy's　attack。　Polycharmus；　the



Pharsalian；　a　commandant　of　cavalry；　did　indeed　succeed　in　wheeling；



but　was　cut　down　with　those　about　him　sword　in　hand。　This　was　the



signal　for　a　flight　so　extraordinary　that　dead　and　dying　lined　the



road；　and　the　living　were　captured　wholesale；　nor　was　a　halt　made



until　the　pursuers　reached　Mount　Narthacius。　Here；　midway　between　Pras



and　Narthacius；　Agesilaus　erected　a　trophy；　and　here　for　the　moment　he



halted　in　unfeigned　satisfaction　at　his　exploit；　since　it　was　from　an



antagonist　boasting　the　finest　cavalry　in　the　world　that　he　had



wrested　victory　with　a　body　of　cavalry　organised　by　himself。







＇1＇　I。e。　〃Xerxes。〃







＇2＇　I。e。　〃the　Three　hundred。〃　See　Thuc。　v。　72；　〃Pol。　Lac。〃　xiii。　6。







Next　day；　crossing　the　mountain　barrier　of　Achaea　Phthiotis；　his　march



lay　through　friendly　territory　for　the　rest　of　the　way　as　far　as　the



frontiers　of　Boeotia。　Here　he　found　the　confederates　drawn　up　in



battle　line。　They　consisted　of　the　Thebans；　the　Athenians；　the



Argives；　the　Corinthians；　the　Aenianians；　the　Euboeans；　and　both



divisions　of　the　Locrians。＇3＇　He　did　not　hesitate；　but　openly　before



their　eyes　drew　out　his　lines　to　give　them　battle。　He　had　with　him　a



division＇4＇　and　a　half　of　Lacedaemonians；　and　from　the　seat　of　war



itself　the　allied　troops　of　the　Phocians　and　the　men　of　Orchomenus



only；　besides　the　armament　which　he　had　brought　with　him　from　Asia。







＇3＇　See　〃Hell。〃　IV。　ii。　7。







＇4＇　Lit。　〃mora。〃







I　am　not　going　to　maintain　that　he　ventured　on　the　engagement　in　spite



of　having　far　fewer　and　inferior　forces。　Such　an　assertion　would　only



reveal　the　senselessness　of　the　general＇5＇　and　the　folly　of　the　writer



who　should　select　as　praiseworthy　the　reckless　imperilling　of　mighty



interests。　On　the　contrary；　what　I　admire　is　the　fact　that　he　had



taken　care　to　provide　himself　with　an　army　not　inferior　to　that　of　his



enemy；　and　had　so　equipped　them　that　his　cohorts　literally　gleamed



with　purple　and　bronze。＇6＇　He　had　taken　pains　to　enable　his　soldiers



to　undergo　the　fatigue　of　war；　he　had　filled　their　breasts　with　a



proud　consc