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第7节

agesilaus-第7节

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    a little man of a contemptible presence。〃







'7' See Plut。 〃Ages。〃 xi。 (Clough; iv。 p。 14); 〃Parall。 Min。〃 v; Ovid。



    〃Met。〃 xi。 102 foll。







What construction some will put upon the story I am well aware; but



for myself I am persuaded that many more people can master their



enemeis than the foes we speak of。'8' Doubtless such incidents when



known to but few may well be discredited by many; but here we are in



the region of establishing facts; seeing that the more illustrious a



man is the less can his every act escape notice。 As to Agesilaus no



eye…witness has ever reported any unworthy behaviour; nor; had he



invented it; would his tale have found credence; since it was not the



habit of the king; when abroad; to lodge apart in private houses。 He



always lay up in some sacred place; where behaviour of the sort was



out of the question; or else in public; with the eyes of all men



liable to be called as witnesses to his sobriety。 For myself; if I



make these statements falsely against the knowledge of Hellas; this



were not in any sense to praise my hero; but to dispraise myself。







'8' Or; 〃than the seductions in question。〃



















VI







Nor; in my opinion; were those obscure proofs of courage and true



manliness which he furnished by his readiness ever to wage war against



the strongest enemies; whether of Sparta or of Hellas; placing himself



in the forefront of the contests decided on。 If the enemy cared to



join issue in fair field he would not chance upon a victory won by



panic; but in stubborn battle; blow for blow; he mastered him; and set



up trophies worthy of the name; seeing that he left behind him



imperishable monuments of prowess; and bore away on his own body



indelible marks of the fury with which he fought;'1' so that; apart



from hearsay; by the evidence of men's eyes his valour stood approved。







'1' Or; 〃visible signs of the spirit;〃 etc。 See Plut。 〃Ages。〃 xxxvi。







And amongst these we must not deem them trophies alone which he



actually set up; but reckon the many campaigns which he undertook;



since they were victories truly; even when the enemy refused to



encounter him; victories devoid of danger; yet fraught with even more



solid advantage to the state of Sparta and her fellow…combatants; just



as in our games we crown as victor him who walks over the field'2' no



less than him who conquers by dint of battle。







'2' Or; 〃without striking a blow。〃 Lit。 〃without the dust of the



    arena; 'sine pulvere。'〃 See Thuc。 iv。 73; {akoniti}。







And to speak next of his wisdom;'3' I suppose there is not one of all



his doings but must illustrate it;this man whose bearing towards his



fatherland was such that by dint of implicit obedience 'he grew to so



greate a height of power';'4' whose zeal in the service of his



comrades won for him the unhesitating attachment of his friends; who



infused into the hearts of his soldiers a spirit; not of discipline



only; but of self…devotion to their chief。 And yet surely that is the



strongest of all battle…lines'5' in which obedience creates tactical



efficieny; and alacrity in the field springs out of loyal affection



for the general。







'3' Or; 〃his sagacity。〃







'4' The words {pleiston iskhue} are supplied from Plutarch (〃Ages。〃



    iv。); who quotes the passage; 〃What Xenophon tells us of him; that



    by complying with; and; as it were; ruled by his country; he grew



    into such great power with them; that he could do what he pleased;



    is meant;〃 etc。 (Clough; iv。 p。 4)。 The lacuna in the MS。 was



    first noted; I believe; by Weiske。 See Breitenbach's note ad loc。







'5' See 〃Cyrop。〃 VII。 i。 30; 〃Econ。〃 xxi。 7。







Enemies he had to cope with; who had little excuse to disparage;



however much they might be compelled to hate their opponent; seeing



that he was for ever contriving to give his allies some advantage over



themby sheer deception; if occasion offered; now anticipating them



if speed were requisite; now skulking in corners if concealment



served; in all points observing one rule of behaviour to his friends



and another towards his foes。 By turning night into day and day into



night'6' he drew so close a veil of mystery over his movements that



frequently there was no saying where he was; or whither he would go;



or what he might do next。 The fastnesses of the enemy he transformed



into so many weaknesses;'7' passing this one by; and scaling that; and



stealing like a thief into a third。







'6' See 〃Hell。〃 VI。 i。 15; 〃Pol。 Lac。〃 v。 7; 〃Cyrop。〃 I。 v。 12。







'7' Or; 〃the strongholds of the enemy might to all intents and



    purposes have been open places。〃







When he was on the march; and was well aware that an enemy might; if



he chose; deliver battle; his habit was to lead his troops in compact



battle order ready to confront emergencies; with soft; slow step;



advancing; as it were; with maidenly demureness;'8' for in such



procedure; as he believed; lay the secret of true calm; engendering a



dauntless self…assurance; imperturbable; unerring; impervious to



treacherous assault。 Therefore by such behaviour he was a terror to



the enemy; whilst he infused courage and strength in the hearts of his



friends; so that throughout his life he continued to be a man whom his



foes dared not despise; whom his fellow…citizens cared not to arraign;



within the circle of his friends held blameless; the idol and



admiration of the outer world。'9'







'8' See above; ii。 3; 〃Pol。 Lac。〃 iii。 5。







'9' Cf。 Tacitus's phrase concerning Titus; 〃deliciae humani generis。〃























VII







To describe his patriotism'1' point by point in detail were a tedious



story; since; as I suppose; there is not one of his several



achievements but must finally resolve itself into that。 For; to put it



briefly; we all know well that where Agesilaus expected in any way to



benefit his country there was no toil he shrank from; no danger he



avoided; no money he stinted; no excuse whether of age or body he



admitted; but deemed it ever the true function of a good king'2' to



shower blessings to the utmost on the subjects of his rule。







'1' Lit。 〃love for his own city。〃







'2' Or; 〃regarded it as the cardinal virtue of a real prince。〃 See



    〃Mem。〃 III。 ii。 3。







And for my part I hold it as chief among the magnificent benefits so



conferred by him upon his country that; being the most powerful member



of the state; he made no secret of his absolute submission to the



laws;'3' since what lesser man; seeing the king's obedience; would



take'4' on himself to disobey? Who; in discontentment at his own poor



lot; would venture on revolution; knowing that the king himself could



condescend to constitutional control? And that; too; a king who bore



himself towards political opponents with a paternal mildness。'5' If he



rebuked them sharply for their misdemeanours; he none the less



honoured their high endeavours; and proved himself a present help to



them in time of trouble。'6' No citizen could be his personal foe; of



that he was assured。 His desire was to commend them one and all alike;



counting the common salvation of all a gain; and reckoning it as a



loss if even a mean man perished。 For thus he reasoned; nor made a



secret of the conclusion he had come to: so long as her citizens



continued tranquilly adherent to the laws the happiness of Sparta was



secure。'7' And for the rest Sparta would once again be strong on that



day when the states of Hellas should learn wisdom。







'3' Or; 〃he was at the same time the most obvious in his allegiance to



    the laws。〃







'4' Lit。 〃would have taken on himself 。 。 。 would have ventured on



    revolution。〃







'5' Lit。 〃as a father to his children。〃







'6' Or; 〃and was ready to stand by their side in time of trouble。〃







'7' Or; 〃For this was the clear tenor of his thought; that by tranquil



    continuance within the laws the citizens of Sparta might secure



    her happiness。 And as to power; Sparta; etc。〃 See 〃Mem。〃 II。 vi。



    27。







And if; by admission; it is noble for every Hellene to be a lover of



his fellow…Hellenes; yet we must fare far afield to find another



instance of a general who; expecting to sack some city; would have



refused to seize the prize; or who regarded victory in a war waged



against fellow…Hellenes as a species of calamity。 Yet this

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