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第8节

agesilaus-第8节

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



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



message was brought him concerning the battle at Corinth;'8' in which



but eight Lacedaemonians had fallen; but of their opponents ten



thousand nearly; showed no sign of exultation; but sighed; saying;



〃Alas for Hellas! since those who now lie in their graves; were able;



had they lived; to conquer the hosts of Asia。〃'9' Again; when some



Corinthian exiles informed him that their city was ripe for surrender;



and showed him the engines by which they were confident they would



take the walls; he refused to make the assault; saying that Hellene



cities ought not to be reduced to slavery; but brought back to a



better mind;'10' and added; 〃For if we lop off our offending members;



haply we may deprive ourselves of the means to master the barbarians。〃







'8' B。C。 394。 See 〃Hell。〃 IV。 ii。 9…23; Diod。 xiv。 83; Grote; 〃H。 G。〃



    ix。 429。







'9' Lit。 〃all the barbarians。〃







'10' See 〃Econ。〃 i。 23。







Again; if it is a sacred duty to hate the Persian; who of old set out



on a campaign to enslave Hellas; the Persian; who to…day makes



alliance with these (no matter to him which the party; provided it



will help him to work the greater mischief'11'); or gives presents to



those (who will take them and do the greatest harm to his foes the



Hellenes); or else concocts a peace that shall presently involve us in



internecine war; as he anticipates:but why dwell on facts so patent?



I ask; did ever Hellene before Agesilaus so enter heart and soul



upon his duty; whether it were to help some tribe to throw off the



Persian yoke; or to save from destruction a revolted district; or if



nothing else; at any rate to saddle the Persian with such troubles of



his own that he should cease to trouble Hellas? An ardent hater of



Persia surely was he; who; when his own country was at war with



Hellenes; did not neglect the common good of Hellas; but set sail to



wreak what harm he might upon the barbarians。'12'







'11' Or; 〃the worse the mischief he can work; the better the side。〃







'12' See Isocr。 〃Ep。〃 ix。 〃To Archidamus;〃 S。 11…14。



















VIII







To turn to another side; that grace of manner which was his; claims



more than passing recognition。 Here was a man to whom honour was



vouchsafed and power present; and who; to crown all else; held in his



hands the sceptre of sovereigntya kingship not plotted against; but



respected and beloved。 Yet there was no trace of arrogance to be seen



in him; but of tender affection and courteous service to his friends



proof in abundance without seeking。 Witness the zest with which he



shared in the round of lovers' talk;'1' the zeal with which he threw



himself into the serious concerns'2' of friends。 By dint of a hopeful



and cheery disposition and unflagging gaiety of heart he attracted to



his side a throng of visitors; who came; not simply for the



transaction of some private interest; but rather to pass away the day



in pleasant sort。 Though little apt himself to use high…swelling



words; it did not annoy him to hear others sounding their own praises;



which he regarded as a harmless weakness; the pledge at least of high



endeavour'3' in the future。







'1' See 〃Hell。〃 V。 iii。 20; 〃Cyrop。〃 I。 iv。 27; 〃Econ。〃 ii。 7; Plut。



    〃Ages。〃 ii。; xx。; Lyc。 xx。







'2' Or; 〃he would discuss graver matters; according to the humour of



    his friends。〃







'3' Or; 〃of courageous conduct;〃 〃noble manhood。〃







But that he was capable of lofty sentiment and at the right season



must not be overlooked。 Thus when a letter reached him from the king



(I speak of that which was brought by the Persian agent in company



with Calleas'4' of Lacedaemon; proposing terms of hospitality and



friendship with the Persian monarch); he disdained to accept it;



telling the bearer to take back to the king this answer: 〃He need not



be at pains to send him letters in private; but if he could prove



himself a friend to Lacedaemon and the well…wisher of Hellas he should



have no cause to blame the ardour of his friendship;〃 but added; 〃if



your king be detected plotting; let him not think to find a friend in



me。 No; not if he sends me a thousand letters。〃 For my part; then; I



hold it praiseworthy that; by comparison with pleasing his fellow…



Hellenes; Agesilaus scorned such friendship。 And this; too; among his



tenets I find admirable: the truer title to self…congratulation



belonged not to the millionaire; the master of many legions; but to



him rather; who; being himself a better man; commanded the allegience



of better followers。







'4' See 〃Hell。〃 IV。 i。 15; Plut。 〃Apophth。 Lac。〃 p。 777; Grote; 〃H。



    G。〃 x。 402。







And this; in proof of mental forecast; I must needs praise in him。



Holding to the belief that the more satraps there were who revolted



from the king the surer the gain to Hellas; he did not suffer himself



to be seduced; either by gifts or by the mightiness in his power; to



be drawn into bonds of friendship with the king; but took precaution



rather not to abuse their confidence who were willing to revolt。







And lastly; as beyond all controversy admirable; note this contrast:



First; the Persian; who; believing that in the multitude of his riches



he had power to lay all things under his feet; would fain have swept



into his coffers all the gold and all the silver of mankind: for him;



and him alone; the costliest and most precious things of earth。 And



then this other; who contrariwise so furnished his establishment as to



be totally independent of every adventitious aid。'5' And if any one



doubts the statement; let him look and see with what manner of



dwelling…place he was contented; let him view the palace doors: these



are the selfsame doors; he might well imagine; which Aristodemus;'6'



the great…great…grandson of Heracles; took and set up in the days of



the return。 Let him endeavour to view the furniture inside; there he



will perceive how the king feasted on high holy days; and he will hear



how the king's own daughter was wont to drive to Amyclae in a public



basket…carriage。'7' Thus it was that by the adjustment of expenditure



to income he was never driven to the commission of any unjust deed for



money's sake。 And yet if it be a fine thing to hold a fortress



impregnable to attck; I count it a greater glory that a man should



hold the fortress of his soul inviolable against the assaults of



riches; pleasures; fears。







'5' Or; 〃of all such external needs。〃







'6' See Herod。 vi。 52。







'7' See Plut。 〃Ages。〃 xix。 (Clough; iv。 p。 23); the words {e thugater



    autou} were supplied from this passage by Casaubon。



















IX







I will here state to what extent the style of living which he



presented stands out in striking contrast to the ostentatious manner



of the Persian。'1' In the first place; if the latter made a solemn



affectation of being but seldom seen; Agesilaus delighted to live in



the eye of day; believing that seclusion might accord well enough as a



screen for shameless conduct; but to a life of nobleness and beauty'2'



heaven's light added new ornament。'3' And next; if the one prided



himself on being unapproachable; the other rejoiced in being



accessible to all the world; the one; with his airs and graces; was



pleased to transact business slowly; the other was never so happy as



when he could satisfy the demands of a petitioner without waste of



time。'4'







'1' Or; 〃how he presented his own manner in antithesis to the false



    pretences of the Persian。〃 For {alazoneia} see 〃Mem。〃 I。 vii。 1;



    Aristot。 〃N。 E。〃 iv。 7; Theophr。 〃Char。〃 vi。







'2' Lit。 〃a life striving towards beauteousness。〃







'3' Or; 〃added but greater lustre。〃







'4' Lit。 〃could satisfy and dismiss his petitioners without delay。〃







Again; it is worthy of observation how much easier and simpler to



satisfy was the standard of comfort which the Spartan aimed at。'5' For



the Persian; men must compass sea and land to discover some beverage



which he will care to drink; he needs ten thousand pastrycooks to



supply the kick…shaws he will deign to eat; and to procure him the



blessing of sleep no tongue can describe what a world of trouble must



be taken。 But Agesilaus was a lover of toil; and therefore not so



dainty; the meanest bevera

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