anabasis-第55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!
。 When I first essayed to part with you and journey homewards; I was doubly blest。 From your lips I had won some praise; and; thanks to you; I had obtained glory from the rest of Hellas。 I was trusted by the Lacedaemonians; else would they not have sent me back to you。 Whereas to…day I turn to go; calumniated before the Lacedaemonians by yourselves; detested in your behalf by Seuthes; whom I meant so to benefit; by help of you; that I should find in him a refuge for myself and for my children; if children I might have; in after time。 And you the while; for whose sake I have incurred so much hate; the hate of people far superior to me in strength; you; for whom I have not yet ceased to devise all the good I can; entertain such sentiments about me。 Why? I am no renegade or runaway slave; you have got hold of。 If you carry out what you say; be sure you will have done to death a man who has passed many a vigil in watching over you; who has shared with you many a toil and run many a risk in turn and out of turn; who; thanks to the gracious gods! has by your side set up full many a trophy over the barbarian; who; lastly; has strained every nerve in his body to protect you against yourselves。 And so it is; that to…day you can move freely; where you choose; by sea or by land; and no one can say you nay; and you; on 37 whom this large liberty dawns; who are sailing to a long desired goal; who are sought after by the greatest of military powers; who have pay in prospect; and for leaders these Lacedaemonians; our acknowledged chiefs: now is the appointed time; you think; to put me to a speedy death。 But in the days of our difficulties it was very different; O ye men of marvellous memory! No! in those days you called me 'father!' and you promised you would bear me ever in mind; 'your benefactor。' Not so; however; not so ungracious are those who have come to you to…day; nor; if I mistake not; have you bettered yourselves in their eyes by your treatment of me。〃
With these words he paused; and Charminus the Lacedaemonian got up and said: 〃Nay; by the Twins; you are wrong; surely; in your anger against this man; I myself can bear testimony in his favour。 When Polynicus and I asked Seuthes; what sort of a man he was? Seuthes answered:he had but one fault to find with him; that he was too much the soldiers' friend; which also was the cause why things went wrong with him; whether as regards us Lacedaemonians or himself; Seuthes。〃
Upon that Eurylochus of Lusia; an Arcadian; got up and said (addressing the two Lacedaemonians); 〃Yes; sirs; and what strikes me is that you cannot begin your generalship of us better than by exacting from Seuthes our pay。 Whether he like it or no; let him pay in full; and do not take us away before。〃
Polycrates the Athenian; who was put forward by Xenophon; said: 〃If my eyes do not deceive me; sirs; there stands Heracleides; yonder; the man who received the property won by our toil; who took and sold it; and never gave back either to Seuthes or to us the proceeds of the sale; but kept the money to himself; like the thief he is。 If we are wise; we will lay hold of him; for he is no Thracian; but a Hellene; and against Hellenes is the wrong he has committed。〃
When Heracleides heard these words; he was in great consternation; so he came to Seuthes and said: 〃If we are wise we will get away from here out of reach of these fellows。〃 So they mounted their horses and were gone in a trice; galloping to their own camp。 Subsequently 42 Seuthes sent Abrozelmes; his private interpreter; to Xenophon; begging him to stay behind with one thousand heavy tropps; and engaging duly to deliver to him the places on the seaboard; and the other things which he had promised; and then; as a great secret; he told him; that he had heard from Polynicus that if he once got into the clutches of the Lacedaemonians; Thibron was certain to put him to death。 Similar messages kept coming to Xenophon by letter or otherwise from several quarters; warning him that he was calumniated; and had best be on his guard。 Hearing which; he took two victims and sacrificed to Zeus the King: 〃Whether it were better and happier to stay with Seuthes on the terms proposed; or depart with the army?〃 The answer he received was; 〃Depart。〃
VII
After this; Seuthes removed his camp to some considerable distance; 1 and the Hellenes took up their quarters in some villages; selecting those in which they could best supply their commissariat; on the road to the sea。 Now these particular villages had been given by Seuthes to Medosades。 Accordingly; when the latter saw his property in the villages being expended by the Hellenes; he was not over well pleased; and taking with him an Odrysian; a powerful person amongst those who had come down from the interior; and about thirty mounted troopers; he came and challenged Xenophon to come forth from the Hellenic host。 He; taking some of the officers and others of a character to be relied upon; came forward。 Then Medosades; addressing Xenophon; said: 〃You are doing wrong to pillage our villages; we give you fair warningI; in behalf of Seuthes; and this man by my side; who comes from Medocus; the king up countryto begone out of the land。 If you refuse; understand; we have no notion of handing it over to you; but if you injure our country we will retaliate upon you as foes。〃
Xenophon; hearing what they had to say; replied: 〃Such language addressed to us by you; of all people; is hard to answer。 Yet for the sake of the young man with you; I will attempt to do so; that at least he may learn how different your nature is from ours。 We;〃 he continued; 〃before we were your friends; had the free run of this country; moving this way or that; as it took our fancy; pillaging and 5 burning just as we chose; and you yourself; Medosades; whenever you came to us on an embassy; camped with us; without apprehension of any foe。 As a tribe collectively you scarcely approached the country at all; or if you found yourselves in it; you bivouacked with your horses bitted and bridled; as being in the territory of your superiors。 Presently you made friends with us; and; thanks to us; by God's help you have won this country; out of which to…day you seek to drive us; a country which we held by our own strength and gave to you。 No hostile force; as you well know; was capable of expelling us。 It might have been expected of you personally to speed us on our way with some gift; in return for the good we did you。 Not so; even though our backs are turned to go; we are too slow in our movements for you。 You will not suffer us to take up quarters even; if you can help it; and these words arouse no shame in you; either before the gods; or this Odrysian; in whose eyes to…day you are man of means; though until you cultivated our friendship you lived a robber's life; as you have told us。 However; why do you address yourself to me? I am no longer in command。 Our generals are the Lacedaemonians; to whom you and yours delivered the army for withdrawal; and that; without even inviting me to attend; you most marvellous of men; so that if I lost their favour when I brought you the troops; I might now win their gratitude by restoring them。〃
As soon as the Odrysian had heard this statement; he exclaimed: 〃For my part; Medosades; I sink under the earth for very shame at what I hear。 If I had known the truth before; I would never have accompanied you。 As it is; I return at once。 Never would King Medocus applaud me; if I drove forth his benefactors。〃 With these words; he mounted his horse and rode away; and with him the rest of his horsemen; except four or five。 But Medosades; still vexed by the pillaging of the country; urged Xenophon to summon the two Lacedaemonians; and he; taking the pick of his men; came to Charminus and Polynicus and informed them that they were summoned by Medosades; probably they; like himself; would be warned to leave the country; 〃if so;〃 he added; 14 〃you will be able to recover the pay which is owing to the army。 You can say to them; that the army has requested you to assist in exacting their pay from Seuthes; whether he like it or not; that they have promised; as soon as they get this; cheerfully to follow you; that the demand seems to you to be only just; and that you have accordingly promised not to leave; until the soldiers have got their dues。〃 The Lacedaemonians accepted the suggestion: they would apply these arguments and others the most forcible they could hit upon; and with the proper representatives of the army; they immediately set off。
On their arrival Charminus spoke: 〃If you have anything to say to us; Medosades; say it; but if not; we have something to say to you。〃 And Medosades submissively made answer: 〃I say;〃 said he; 〃and Seuthes says the same: we think we have a right to ask that those who have become our friends should not be ill…treated by you; whatever ill you do to them you really do to us; for they are a part of us。〃 〃Good!〃 replied the Lacedaemonians; 〃and we intend to go away as soon as those who won for you the people and the territory in question have got their pay。 Failing that; we are coming without further delay to assist them and to punish certain others who have broken their oaths and done