demetrius-第3节

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nours　which　the　Athenians　bestowed；　for　these　noble　and　generous　acts；　upon　Demetrius；　created　offence　and　disgust。　The　Athenians　were　the　first　who　gave　Antigonus　and　Demetrius　the　title　of　kings；　which　hitherto　they　had　made　it　a　point　of　piety　to　decline；　as　the　one　remaining　royal　honour　still　reserved　for　the　lineal　descendants　of　Philip　and　Alexander；　in　which　none　but　they　could　venture　to　participate。　Another　name　which　they　received　from　no　people　but　the　Athenians　was　that　of　the　Tutelar　Deities　and　Deliverers。　And　to　enhance　this　flattery；　by　a　common　vote　it　was　decreed　to　change　the　style　of　the　city；　and　not　to　have　the　years　named　any　longer　from　the　annual　archon；　a　priest　of　the　two　Tutelary　Divinities；　who　was　to　be　yearly　chosen；　was　to　have　this　honour；　and　all　public　acts　and　instruments　were　to　bear　their　date　by　his　name。　They　decreed；　also；　that　the　figures　of　Antigonus　and　Demetrius　should　be　woven；　with　those　of　the　gods；　into　the　pattern　of　the　great　robe。　They　consecrated　the　spot　where　Demetrius　first　alighted　from　his　chariot；　and　built　an　altar　there；　with　the　name　of　the　Altar　of　the　Descent　of　Demetrius。　They　created　two　new　tribes；　calling　them　after　the　names　of　these　princes；　the　Antigonid　and　the　Demetriad；　and　to　the　Council；　which　consisted　of　five　hundred　persons；　fifty　being　chosen　out　of　every　tribe；　they　added　one　hundred　more　to　represent　these　new　tribes。　But　the　wildest　proposal　was　one　made　by　Stratocles；　the　great　inventor　of　all　these　ingenious　and　exquisite　compliments；　enacting　that　the　members　of　any　deputation　that　the　city　should　send　to　Demetrius　or　Antigonus　should　have　the　same　title　as　those　sent　to　Delphi　or　Olympia　for　the　performance　of　the　national　sacrifices　in　behalf　of　the　state　at　the　great　Greek　festivals。　This　Stratocles　was；　in　all　respects；　an　audacious　and　abandoned　character；　and　seemed　to　have　made　it　his　object　to　copy；　by　his　buffoonery　and　impertinence；　Cleon's　old　familiarity　with　the　people。　His　mistress；　Phylacion；　one　day　bringing　him　a　dish　of　brains　and　neckbones　for　his　dinner；　〃Oh；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　to　dine　upon　the　things　which　we　statesmen　play　at　ball　with。〃　At　another　time；　when　the　Athenians　received　their　naval　defeat　near　Amorgos；　he　hastened　home　before　the　news　could　reach　the　city；　and　having　a　chaplet　on　his　head；　came　riding　through　the　Ceramicus；　announcing　that　they　had　won　a　victory；　and　moved　a　vote　for　thanksgivings　to　the　gods；　and　a　distribution　of　meat　among　the　people　in　their　tribes。　Presently　after　came　those　who　brought　home　the　wrecks　from　the　battle；　and　when　the　people　exclaimed　at　what　he　had　done；　he　came　boldly　to　face　the　outcry；　and　asked　what　harm　there　had　been　in　giving　them　two　days'　pleasure。　　　Such　was　Stratocles。　And；　〃adding　flame　to　fire；〃　as　Aristophanes　says；　there　was　one　who；　to　outdo　Stratocles；　proposed　that　it　should　be　decreed　that；　whensoever　Demetrius　should　honour　their　city　with　his　presence；　they　should　treat　him　with　the　same　show　of　hospitable　entertainment　with　which　Ceres　and　Bacchus　are　received；　and　the　citizen　who　exceeded　the　rest　in　the　splendour　and　costliness　of　his　reception　should　have　a　sum　of　money　granted　him　from　the　public　purse　to　make　a　sacred　offering。　Finally；　they　changed　the　name　of　the　month　of　Munychion；　and　called　it　Demetrion；　they　gave　the　name　of　the　Demetrion　to　the　odd　day　between　the　end　of　the　old　and　the　beginning　of　the　new　month；　and　turned　the　feast　of　Bacchus；　the　Dionysia；　into　the　Demetria　or　feast　of　Demetrius。　Most　of　these　changes　were　marked　by　the　divine　displeasure。　The　sacred　robe；　in　which；　according　to　their　decree；　the　figures　of　Demetrius　and　Antigonus　had　been　woven　with　those　of　Jupiter　and　Minerva；　was　caught　by　a　violent　gust　of　wind；　while　the　procession　was　conveying　it　through　the　Ceramicus；　and　was　torn　from　the　top　to　the　bottom。　A　crop　of　hemlock；　a　plant　which　scarcely　grew　anywhere；　even　in　the　country　thereabouts；　sprang　up　in　abundance　round　the　altars　which　they　had　erected　to　these　new　divinities。　They　had　to　omit　the　solemn　procession　at　the　feast　of　Bacchus；　as　upon　the　very　day　of　its　celebration　there　was　such　a　severe　and　rigorous　frost；　coming　quite　out　of　its　time；　that　not　only　the　vines　and　fig…trees　were　killed；　but　almost　all　the　wheat　was　destroyed　in　the　blade。　Accordingly；　Philippides；　an　enemy　to　Stratocles；　attacked　him　in　a　comedy；　in　the　following　verses：…

　　　　　　　　　〃He　for　whom　frosts　that　nipped　your　vines　were　sent；　　　　　　　　　　　And　for　whose　sins　the　holy　robe　was　rent；　　　　　　　　　　　Who　grants　to　men　the　gods'　own　honours；　he；　　　　　　　　　　　Not　the　poor　stage；　is　now　the　people's　enemy。〃

Philippides　was　a　great　favourite　with　King　Lysimachus；　from　whom　the　Athenians　received；　for　his　sake；　a　variety　of　kindnesses。　Lysimachus　went　so　far　as　to　think　it　a　happy　omen　to　meet　or　see　Philippides　at　the　outset　of　any　enterprise　or　expedition。　And；　in　general；　he　was　well　thought　of　for　his　own　character；　as　a　plain；　uninterfering　person；　with　none　of　the　officious；　self…important　habits　of　a　court。　Once；　when　Lysimachus　was　solicitous　to　show　him　kindness；　and　asked　what　he　had　that　he　could　make　him　a　present　of；　〃Anything；〃　replied　Philippides；　〃but　your　state　secrets。〃　The　stage…player；　we　thought；　deserved　a　place　in　our　narrative　quite　as　well　as　the　public　speaker。　　　But　that　which　exceeded　all　the　former　follies　and　flatteries　was　the　proposal　of　Dromoclides　of　Sphettus；　who；　when　there　was　a　debate　about　sending　to　the　Delphic　Oracle　to　inquire　the　proper　course　for　the　consecration　of　certain　bucklers；　moved　in　the　assembly　that　they　should　rather　send　to　receive　an　oracle　from　Demetrius。　I　will　transcribe　the　very　words　of　the　order；　which　was　in　these　terms：　〃May　it　be　happy　and　propitious。　The　people　of　Athens　have　decreed；　that　a　fit　person　shall　be　chosen　among　the　Athenian　citizens；　who　shall　be　deputed　to　be　sent　to　the　Deliverer；　and　after　he　hath　duly　performed　the　sacrifices；　shall　inquire　of　the　Deliverer；　in　what　most　religious　and　decent　manner　he　will　please　to　direct；　at　the　earliest　possible　time；　the　consecration　of　the　bucklers；　and　according　to　the　answer　the　people　shall　act。〃　With　this　befooling　they　completed　the　perversion　of　a　mind　which　even　before　was　not　so　strong　or　sound　as　it　should　have　been。　　　During　his　present　leisure　in　Athens；　he　took　to　wife　Eurydice；　a　descendant　of　the　ancient　Miltiades；　who　had　been　married　to　Opheltas；　the　ruler　of　Cyrene；　and　after　his　death　had　come　back　to　Athens。　The　Athenians　took　the　marriage　as　a　compliment　and　favour　to　the　city。　But　Demetrius　was　very　free　in　these　matters；　and　was　the　husband　of　several　wives　at　once；　the　highest　place　and　honour　among　all　being　retained　by　Phila；　who　was　Antipater's　daughter；　and　had　been　the　wife　of　Craterus；　the　one　of　all　the　successors　of　Alexander　who　left　behind　him　the　strongest　feelings　of　attachment　among　the　Macedonians。　And　for　these　reasons　Antigonus　had　obliged　him　to　marry　her；　notwithstanding　the　disparity　of　their　years；　Demetrius　being　quite　a　youth；　and　she　much　older；　and　when　upon　that　account　he　made　some　difficulty　in　complying；　Antigonus　whispered　in　his　ear　the　maxim　from　Euripides；　broadly　substituting　a　new　word　for　the　original；　serve…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Natural　or　not；　　　　　　　　　　A　man　must　wed　where　profit　will　be　got。〃

Any　respect；　however；　which　he　showed　either　to　Phila　or　to　his　other　wives　did　not　go　so　far　as　to　prevent　him　from　consorting　with　any　number　of　mistresses；　and　bearing；　in　this　respect；　the　worst　character　of　all　the　princes　of　his　time。　　　A　summons　now　arrived　from　his　father；　ordering　him　to　go　and　fight　with　Ptolemy　in　Cyprus；　which　he　was　obliged　to　obey；　sorry　as　he　was　to　abandon　Greece。　And　in　quitting　this　nobler　and　more　glorious　enterprise；　he　sent　to　Cleonides；　Ptolemy's　general；　who　was　holding　garrisons　in　Sicyon　and　Corinth；　offering　him　money　to　let　the　cities　be　independent。　But　on　his　refusal；　he　set　sail　hastily；　taking　additional　forces　with　him；　and　made　for　Cyprus；　where；　immediately　upon　his　arrival；　he　fell　upon　Menelaus；　the　brother　of　Ptolemy；　and　gave　him　a　defeat。　But　when　Ptolemy　himself　came　in　person；　with　large　forces　both　on　land　and　sea；　for　some　little　time　nothing　took　place　beyond　an　interchange　of　menaces　and　lofty　talk。　Ptolemy　bade　Demetrius　sail　off　before　the　whole　armament　came　up；　if　he　did　not　wish　to　be　trampled　under　foot；　and　Demetrius　offered　to　let　him　retire；　on　condition　of　his　withdrawing　his　garrisons　from　Sicyon　and　Corinth。　And　not　they　alone；　but　all　the　other　potentates　and　princes　of　the　time；　were　in　anxiety　for　the　uncertain　impending　issue　of　the　conflict；　as　it　seemed　evident　that　the　conqueror's　prize　would　be；　not　Cyprus　or　Syria；　but　the　absolute　supremacy。　　　Ptolemy　had　brought　a　hundred　and　fifty　galleys　with　him；　and　gave　orders　to　Menelaus　to　sally；　in　the　heat　of　the　battle；　out　of　the　harbour　of　Salamis；　and　attack　with　sixty　ships　the　rear　of　Demetrius。　Demetrius；　however；　opposing　to　these　sixty　ten　of　his　galleys；　which　were　a　sufficient　number　to　block　up　the　narrow　entrance　of　the　harbour；　and　drawing　out　his　land　forces　along　all　the　headlands　running　out　into　sea；　went　into　action　with　a