demetrius-第8节

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hopes　of　obtaining　any　honourable　conditions　from　his　clemency　as　out　of　necessity；　to　avoid　death　by　famine。　For　among　many　frightful　instances　of　the　distress　they　were　reduced　to；　it　is　said　that　a　father　and　son　were　sitting　in　a　room　together；　having　abandoned　every　hope；　when　a　dead　mouse　fell　from　the　ceiling；　and　for　this　prize　they　leaped　up　and　came　to　blows。　In　this　famine；　it　is　also　related；　the　philosopher　Epicurus　saved　his　own　life；　and　the　lives　of　his　scholars；　by　a　small　quantity　of　beans；　which　he　distributed　to　them　daily　by　number。　　　In　this　condition　was　the　city　when　Demetrius　made　his　entrance　and　issued　a　proclamation　that　all　the　inhabitants　should　assemble　in　the　theatre；　which　being　done；　he　drew　up　his　soldiers　at　the　back　of　the　stage；　occupied　the　stage　itself　with　his　guards；　and；　presently　coming　in　himself　by　the　actors'　passages；　when　the　people's　consternation　had　risen　to　its　height；　with　his　first　words　he　put　an　end　to　it。　Without　any　harshness　of　tone　or　bitterness　of　words；　he　reprehended　them　in　a　gentle　and　friendly　way；　and　declared　himself　reconciled；　adding　a　present　of　a　hundred　thousand　bushels　of　wheat；　and　appointing　as　magistrates　persons　acceptable　to　the　people。　So　Dromoclides；　the　orator；　seeing　the　people　at　a　loss　how　to　express　their　gratitude　by　any　words　or　acclamations；　and　ready　for　anything　that　would　outdo　the　verbal　encomiums　of　the　public　speakers；　came　forward；　and　moved　a　decree　for　delivering　Piraeus　and　Munychia　into　the　hands　of　King　Demetrius。　This　was　passed　accordingly；　and　Demetrius；　of　his　own　motion；　added　a　third　garrison；　which　he　placed　in　the　Museum；　as　a　precaution　against　any　new　restiveness　on　the　part　of　the　people；　which　might　give　him　the　trouble　of　quitting　his　other　enterprises。　　　He　had　not　long　been　master　of　Athens　before　he　had　formed　designs　against　Lacedaemon；　of　which　Archidamus；　the　king；　being　advertised；　came　out　and　met　him；　but　he　was　overthrown　in　a　battle　near　Mantinea；　after　which　Demetrius　entered　Laconia；　and；　in　a　second　battle　near　Sparta　itself；　defeated　him　again　with　the　loss　of　two　hundred　Lacedaemonians　slain；　and　five　hundred　taken　prisoners。　And　now　it　was　almost　impossible　for　the　city；　which　hitherto　had　never　been　captured；　to　escape　his　arms。　But　certainly　there　never　was　any　king　upon　whom　fortune　made　such　short　turns；　nor　any　other　life　or　story　so　filled　with　her　swift　and　surprising　changes；　over　and　over　again；　from　small　things　to　great；　from　splendour　back　to　humiliation　and　from　utter　weakness　once　more　to　power　and　might。　They　say　in　his　sadder　vicissitudes　he　used　sometimes　to　apostrophize　fortune　in　the　words　of　Aeschylus…

　　　　　　　　　〃Thou　liftest　up；　to　cast　us　down　again。〃

And　so　at　this　moment；　when　all　things　seemed　to　conspire　together　to　give　him　his　heart's　desire　of　dominion　and　power；　news　arrived　that　Lysimachus　had　taken　all　his　cities　in　Asia；　that　Ptolemy　had　reduced　all　Cyprus　with　the　exception　of　Salamis；　and　that　in　Salamis　his　mother　and　children　were　shut　up　and　close　besieged；　and　yet；　like　the　woman　in　Archilochus…

　　　　　　　　　〃Water　in　one　deceitful　hand　she　shows；　　　　　　　　　　　While　burning　fire　within　her　other　glows。〃

The　same　fortune　that　drew　him　off　with　these　disastrous　tidings　from　Sparta；　in　a　moment　after　opened　upon　him　a　new　and　wonderful　prospect；　of　the　following　kind。　Cassander；　King　of　Macedon；　dying；　and　his　eldest　son　Philip；　who　succeeded　him；　not　long　surviving　his　father；　the　two　younger　brothers　fell　at　variance　concerning　the　succession。　And　Antipater　having　murdered　his　mother　Thessalonica；　Alexander；　the　younger　brother；　called　in　to　his　assistance　Pyrrhus　out　of　Epirus；　and　Demetrius　out　of　the　Peloponnese。　Pyrrhus　arrived　first；　and；　taking　in　recompense　for　his　succour　a　large　slice　of　Macedonia；　had　made　Alexander　begin　to　be　aware　that　he　had　brought　upon　himself　a　dangerous　neighbour。　And；　that　he　might　not　run　a　yet　worse　hazard　from　Demetrius；　whose　power　and　reputation　were　so　great；　the　young　man　hurried　away　to　meet　him　at　Dium；　whither　he；　who　on　receiving　his　letter　had　set　out　on　his　march；　was　now　come。　And；　offering　his　greetings　and　grateful　acknowledgments；　he　at　the　same　time　informed　him　that　his　affairs　no　longer　required　the　presence　of　his　ally；　thereupon　he　invited　him　to　supper。　There　were　not　wanting　some　feelings　of　suspicion　on　either　side　already；　and　when　Demetrius　was　now　on　his　way　to　the　banquet；　some　one　came　and　told　him　that　in　the　midst　of　the　drinking　he　would　be　killed。　Demetrius　showed　little　concern；　but；　making　only　a　little　less　haste；　he　sent　to　the　principal　officers　of　his　army　commanding　them　to　draw　out　the　soldiers；　and　make　them　stand　to　their　arms；　and　ordered　his　retinue　（more　numerous　a　good　deal　than　that　of　Alexander）　to　attend　him　into　the　very　room　of　the　entertainment；　and　not　to　stir　from　thence　till　they　saw　him　rise　from　the　table。　Thus　Alexander's　servants；　finding　themselves　overpowered；　had　not　courage　to　attempt　anything。　And；　indeed；　Demetrius　gave　them　no　opportunity；　for　he　made　a　very　short　visit；　and　pretending　to　Alexander　that　he　was　not　at　present　in　health　for　drinking　wine；　left　early。　And　the　next　day　he　occupied　himself　in　preparations　for　departing；　telling　Alexander　he　had　received　intelligence　that　obliged　him　to　leave；　begging　him　to　excuse　so　sudden　a　parting；　he　would　hope　to　see　him　further　when　his　affairs　allowed　him　leisure。　Alexander　was　only　too　glad；　not　only　that　he　was　going；　but　that　he　was　doing　so　of　his　own　motion；　without　any　offence；　and　proposed　to　accompany　him　into　Thessaly。　But　when　they　came　to　Larissa；　new　invitations　passed　between　them；　new　professions　of　good…will；　covering　new　conspiracies；　by　which　Alexander　put　himself　into　the　power　of　Demetrius。　For　as　he　did　not　like　to　use　precautions　on　his　own　part；　for　fear　Demetrius　should　take　the　hint　to　use　them　on　his；　the　very　thing　he　meant　to　use　was　first　done　to　him。　He　accepted　an　invitation；　and　came　to　Demetrius's　quarters；　and　when　Demetrius；　while　they　were　still　supping；　rose　from　the　table　and　went　forth；　the　young　man　rose　also；　and　followed　him　to　the　door；　where　Demetrius；　as　he　passed　through；　only　said　to　the　guards；　〃Kill　him　that　follows　me；〃　and　went　on；　and　Alexander　was　at　once　despatched　by　them；　together　with　such　of　his　friends　as　endeavoured　to　come　to　his　rescue；　one　of　whom；　before　he　died；　said；　〃You　have　been　one　day　too　quick　for　us。〃　　　The　night　following　was　one；　as　may　be　supposed；　of　disorder　and　confusion。　And　with　the　morning；　the　Macedonians；　still　in　alarm；　and　fearful　of　the　forces　of　Demetrius；　on　finding　no　violence　offered；　but　only　a　message　sent　from　Demetrius　desiring　an　interview　and　opportunity　for　explanation　of　his　actions；　at　last　began　to　feel　pretty　confident　again；　and　prepared　to　receive　him　favourably。　And　when　he　came；　there　was　no　need　of　much　being　said；　their　hatred　of　Antipater　for　his　murder　of　his　mother；　and　the　absence　of　any　one　better　to　govern　them；　soon　decided　them　to　proclaim　Demetrius　King　of　Macedon。　And　into　Macedonia　they　at　once　started　and　took　him。　And　the　Macedonians　at　home；　who　had　not　forgotten　or　forgiven　the　wicked　deeds　committed　by　Cassander　on　the　family　of　Alexander；　were　far　from　sorry　at　the　change。　Any　kind　recollections　that　still　might　subsist　of　the　plain　and　simple　rule　of　the　first　Antipater　went　also　to　the　benefit　of　Demetrius；　whose　wife　was　Phila；　his　daughter；　and　his　son　by　her；　a　boy　already　old　enough　to　be　serving　in　the　army　with　his　father；　was　the　natural　successor　to　the　government。　　　To　add　to　this　unexpected　good　fortune；　news　arrived　that　Ptolemy　had　dismissed　his　mother　and　children；　bestowing　upon　them　presents　and　honours；　and　also　that　his　daughter　Stratonice；　whom　he　had　married　to　Seleucus；　was　remarried　to　Antiochus；　the　son　of　Seleucus；　and　proclaimed　Queen　of　Upper　Asia。　　　For　Antiochus；　it　appears；　had　fallen　passionately　in　love　with　Stratonice；　the　young　queen；　who　had　already　made　Seleucus　the　father　of　a　son。　He　struggled　very　hard　with　the　beginning　of　this　passion；　and　at　last；　resolving　with　himself　that　his　desires　were　wholly　unlawful；　his　malady　past　all　cure；　and　his　powers　of　reason　too　feeble　to　act；　he　determined　on　death；　and　thought　to　bring　his　life　slowly　to　extinction　by　neglecting　his　person　and　refusing　nourishment；　under　the　pretence　of　being　ill。　Erasistratus；　the　physician　who　attended　him；　quickly　perceived　that　love　was　his　distemper；　but　the　difficulty　was　to　discover　the　object。　He　therefore　waited　continually　in　his　chamber；　and　when　any　of　the　beauties　of　the　court　made　their　visit　to　the　sick　prince；　he　observed　the　emotions　and　alterations　in　the　countenance　of　Antiochus；　and　watched　for　the　changes　which　he　knew　to　be　indicative　of　the　inward　passions　and　inclinations　of　the　soul。　He　took　notice　that　the　presence　of　other　women　produced　no　effect　upon　him；　but　when　Stratonice　came；　as　she　often　did；　alone；　or　in　company　with　Seleucus；　to　see　him；　he　observed　in　him　all　Sappho's　famous　symptoms；…　his　voice　faltered；　his　face　flushed　up；　his　eyes　glanced　stealthily；　a　sudden　sweat　broke　out　on　his　skin；　the　beatings　of　his　heart　were　irregular　and　violent；