pericles-第5节

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five　years'　time；　Mnesicles　being　the　principal　architect。　A　strange
accident　happened　in　the　course　of　building；　which　showed　that　the
goddess　was　not　averse　to　the　work；　but　was　aiding　and　co…operating　to
bring　it　to　perfection。　One　of　the　artificers；　the　quickest　and　the
handiest　workman　among　them　all；　with　a　slip　of　his　foot　fell　down
from　a　great　height；　and　lay　in　a　miserable　condition；　the
physicians　having　no　hope　of　his　recovery。　When　Pericles　was　in
distress　about　this；　Minerva　appeared　to　him　at　night　in　a　dream；
and　ordered　a　course　of　treatment；　which　he　applied；　and　in　a　short
time　and　with　great　ease　cured　the　man。　And　upon　this　occasion　it
was　that　he　set　up　a　brass　statue　of　Minerva；　surnamed　Health；　in
the　citadel　near　the　altar；　which　they　say　was　there　before。　But　it
was　Phidias　who　wrought　the　goddess's　image　in　gold；　and　he　has　his
name　inscribed　on　the　pedestal　as　the　workman　of　it；　and　indeed　the
whole　work　in　a　manner　was　under　his　charge；　and　he　had；　as　we　have
said　already；　the　oversight　over　all　the　artists　and　workmen；
through　Pericles's　friendship　for　him；　and　this；　indeed；　made　him　much
envied；　and　his　patron　shamefully　slandered　with　stories；　as　if
Phidias　were　in　the　habit　of　receiving；　for　Pericles's　use；　freeborn
women　that　came　to　see　the　works。　The　comic　writers　of　the　town；
when　they　had　got　hold　of　this　story；　made　much　of　it；　and　bespattered
him　with　all　the　ribaldry　they　could　invent；　charging　him　falsely　with
the　wife　of　Menippus；　one　who　was　his　friend　and　served　as
lieutenant　under　him　in　the　wars；　and　with　the　birds　kept　by
Pyrilampes；　an　acquaintance　of　Pericles；　who；　they　pretended；　used
to　give　presents　of　peacocks　to　Pericles's　female　friends。　And　how　can
one　wonder　at　any　number　of　strange　assertions　from　men　whose　whole
lives　were　devoted　to　mockery；　and　who　were　ready　at　any　time　to
sacrifice　the　reputation　of　their　superiors　to　vulgar　envy　and
spite；　as　to　some　evil　genius；　when　even　Stesimbrotus　the　Thracian　has
dared　to　lay　to　the　charge　of　Pericles　a　monstrous　and　fabulous
piece　of　criminality　with　his　son's　wife？　So　very　difficult　a　matter
is　it　to　trace　and　find　out　the　truth　of　anything　by　history；　when；　on
the　one　hand；　those　who　afterwards　write　it　find　long　periods　of
time　intercepting　their　view；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the　contemporary
records　of　any　actions　and　lives；　partly　through　envy　and　ill…will；
partly　through　favour　and　flattery；　pervert　and　distort　truth。
　　When　the　orators；　who　sided　with　Thucydides　and　his　party；　were　at
one　time　crying　out；　as　their　custom　was；　against　Pericles；　as　one　who
squandered　away　the　public　money；　and　made　havoc　of　the　state
revenues；　he　rose　in　the　open　assembly　and　put　the　question　to　the
people；　whether　they　thought　that　he　had　laid　out　much；　and　they
saying；　〃Too　much；　a　great　deal；〃　〃Then；〃　said　he；　〃since　it　is　so；
let　the　cost　not　go　to　your　account；　but　to　mine；　and　let　the
inscription　upon　the　buildings　stand　in　my　name。〃　When　they　heard
him　say　thus；　whether　it　were　out　of　a　surprise　to　see　the　greatness
of　his　spirit　or　out　of　emulation　of　the　glory　of　the　works；　they
cried　aloud；　bidding　him　to　spend　on；　and　lay　out　what　he　thought
fit　from　the　public　purse；　and　to　spare　no　cost；　till　all　were
finished。
　　At　length；　coming　to　a　final　contest　with　Thucydides　which　of　the
two　should　ostracism　the　other　out　of　the　country；　and　having　gone
through　this　peril；　he　threw　his　antagonist　out；　and　broke　up　the
confederacy　that　had　been　organized　against　him。　So　that　now　all
schism　and　division　being　at　an　end；　and　the　city　brought　to
evenness　and　unity；　he　got　all　Athens　and　all　affairs　that　pertained
to　the　Athenians　into　his　own　hands；　their　tributes；　their　armies；　and
their　galleys；　the　islands；　the　sea；　and　their　wide…extended　power；
partly　over　other　Greeks　and　partly　over　barbarians；　and　all　that
empire；　which　they　possessed；　founded　and　fortified　upon　subject
nations　and　royal　friendships　and　alliance。
　　After　this　he　was　no　longer　the　same　man　he　had　been　before；　nor
as　tame　and　gentle　and　familiar　as　formerly　with　the　populace；　so　as
readily　to　yield　to　their　pleasures　and　to　comply　with　the　desires
of　the　multitude；　as　a　steersman　shifts　with　the　winds。　Quitting
that　loose；　remiss；　and；　in　some　cases；　licentious　court　of　the
popular　will；　he　turned　those　soft　and　flowery　modulations　to　the
austerity　of　aristocratical　and　regal　rule；　and　employing　this
uprightly　and　undeviatingly　for　the　country's　best　interests；　he　was
able　generally　to　lead　the　people　along；　with　their　own　wills　and
consents；　by　persuading　and　showing　them　what　was　to　be　done；　and
sometimes；　too；　urging　and　pressing　them　forward　extremely　against
their　will；　he　made　them；　whether　they　would　or　no；　yield　submission
to　what　was　for　their　advantage。　In　which；　to　say　the　truth；　he　did
but　like　a　skilful　physician；　who；　in　a　complicated　and　chronic
disease；　as　he　sees　occasion；　at　one　while　allows　his　patient　the
moderate　use　of　such　things　as　please　him；　at　another　while　gives
him　keen　pains　and　drug　to　work　the　cure。　For　there　arising　and
growing　up；　as　was　natural；　all　manner　of　distempered　feelings　among　a
people　which　had　so　vast　a　command　and　dominion；　he　alone；　as　a
great　master；　knowing　how　to　handle　and　deal　fitly　with　each　one　of
them；　and；　in　an　especial　manner；　making　that　use　of　hopes　and
fears；　as　his　two　chief　rudders；　with　the　one　to　check　the　career　of
their　confidence　at　any　time；　with　the　other　to　raise　them　up　and
cheer　them　when　under　any　discouragement；　plainly　showed　by　this；　that
rhetoric；　or　the　art　of　speaking；　is；　in　Plato's　language；　the
government　of　the　souls　of　men；　and　that　her　chief　business　is　to
address　the　affections　and　passions；　which　are　as　it　were　the
strings　and　keys　to　the　soul；　and　require　a　skilful　and　careful
touch　to　be　played　on　as　they　should　be。　The　source　of　this
predominance　was　not　barely　his　power　of　language；　but；　as
Thucydides　assures　us；　the　reputation　of　his　life；　and　the
confidence　felt　in　his　character；　his　manifest　freedom　from　every　kind
of　corruption；　and　superiority　to　all　considerations　of　money。
Notwithstanding　he　had　made　the　city　of　Athens；　which　was　great　of
itself；　as　great　and　rich　as　can　be　imagined；　and　though　he　were
himself　in　power　and　interest　more　than　equal　to　many　kings　and
absolute　rulers；　who　some　of　them　also　bequeathed　by　will　their
power　to　their　children；　he；　for　his　part；　did　not　make　the
patrimony　his　father　left　him　greater　than　it　was　by　one　drachma。
　　Thucydides；　indeed；　gives　a　plain　statement　of　the　greatness　of
his　power；　and　the　comic　poets；　in　their　spiteful　manner；　more　than
hint　at　it；　styling　his　companions　and　friends　the　new
Pisistratidae；　and　calling　on　him　to　abjure　any　intention　of
usurpation；　as　one　whose　eminence　was　too　great　to　be　any　longer
proportionable　to　and　compatible　with　a　democracy　or　popular
government。　And　Teleclides　says　the　Athenians　had　surrendered　up　to
him…

　　〃The　tribute　of　the　cities；　and　with　them；　the　cities　too；
　　　　　to　do　with　them　as　he　pleases；　and　undo；
　　　To　build　up；　if　he　likes；　stone　walls　around　a　town；　and　again；
　　　　　if　so　he　likes；　to　pull　them　down；
　　　Their　treaties　and　alliances；　power；　empire；　peace；　and　war；
　　　　　their　wealth　and　their　success　forever　more。〃

　　Nor　was　all　this　the　luck　of　some　happy　occasion；　nor　was　it　the
mere　bloom　and　grace　of　a　policy　that　flourished　for　a　season；　but
having　for　forty　years　together　maintained　the　first　place　among
statesmen　such　as　Ephialtes　and　Leocrates　and　Myronides　and　Cimon
and　Tolmides　and　Thucydides　were；　after　the　defeat　and　banishment　of
Thucydides；　for　no　less　than　fifteen　years　longer；　in　the　exercise
of　one　continuous　unintermitted　command　in　the　office；　to　which　he　was
annually　re…elected；　of　General；　he　preserved　his　integrity　unspotted；
though　otherwise　he　was　not　altogether　idle　or　careless　in　looking
after　his　pecuniary　advantage；　his　paternal　estate；　which　of　right
belonged　to　him；　he　so　ordered　that　it　might　neither　through
negligence　he　wasted　or　lessened；　nor　yet；　being　so　full　of　business
as　he　was；　cost　him　any　great　trouble　or　time　with　taking　care　of
it；　and　put　it　into　such　a　way　of　management　as　he　thought　to　be　the
most　easy　for　himself；　and　the　most　exact。　All　his　yearly　products　and
profits　he　sold　together　in　a　lump；　and　supplied　his　household　needs
afterwards　by　buying　everything　that　he　or　his　family　wanted　out　of
the　market。　Upon　which　account；　his　children；　when　they　grew　to　age；
were　not　well　pleased　with　his　management；　and　the　women　that　lived
with　him　were　treated　with　little　cost；　and　complained　of　his　way　of
housekeeping；　where　everything　was　ordered　and　set　down　from　day　to
day；　and　reduced　to　the　greatest　exactness；　since　there　was　not　there；
as　is　usual　in　a　great　family　and　a　plentiful　estate；　anything　to
spare；　or　over　and　above；　but　all　that　went　out　or　came　in；　all
disbursements　and　all　receipts；　proceeded　as　it　were　by　number　and
measure。　His　manager　in　all　this　was　a　single　servant；　Evangelus　by
name；　a　man　either　naturally　gifted　or　instructed　by　Pericles　so　as　to
excel　every　one　in　this　a