agesilaus-第3部分

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＇14＇　=　25；000　pounds　nearly。







It　was　then　that　the　Persian　king；　believing　that　Tissaphernes　was　to



blame　for　the　ill　success　of　his　affairs；　sent　down　Tithraustes　and



cut　off　the　satrap's　head。　After　this　the　fortunes　of　the　barbarians



grew　still　more　desperate；　whilst　those　of　Agesilaus　assumed　a　bolder



front。　On　all　side　embassies　from　the　surrounding　nations　came　to　make



terms　of　friendship；　and　numbers　even　came　over　to　him；　stretching　out



eager　arms　to　grasp　at　freedom。　So　that　Agesilaus　was　now　no　longer



the　chosen　captain　of　the　Hellenes　only；　but　of　many　Asiatics。







And　here　we　may　pause　and　consider　what　a　weight　of　admiration　is　due



to　one　who；　being　now　ruler　over　countless　cities　of　the　continent；



and　islands　also　（since　the　state　had　further　entrusted　the　navy　to



his　hands）；　just　when　he　had　reached　this　pinnacle　of　renown　and



power；　and　might　look　to　turn　to　account　his　thronging　fortunes；　when；



too；　which　overtops　all　else；　he　was　cherishing　fond　hopes　to　dissolve



that　empire　which　in　former　days　had　dared　to　march　on　Hellas；at



such　a　moment　suffered　himself　not　to　be　overmastered　by　these



promptings；　but　on　receipt　of　a　summons　of　the　home　authorities　to



come　to　the　assistance　of　the　fatherland；　obeyed　the　mandate　of　his



state　as　readily＇15＇　as　though　he　stood　confronted　face　to　face　with



the　Five　in　the　hall　of　ephors；　and　thus　gave　clear　proof　that　he



would　not　accept　the　whole　earth　in　exchange　for　the　land　of　his



fathers；　nor　newly…acquired　in　place　of　ancient　friends；　nor　base



gains　ingloriously　purchased　rather　than　the　perilous　pursuit　of



honour　and　uprightness。＇16＇







＇15＇　Cf。　Hor。　〃Od。〃　III。　v。　50。







＇16＇　See　Pindar；　〃Olymp。〃　vi。　14。







And；　indeed；　glancing　back　at　the　whole　period　during　which　he



remained　in　the　exercise　of　his　authority；　no　act　of　deeper



significance　in　proof　of　his　kingly　qualities　need　be　named　than　this。



He　found　the　cities　which　he　was　sent　out　to　govern　each　and　all　a



prey　to　factions；　the　result　of　constitutional　disturbances　consequent



on　the　cessation　of　the　Athenian　empire；　and　without　resort　to　exile



or　sanguinary　measures　he　so　disposed　them　by　his　healing　presence



that　civil　concord　and　material　prosperity　were　permanently



maintained。　Therefore　it　was　that　the　Hellenes　in　Asia　deplored　his



departure；＇17＇　as　though　they　had　lost；　not　simply　a　ruler；　but　a



father　or　bosom　friend；　and　in　the　end　they　showed　that　their



friendship　was　of　no　fictitious　character。　At　any　rate；　they



voluntarily　helped　him　to　succour　Lacedaemon；　though　it　involved；　as



they　knew；　the　need　of　doing　battle　with　combatants　of　equal　prowess



with　themselves。　So　the　tale　of　his　achievements　in　Asia　has　an　end。







＇17＇　See　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　xv。



















II







He　crossed　the　Hellespont　and　made　his　way　through　the　very　tribes



traversed　by　the　Persian＇1＇　with　his　multitudinous　equipment　in　former



days；　and　the　march　which　cost　the　barbarian　a　year　was　accomplished



by　Agesilaus　in　less　than　a　single　month。　He　did　not　want　to　arrive　a



day　too　late　to　serve　his　fatherland。　And　so　passing　through　Macedonia



he　arrived　in　Thessaly；　and　here　the　men　of　Larissa；　Crannon；



Scotussa；　and　Pharsalus；　who　were　allies　of　the　Boeotians；　and　indeed



all　the　Thessalians；　with　the　exception　of　those　who　were　in　exile　at



the　time；　combined　to　dog　his　steps　and　do　him　damage。　For　a　while　he



led　his　troops　in　a　hollow　square；　posting　one　half　of　his　cavalry　in



the　van　and　the　other　half　on　his　rear；　but　finding　his　march　hindered



by　frequent　attacks　of　the　Thessalians　on　his　hindmost　divisions；　he



sent　round　the　mass　of　his　cavalry　from　the　vanguard　to　support　his



rear；　reserving　only　his　personal　escort。＇2＇　And　now　in　battle　order



the　rival　squadrons　faced　each　other；　when　the　Thessalians；　not　liking



a　cavalry　engagement　in　face　of　heavy　infantry；　wheeled　and　step　by



step　retreated；　their　opponents　with　much　demureness　following。　Then



Agesilaus；　detecting　the　common　error　under　which　both　parties



laboured；　sent　round　his　own　bodyguard　of　stalwart　troopers　with



orders　to　their　predecessors　（an　order　they　would　act　upon　themselves）



to　charge　the　enemy　at　full　gallop　and　not　give　him　a　chance　to　rally。



The　Thessalians；　in　face　of　this　unexpected　charge；　either　could　not



so　much　as　rally；　or　in　the　attempt　to　do　so　were　caught　with　their



horses'　flanks　exposed　to　the　enemy's　attack。　Polycharmus；　the



Pharsalian；　a　commandant　of　cavalry；　did　indeed　succeed　in　wheeling；



but　was　cut　down　with　those　about　him　sword　in　hand。　This　was　the



signal　for　a　flight　so　extraordinary　that　dead　and　dying　lined　the



road；　and　the　living　were　captured　wholesale；　nor　was　a　halt　made



until　the　pursuers　reached　Mount　Narthacius。　Here；　midway　between　Pras



and　Narthacius；　Agesilaus　erected　a　trophy；　and　here　for　the　moment　he



halted　in　unfeigned　satisfaction　at　his　exploit；　since　it　was　from　an



antagonist　boasting　the　finest　cavalry　in　the　world　that　he　had



wrested　victory　with　a　body　of　cavalry　organised　by　himself。







＇1＇　I。e。　〃Xerxes。〃







＇2＇　I。e。　〃the　Three　hundred。〃　See　Thuc。　v。　72；　〃Pol。　Lac。〃　xiii。　6。







Next　day；　crossing　the　mountain　barrier　of　Achaea　Phthiotis；　his　march



lay　through　friendly　territory　for　the　rest　of　the　way　as　far　as　the



frontiers　of　Boeotia。　Here　he　found　the　confederates　drawn　up　in



battle　line。　They　consisted　of　the　Thebans；　the　Athenians；　the



Argives；　the　Corinthians；　the　Aenianians；　the　Euboeans；　and　both



divisions　of　the　Locrians。＇3＇　He　did　not　hesitate；　but　openly　before



their　eyes　drew　out　his　lines　to　give　them　battle。　He　had　with　him　a



division＇4＇　and　a　half　of　Lacedaemonians；　and　from　the　seat　of　war



itself　the　allied　troops　of　the　Phocians　and　the　men　of　Orchomenus



only；　besides　the　armament　which　he　had　brought　with　him　from　Asia。







＇3＇　See　〃Hell。〃　IV。　ii。　7。







＇4＇　Lit。　〃mora。〃







I　am　not　going　to　maintain　that　he　ventured　on　the　engagement　in　spite



of　having　far　fewer　and　inferior　forces。　Such　an　assertion　would　only



reveal　the　senselessness　of　the　general＇5＇　and　the　folly　of　the　writer



who　should　select　as　praiseworthy　the　reckless　imperilling　of　mighty



interests。　On　the　contrary；　what　I　admire　is　the　fact　that　he　had



taken　care　to　provide　himself　with　an　army　not　inferior　to　that　of　his



enemy；　and　had　so　equipped　them　that　his　cohorts　literally　gleamed



with　purple　and　bronze。＇6＇　He　had　taken　pains　to　enable　his　soldiers



to　undergo　the　fatigue　of　war；　he　had　filled　their　breasts　with　a



proud　consciousness　that　they　were　equal　to　do　battle　with　any



combatants　in　the　world；　and　what　was　more；　he　had　infused　a　wholesome



rivalry　in　those　about　him　to　prove　themselves　each　better　than　the



rest。　He　had　filled　all　hearts　with　sanguine　expectation　of　great



blessings　to　descend　on　all；　if　they　proved　themselves　good　men。　Such



incentives；　he　thought；　were　best　calculated　to　arouse　enthusiasm　in



men's　souls　to　engage　in　battle　with　the　enemy。　And　in　this



expectation　he　was　not　deceived。







＇5＇　Lit。　〃Agesilaus。〃







＇6＇　See　〃Cyrop。〃　VI。　iv。　1。







I　proceed　to　describe　the　battle；　for　in　certain　distinctive　features



it　differed　from　all　the　battles　of　our　day。　The　contending　forces　met



on　the　plain　of　Coronea；　Agesilaus　and　his　troops　approaching　from　the



Cephisus；　the　Thebans　and　their　allies　from　the　slopes　of　the　Helicon。



These　masses　of　infantry；　as　any　eye　might　see；　were　of　duly　balanced



strength；　while　as　near　as　could　be　the　cavalry　on　either　side　was



numerically　the　same。　Agesilaus　held　the　right　of　his　own　army；　and　on



his　extreme　left　lay　the　men　of　Orchomenus。　On　the　opposite　side　the



Thebans　themselves　formed　their　own　right　and　the　Argives　held　their



left。　While　the　two　armies　approached　a　deep　silence　prevailed　on



either　side；　but　when　they　were　now　a　single　furlong's＇7＇　space　apart



the　Thebans　quickened　to　a　run；　and；　with　a　loud　hurrah；　dashed



forward　to　close　quarters。　And　now　there　was　barely　a　hundred　yards＇8＇



between　them；　when　Herippidas；　with　his　foreign　brigade；　rushed



forward　from　the　Spartan's　battle　lines　to　meet　them。　This　brigade



consisted　partly　of　troops　which　had　served　with　Agesilaus　ever　since



he　left　home；　with　a　portion　of　the　Cyreians；　besides　Ionians；



Aeolians；　and　their　neighbours　on　the　Hellespont。　All　these　took　part



in　the　foward　rush　of　the　attack　just　mentioned；　and　coming　within



spear…thrust　they　routed　that　portion　of　the　enemy　in　front　of　them。



The　Argives　did　not　even　wait　for　Agesilaus　and　his　division；　but　fled



towards　Helicon；　and　at　that　moment　some　of　his　foreign　friends　were



on　the　point　of　crowning　Agesilaus　with　the　wreath　of　victory；　when



some　one　brought　him　word　that　the　Thebans　had　cut　through　the



division　from　Orchomenus　and　were　busy　with　the　baggage…train。



Accordingly　he　at　once　deployed　his　division　and　advanced　by



counter…march　against　them。　The　Thebans　on　their　side；　seeing　that



their　allies　had　scattered　on　Helicon；　and　eager　to　make　their　way



back　to　join　their　friends；　began　advancing　sturdily。







＇7＇　Lit。　〃a　stade。〃







＇8＇　Lit。　〃three　plethra。〃







To　assert　that　Agesilaus　at　this　crisis　displayed　real　valour　is　to



assert　a　thing　indisputable；　but　for　all　that　the　course　he　adopted



was　not　the　safest。　It　was　open　to　him　to　let　the　enemy　pass　in　their



eff