agesilaus-第5部分

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！





stopping　at　home　he　deftly　turned　his　hand　to；　or　when　the　call　arose



and　he　could　better　help　his　country　by　departure　he　had　no　false



pride；　he　set　off　on　foreign　service；　not　as　general；　but　as



ambassador。　Yet　on　such　embassy　he　achieved　acts　worthy　of　the



greatest　general。　Autophradates＇30＇　was　besieging　Ariobarzanes；＇31＇



who　was　an　ally　of　Sparta；　in　Assos；　but　before　the　face　of　Agesilaus



he　fled　in　terror　and　was　gone。　Cotys；＇32＇　besieging　Sestos；　which



still　adhered　to　Ariobarzanes；　broke　up　the　siege　and　departed



crestfallen。　Well　might　the　ambassador　have　set　up　a　trophy　in



commemoration　of　the　two　bloodless　victories。　Once　more；　Mausolus＇33＇



was　besieging　both　the　above…named　places　with　a　squadron　of　one



hundred　sail。　He　too；　like；　and　yet　unlike；　the　former　two；　yielded



not　to　terror　but　to　persuasion；　and　withdrew　his　fleet。　These；　then；



were　surely　admirable　achievements；　since　those　who　looked　upon　him　as



a　benefactor　and　those　who　fled　from　before　him　both　alike　made　him



the　richer　by　their　gifts。







＇30＇　Satrap　of　Lydia。







＇31＇　Satrap　of　Propontis　or　Hellespontine　Phrygia。







＇32＇　Satrap　of　Paphlagonia；　king　of　Thrace。　Iphicrates　married　his



　　　　daughter。　See　Grote；　〃H。　G。〃　x。　410。







＇33＇　Satrap　of　Caria。







Tachos；＇34＇　indeed；　and　Mausolus　gave　him　a　magnificent　escort；　and；



for　the　sake　of　his　former　friendship　with　Agesilaus；　the　latter



contributed　also　money　for　the　state　of　Lacedaemon；　and　so　they　sped



him　home。







＇34＇　King　of　Egypt。







And　now　the　weight　of；　may　be；　fourscore　years　was　laid　upon　him；＇35＇



when　it　came　under　his　observation　that　the　king　of　Egypt；＇36＇　with



his　hosts　of　foot　and　horse　and　stores　of　wealth；　had　set　his　heart　on



a　war　with　Persia。　Joyfully　he　learned　that　he　himself　was　summoned　by



King　Tachos；　and　that　the　command…in…chief　of　all　the　forces　was



promised　to　him。　By　this　one　venture　he　would　achieve　three　objects；



which　were　to　requite　the　Egyptian　for　the　benefits　conferred　on



Lacedaemon；　to　liberate　the　Hellenes　in　Asia　once　again；　and　to



inflict　on　the　Persian　a　just　recompense；　not　only　for　the　old



offences；　but　for　this　which　was　of　to…day；　seeing　that；　while



boasting　alliance　with　Sparta；　he　had　dictatorially　enjoined　the



emancipation　of　Messene。＇37＇　But　when　the　man　who　had　summoned　him



refused　to　confer　the　proffered　generalship；　Agesilaus；　like　one　on



whom　a　flagrant　deception　has　been　practised；　began　to　consider　the



part　he　had　to　play。　Meanwhile　a　separate　division＇38＇　of　the　Egyptian



armies　held　aloof　from　their　king。　Then；　the　disaffection　spreading；



all　the　rest　of　his　troops　deserted　him；　whereat　the　monarch　took



flight　and　retired　in　exile　to　Sidon　in　Phoenicia；　leaving　the



Egyptians；　split　in　faction；　to　choose　to　themselves　a　pair　of



kings。＇39＇　Thereupon　Agesilaus　took　his　decision。　If　he　helped



neither；　it　meant　that　neither　would　pay　the　service…money　due　to　his



Hellenes；　that　neither　would　provide　a　market；　and　that；　whichever　of



the　two　conquered　in　the　end；　Sparta　would　be　equally　detested。　But　if



he　threw　in　his　lot　with　one　of　them；　that　one　would　in　all　likelihood



in　return　for　the　kindness　prove　a　friend。　Accordingly　he　chose



between　the　two　that　one　who　seemed　to　be　the　truer　partisan　of



Hellas；　and　with　him　marched　against　the　enemy　of　Hellas　and　conquered



him　in　a　battle；　crushing　him。　His　rival　he　helped　to　establish　on　the



throne；　and　having　made　him　a　friend　to　Lacedaemon；　and　having



acquired　vast　sums　besides；　he　turned　and　set　sail　homewards；　even　in



mid…winter；　hastening　so　that　Sparta　might　not　lie　inactive；　but



against　the　coming　summer　be　alert　to　confront　the　foe。







＇35＇　Or；　〃But　to　pass　on；　he　was　already；　may　be；　eighty　years　of　age；



　　　　when　it　came　under　his　observation。　。　。　。〃







＇36＇　This　same　Tachos。







＇37＇　See　〃Hell。〃　VII。　i。　36；　iv。　9。







＇38＇　I。e。　〃the　army　under　Nectanebos。〃　See　Diod。　xv。　92；　Plut。　〃Ages。〃



　　　　xxxvii。　（Clough；　iv。　44　foll。）







＇39＇　I。e。　〃Nectanebos　and　a　certain　Mendesian。〃



















III







Such；　then；　is　the　chronicle　of　this　man's　achievements；　or　of　such　of



them　as　were　wrought　in　the　presence　of　a　thousand　witnesses。　Being　of



this　sort　they　have　no　need　of　further　testimony；　the　mere　recital　of



them　is　sufficient；　and　they　at　once　win　credence。　But　now　I　will



endeavour　to　reveal　the　excellence　indwelling　in　his　soul；　the　motive



power　of　his　acts；　in　virtue　of　which　he　clung　to　all　things



honourable　and　thrust　aside　all　baseness。







Agesilaus　showed　such　reverence　for　things　divine　that　even　his



enemies　regarded　his　oaths　and　solemn　treaties　as　more　to　be　relied　on



than　the　tie　of　friendship　amongst　themselves。　These　same　men；　who



would　shrink　from　too　close　intercourse　with　one　another；　delivered



themselves　into　the　hands　of　Agesilaus　without　fear。　And　lest　the



assertion　should　excite　discredit；　I　may　name　some　illustrious



examples。　Such　was　Spithridates　the　Persian；　who　knew　that



Pharnabazus；＇1＇　whilst　negotiating　to　marry　the　daughter　of　the　great



king；　was　minded　to　seize　his　own　daughter　unwedded。　Resenting　such



brutality；　Spithridates　delivered　up　himself；　his　wife；　his　children；



and　his　whole　power；　into　the　hands　of　Agesilaus。　Cotys＇2＇　also；　the



ruler　of　Paphlagonia；　had　refused　to　obey　a　summons　from　the　king；



although　he　sent　him　the　warrant　of　his　right　hand；＇3＇　then　fear　came



upon　him　lest　he　should　be　seized；　and　either　be　heavily　fined　or　die



the　death；　yet　he　too；　simply　trusting　to　an　armistice；　came　to　the



camp　of　Agesilaus　and　made　alliance；　and　of　his　own　accord　chose　to



take　the　field　with　Agesilaus；　bringing　a　thousand　horsemen　and　two



thousand　targeteers。　Lastly；　Pharnabazus＇4＇　himself　came　and　held



colloquy　with　Agesilaus；　and　openly　agreed　that　if　he　were　not　himself



appointed　general…in…chief　of　the　royal　forces　he　would　revolt　from



the　king。　〃Whereas；　if　I　do　become　general；〃　he　added；　〃I　mean　to　make



war　upon　you；　Agesilaus；　might　and　main；〃　thus　revealing　his



confidence　that；　say　what　he　might；　nothing　would　befall　him　contrary



to　the　terms　of　truce。　Of　so　intrinsic　a　value　to　all；　and　not　least



to　a　general　in　the　field；　is　the　proud　possession　of　an　honest　and



God…fearing　character；　known　and　recognised。　Thus　far；　as　touching　the



quality　of　piety。







＇1＇　See　〃Hell。〃　III。　iv。　10；　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　xi。　（Clough；　iv。　9）。







＇2＇　See　〃Hell。〃　IV。　i。　3；　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　xi。　（Clough；　iv。　13）。







＇3＇　Diod。　xvi。　34。







＇4＇　See　〃Hell。〃　IV。　i。　37。



















IV







To　speak　next　of　his　justice＇1＇　in　affairs　of　money。　As　to　this；　what



testimony　can　be　more　conclusive　than　the　following？　During　the　whole



of　his　career　no　charge　of　fraudulent　dealing　was　ever　lodged　against



Agesilaus；　against　which　set　the　many…voiced　acknowledgmment　of



countless　benefits　received　from　him。　A　man　who　found　pleasure　in



giving　away　his　own　for　the　benefit　of　others　was　not　the　man　to　rob



another　of　his　goods　at　the　price　of　infamy。　Had　he　suffered　from　this



thirst　for　riches　it　would　have　been　easier　to　cling　to　what　belonged



to　him　than　to　take　that　to　which　he　had　no　just　title。　This　man；　who



was　so　careful　to　repay　debts　of　gratitude；　where＇2＇　the　law　knows　no



remedy　against　defaulters；　was　not　likely　to　commit　acts　of　robbery



which　the　law　regards　as　criminal。　And　as　a　matter　of　act　Agesilaus



judged　it　not　only　wrong　to　forgo　repayment　of　a　deed　of　kindness；



but；　where　the　means　were　ample；　wrong　also　not　to　repay　such　debts



with　ample　interest。







＇1＇　See　Muller　and　Donaldson；　〃Hist。　Gk。　Lit。〃　ii。　196；　note　2。







＇2＇　Or；　〃a　state　of　indebtedness　beyond　the　reach　of　a　tribunal。〃　See



　　　　〃Cyrop。〃　I。　ii。　7。







The　charge　of　embezzlement；　could　it　be　alleged；　would　no　less　outrage



all　reason　in　the　case　of　one　who　made　over　to　his　country　the　benefit



in　full　of　grateful　offerings　owed　solely　to　himself。　Indeed　the　very



fact　that；　when　he　wished　to　help　the　city　or　his　friends　with　money；



he　might　have　done　so　by　the　aid　of　others；　goes　a　long　way　to　prove



his　indifference　to　the　lure　of　riches；　since；　had　he　been　in　the



habit　of　selling　his　favour；　or　of　playing　the　part　of　benefactor　for



pay；　there　had　been　no　room　for　a　sense　of　indebtedness。＇3＇　It　is　only



the　recipient　of　gratuitous　kindness　who　is　ever　ready　to　minister　to



his　benefactor；　both　in　return　for　the　kindness　itself　and　for　the



confidence　implied　in　his　selection　as　the　fitting　guardian　of　a　good



deed　on　deposit。＇4＇







＇3＇　Or；　〃no　one　would　have　felt　to　owe　him　anything。〃







＇4＇　See　〃Cyrop。〃　VI。　i。　35；　Rutherford；　〃New　Phrynichus；〃　p。　312。







Again；　who　more　likely　to　put　a　gulf　impassable　between　himself　and



the　sordid　love　of　gain＇5＇　than　he；　who　nobly　preferred　to　be　stinted



of　his　dues＇6＇　rather　than　snatch　at　the　lion's　share　unjustly？　It　is



a　case　in　point　that；　being　pronounced　by　the　state　to　be　the　rightful



heir　to　his　brother's＇7＇　wealth；　he　made　over　one　half　to　his　maternal



relatives　because　he　saw　that　they　were　in　need；　and　to　the　truth　of



this　assertion　all　Lacedaemon　is　witness。　What；　too；　was　his　answer　to



Tithraustes　when　the　satrap　offered　him　countless　gifts　if　he　would



but　quit　the　country？　〃Tithraustes；　with　us　it　is　deemed　nobler　for　a



ruler　to　enrich　his　army　than　hi