agesilaus-第6部分

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ruler　to　enrich　his　army　than　himself；　it　is　expected　of　him　to　wrest



spoils　from　the　enemy　rather　than　take　gifts。〃







＇5＇　Or；　〃base　covetousness。〃







＇6＇　Or　reading；　｛sun　auto　to　gennaio｝　（with　Breitenbach）；　〃in



　　　　obedience　to　pure　generosity。〃　See　〃Cyrop。〃　VIII。　iii。　38。







＇7＇　I。e。　Agis。　See　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　iv。



















V







Or　again；　reviewing　the　divers　pleasures　which　master　human　beings；　I



defy　any　one　to　name　a　single　one　to　which　Agesilaus　was　enslaved：



Agesilaus；　who　regarded　drunkenness　as　a　thing　to　hold　aloof　from　like



madness；　and　immoderate　eating　like　the　snare　of　indolence。　Even　the



double　portion＇1＇　allotted　to　him　at　the　banquet　was　not　spent　on　his



own　appetite；　rather　would　be　make　distribution　of　the　whole；



retaining　neither　portion　for　himself。　In　his　view　of　the　matter　this



doubling　of　the　king's　share　was　not　for　the　sake　of　surfeiting；　but



that　the　king　might　have　the　wherewithal　to　honour　whom　he　wished。　And



so；　too；　sleep＇2＇　he　treated　not　as　a　master；　but　as　a　slave；



subservient　to　higher　concerns。　The　very　couch　he　lay　upon　must　be



sorrier　than　that　of　any　of　his　company　or　he　would　have　blushed　for



shame；　since　in　his　opinion　it　was　the　duty　of　a　leader　to　excel　all



ordinary　mortals　in　hardihood；　not　in　effeminacy。　Yet　there　were



things　in　which　he　was　not　ashamed　to　take　the　lion's　share；　as；　for



example；　the　sun's　heat　in　summer；　or　winter's　cold。　Did　occasion　ever



demaned　of　his　army　moil　and　toil；　he　laboured　beyond　all　others　as　a



thing　of　course；　believing　that　such　ensamples　are　a　consolation　to



the　rank　and　file。　Or；　to　put　the　patter　compendiously；　Agesilaus



exulted　in　hard　work：　indolence　he　utterly　repudiated。







＇1＇　See　〃Pol。　Lac。〃　xv。　4。　See　J。　J。　Hartman；　〃An。　Xen。〃　257。







＇2＇　See　Hom。　〃Il。〃　ii。　24；　｛ou　khro　pannukhion　eudein　boulephoron



　　　　andra｝；　〃to　sleep　all　night　through　beseemeth　not　one　that　is　a



　　　　counsellor。〃W。　Leaf。







And；　as　touching　the　things　of　Aphrodite；　if　for　nothing　else；　at　any



rate　for　the　marvel　of　it；　the　self…restraint　of　the　man　deserves　to



be　put　on　record。　It　is　easy　to　say　that　to　abstain　from　that　which



excites　no　desire　is　but　human；　yet　in　the　case　of　Megabates；　the　son



of　Spithridates；　he　was　moved　by　as　genuine　a　love　as　any　passionate



soul　may　feel　for　what　is　lovely。　Now；　it　being　a　national　custom



among　the　Persians　to　salute　those　whom　they　honour　with　a　kiss；



Megabates　endeavoured　so　to　salute　Agesilaus；　but　the　latter　with　much



show　of　battle；　resisted〃No　kiss　might　he　accept。〃＇3＇　I　ask　whether



such　an　incident　does　not　reveal　on　the　face　of　it　the　self…respect　of



the　man；　and　that　of　no　vulgar　order。＇4＇　Megabates；　who　looked　upon



himself　as　in　some　sense　dishonoured；　for　the　future　endeavoured　not



to　offend　in　like　sort　again。＇5＇　Whereupon　Agesilaus　appealed　to　one



who　was　his　comrade　to　persuade　Megabates　again　to　honour　him　with　his



regard；　and　the　comrade；　so　appealed　to；　demanding；　〃If　I　persuade



him；　will　you　bestow　on　him　a　kiss？〃　Agesilaus　fell　into　a　silence；



but　presently　exclaimed：　〃No；　by　the　Twins；　not　if　I　might　this　very



instant　become　the　swiftest…footed；　strongest；　and　handsomest　of



men。＇6＇　And　as　to　that　battle　I　swear　by　all　the　gods　I　would　far



rather　fight　it　over　again　than　that　everything　on　which　I　set　my　eyes



might　turn　to　gold。〃＇7＇







＇3＇　See　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　（Clough；　iv。　p。　13　foll。）







＇4＇　Reading；　｛kai　lian　gennikon｝；　or；　〃a　refinement　of　self…respect；〃



　　　　〃a　self…respect　perhaps　even　over…sensitive。〃







＇5＇　Lit。　〃made　no　further　attempt　to　offer　kisses。〃







＇6＇　See　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　ii。　（Clough；　iv。　p。　2）：　〃He　is　said　to　have　been



　　　　a　little　man　of　a　contemptible　presence。〃







＇7＇　See　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　xi。　（Clough；　iv。　p。　14）；　〃Parall。　Min。〃　v；　Ovid。



　　　　〃Met。〃　xi。　102　foll。







What　construction　some　will　put　upon　the　story　I　am　well　aware；　but



for　myself　I　am　persuaded　that　many　more　people　can　master　their



enemeis　than　the　foes　we　speak　of。＇8＇　Doubtless　such　incidents　when



known　to　but　few　may　well　be　discredited　by　many；　but　here　we　are　in



the　region　of　establishing　facts；　seeing　that　the　more　illustrious　a



man　is　the　less　can　his　every　act　escape　notice。　As　to　Agesilaus　no



eye…witness　has　ever　reported　any　unworthy　behaviour；　nor；　had　he



invented　it；　would　his　tale　have　found　credence；　since　it　was　not　the



habit　of　the　king；　when　abroad；　to　lodge　apart　in　private　houses。　He



always　lay　up　in　some　sacred　place；　where　behaviour　of　the　sort　was



out　of　the　question；　or　else　in　public；　with　the　eyes　of　all　men



liable　to　be　called　as　witnesses　to　his　sobriety。　For　myself；　if　I



make　these　statements　falsely　against　the　knowledge　of　Hellas；　this



were　not　in　any　sense　to　praise　my　hero；　but　to　dispraise　myself。







＇8＇　Or；　〃than　the　seductions　in　question。〃



















VI







Nor；　in　my　opinion；　were　those　obscure　proofs　of　courage　and　true



manliness　which　he　furnished　by　his　readiness　ever　to　wage　war　against



the　strongest　enemies；　whether　of　Sparta　or　of　Hellas；　placing　himself



in　the　forefront　of　the　contests　decided　on。　If　the　enemy　cared　to



join　issue　in　fair　field　he　would　not　chance　upon　a　victory　won　by



panic；　but　in　stubborn　battle；　blow　for　blow；　he　mastered　him；　and　set



up　trophies　worthy　of　the　name；　seeing　that　he　left　behind　him



imperishable　monuments　of　prowess；　and　bore　away　on　his　own　body



indelible　marks　of　the　fury　with　which　he　fought；＇1＇　so　that；　apart



from　hearsay；　by　the　evidence　of　men's　eyes　his　valour　stood　approved。







＇1＇　Or；　〃visible　signs　of　the　spirit；〃　etc。　See　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　xxxvi。







And　amongst　these　we　must　not　deem　them　trophies　alone　which　he



actually　set　up；　but　reckon　the　many　campaigns　which　he　undertook；



since　they　were　victories　truly；　even　when　the　enemy　refused　to



encounter　him；　victories　devoid　of　danger；　yet　fraught　with　even　more



solid　advantage　to　the　state　of　Sparta　and　her　fellow…combatants；　just



as　in　our　games　we　crown　as　victor　him　who　walks　over　the　field＇2＇　no



less　than　him　who　conquers　by　dint　of　battle。







＇2＇　Or；　〃without　striking　a　blow。〃　Lit。　〃without　the　dust　of　the



　　　　arena；　'sine　pulvere。'〃　See　Thuc。　iv。　73；　｛akoniti｝。







And　to　speak　next　of　his　wisdom；＇3＇　I　suppose　there　is　not　one　of　all



his　doings　but　must　illustrate　it；this　man　whose　bearing　towards　his



fatherland　was　such　that　by　dint　of　implicit　obedience　＇he　grew　to　so



greate　a　height　of　power＇；＇4＇　whose　zeal　in　the　service　of　his



comrades　won　for　him　the　unhesitating　attachment　of　his　friends；　who



infused　into　the　hearts　of　his　soldiers　a　spirit；　not　of　discipline



only；　but　of　self…devotion　to　their　chief。　And　yet　surely　that　is　the



strongest　of　all　battle…lines＇5＇　in　which　obedience　creates　tactical



efficieny；　and　alacrity　in　the　field　springs　out　of　loyal　affection



for　the　general。







＇3＇　Or；　〃his　sagacity。〃







＇4＇　The　words　｛pleiston　iskhue｝　are　supplied　from　Plutarch　（〃Ages。〃



　　　　iv。）；　who　quotes　the　passage；　〃What　Xenophon　tells　us　of　him；　that



　　　　by　complying　with；　and；　as　it　were；　ruled　by　his　country；　he　grew



　　　　into　such　great　power　with　them；　that　he　could　do　what　he　pleased；



　　　　is　meant；〃　etc。　（Clough；　iv。　p。　4）。　The　lacuna　in　the　MS。　was



　　　　first　noted；　I　believe；　by　Weiske。　See　Breitenbach's　note　ad　loc。







＇5＇　See　〃Cyrop。〃　VII。　i。　30；　〃Econ。〃　xxi。　7。







Enemies　he　had　to　cope　with；　who　had　little　excuse　to　disparage；



however　much　they　might　be　compelled　to　hate　their　opponent；　seeing



that　he　was　for　ever　contriving　to　give　his　allies　some　advantage　over



themby　sheer　deception；　if　occasion　offered；　now　anticipating　them



if　speed　were　requisite；　now　skulking　in　corners　if　concealment



served；　in　all　points　observing　one　rule　of　behaviour　to　his　friends



and　another　towards　his　foes。　By　turning　night　into　day　and　day　into



night＇6＇　he　drew　so　close　a　veil　of　mystery　over　his　movements　that



frequently　there　was　no　saying　where　he　was；　or　whither　he　would　go；



or　what　he　might　do　next。　The　fastnesses　of　the　enemy　he　transformed



into　so　many　weaknesses；＇7＇　passing　this　one　by；　and　scaling　that；　and



stealing　like　a　thief　into　a　third。







＇6＇　See　〃Hell。〃　VI。　i。　15；　〃Pol。　Lac。〃　v。　7；　〃Cyrop。〃　I。　v。　12。







＇7＇　Or；　〃the　strongholds　of　the　enemy　might　to　all　intents　and



　　　　purposes　have　been　open　places。〃







When　he　was　on　the　march；　and　was　well　aware　that　an　enemy　might；　if



he　chose；　deliver　battle；　his　habit　was　to　lead　his　troops　in　compact



battle　order　ready　to　confront　emergencies；　with　soft；　slow　step；



advancing；　as　it　were；　with　maidenly　demureness；＇8＇　for　in　such



procedure；　as　he　believed；　lay　the　secret　of　true　calm；　engendering　a



dauntless　self…assurance；　imperturbable；　unerring；　impervious　to



treacherous　assault。　Therefore　by　such　behaviour　he　was　a　terror　to



the　enemy；　whilst　he　infused　courage　and　strength　in　the　hearts　of　his



friends；　so　that　throughout　his　life　he　continued　to　be　a　man　whom　his



foes　dared　not　despise；　whom　his　fellow…citizens　cared　not　to　arraign；



within　the　circle　of　his　friends　held　blameless；　the　idol　and



admiration　of　the　outer　world。＇9＇







＇8＇　See　above；　ii。　3；　〃Pol。　Lac。〃　iii。　5。







＇9＇　Cf。　Tacitus's　phrase　concerning　Titus；　〃deliciae　humani　generis。〃























VII







To