the history-第115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！


n。　Unless　ye　agree　to　this；　I　will　neither　send　succours；　nor　come　myself。〃　　　　　Syagrus；　when　he　heard　these　words；　was　unable　to　contain　himself；　and　exclaimed：…　　　　　〃Surely　a　groan　would　burst　from　Pelops'　son；　Agamemnon；　did　he　hear　that　her　leadership　was　snatched　from　Sparta　by　Gelo　and　the　men　of　Syracuse。　Speak　then　no　more　of　any　such　condition；　as　that　we　should　yield　thee　the　chief　command；　but　if　thou　art　minded　to　come　to　the　aid　of　Greece；　prepare　to　serve　under　Lacedaemonian　generals。　Wilt　thou　not　serve　under　a　leader？…　then；　prithee；　withhold　thy　succours。〃　　　　　Hereupon　Gelo；　seeing　the　indignation　which　showed　itself　in　the　wolds　of　Syagrus；　delivered　to　the　envoys　his　final　offer：…　〃Spartan　stranger；〃　he　said；　〃reproaches　cast　forth　against　a　man　are　wont　to　provoke　him　to　anger；　but　the　insults　which　thou　hast　uttered　in　thy　speech　shall　not　persuade　me　to　outstep　good　breeding　in　my　answer。　Surely　if　you　maintain　so　stoutly　your　right　to　the　command；　it　is　reasonable　that　I　should　be　still　more　stiff　in　maintaining　mine；　forasmuch　as　I　am　at　the　head　of　a　far　larger　fleet　and　army。　Since；　however；　the　claim　which　I　have　put　forward　is　so　displeasing　to　you；　I　will　yield；　and　be　content　with　less。　Take；　if　it　please　you；　the　command　of　the　land…force；　and　I　will　be　admiral　of　the　fleet；　or　assume；　if　you　prefer　it；　the　command　by　sea；　and　I　will　be　leader　upon　the　land。　Unless　you　are　satisfied　with　these　terms；　you　must　return　home　by　yourselves；　and　lose　this　great　alliance。〃　Such　was　the　offer　which　Gelo　made。　　　　　Hereat　broke　in　the　Athenian　envoy；　before　the　Spartan　could　answer；　and　thus　addressed　Gelo…　　　　　〃King　of　the　Syracusans！　Greece　sent　us　here　to　thee　to　ask　for　an　army；　and　not　to　ask　for　a　general。　Thou；　however；　dost　not　promise　to　send　us　any　army　at　all；　if　thou　art　not　made　leader　of　the　Greeks；　and　this　command　is　what　alone　thou　sticklest　for。　Now　when　thy　request　was　to　have　the　whole　command；　we　were　content　to　keep　silence；　for　well　we　knew　that　we　might　trust　the　Spartan　envoy　to　make　answer　for　us　both。　But　since；　after　failing　in　thy　claim　to　lead　the　whole　armament；　thou　hast　now　put　forward　a　request　to　have　the　command　of　the　fleet；　know　that；　even　should　the　Spartan　envoy　consent　to　this；　we　will　not　consent。　The　command　by　sea；　if　the　Lacedaemonians　do　not　wish　for　it；　belongs　to　us。　While　they　like　to　keep　this　command；　we　shall　raise　no　dispute；　but　we　will　not　yield　our　right　to　it　in　favour　of　any　one　else。　Where　would　be　the　advantage　of　our　having　raised　up　a　naval　force　greater　than　that　of　any　other　Greek　people；　if　nevertheless　we　should　suffer　Syracusans　to　take　the　command　away　from　us？…　from　us；　I　say；　who　are　Athenians；　the　most　ancient　nation　in　Greece；　the　only　Greeks　who　have　never　changed　their　abode…　the　people　who　are　said　by　the　poet　Homer　to　have　sent　to　Troy　the　man　best　able　of　all　the　Greeks　to　array　and　marshal　an　army…　so　that　we　may　be　allowed　to　boast　somewhat。〃　　　　　Gelo　replied…　〃Athenian　stranger；　ye　have；　it　seems；　no　lack　of　commanders；　but　ye　are　likely　to　lack　men　to　receive　their　orders。　As　ye　are　resolved　to　yield　nothing　and　claim　everything；　ye　had　best　make　haste　back　to　Greece；　and　say　that　the　spring　of　her　year　is　lost　to　her。〃　The　meaning　of　this　expression　was　the　following：　as　the　spring　is　manifestly　the　finest　season　of　the　year；　so　（he　meant　to　say）　were　his　troops　the　finest　of　the　Greek　army…　Greece；　therefore；　deprived　of　his　alliance；　would　be　like　a　year　with　the　spring　taken　from　it。　　　　　Then　the　Greek　envoys；　without　having　any　further　dealings　with　Gelo；　sailed　away　home。　And　Gelo；　who　feared　that　the　Greeks　would　be　too　weak　to　withstand　the　barbarians；　and　yet　could　not　any　how　bring　himself　to　go　to　the　Peloponnese；　and　there；　though　king　of　Sicily；　serve　under　the　Lacedaemonians；　left　off　altogether　to　contemplate　that　course　of　action；　and　betook　himself　to　quite　a　different　plan。　As　soon　as　ever　tidings　reached　him　of　the　passage　of　the　Hellespont　by　the　Persians；　he　sent　off　three　penteconters；　under　the　command　of　Cadmus；　the　son　of　Scythas；　a　native　of　Cos；　who　was　to　go　to　Delphi；　taking　with　him　a　large　sum　of　money　and　a　stock　of　friendly　words：　there　he　was　to　watch　the　war；　and　see　what　turn　it　would　take：　if　the　barbarians　prevailed；　he　was　to　give　Xerxes　the　treasure；　and　with　it　earth　and　water　for　the　lands　which　Gelo　ruled…　if　the　Greeks　won　the　day；　he　was　to　convey　the　treasure　back。　　　　　This　Cadmus　had　at　an　earlier　time　received　from　his　father　the　kingly　power　at　Cos　in　a　right　good　condition；　and　had　of　his　own　free　will　and　without　the　approach　of　any　danger；　from　pure　love　of　justice；　given　up　his　power　into　the　hands　of　the　people　at　large；　and　departed　to　Sicily；　where　he　assisted　in　the　Samian　seizure　and　settlement　of　Zancle；　or　Messana；　as　it　was　afterwards　called。　Upon　this　occasion　Gelo　chose　him　to　send　into　Greece；　because　he　was　acquainted　with　the　proofs　of　honesty　which　he　had　given。　And　now　he　added　to　his　former　honourable　deeds　an　action　which　is　not　the　least　of　his　merits。　With　a　vast　sum　entrusted　to　him　and　completely　in　his　power；　so　that　he　might　have　kept　it　for　his　own　use　if　he　had　liked；　he　did　not　touch　it；　but　when　the　Greeks　gained　the　sea…fight　and　Xerxes　fled　away　with　his　army；　he　brought　the　whole　treasure　back　with　him　to　Sicily。　　　　　They；　however；　who　dwell　in　Sicily；　say　that　Gelo；　though　he　knew　that　he　must　serve　under　the　Lacedaemonians；　would　nevertheless　have　come　to　the　aid　of　the　Greeks；　had　not　it　been　for　Terillus；　the　son　of　Crinippus；　king　of　Himera；　who；　driven　from　his　city　by　Thero；　the　son　of　Aenesidemus；　king　of　Agrigentum；　brought　into　Sicily　at　this　very　time　an　army　of　three　hundred　thousand　men；　Phoenicians；　Libyans；　Iberians；　Ligurians；　Helisycians；　Sardinians；　and　Corsicans；　under　the　command　of　Hamilcar　the　son　of　Hanno；　king　of　the　Carthaginians。　Terillus　prevailed　upon　Hamilcar；　partly　as　his　sworn　friend；　but　more　through　the　zealous　aid　of　Anaxilaus　the　son　of　Cretines；　king　of　Rhegium；　who；　by　giving　his　own　sons　to　Hamilcar　as　hostages；　induced　him　to　make　the　expedition。　Anaxilaus　herein　served　his　own　father…in…law；　for　he　was　married　to　a　daughter　of　Terillus；　by　name　Cydippe。　So；　as　Gelo　could　not　give　the　Greeks　any　aid；　he　sent　（they　say）　the　sum　of　money　to　Delphi。　　　　　They　say　too；　that　the　victory　of　Gelo　and　Thero　in　Sicily　over　Hamilcar　the　Carthaginian　fell　out　upon　the　very　day　that　the　Greeks　defeated　the　Persians　at　Salamis。　Hamilcar；　who　was　a　Carthaginian　on　his　father's　side　only；　but　on　his　mother's　a　Syracusan；　and　who　had　been　raised　by　his　merit　to　the　throne　of　Carthage；　after　the　battle　and　the　defeat；　as　I　am　informed；　disappeared　from　sight：　Gelo　made　the　strictest　search　for　him；　but　he　could　not　be　found　anywhere；　either　dead　or　alive。　　　　　The　Carthaginians；　who　take　probability　for　their　guide；　give　the　following　account　of　this　matter：…　Hamilcar；　they　say；　during　all　the　time　that　the　battle　raged　between　the　Greeks　and　the　barbarians；　which　was　from　early　dawn　till　evening；　remained　in　the　camp；　sacrificing　and　seeking　favourable　omens；　while　he　burned　on　a　huge　pyre　the　entire　bodies　of　the　victims　which　he　offered。　Here；　as　he　poured　libations　upon　the　sacrifices；　he　saw　the　rout　of　his　army；　whereupon　he　cast　himself　headlong　into　the　flames；　and　so　was　consumed　and　disappeared。　But　whether　Hamilcar's　disappearance　happened；　as　the　Phoenicians　tell　us；　in　this　way；　or；　as　the　Syracusans　maintain；　in　some　other；　certain　it　is　that　the　Carthaginians　offer　him　sacrifice；　and　in　all　their　colonies　have　monuments　erected　to　his　honour；　as　well　as　one；　which　is　the　grandest　of　all；　at　Carthage。　Thus　much　concerning　the　affairs　of　Sicily。　　　　　As　for　the　Corcyraeans；　whom　the　envoys　that　visited　Sicily　took　in　their　way；　and　to　whom　they　delivered　the　same　message　as　to　Gelo…　their　answers　and　actions　were　the　following。　With　great　readiness　they　promised　to　come　and　give　their　help　to　the　Greeks；　declaring　that　〃the　ruin　of　Greece　was　a　thing　which　they　could　not　tamely　stand　by　to　see；　for　should　she　fall；　they　must　the　very　next　day　submit　to　slavery；　so　that　they　were　bound　to　assist　her　to　the　very　uttermost　of　their　power。〃　But　notwithstanding　that　they　answered　so　smoothly；　yet　when　the　time　came　for　the　succours　to　be　sent；　they　were　of　quite　a　different　mind；　and　though　they　manned　sixty　ships；　it　was　long　ere　they　put　to　sea　with　them；　and　when　they　had　so　done；　they　went　no　further　than　the　Peloponnese；　where　they　lay　to　with　their　fleet；　off　the　Lacedaemonian　coast；　about　Pylos　and　Taenarum…　like　Gelo；　watching　to　see　what　turn　the　war　would　take。　For　they　despaired　altogether　of　the　Greeks　gaining　the　day；　and　expected　that　the　Persian　would　win　a　great　battle；　and　then　be　master　of　the　whole　of　Greece。　They　therefore　acted　as　I　have　said；　in　order　that　they　might　be　able　to　address　Xerxes　in　words　like　these：　〃O　king！　though　the　Greeks　sought　to　obtain　our　aid　in　their　war　with　thee；　and　though　we　had　a　force　of　no　small　size；　and　could　have　furnished　a　greater　number　of　ships　than　any　Greek　state　except　Athens；　yet　we　refused；　since　we　would　not　fight　against　thee；　nor　do　aught　to　cause　thee　annoyance。〃　The　Corcyraeans　hoped　that　a　speech　like　this　would　gain　them　better　treatment　from　the　Persians　than　the　rest　of　the　Greeks；　and　it　would　have　done　so；　in　my　judgment。　At　the　same　time；　they　had　an　excuse　ready　to　give　their　countrymen；　which　they　used　when　the　time　came。　Reproached　by　them　for　sending　no　succours；　they　replied　〃that　they　had　fitted　out　a　fleet　of　sixty　triremes；　but　that　the　Etesian　winds　did　not　allow　them　to　double　Cape　Malea；　and　this　hindered　them　from　reaching　Salamis…　it　was　not　from　any　bad　motive　that　they　had　missed　the　sea…fight。〃　In　this　way　the　Corcyraeans　eluded　the　reproaches　of　the　Greeks。　　　　　The　Cretans；　when　the　envoys　sent　to　ask　aid　from　them　came　and　made　their　request；　acted　as　follows。　They　despatched　messengers　in　the　name　of　their　state　to　Delphi；　and　asked　the　god；　whether　it　would　make　for　their　welfare　if　they　should　lend　succour　to　Greece。　〃Fools！〃　replied　the　Pythoness；　〃do　ye　not　still　complain　of　the　woes　which　the　assisting　of　Menelaus　cost　you　at　the　hands