the history-第79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！


；　and　first　building　certain　forts；　wherein　they　left　the　banished　Naxians；　withdrew　to　the　mainland；　having　utterly　failed　in　their　undertaking。　　　　　And　now　Aristagoras　found　himself　quite　unable　to　make　good　his　promises　to　Artaphernes；　nay；　he　was　even　hard　pressed　to　meet　the　claims　whereto　he　was　liable　for　the　pay　of　the　troops；　and　at　the　same　time　his　fear　was　great；　lest；　owing　to　the　failure　of　the　expedition　and　his　own　quarrel　with　Megabates；　he　should　be　ousted　from　the　government　of　Miletus。　These　manifold　alarms　had　already　caused　him　to　contemplate　raising　a　rebellion；　when　the　man　with　the　marked　head　came　from　Susa；　bringing　him　instructions　on　the　part　of　Histiaeus　to　revolt　from　the　king。　For　Histiaeus；　when　he　was　anxious　to　give　Aristagoras　orders　to　revolt；　could　find　but　one　safe　way；　as　the　roads　were　guarded；　of　making　his　wishes　known；　which　was　by　taking　the　trustiest　of　his　slaves；　shaving　all　the　hair　from　off　his　head；　and　then　pricking　letters　upon　the　skin；　and　waiting　till　the　hair　grew　again。　Thus　accordingly　he　did；　and　as　soon　as　ever　the　hair　was　grown；　he　despatched　the　man　to　Miletus；　giving　him　no　other　message　than　this…　〃When　thou　art　come　to　Miletus；　bid　Aristagoras　shave　thy　head；　and　look　thereon。〃　Now　the　marks　on　the　head；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　were　a　command　to　revolt。　All　this　Histiaeus　did　because　it　irked　him　greatly　to　be　kept　at　Susa；　and　because　he　had　strong　hopes　that；　if　troubles　broke　out；　he　would　be　sent　down　to　the　coast　to　quell　them；　whereas；　if　Miletus　made　no　movement；　he　did　not　see　a　chance　of　his　ever　again　returning　thither。　　　　　Such；　then；　were　the　views　which　led　Histiaeus　to　despatch　his　messenger；　and　it　so　chanced　that　all　these　several　motives　to　revolt　were　brought　to　bear　upon　Aristagoras　at　one　and　the　same　time。　　　　　Accordingly；　at　this　conjuncture　Aristagoras　held　a　council　of　his　trusty　friends；　and　laid　the　business　before　them；　telling　them　both　what　he　had　himself　purposed；　and　what　message　had　been　sent　him　by　Histiaeus。　At　this　council　all　his　friends　were　of　the　same　way　of　thinking；　and　recommended　revolt；　except　only　Hecataeus　the　historian。　He；　first　of　all；　advised　them　by　all　means　to　avoid　engaging　in　war　with　the　king　of　the　Persians；　whose　might　he　set　forth；　and　whose　subject　nations　he　enumerated。　As　however　he　could　not　induce　them　to　listen　to　this　counsel；　he　next　advised　that　they　should　do　all　that　lay　in　their　power　to　make　themselves　masters　of　the　sea。　〃There　was　one　only　way；〃　he　said；　〃so　far　as　he　could　see；　of　their　succeeding　in　this。　Miletus　was；　he　knew；　a　weak　state…　but　if　the　treasures　in　the　temple　at　Branchidae；　which　Croesus　the　Lydian　gave　to　it；　were　seized；　he　had　strong　hopes　that　the　mastery　of　the　sea　might　be　thereby　gained；　at　least　it　would　give　them　money　to　begin　the　war；　and　would　save　the　treasures　from　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy。〃　Now　these　treasures　were　of　very　great　value；　as　I　showed　in　the　first　part　of　my　History。　The　assembly；　however；　rejected　the　counsel　of　Hecataeus；　while；　nevertheless；　they　resolved　upon　a　revolt。　One　of　their　number；　it　was　agreed；　should　sail　to　Myus；　where　the　fleet　had　been　lying　since　its　return　from　Naxos；　and　endeavour　to　seize　the　captains　who　had　gone　there　with　the　vessels。　　　　　Iatragoras　accordingly　was　despatched　on　this　errand；　and　he　took　with　guile　Oliatus　the　son　of　Ibanolis　the　Mylassian；　and　Histiaeus　the　son　of　Tymnes　the　Termerean…Coes　likewise；　the　son　of　Erxander；　to　whom　Darius　gave　Mytilene；　and　Aristagoras　the　son　of　Heraclides　the　Cymaean；　and　also　many　others。　Thus　Aristagoras　revolted　openly　from　Darius；　and　now　he　set　to　work　to　scheme　against　him　in　every　possible　way。　First　of　all；　in　order　to　induce　the　Milesians　to　join　heartily　in　the　revolt；　he　gave　out　that　he　laid　down　his　own　lordship　over　Miletus；　and　in　lieu　thereof　established　a　commonwealth：　after　which；　throughout　all　Ionia　he　did　the　like；　for　from　some　of　the　cities　he　drove　out　their　tyrants；　and　to　others；　whose　goodwill　he　hoped　thereby　to　gain；　he　handed　theirs　over；　thus　giving　up　all　the　men　whom　he　had　seized　at　the　Naxian　fleet；　each　to　the　city　whereto　he　belonged。　　　　　Now　the　Mytileneans　had　no　sooner　got　Coes　into　their　power；　than　they　led　him　forth　from　the　city　and　stoned　him；　the　Cymaeans；　on　the　other　hand；　allowed　their　tyrant　to　go　free；　as　likewise　did　most　of　the　others。　And　so　this　form　of　government　ceased　throughout　all　the　cities。　Aristagoras　the　Milesian；　after　he　had　in　this　way　put　down　the　tyrants；　and　bidden　the　cities　choose　themselves　captains　in　their　room；　sailed　away　himself　on　board　a　trireme　to　Lacedaemon；　for　he　had　great　need　of　obtaining　the　aid　of　some　powerful　ally。　　　　　At　Sparta；　Anaxandridas　the　son　of　Leo　was　no　longer　king：　he　had　died；　and　his　son　Cleomenes　had　mounted　the　throne；　not　however　by　right　of　merit；　but　of　birth。　Anaxandridas　took　to　wife　his　own　sister's　daughter；　and　was　tenderly　attached　to　her；　but　no　children　came　from　the　marriage。　Hereupon　the　Ephors　called　him　before　them；　and　said…　〃If　thou　hast　no　care　for　thine　own　self；　nevertheless　we　cannot　allow　this；　nor　suffer　the　race　of　Eurysthenes　to　die　out　from　among　us。　Come　then；　as　thy　present　wife　bears　thee　no　children；　put　her　away；　and　wed　another。　So　wilt　thou　do　what　is　well…pleasing　to　the　Spartans。〃　Anaxandridas　however　refused　to　do　as　they　required；　and　said　it　was　no　good　advice　the　Ephors　gave；　to　bid　him　put　away　his　wife　when　she　had　done　no　wrong；　and　take　to　himself　another。　He　therefore　declined　to　obey　them。　　　　　Then　the　Ephors　and　Elders　took　counsel　together；　and　laid　this　proposal　before　the　king：…　〃Since　thou　art　so　fond；　as　we　see　thee　to　be；　of　thy　present　wife；　do　what　we　now　advise；　and　gainsay　us　not；　lest　the　Spartans　make　some　unwonted　decree　concerning　thee。　We　ask　thee　not　now　to　put　away　thy　wife　to　whom　thou　art　married…　give　her　still　the　same　love　and　honour　as　ever…　but　take　thee　another　wife　beside；　who　may　bear　thee　children。〃　　　　　When　he　heard　this　offer；　Anaxandridas　gave　way…　and　henceforth　he　lived　with　two　wives　in　two　separate　houses；　quite　against　all　Spartan　custom。　　　　　In　a　short　time；　the　wife　whom　he　had　last　married　bore　him　a　son；　who　received　the　name　of　Cleomenes；　and　so　the　heir　to　the　throne　was　brought　into　the　world　by　her。　After　this；　the　first　wife　also；　who　in　time　past　had　been　barren；　by　some　strange　chance　conceived；　and　came　to　be　with　child。　Then　the　friends　of　the　second　wife；　when　they　heard　a　rumour　of　the　truth；　made　a　great　stir；　and　said　it　was　a　false　boast；　and　she　meant；　they　were　sure；　to　bring　forward　as　her　own　a　supposititious　child。　So　they　raised　an　outcry　against　her；　and　therefore；　when　her　full　time　was　come；　the　Ephors；　who　were　themselves　incredulous；　sat　round　her　bed；　and　kept　a　strict　watch　on　the　labour。　At　this　time　then　she　bore　Dorieus；　and　after　him；　quickly；　Leonidas；　and　after　him；　again　quickly；　Cleombrotus。　Some　even　say　that　Leonidas　and　Cleombrotus　were　twins。　On　the　other　hand；　the　second　wife；　the　mother　of　Cleomenes　（who　was　a　daughter　of　Prinetadas；　the　son　of　Demarmenus）；　never　gave　birth　to　a　second　child。　　　　　Now　Cleomenes；　it　is　said；　was　not　right　in　his　mind；　indeed　he　verged　upon　madness；　while　Dorieus　surpassed　all　his　co…mates；　and　looked　confidently　to　receiving　the　kingdom　on　the　score　of　merit。　When；　therefore；　after　the　death　of　Anaxandridas；　the　Spartans　kept　to　the　law；　and　made　Cleomenes；　his　eldest　son；　king　in　his　room；　Dorieus；　who　had　imagined　that　he　should　be　chosen；　and　who　could　not　bear　the　thought　of　having　such　a　man　as　Cleomenes　to　rule　over　him；　asked　the　Spartans　to　give　him　a　body　of　men；　and　left　Sparta　with　them　in　order　to　found　a　colony。　However；　he　neither　took　counsel　of　the　oracle　at　Delphi　as　to　the　place　whereto　he　should　go；　nor　observed　any　of　the　customary　usages；　but　left　Sparta　in　dudgeon；　and　sailed　away　to　Libya；　under　the　guidance　of　certain　men　who　were　Theraeans。　These　men　brought　him　to　Cinyps；　where　he　colonised　a　spot；　which　has　not　its　equal　in　all　Libya；　on　the　banks　of　a　river：　but　from　this　place　he　was　driven　in　the　third　year　by　the　Macians；　the　Libyans；　and　the　Carthaginians。　　　　　Dorieus　returned　to　the　Peloponnese；　whereupon　Antichares　the　Eleonian　gave　him　a　counsel　（which　he　got　from　the　oracle　of　Laius）；　to　〃found　the　city　of　Heraclea　in　Sicily；　the　whole　country　of　Eryx　belonged；〃　he　said；　〃to　the　Heracleids；　since　Hercules　himself　conquered　it。〃　On　receiving　this　advice；　Dorieus　went　to　Delphi　to　inquire　of　the　oracle　whether　he　would　take　the　place　to　which　he　was　about　to　go。　The　Pythoness　prophesied　that　he　would；　whereupon　Dorieus　went　back　to　Libya；　took　up　the　men　who　had　sailed　with　him　at　the　first；　and　proceeded　upon　his　way　along　the　shores　of　Italy。　　　　　Just　at　this　time；　the　Sybarites　say；　they　and　their　king　Telys　were　about　to　make　war　upon　Crotona；　and　the　Crotoniats；　greatly　alarmed；　besought　Dorieus　to　lend　them　aid。　Dorieus　was　prevailed　upon；　bore　part　in　the　war　against　Sybaris；　and　had　a　share　in　taking　the　town。　Such　is　the　account　which　the　Sybarites　give　of　what　was　done　by　Dorieus　and　his　companions。　The　Crotoniats；　on　the　other　hand；　maintain　that　no　foreigner　lent　them　aid　in　their　war　against　the　Sybarites；　save　and　except　Callias　the　Elean；　a　soothsayer　of　the　race　of　the　Iamidae；　and　he　only　forsook　Telys　the　Sybaritic　king；　and　deserted　to　their　side；　when　he　found　on　sacrificing　that　the　victims　were　not　favourable　to　an　attack　on　Crotona。　Such　is　the　account　which　each　party　gives　of　these　matters。　　　　　Both　parties　likewise　adduce　testimonies　to　the　truth　of　what　they　say。　The　Sybarites　show　a　temple　and　sacred　precinct　near　the　dry　stream　of　the　Crastis；　which　they　declare　that　Dorieus；　after　taking　their　city；　dedicated　to　Minerva　Crastias。　And　further；　they　bring　forward　the　death　of　Dorieus　as　the　surest　proof；　since　he　fell；　they　say；　because　he　disobeyed　the　oracle。　For　had　he　in　nothing　varied　from　the　directions　given　him；　but　confined　himself　to　the　business　on　which　he　was　sent；　he　would　assuredly　have　conquered　the　Erycian　territory；　and　kept　possession　of　it；　instead　of　perishing　with　all　his　followers。　The　Crotoniats；　on　the　other　hand；　point　to　th