the history-第106节

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s　the　silver…　take　it…　and　take　likewise　these　tallies；　and　be　careful　of　them；　remember　thou　art　to　give　back　the　money　to　the　person　who　shall　bring　you　their　fellows。'　Such　were　the　words　of　the　Milesian　stranger；　and　Glaucus　took　the　deposit　on　the　terms　expressed　to　him。　Many　years　had　gone　by　when　the　sons　of　the　man　by　whom　the　money　was　left　came　to　Sparta；　and　had　an　interview　with　Glaucus；　whereat　they　produced　the　tallies；　and　asked　to　have　the　money　returned　to　them。　But　Glaucus　sought　to　refuse；　and　answered　them：　'I　have　no　recollection　of　the　matter；　nor　can　I　bring　to　mind　any　of　those　particulars　whereof　ye　speak。　When　I　remember；　I　will　certainly　do　what　is　just。　If　I　had　the　money；　you　have　a　right　to　receive　it　back；　but　if　it　was　never　given　to　me；　I　shall　put　the　Greek　law　in　force　against　you。　For　the　present　I　give　you　no　answer；　but　four　months　hence　I　will　settle　the　business。'　So　the　Milesians　went　away　sorrowful；　considering　that　their　money　was　utterly　lost　to　them。　As　for　Glaucus；　he　made　a　journey　to　Delphi；　and　there　consulted　the　oracle。　To　his　question　if　he　should　swear；　and　so　make　prize　of　the　money；　the　Pythoness　returned　for　answer　these　lines　following：…

　　　　Best　for　the　present　it　were；　O　Glaucus；　to　do　as　thou　wishest；　　　　　Swearing　an　oath　to　prevail；　and　so　to　make　prize　of　the　money。　　　　　Swear　then…　death　is　the　lot　e'en　of　those　who　never　swear　falsely。　　　　　Yet　hath　the　Oath…God　a　son　who　is　nameless；　footless；　and　　　　　　　handless；　　　　　Mighty　in　strength　he　approaches　to　vengeance；　and　whelms　in　　　　　　　destruction；　　　　　All　who　belong　to　the　race；　or　the　house　of　the　man　who　is　　　　　　　perjured。　　　　　But　oath…　keeping　men　leave　behind　them　a　flourishing　offspring。

Glaucus　when　he　heard　these　words　earnestly　besought　the　god　to　pardon　his　question；　but　the　Pythoness　replied　that　it　was　as　bad　to　have　tempted　the　god　as　it　would　have　been　to　have　done　the　deed。　Glaucus；　however；　sent　for　the　Milesian　strangers；　and　gave　them　back　their　money。　And　now　I　will　tell　you；　Athenians；　what　my　purpose　has　been　in　recounting　to　you　this　history。　Glaucus　at　the　present　time　has　not　a　single　descendant；　nor　is　there　any　family　known　as　his…　root　and　branch　has　he　been　removed　from　Sparta。　It　is　a　good　thing；　therefore；　when　a　pledge　has　been　left　with　one；　not　even　in　thought　to　doubt　about　restoring　it。〃　　　　　Thus　spake　Leotychides；　but；　as　he　found　that　the　Athenians　would　not　hearken　to　him；　he　left　them　and　went　his　way。　　　　　The　Eginetans　had　never　been　punished　for　the　wrongs　which；　to　pleasure　the　Thebans；　they　had　committed　upon　Athens。　Now；　however；　conceiving　that　they　were　themselves　wronged；　and　had　a　fair　ground　of　complaint　against　the　Athenians；　they　instantly　prepared　to　revenge　themselves。　As　it　chanced　that　the　Athenian　theoris；　which　was　a　vessel　of　five　banks　of　oars；　lay　at　Sunium；　the　Eginetans　contrived　an　ambush；　and　made　themselves　masters　of　the　holy　vessel；　on　board　of　which　were　a　number　of　Athenians　of　the　highest　rank；　whom　they　took　and　threw　into　prison。　　　　　At　this　outrage　the　Athenians　no　longer　delayed；　but　set　to　work　to　scheme　their　worst　against　the　Eginetans；　and；　as　there　was　in　Egina　at　that　time　a　man　of　mark；　Nicodromus　by　name；　the　son　of　Cnoethus；　who　was　on　ill　terms　with　his　countrymen　because　on　a　former　occasion　they　had　driven　him　into　banishment；　they　listened　to　overtures　from　this　man；　who　had　heard　how　determined　they　were　to　do　the　Eginetans　a　mischief；　and　agreed　with　him　that　on　a　certain　day　he　should　be　ready　to　betray　the　island　into　their　hands；　and　they　would　come　with　a　body　of　troops　to　his　assistance。　And　Nicodromus；　some　time　after；　holding　to　the　agreement；　made　himself　master　of　what　is　called　the　old　town。　　　　　The　Athenians；　however；　did　not　come　to　the　day；　for　their　own　fleet　was　not　of　force　sufficient　to　engage　the　Eginetans；　and　while　they　were　begging　the　Corinthians　to　lend　them　some　ships；　the　failure　of　the　enterprise　took　place。　In　those　days　the　Corinthians　were　on　the　best　of　terms　with　the　Athenians；　and　accordingly　they　now　yielded　to　their　request；　and　furnished　them　with　twenty　ships；　but；　as　their　law　did　not　allow　the　ships　to　be　given　for　nothing；　they　sold　them　to　the　Athenians　for　five　drachms　apiece。　As　soon　then　as　the　Athenians　had　obtained　this　aid；　and；　by　manning　also　their　own　ships；　had　equipped　a　fleet　of　seventy　sail；　they　crossed　over　to　Egina；　but　arrived　a　day　later　than　the　time　agreed　upon。　　　　　Meanwhile　Nicodromus；　when　he　found　the　Athenians　did　not　come　to　the　time　appointed；　took　ship　and　made　his　escape　from　the　island。　The　Eginetans　who　accompanied　him　were　settled　by　the　Athenians　at　Sunium；　whence　they　were　wont　to　issue　forth　and　plunder　the　Eginetans　of　the　island。　But　this　took　place　at　a　later　date。　　　　　When　the　wealthier　Eginetans　had　thus　obtained　the　victory　over　the　common　people　who　had　revolted　with　Nicodromus；　they　laid　hands　on　a　certain　number　of　them；　and　led　them　out　to　death。　But　here　they　were　guilty　of　a　sacrilege；　which；　notwithstanding　all　their　efforts；　they　were　never　able　to　atone；　being　driven　from　the　island　before　they　had　appeased　the　goddess　whom　they　now　provoked。　Seven　hundred　of　the　common　people　had　fallen　alive　into　their　hands；　and　they　were　all　being　led　out　to　death；　when　one　of　them　escaped　from　his　chains；　and　flying　to　the　gateway　of　the　temple　of　Ceres　the　Lawgiver；　laid　hold　of　the　doorhandles；　and　clung　to　them。　The　others　sought　to　drag　him　from　his　refuge；　but；　finding　themselves　unable　to　tear　him　away；　they　cut　off　his　hands；　and　so　took　him；　leaving　the　hands　still　tightly　grasping　the　handles。　　　　　Such　were　the　doings　of　the　Eginetans　among　themselves。　When　the　Athenians　arrived；　they　went　out　to　meet　them　with　seventy　ships；　and　a　battle　took　place；　wherein　the　Eginetans　suffered　a　defeat。　Hereupon　they　had　recourse　again　to　their　old　allies；　the　Argives；　but　these　latter　refused　now　to　lend　them　any　aid；　being　angry　because　some　Eginetan　ships；　which　Cleomenes　had　taken　by　force；　accompanied　him　in　his　invasion　of　Argolis；　and　joined　in　the　disembarkation。　The　same　thing　had　happened　at　the　same　time　With　certain　vessels　of　the　Sicyonians；　and　the　Argives　had　laid　a　fine　of　a　thousand　talents　upon　the　misdoers；　five　hundred　upon　each：　whereupon　they　of　Sicyon　acknowledged　themselves　to　have　sinned；　and　agreed　with　the　Argives　to　pay　them　a　hundred　talents；　and　so　be　quit　of　the　debt；　but　the　Eginetans　would　make　no　acknowledgment　at　all；　and　showed　themselves　proud　and　stiffnecked。　For　this　reason；　when　they　now　prayed　the　Argives　for　aid；　the　state　refused　to　send　them　a　single　soldier。　Notwithstanding；　volunteers　joined　them　from　Argos　to　the　number　of　a　thousand；　under　a　captain；　Eurybates；　a　man　skilled　in　the　pentathlic　contests。　Of　these　men　the　greater　part　never　returned；　but　were　slain　by　the　Athenians　in　Egina。　Eurybates；　their　captain；　fought　a　number　of　single　combats；　and；　after　killing　three　men　in　this　way；　was　himself　slain　by　the　fourth；　who　was　a　Decelean；　named　Sophanes。　　　　　Afterwards　the　Eginetans　fell　upon　the　Athenian　fleet　when　it　was　in　some　disorder　and　beat　it；　capturing　four　ships　with　their　crews。　　　　　Thus　did　war　rage　between　the　Eginetans　and　Athenians。　Meantime　the　Persian　pursued　his　own　design；　from　day　to　day　exhorted　by　his　servant　to　〃remember　the　Athenians；〃　and　likewise　urged　continually　by　the　Pisistratidae；　who　were　ever　accusing　their　countrymen。　Moreover　it　pleased　him　well　to　have　a　pretext　for　carrying　war　into　Greece；　that　so　he　might　reduce　all　those　who　had　refused　to　give　him　earth　and　water。　As　for　Mardonius；　since　his　expedition　had　succeeded　so　ill；　Darius　took　the　command　of　the　troops　from　him；　and　appointed　other　generals　in　his　stead；　who　were　to　lead　the　host　against　Eretria　and　Athens；　to　wit；　Datis；　who　was　by　descent　a　Mede；　and　Artaphernes；　the　son　of　Artaphernes；　his　own　nephew。　These　men　received　orders　to　carry　Athens　and　Eretria　away　captive；　and　to　bring　the　prisoners　into　his　presence。　　　　　So　the　new　commanders　took　their　departure　from　the　court　and　went　down　to　Cilicia；　to　the　Aleian　plain；　having　with　them　a　numerous　and　wellappointed　land　army。　Encamping　here；　they　were　joined　by　the　sea　force　which　had　been　required　of　the　several　states；　and　at　the　same　time　by　the　horsetransports　which　Darius　had；　the　year　before；　commanded　his　tributaries　to　make　ready。　Aboard　these　the　horses　were　embarked；　and　the　troops　were　received　by　the　ships　of　war；　after　which　the　whole　fleet；　amounting　in　all　to　six　hundred　triremes；　made　sail　for　Ionia。　Thence；　instead　of　proceeding　with　a　straight　course　along　the　shore　to　the　Hellespont　and　to　Thrace；　they　loosed　from　Samos　and　voyaged　across　the　Icarian　sea　through　the　midst　of　the　islands；　mainly；　as　I　believe；　because　they　feared　the　danger　of　doubling　Mount　Athos；　where　the　year　before　they　had　suffered　so　grievously　on　their　passage；　but　a　constraining　cause　also　was　their　former　failure　to　take　Naxos。　　　　　When　the　Persians；　therefore；　approaching　from　the　Icarian　Sea；　cast　anchor　at　Naxos；　which；　recollecting　what　there　befell　them　formerly；　they　had　determined　to　attack　before　any　other　state；　the　Naxians；　instead　of　encountering　them；　too