the history-第109节

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ught　and　conquered　them。　These　likewise　fled；　and　now　the　Athenians　hung　upon　the　runaways　and　cut　them　down；　chasing　them　all　the　way　to　the　shore；　on　reaching　which　they　laid　hold　of　the　ships　and　called　aloud　for　fire。　　　　　It　was　in　the　struggle　here　that　Callimachus　the　Polemarch；　after　greatly　distinguishing　himself；　lost　his　life；　Stesilaus　too；　the　son　of　Thrasilaus；　one　of　the　generals；　was　slain；　and　Cynaegirus；　the　son　of　Euphorion；　having　seized　on　a　vessel　of　the　enemy's　by　the　ornament　at　the　stern；　had　his　hand　cut　off　by　the　blow　of　an　axe；　and　so　perished；　as　likewise　did　many　other　Athenians　of　note　and　name。　　　　　Nevertheless　the　Athenians　secured　in　this　way　seven　of　the　vessels；　while　with　the　remainder　the　barbarians　pushed　off；　and　taking　aboard　their　Eretrian　prisoners　from　the　island　where　they　had　left　them；　doubled　Cape　Sunium；　hoping　to　reach　Athens　before　the　return　of　the　Athenians。　The　Alcmaeonidae　were　accused　by　their　countrymen　of　suggesting　this　course　to　them；　they　had；　it　was　said；　an　understanding　with　the　Persians；　and　made　a　signal　to　them；　by　raising　a　shield；　after　they　were　embarked　in　their　ships。　　　　　The　Persians　accordingly　sailed　round　Sunium。　But　the　Athenians　with　all　possible　speed　marched　away　to　the　defence　of　their　city；　and　succeeded　in　reaching　Athens　before　the　appearance　of　the　barbarians：　and　as　their　camp　at　Marathon　had　been　pitched　in　a　precinct　of　Hercules；　so　now　they　encamped　in　another　precinct　of　the　same　god　at　Cynosarges。　The　barbarian　fleet　arrived；　and　lay　to　off　Phalerum；　which　was　at　that　time　the　haven　of　Athens；　but　after　resting　awhile　upon　their　oars；　they　departed　and　sailed　away　to　Asia。　　　　　There　fell　in　this　battle　of　Marathon；　on　the　side　of　the　barbarians；　about　six　thousand　and　four　hundred　men；　on　that　of　the　Athenians；　one　hundred　and　ninety…two。　Such　was　the　number　of　the　slain　on　the　one　side　and　the　other。　A　strange　prodigy　likewise　happened　at　this　fight。　Epizelus；　the　son　of　Cuphagoras；　an　Athenian；　was　in　the　thick　of　the　fray；　and　behaving　himself　as　a　brave　man　should；　when　suddenly　he　was　stricken　with　blindness；　without　blow　of　sword　or　dart；　and　this　blindness　continued　thenceforth　during　the　whole　of　his　after　life。　The　following　is　the　account　which　he　himself；　as　I　have　heard；　gave　of　the　matter：　he　said　that　a　gigantic　warrior；　with　a　huge　beard；　which　shaded　all　his　shield；　stood　over　against　him；　but　the　ghostly　semblance　passed　him　by；　and　slew　the　man　at　his　side。　Such；　as　I　understand；　was　the　tale　which　Epizelus　told。　　　　　Datis　meanwhile　was　on　his　way　back　to　Asia；　and　had　reached　Myconus；　when　he　saw　in　his　sleep　a　vision。　What　it　was　is　not　known；　but　no　sooner　was　day　come　than　he　caused　strict　search　to　be　made　throughout　the　whole　fleet；　and　finding　on　board　a　Phoenician　vessel　an　image　of　Apollo　overlaid　with　gold；　he　inquired　from　whence　it　had　been　taken；　and　learning　to　what　temple　it　belonged；　he　took　it　with　him　in　his　own　ship　to　Delos；　and　placed　it　in　the　temple　there；　enjoining　the　Delians；　who　had　now　come　back　to　their　island；　to　restore　the　image　to　the　Theban　Delium；　which　lies　on　the　coast　over　against　Chalcis。　Having　left　these　injunctions；　he　sailed　away；　but　the　Delians　failed　to　restore　the　statue；　and　it　was　not　till　twenty　years　afterwards　that　the　Thebans；　warned　by　an　oracle；　themselves　brought　it　back　to　Delium。　　　　　As　for　the　Eretrians；　whom　Datis　and　Artaphernes　had　carried　away　captive；　when　the　fleet　reached　Asia；　they　were　taken　up　to　Susa。　Now　King　Darius；　before　they　were　made　his　prisoners；　nourished　a　fierce　anger　against　these　men　for　having　injured　him　without　provocation；　but　now　that　he　saw　them　brought　into　his　presence；　and　become　his　subjects；　he　did　them　no　other　harm；　but　only　settled　them　at　one　of　his　own　stations　in　Cissia…　a　place　called　Ardericea…　two　hundred　and　ten　furlongs　distant　from　Susa；　and　forty　from　the　well　which　yields　produce　of　three　different　kinds。　For　from　this　well　they　get　bitumen；　salt；　and　oil；　procuring　it　in　the　way　that　I　will　now　describe：　they　draw　with　a　swipe；　and　instead　of　a　bucket　make　use　of　the　half　of　a　wine…skin；　with　this　the　man　dips；　and　after　drawing；　pours　the　liquid　into　a　reservoir；　wherefrom　it　passes　into　another；　and　there　takes　three　different　shapes。　The　salt　and　the　bitumen　forthwith　collect　and　harden；　while　the　oil　is　drawn　off　into　casks。　It　is　called　by　the　Persians　〃rhadinace；〃　is　black；　and　has　an　unpleasant　smell。　Here　then　King　Darius　established　the　Eretrians；　and　here　they　continued　to　my　time；　and　still　spoke　their　old　language。　So　thus　it　fared　with　the　Eretrians。　　　　　After　the　full　of　the　moon　two　thousand　Lacedaemonians　came　to　Athens。　So　eager　had　they　been　to　arrive　in　time；　that　they　took　but　three　days　to　reach　Attica　from　Sparta。　They　came；　however；　too　late　for　the　battle；　yet；　as　they　had　a　longing　to　behold　the　Medes；　they　continued　their　march　to　Marathon　and　there　viewed　the　slain。　Then；　after　giving　the　Athenians　all　praise　for　their　achievement；　they　departed　and　returned　home。　　　　But　it　fills　me　with　wonderment；　and　I　can　in　no　wise　believe　the　report；　that　the　Alcmaeonidae　had　an　understanding　with　the　Persians；　and　held　them　up　a　shield　as　a　signal；　wishing　Athens　to　be　brought　under　the　yoke　of　the　barbarians　and　of　Hippias…　the　Alcmaeonidae；　who　have　shown　themselves　at　least　as　bitter　haters　of　tyrants　as　was　Callias；　the　son　of　Phaenippus；　and　father　of　Hipponicus。　This　Callias　was　the　only　person　at　Athens　who；　when　the　Pisistratidae　were　driven　out；　and　their　goods　were　exposed　for　sale　by　the　vote　of　the　people；　had　the　courage　to　make　purchases；　and　likewise　in　many　other　ways　to　display　the　strongest　hostility。　　　　　He　was　a　man　very　worthy　to　be　had　in　remembrance　by　all；　on　several　accounts。　For　not　only　did　he　thus　distinguish　himself　beyond　others　in　the　cause　of　his　country's　freedom；　but　likewise；　by　the　honours　which　he　gained　at　the　Olympic　Games；　where　he　carried　off　the　prize　in　the　horse…race；　and　was　second　in　the　four…horse　chariot…race；　and　by　his　victory　at　an　earlier　period　in　the　Pythian　Games；　he　showed　himself　in　the　eyes　of　all　the　Greeks　a　man　most　unsparing　in　his　expenditure。　He　was　remarkable　too　for　his　conduct　in　respect　of　his　daughters；　three　in　number；　for　when　they　came　to　be　of　marriageable　age；　he　gave　to　each　of　them　a　most　ample　dowry；　and　placed　it　at　their　own　disposal；　allowing　them　to　choose　their　husbands　from　among　all　the　citizens　of　Athens；　and　giving　each　in　marriage　to　the　man　of　her　own　choice。　　　　　Now　the　Alcmaeonidae　fell　not　a　whit　short　of　this　person　in　their　hatred　of　tyrants；　so　that　I　am　astonished　at　the　charge　made　against　them；　and　cannot　bring　myself　to　believe　that　they　held　up　a　shield；　for　they　were　men　who　had　remained　in　exile　during　the　whole　time　that　the　tyranny　lasted；　and　they　even　contrived　the　trick　by　which　the　Pisistratidae　were　deprived　of　their　throne。　Indeed　I　look　upon　them　as　the　persons　who　in　good　truth　gave　Athens　her　freedom　far　more　than　Harmodius　and　Aristogeiton。　For　these　last　did　but　exasperate　the　other　Pisistratidae　by　slaying　Hipparchus；　and　were　far　from　doing　anything　towards　putting　down　the　tyranny：　whereas　the　Alcmaeonidae　were　manifestly　the　actual　deliverers　of　Athens；　if　at　least　it　be　true　that　the　Pythoness　was　prevailed　upon　by　them　to　bid　the　Lacedaemonians　set　Athens　free；　as　I　have　already　related。　　　　　But　perhaps　they　were　offended　with　the　people　of　Athens；　and　therefore　betrayed　their　country。　Nay；　but　on　the　contrary　there　were　none　of　the　Athenians　who　were　held　in　such　general　esteem；　or　who　were　so　laden　with　honours。　So　that　it　is　not　even　reasonable　to　suppose　that　a　shield　was　held　up　by　them　on　this　account。　A　shield　was　shown；　no　doubt；　that　cannot　be　gainsaid；　but　who　it　was　that　showed　it　I　cannot　any　further　determine。　　　　　Now　the　Alcmaeonidae　were；　even　in　days　of　yore；　a　family　of　note　at　Athens；　but　from　the　time　of　Alcmaeon；　and　again　of　Megacles；　they　rose　to　special　eminence。　The　former　of　these　two　personages；　to　wit；　Alcmaeon；　the　son　of　Megacles；　when　Croesus　the　Lydian　sent　men　from　Sardis　to　consult　the　Delphic　oracle；　gave　aid　gladly　to　his　messengers；　assisted　them　to　accomplish　their　task。　Croesus；　informed　of　Alcmaeon's　kindnesses　by　the　Lydians　who　from　time　to　time　conveyed　his　messages　to　the　god；　sent　for　him　to　Sardis；　and　when　he　arrived；　made　him　a　present　of　as　much　gold　as　he　should　be　able　to　carry　at　one　time　about　his　person。　Finding　that　this　was　the　gift　assigned　him；　Alcmaeon　took　his　measures；　and　prepared　himself　to　receive　it　in　the　following　way。　He　clothed　himself　in　a　loose　tunic；　which　he　made　to　bag　greatly　at　the　waist；　and　placing　upon　his　feet　the　widest　buskins　that　he　could　anywhere　find；　followed　his　guides　into　the　treasure…house。　Here　he　fell　to　upon　a　heap　of　gold…dust；　and　in　the　first　place　packed　as　much　as　he　could　inside　his　buskins；　between　them　and　his　legs；　after　which　he　filled　the　breast　of　his　tunic　quite　full　of　gold；　and　then　sprinkling　some　among　his　hair；　and　taking　some　likewise　in　his　mouth；　he　came　forth　from　the　treasure…house；　scarcely　able　to　drag　his　legs　along；　like　anything　rather　than　a　man；　with　his　mouth　crammed　f