the history-第118节

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ow　it　us　when　thou　art　but　a　man？　I　do　not　believe　thou　canst。　Success　for　the　most　part　attends　those　who　act　boldly；　not　those　who　weigh　everything；　and　are　slack　to　venture。　Thou　seest　to　how　great　a　height　the　power　of　Persia　has　now　reached…　never　would　it　have　grown　to　this　point　if　they　who　sate　upon　the　throne　before　me　had　been　like…minded　with　thee；　or　even；　though　not　like…minded；　had　listened　to　councillors　of　such　a　spirit。　'Twas　by　brave　ventures　that　they　extended　their　sway；　for　great　empires　can　only　be　conquered　by　great　risks。　We　follow　then　the　example　of　our　fathers　in　making　this　march；　and　we　set　forward　at　the　best　season　of　the　year；　so；　when　we　have　brought　Europe　under　us；　we　shall　return；　without　suffering　from　want　or　experiencing　any　other　calamity。　For　while　on　the　one　hand　we　carry　vast　stores　of　provisions　with　us；　on　the　other　we　shall　have　the　grain　of　all　the　countries　and　nations　that　we　attack；　since　our　march　is　not　directed　against　a　pastoral　people；　but　against　men　who　are　tillers　of　the　ground。〃　　　　　Then　said　Artabanus…　〃If；　sire；　thou　art　determined　that　we　shall　not　fear　anything；　at　least　hearken　to　a　counsel　which　I　wish　to　offer；　for　when　the　matters　in　hand　are　so　many；　one　cannot　but　have　much　to　say。　Thou　knowest　that　Cyrus　the　son　of　Cambyses　reduced　and　made　tributary　to　the　Persians　all　the　race　of　the　Ionians；　except　only　those　of　Attica。　Now　my　advice　is　that　thou　on　no　account　lead　forth　these　men　against　their　fathers；　since　we　are　well　able　to　overcome　them　without　such　aid。　Their　choice；　if　we　take　them　with　us　to　the　war；　lies　between　showing　themselves　the　most　wicked　of　men　by　helping　to　enslave　their　fatherland；　or　the　most　righteous　by　joining　in　the　struggle　to　keep　it　free。　If　then　they　choose　the　side　of　injustice；　they　will　do　us　but　scant　good；　while　if　they　determine　to　act　justly；　they　may　greatly　injure　our　host。　Lay　thou　to　heart　the　old　proverb；　which　says　truly；　'The　beginning　and　end　of　a　matter　are　not　always　seen　at　once。'　　　　　〃Artabanus；〃　answered　Xerxes；　〃there　is　nothing　in　all　that　thou　hast　said；　wherein　thou　art　so　wholly　wrong　as　in　this；　that　thou　suspectest　the　faith　of　the　Ionians。　Have　they　not　given　us　the　surest　proof　of　their　attachment…　a　proof　which　thou　didst　thyself　witness；　and　likewise　all　those　who　fought　with　Darius　against　the　Scythians？　When　it　lay　wholly　with　them　to　save　or　to　destroy　the　entire　Persian　army；　they　dealt　by　us　honourably　and　with　good　faith；　and　did　us　no　hurt　at　all。　Besides；　they　will　leave　behind　them　in　our　country　their　wives；　their　children；　and　their　properties…　can　it　then　be　conceived　that　they　will　attempt　rebellion？　Have　no　fear；　therefore；　on　this　score；　but　keep　a　brave　heart　and　uphold　my　house　and　empire。　To　thee；　and　thee　only；　do　I　intrust　my　sovereignty。〃　　　　　After　Xerxes　had　thus　spoken；　and　had　sent　Artabanus　away　to　return　to　Susa；　he　summoned　before　him　all　the　Persians　of　most　repute；　and　when　they　appeared；　addressed　them　in　these　words：…　　　　　〃Persians；　I　have　brought　you　together　because　I　wished　to　exhort　you　to　behave　bravely；　and　not　to　sully　with　disgrace　the　former　achievements　of　the　Persian　people；　which　are　very　great　and　famous。　Rather　let　us　one　and　all；　singly　and　jointly；　exert　ourselves　to　the　uttermost；　for　the　matter　wherein　we　are　engaged　concerns　the　common　weal。　Strain　every　nerve；　then；　I　beseech　you；　in　this　war。　Brave　warriors　are　the　men　we　march　against；　if　report　says　true；　and　such　that；　if　we　conquer　them；　there　is　not　a　people　in　all　the　world　which　will　venture　thereafter　to　with。　stand　our　arms。　And　now　let　us　offer　prayers　to　the　gods　who　watch　over　the　welfare　of　Persia；　and　then　cross　the　channel。〃　　　　　All　that　day　the　preparations　for　the　passage　continued；　and　on　the　morrow　they　burnt　all　kinds　of　spices　upon　the　bridges；　and　strewed　the　way　with　myrtle　boughs；　while　they　waited　anxiously　for　the　sun；　which　they　hoped　to　see　as　he　rose。　And　now　the　sun　appeared；　and　Xerxes　took　a　golden　goblet　and　poured　from　it　a　libation　into　the　sea；　praying　the　while　with　his　face　turned　to　the　sun　〃that　no　misfortune　might　befall　him　such　as　to　hinder　his　conquest　of　Europe；　until　he　had　penetrated　to　its　uttermost　boundaries。〃　After　he　had　prayed；　he　cast　the　golden　cup　into　the　Hellespont；　and　with　it　a　golden　bowl；　and　a　Persian　sword　of　the　kind　which　they　call　acinaces。　I　cannot　say　for　certain　whether　it　was　as　an　offering　to　the　sun…god　that　he　threw　these　things　into　the　deep；　or　whether　he　had　repented　of　having　scourged　the　Hellespont；　and　thought　by　his　gifts　to　make　amends　to　the　sea　for　what　he　had　done。　　　When；　however；　his　offerings　were　made；　the　army　began　to　cross；　and　the　foot…soldiers；　with　the　horsemen；　passed　over　by　one　of　the　bridges…　that　（namely）　which　lay　towards　the　Euxine…　while　the　sumpter…beasts　and　the　camp…followers　passed　by　the　other；　which　looked　on　the　Egean。　Foremost　went　the　Ten　Thousand　Persians；　all　wearing　garlands　upon　their　heads；　and　after　them　a　mixed　multitude　of　many　nations。　These　crossed　upon　the　first　day。　　　　　On　the　next　day　the　horsemen　began　the　passage；　and　with　them　went　the　soldiers　who　carried　their　spears　with　the　point　downwards；　garlanded；　like　the　Ten　Thousand；…　then　came　the　sacred　horses　and　the　sacred　chariot；　next　Xerxes　with　his　lancers　and　the　thousand　horse；　then　the　rest　of　the　army。　At　the　same　time　the　ships　sailed　over　to　the　opposite　shore。　According；　however；　to　another　account　which　I　have　heard；　the　king　crossed　the　last。　　　　　As　soon　as　Xerxes　had　reached　the　European　side；　he　stood　to　contemplate　his　army　as　they　crossed　under　the　lash。　And　the　crossing　continued　during　seven　days　and　seven　nights；　without　rest　or　pause。　'Tis　said　that　here；　after　Xerxes　had　made　the　passage；　a　Hellespontian　exclaimed…　　　　　〃Why；　O　Jove；　dost　thou；　in　the　likeness　of　a　Persian　man；　and　with　the　name　of　Xerxes　instead　of　thine　own；　lead　the　whole　race　of　mankind　to　the　destruction　of　Greece？　It　would　have　been　as　easy　for　thee　to　destroy　it　without　their　aid！〃　　　　　When　the　whole　army　had　crossed；　and　the　troops　were　now　upon　their　march；　a　strange　prodigy　appeared　to　them；　whereof　the　king　made　no　account；　though　its　meaning　was　not　difficult　to　conjecture。　Now　the　prodigy　was　this：…　a　mare　brought　forth　a　hare。　Hereby　it　was　shown　plainly　enough；　that　Xerxes　would　lead　forth　his　host　against　Greece　with　mighty　pomp　and　splendour；　but；　in　order　to　reach　again　the　spot　from　which　he　set　out；　would　have　to　run　for　his　life。　There　had　also　been　another　portent；　while　Xerxes　was　still　at　Sardis…　a　mule　dropped　a　foal；　neither　male　nor　female；　but　this　likewise　was　disregarded。　　　　　So　Xerxes；　despising　the　omens；　marched　forwards；　and　his　land　army　accompanied　him。　But　the　fleet　held　an　opposite　course；　and；　sailing　to　the　mouth　of　the　Hellespont；　made　its　way　along　the　shore。　Thus　the　fleet　proceeded　westward；　making　for　Cape　Sarpedon；　where　the　orders　were　that　it　should　await　the　coming　up　of　the　troops；　but　the　land　army　marched　eastward　along　the　Chersonese；　leaving　on　the　right　the　tomb　of　Helle；　the　daughter　of　Athamas；　and　on　the　left　the　city　of　Cardia。　Having　passed　through　the　town　which　is　called　Agora；　they　skirted　the　shores　of　the　Gulf　of　Melas；　and　then　crossed　the　river　Melas；　whence　the　gulf　takes　its　name；　the　waters　of　which　they　found　too　scanty　to　supply　the　host。　From　this　point　their　march　was　to　the　west；　and　after　passing　Aenos；　an　Aeolian　settlement；　and　likewise　Lake　Stentoris；　they　came　to　Doriscus。　　　　　The　name　Doriscus　is　given　to　a　beach　and　a　vast　plain　upon　the　coast　of　Thrace；　through　the　middle　of　which　flows　the　strong　stream　of　the　Hebrus。　Here　was　the　royal　fort　which　is　likewise　called　Doriscus；　where　Darius　had　maintained　a　Persian　garrison　ever　since　the　time　when　he　attacked　the　Scythians。　This　place　seemed　to　Xerxes　a　convenient　spot　for　reviewing　and　numbering　his　soldiers；　which　things　accordingly　he　proceeded　to　do。　The　sea…captains；　who　had　brought　the　fleet　to　Doriscus；　were　ordered　to　take　the　vessels　to　the　beach　adjoining；　where　Sale　stands；　a　city　of　the　Samothracians；　and　Zone；　another　city。　The　beach　extends　to　Serrheum；　the　well…known　promontory；　the　whole　district　in　former　times　was　inhabited　by　the　Ciconians。　Here　then　the　captains　were　to　bring　their　ships；　and　to　haul　them　ashore　for　refitting；　while　Xerxes　at　Doriscus　was　employed　in　numbering　the　soldiers。　　　　　What　the　exact　number　of　the　troops　of　each　nation　was　I　cannot　say　with　certainty…　for　it　is　not　mentioned　by　any　one…　but　the　whole　land　army　together　was　found　to　amount　to　one　million　seven　hundred　thousand　men。　The　manner　in　which　the　numbering　took　place　was　the　following。　A　body　of　ten　thousand　men　was　brought　to　a　certain　place；　and　the　men　were　made　to　stand　as　close　together　as　possible；　after　which　a　circle　was　drawn　around　them；　and　the　men　were　let　go：　then　where　the　circle　had　been；　a　fence　was　built　about　the　height　of　a　man's　middle；　and　the　enclosure　was　filled　continually　with　fresh　troops；　till　the　whole　army　had　in　this　way　been　numbered。　When　the　numbering　was　over；　the　troops　were　drawn　up　according　to　their　several　nations。　　　　　Now　these　were　the　nations　that　took　part　in　this　expe