the history-第124节

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　the　Pamisus。　These　streams　flow　down　from　the　mountains　which　surround　Thessaly；　and；　meeting　in　the　plain；　mingle　their　waters　together；　and　discharge　themselves　into　the　sea　by　a　single　outlet；　which　is　a　gorge　of　extreme　narrowness。　After　the　junction　all　the　other　names　disappear；　and　the　river　is　known　as　the　Peneus。　It　is　said　that　of　old　the　gorge　which　allows　the　waters　an　outlet　did　not　exist；　accordingly　the　rivers；　which　were　then　as　well　as　the　Lake　Boebeis；　without　names　but　flowed　with　as　much　water　as　at　present；　made　Thessaly　a　sea。　The　Thessalians　tell　us　that　the　gorge　through　which　the　water　escapes　was　caused　by　Neptune；　and　this：　is　likely　enough；　at　least　any　man　who　believes　that　Neptune　causes　earthquakes；　and　that　chasms　so　produced　are　his　handiwork；　would　say；　upon　seeing　this　rent；　that　Neptune　did　it。　For　it　plainly　appeared　to　me　that　the　hills　had　been　torn　asunder　by　an　earthquake。　　　　　When　Xerxes　therefore　asked　the　guides　if　there　were　any　other　outlet　by　which　the　waters　could　reach　the　sea；　they；　being　men　well　acquainted　with　the　nature　of　their　country；　made　answer：…　　　　　〃O　king！　there　is　no　other　passage　by　which　this　stream　can　empty　itself　into　the　sea　save　that　which　thine　eye　beholds。　For　Thessaly　is　girt　about　with　a　circlet　of　hills。〃　　　　　Xerxes　is　said　to　have　observed　upon　this…　　　　　〃Wise　men　truly　are　they　of　Thessaly；　and　good　reason　had　they　to　change　their　minds　in　time　and　consult　for　their　own　safety。　For；　to　pass　by　others　matters；　they　must　have　felt　that　they　lived　in　a　country　which　may　easily　be　brought　under　and　subdued。　Nothing　more　is　needed　than　to　turn　the　river　upon　their　lands　by　an　embankment。which　should　fill　up　the　gorge　and　force　the　stream　from　its　present　channel；　and　lo！　all　Thessaly；　except　the　mountains；　would　at　once　be　laid　under　water。〃　　　　　The　king　aimed　in　this　speech　at　the　sons　of　Aleuas；　who　were　Thessalians；　and　had　been　the　first　of　all　the　Greeks　to　make　submission　to　him。　He　thought　that　they　had　made　their　friendly　offers　in　the　name　of　the　whole　people。　So　Xerxes；　when　he　had　viewed　the　place；　and　made　the　above　speech；　went　back　to　Therma。　　　　　The　stay　of　Xerxes　in　Pieria　lasted　for　several　days；　during　which　a　third　part　of　his　army　was　employed　in　cutting　down　the　woods　on　the　Macedonian　mountain…range　to　give　his　forces　free　passage　into　Perrhaebia。　At　this　time　the　heralds　who　had　been　sent　into　Greece　to　require　earth　for　the　king　returned　to　the　camp；　some　of　them　empty…handed；　others　with　earth　and　water。　　　　　Among　the　number　of　those　from　whom　earth　and　water　were　brought　were　the　Thessalians；　Dolopians；　Enianians；　Perrhaebians；　Locrians；　Magnetians；　Malians；　Achaeans　of　Phthiotis；　Thebans；　and　Boeotians　generally；　except　those　of　Plataea　and　Thespiae。　These　are　the　nations　against　whom　the　Greeks　that　had　taken　up　arms　to　resist　the　barbarians　swore　the　oath；　which　ran　thus…　〃From　all　those　of　Greek　blood　who　delivered　themselves　up　to　the　Persians　without　necessity；　when　their　affairs　were　in　good　condition；　we　will　take　a　tithe　of　their　goods；　and　give　it　to　the　god　at　Delphi。〃　So　ran　the　words　of　the　Greek　oath。　　　　　King　Xerxes　had　sent　no　heralds　either　to　Athens　or　Sparta　to　ask　earth　and　water；　for　a　reason　which　I　will　now　relate。　When　Darius　some　time　before　sent　messengers　for　the　same　purpose；　they　were　thrown；　at　Athens；　into　the　pit　of　punishment；　at　Sparta　into　a　well；　and　bidden　to　take　therefrom　earth　and　water　for　themselves；　and　carry　it　to　their　king。　On　this　account　Xerxes　did　not　send　to　ask　them。　What　calamity　came　upon　the　Athenians　to　punish　them　for　their　treatment　of　the　heralds　I　cannot　say；　unless　it　were　the　laying　waste　of　their　city　and　territory；　but　that　I　believe　was　not　on　account　of　this　crime。　　　　　On　the　Lacedaemonians；　however；　the　wrath　of　Talthybius；　Agamemnon's　herald；　fell　with　violence。　Talthybius　has　a　temple　at　Sparta；　and　his　descendants；　who　are　called　Talthybiadae；　still　live　there；　and　have　the　privilege　of　being　the　only　persons　who　discharge　the　office　of　herald。　When　therefore　the　Spartans　had　done　the　deed　of　which　we　speak；　the　victims　at　their　sacrifices　failed　to　give　good　tokens；　and　this　failure　lasted　for　a　very　long　time。　Then　the　Spartans　were　troubled；　and；　regarding　what　had　befallen　them　as　a　grievous　calamity；　they　held　frequent　assemblies　of　the　people；　and　made　proclamation　through　the　town；　〃Was　any　Lacedaemonian　willing　to　give　his　life　for　Sparta？〃　Upon　this　two　Spartans；　Sperthias；　the　son　Aneristus；　and　Bulis；　the　son　of　Nicolaus；　both　men　of　noble　birth；　and　among　the　wealthiest　in　the　place；　came　forward　and　freely　offered　themselves　as　an　atonement　to　Xerxes　for　the　heralds　of　Darius　slain　at　Sparta。　So　the　Spartans　sent　them　away　to　the　Medes　to　undergo　death。　　　　　Nor　is　the　courage　which　these　men　hereby　displayed　alone　worthy　of　wonder；　but　so　likewise　are　the　following　speeches　which　were　made　by　them。　On　their　road　to　Susa　they　presented　themselves　before　Hydarnes。　This　Hydarnes　was　a　Persian　by　birth；　and　had　the　command　of　all　the　nations　that　dwelt　along　the　sea…coast　of　Asia。　He　accordingly　showed　them　hospitality；　and　invited　them　to　a　banquet；　where；　as　they　feasted；　he　said　to　them：…　　　　　〃Men　of　Lacedaemon；　why　will　ye　not　consent　to　be　friends　with　the　king？　Ye　have　but　to　look　at　me　and　my　fortune　to　see　that　the　king　knows　well　how　to　honour　merit。　In　like　manner　ye　yourselves；　were　ye　to　make　your　submission　to　him；　would　receive　at　his　hands；　seeing　that　he　deems　you　men　of　merit；　some　government　in　Greece。〃　　　　　〃Hydarnes；〃　they　answered；　〃thou　art　a　one…sided　counsellor。　Thou　hast　experience　of　half　the　matter；　but　the　other　half　is　beyond　thy　knowledge。　A　slave's　life　thou　understandest；　but；　never　having　tasted　liberty；　thou　canst　not　tell　whether　it　be　sweet　or　no。　Ah！　hadst　thou　known　what　freedom　is；　thou　wouldst　have　bidden　us　fight　for　it；　not　with　the　spear　only；　but　with　the　battle…axe。〃　　　　　So　they　answered　Hydarnes。　　　　　And　afterwards；　when　they　were　come　to　Susa　into　the　king's　presence；　and　the　guards　ordered　them　to　fall　down　and　do　obeisance；　and　went　so　far　as　to　use　force　to　compel　them；　they　refused；　and　said　they　would　never　do　any　such　thing；　even　were　their　heads　thrust　down　to　the　ground；　for　it　was　not　their　custom　to　worship　men；　and　they　had　not　come　to　Persia　for　that　purpose。　So　they　fought　off　the　ceremony；　and　having　done　so；　addressed　the　king　in　words　much　like　the　following：…　　　　　〃O　king　of　the　Medes！　the　Lacedaemonians　have　sent　us　hither；　in　the　place　of　those　heralds　of　thine　who　were　slain　in　Sparta；　to　make　atonement　to　thee　on　their　account。〃　　　　　Then　Xerxes　answered　with　true　greatness　of　soul　〃that　he　would　not　act　like　the　Lacedaemonians；　who；　by　killing　the　heralds；　had　broken　the　laws　which　all　men　hold　in　common。　As　he　had　blamed　such　conduct　in　them；　he　would　never　be　guilty　of　it　himself。　And　besides；　he　did　not　wish；　by　putting　the　two　men　to　death；　to　free　the　Lacedaemonians　from　the　stain　of　their　former　outrage。〃　　　　　This　conduct　on　the　part　of　the　Spartans　caused　the　anger　of　Talthybius　to　cease　for　a　while；　notwithstanding　that　Sperthias　and　Bulis　returned　home　alive。　But　many　years　afterwards　it　awoke　once　more；　as　the　Lacedaemonians　themselves　declare；　during　the　war　between　the　Peloponnesians　and　the　Athenians。　　　　　In　my　judgment　this　was　a　case　wherein　the　hand　of　Heaven　was　most　plainly　manifest。　That　the　wrath　of　Talthybius　should　have　fallen　upon　ambassadors　and　not　slacked　till　it　had　full　vent；　so　much　justice　required；　but　that　it　should　have　come　upon　the　sons　of　the　very　men　who　were　sent　up　to　the　Persian　king　on　its　account…　upon　Nicolaus；　the　son　of　Bulis；　and　Aneristus；　the　son　of　Sperthias　（the　same　who　carried　off　fishermen　from　Tiryns；　when　cruising　in　a　well…manned　merchant…ship）…　this　does　seem　to　me　to　be　plainly　a　supernatural　circumstance。　Yet　certain　it　is　that　these　two　men；　having　been　sent　to　Asia　as　ambassadors　by　the　Lacedaemonians；　were　betrayed　by　Sitalces；　the　son　of　Teres；　king　of　Thrace；　and　Nymphodorus；　the　son　of　Pythes；　a　native　of　Abdera；　and　being　made　prisoners　at　Bisanthe；　upon　the　Hellespont；　were　conveyed　to　Attica；　and　there　put　to　death　by　the　Athenians；　at　the　same　time　as　Aristeas；　the　son　of　Adeimantus；　the　Corinthian。　All　this　happened；　however；　very　many　years　after　the　expedition　of　Xerxes。　　　　　To　return；　however；　to　my　main　subject…　the　expedition　of　the　Persian　king；　though　it　was　in　name　directed　against　Athens；　threatened　really　the　whole　of　Greece。　And　of　this　the　Greeks　were　aware　some　time　before；　but　they　did　not　all　view　the　matter　in　the　same　light。　Some　of　them　had　given　the　Persian　earth　and　water；　and　were　bold　on　this　account；　deeming　themselves　thereby　secured　against　suffering　hurt　from　the　barbarian　army；　while　others；　who　had　refused　compliance；　were　thrown　into　extreme　alarm。　For　whereas　they　considered　all　the　ships　in　Greece　too　few　to　engage　the　enemy；　it　was　plain　that　the　greater　number　of　states　would　take　no　part　in　the　war；　but　warmly　favoured　the　Medes。　　　　　And　here　I　feel　constrained　to　deliver　an　opinion；　which　most　men；　I　know；　will　mis…like；　but　which；　as　it　seems　to　me　to　be　true；　I　am　determined　not　to　withhold。　Had