the history-第162节

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e　charge　and　for　a　long　time　maintained　their　ground；　yet　at　length　took　refuge　in　their　intrenchment。　Here　the　Athenians　themselves；　together　with　those　who　followed　them　in　the　line　of　battle；　the　Corinthians；　the　Sicyonians；　and　the　Troezenians；　pressed　so　closely　on　the　steps　of　their　flying　foes；　that　they　entered　along　with　them　into　the　fortress。　And　now；　when　even　their　fortress　was　taken；　the　barbarians　no　longer　offered　resistance；　but　fled　hastily　away；　all　save　only　the　Persians。　They　still　continued　to　fight　in　knots　of　a　few　men　against　the　Greeks；　who　kept　pouring　into　the　intrenchment。　And　here；　while　two　of　the　Persian　commanders　fled；　two　fell　upon　the　field：　Artayntes　and　Ithamitres；　who　were　leaders　of　the　fleet；　escaped；　Mardontes；　and　the　commander　of　the　land　force；　Tigranes；　died　fighting。　　　　　The　Persians　still　held　out；　when　the　Lacedaemonians；　and　their　part　of　the　army；　reached　the　camp；　and　joined　in　the　remainder　of　the　battle。　The　number　of　Greeks　who　fell　in　the　struggle　here　was　not　small；　the　Sicyonians　especially　lost　many；　and；　among　the　rest；　Perilaus　their　general。　　　　　The　Samians；　who　served　with　the　Medes；　and　who；　although　disarmed；　still　remained　in　the　camp；　seeing　from　the　very　beginning　of　the　fight　that　the　victory　was　doubtful；　did　all　that　lay　in　their　power　to　render　help　to　the　Greeks。　And　the　other　Ionians　likewise；　beholding　their　example；　revolted　and　attacked　the　Persians。　　　　　As　for　the　Milesians；　who　had　been　ordered；　for　the　better　security　of　the　Persians；　to　guard　the　mountain…paths；…　that　in　case　any　accident　befell　them　such　as　had　now　happened；　they　might　not　lack　guides　to　conduct　them　into　the　high　tracts　of　Mycale；…　and　who　had　also　been　removed　to　hinder　them　from　making　an　outbreak　in　the　Persian　camp；　they；　instead　of　obeying　their　orders；　broke　them　in　every　respect。　For　they　guided　the　flying　Persians　by　wrong　roads；　which　brought　them　into　the　presence　of　the　enemy；　and　at　last　they　set　upon　them　with　their　own　hands；　and　showed　themselves　the　hottest　of　their　adversaries。　Ionia；　therefore；　on　this　day　revolted　a　second　time　from　the　Persians。　　　　　In　this　battle　the　Greeks　who　behaved　with　the　greatest　bravery　were　the　Athenians；　and　among　them　the　palm　was　borne　off　by　Hermolycus；　the　son　of　Euthynus；　a　man　accomplished　in　the　Pancratium。　This　Hermolycus　was　afterwards　slain　in　the　war　between　the　Athenians　and　Carystians。　He　fell　in　the　fight　near　Cyrnus　in　the　Carystian　territory；　and　was　buried　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Geraestus。　After　the　Athenians；　the　most　distinguished　on　the　Greek　side　were　the　Corinthians；　the　Troezenians；　and　the　Sicyonians。　　　　　The　Greeks；　when　they　had　slaughtered　the　greater　portion　of　the　barbarians；　either　in　the　battle　or　in　the　rout；　set　fire　to　their　ships　and　burnt　them；　together　with　the　bulwark　which　had　been　raised　for　their　defence；　first　however　removing　therefrom　all　the　booty；　and　carrying　it　down　to　the　beach。　Besides　other　plunder；　they　found　here　many　caskets　of　money。　When　they　had　burnt　the　rampart　and　the　vessels；　the　Greeks　sailed　away　to　Samos；　and　there　took　counsel　together　concerning　the　Ionians；　whom　they　thought　of　removing　out　of　Asia。　Ionia　they　proposed　to　abandon　to　the　barbarians；　and　their　doubt　was；　in　what　part　of　their　own　possessions　in　Greece　they　should　settle　its　inhabitants。　For　it　seemed　to　them　a　thing　impossible　that　they　should　be　ever　on　the　watch　to　guard　and　protect　Ionia；　and　yet　otherwise　there　could　be　no　hope　that　the　Ionians　would　escape　the　vengeance　of　the　Persians。　Hereupon　the　Peloponnesian　leaders　proposed　that　the　seaport　towns　of　such　Greeks　as　had　sided　with　the　Medes　should　be　taken　away　from　them；　and　made　over　to　the　Ionians。　The　Athenians；　on　the　other　hand；　were　very　unwilling　that　any　removal　at　all　should　take　place；　and　disliked　the　Peloponnesians　holding　councils　concerning　their　colonists。　So；　as　they　set　themselves　against　the　change；　the　Peloponnesians　yielded　with　a　good　will。　Hereupon　the　Samians；　Chians；　Lesbians；　and　other　islanders；　who　had　helped　the　Greeks　at　this　time；　were　received　into　the　league　of　the　allies；　and　took　the　oaths；　binding　themselves　to　be　faithful；　and　not　desert　the　common　cause。　Then　the　Greeks　sailed　away　to　the　Hellespont；　where　they　meant　to　break　down　the　bridges；　which　they　supposed　to　be　still　extended　across　the　strait。　　　　　The　barbarians　who　escaped　from　the　battle…　a　scanty　remnant…　took　refuge　in　the　heights　of　Mycale；　whence　they　made　good　their　retreat　to　Sardis。　During　the　march；　Masistes；　the　son　of　Darius；　who　had　been　present　at　the　disaster；　had　words　with　Artayntes；　the　general；　on　whom　he　showered　many　reproaches。　He　called　him；　among　other　things；　〃worse　than　a　woman；〃　for　the　way　in　which　he　had　exercised　his　command；　and　said　there　was　no　punishment　which　he　did　not　deserve　to　suffer　for　doing　the　king's　house　such　grievous　hurt。　Now　with　the　Persians　there　is　no　greater　insult　than　to　call　a　man　〃worse　than　a　woman。〃　So　when　Artayntes　had　borne　the　reproaches　for　some　while；　at　last　he　fell　in　a　rage；　and　drew　his　scymitar　upon　Masistes；　being　fain　to　kill　him。　But　a　certain　Halicarnassian；　Xenagoras　by　name；　the　son　of　Praxilaus；　who　stood　behind　Artayntes　at　the　time；　seeing　him　in　the　act　of　rushing　forward；　seized　him　suddenly　round　the　waist；　and；　lifting　him　from　his　feet；　dashed　him　down　upon　the　ground；　which　gave　time　for　the　spearmen　who　guarded　Masistes　to　come　to　his　aid。　By　his　conduct　here　Xenagoras　gained　the　favour；　not　of　Masistes　only；　but　likewise　of　Xerxes　himself；　whose　brother　he　had　preserved　from　death；　and　the　king　rewarded　his　action　by　setting　him　over　the　whole　land　of　Cilicia。　Except　this；　nothing　happened　upon　the　road；　and　the　men　continued　their　march　and　came　all　safe　to　Sardis。　At　Sardis　they　found　the　king；　who　had　been　there　ever　since　he　lost　the　sea…fight　and　fled　from　Athens　to　Asia。　　　　　During　the　time　that　Xerxes　abode　at　this　place；　he　fell　in　love　with　the　wife　of　Masistes；　who　was　likewise　staying　in　the　city。　He　therefore　sent　her　messages；　but　failed　to　win　her　consent；　and　he　could　not　dare　to　use　violence；　out　of　regard　to　Masistes；　his　brother。　This　the　woman　knew　well　enough；　and　hence　it　was　that　she　had　the　boldness　to　resist　him。　So　Xerxes；　finding　no　other　way　open；　devised　a　marriage　between　his　own　son　Darius　and　a　daughter　of　this　woman　and　Masistes…　thinking　that　he　might　better　obtain　his　ends　if　he　effected　this　union。　Accordingly　he　betrothed　these　two　persons　to　one　another；　and；　after　the　usual　ceremonies　were　completed；　took　his　departure　for　Susa。　When　he　was　come　there；　and　had　received　the　woman　into　his　palace　as　his　son's　bride；　a　change　came　over　him；　and　losing　all　love　for　the　wife　of　Masistes；　he　conceived　a　passion　for　his　son's　bride；　Masistes'　daughter。　And　Artaynta…　for　so　was　she　called…　very　soon　returned　his　love。　　　　　After　a　while　the　thing　was　discovered　in　the　way　which　I　will　now　relate。　Amestris；　the　wife　of　Xerxes；　had　woven　with　her　own　hands　a　long　robe；　of　many　colours；　and　very　curious；　which　she　presented　to　her　husband　as　a　gift。　Xerxes；　who　was　greatly　pleased　with　it；　forthwith　put　it　on；　and　went　in　it　to　visit　Artaynta；　who　happened　likewise　on　this　day　to　please　him　greatly。　He　therefore　bade　her　ask　him　whatever　boon　she　liked；　and　promised　that；　whatever　it　was；　he　would　assuredly　grant　her　request。　Then　Artaynta；　who　was　doomed　to　suffer　calamity　together　with　her　whole　house；　said　to　him…　〃Wilt　thou　indeed　give　me　whatever　I　like　to　ask？〃　So　the　king；　suspecting　nothing　less　than　that　her　choice　would　fall　where　it　did；　pledged　his　word；　and　swore　to　her。　She　then；　as　soon　as　she　heard　his　oath；　asked　boldly　for　the　robe。　Hereupon　Xerxes　tried　all　possible　means　to　avoid　the　gift；　not　that　he　grudged　to　give　it；　but　because　he　dreaded　Amestris；　who　already　suspected；　and　would　now；　he　feared；　detect　his　love。　So　he　offered　her　cities　instead；　and　heaps　of　gold；　and　an　army　which　should　obey　no　other　leader。　（The　last　of　these　is　a　thoroughly　Persian　gift。）　But；　as　nothing　could　prevail　on　Artaynta　to　change　her　mind；　at　the　last　he　gave　her　the　robe。　Then　Artaynta　was　very　greatly　rejoiced；　and　she　often　wore　the　garment　and　was　proud　of　it。　And　so　it　came　to　the　ears　of　Amestris　that　the　robe　had　been　given　to　her。　　　　　Now　when　Amestris　learnt　the　whole　matter；　she　felt　no　anger　against　Artaynta；　but；　looking　upon　her　mother；　the　wife　of　Masistes；　as　the　cause　of　all　the　mischief；　she　determined　to　compass　her　death。　She　waited；　therefore；　till　her　husband　gave　the　great　royal　banquet；　a　feast　which　takes　place　once　every　year；　in　celebration　of　the　king's　birthday…　〃Tykta〃　the　feast　is　called　in　the　Persian　tongue；　which　in　our　language　may　be　rendered　〃perfect〃…　and　this　is　the　only　day　in　all　the　year　on　which　the　king　soaps　his　head；　and　distributes　gifts　to　the　Persians。　Amestris　waited；　accordingly；　for　this　day；　and　then　made　request　of　Xerxes；　that　he　would　please　to　give　her；　as　her　present；　the　wife　of　Masistes。　But　he　refused；　for　it　seemed　to　him　shocking　and　monstrous　to　give　into　the　power　of　another　a　woman　who　was　not　only　his　brother's　wife；　but　was　likewise　wholly　guiltless　of　what　had　happened…　the