the history-第38节

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e　coast；　when　he　went　ashore；　landing　at　the　Salt…Pans；　in　that　mouth　of　the　Nile　which　is　now　called　the　Canobic。　At　this　place　there　stood　upon　the　shore　a　temple；　which　still　exists；　dedicated　to　Hercules。　If　a　slave　runs　away　from　his　master；　and　taking　sanctuary　at　this　shrine　gives　himself　up　to　the　god；　and　receives　certain　sacred　marks　upon　his　person；　whosoever　his　master　may　be；　he　cannot　lay　hand　on　him。　This　law　still　remained　unchanged　to　my　time。　Hearing；　therefore；　of　the　custom　of　the　place；　the　attendants　of　Alexander　deserted　him；　and　fled　to　the　temple；　where　they　sat　as　suppliants。　While　there；　wishing　to　damage　their　master；　they　accused　him　to　the　Egyptians；　narrating　all　the　circumstances　of　the　rape　of　Helen　and　the　wrong　done　to　Menelaus。　These　charges　they　brought；　not　only　before　the　priests；　but　also　before　the　warden　of　that　mouth　of　the　river；　whose　name　was　Thonis。　　　　　As　soon　as　he　received　the　intelligence；　Thonis　sent　a　message　to　Proteus；　who　was　at　Memphis；　to　this　effect：　〃A　stranger　is　arrived　from　Greece；　he　is　by　race　a　Teucrian；　and　has　done　a　wicked　deed　in　the　country　from　which　he　is　come。　Having　beguiled　the　wife　of　the　man　whose　guest　he　was；　he　carried　her　away　with　him；　and　much　treasure　also。　Compelled　by　stress　of　weather；　he　has　now　put　in　here。　Are　we　to　let　him　depart　as　he　came；　or　shall　we　seize　what　he　has　brought？〃　Proteus　replied；　〃Seize　the　man；　be　he　who　he　may；　that　has　dealt　thus　wickedly　with　his　friend；　and　bring　him　before　me；　that　I　may　hear　what　he　will　say　for　himself。〃　　　　　Thonis；　on　receiving　these　orders；　arrested　Alexander；　and　stopped　the　departure　of　his　ships；　then；　taking　with　him　Alexander；　Helen；　the　treasures；　and　also　the　fugitive　slaves；　he　went　up　to　Memphis。　When　all　were　arrived；　Proteus　asked　Alexander；　〃who　he　was；　and　whence　he　had　come？〃　Alexander　replied　by　giving　his　descent；　the　name　of　his　country；　and　a　true　account　of　his　late　voyage。　Then　Proteus　questioned　him　as　to　how　he　got　possession　of　Helen。　In　his　reply　Alexander　became　confused；　and　diverged　from　the　truth；　whereon　the　slaves　interposed；　confuted　his　statements；　and　told　the　whole　history　of　the　crime。　Finally；　Proteus　delivered　judgment　as　follows：　〃Did　I　not　regard　it　as　a　matter　of　the　utmost　consequence　that　no　stranger　driven　to　my　country　by　adverse　winds　should　ever　be　put　to　death；　I　would　certainly　have　avenged　the　Greek　by　slaying　thee。　Thou　basest　of　men；…　after　accepting　hospitality；　to　do　so　wicked　a　deed！　First；　thou　didst　seduce　the　wife　of　thy　own　host…　then；　not　content　therewith；　thou　must　violently　excite　her　mind；　and　steal　her　away　from　her　husband。　Nay；　even　so　thou　wert　not　satisfied；　but　on　leaving；　thou　must　plunder　the　house　in　which　thou　hadst　been　a　guest。　Now　then；　as　I　think　it　of　the　greatest　importance　to　put　no　stranger　to　death；　I　suffer　thee　to　depart；　but　the　woman　and　the　treasures　I　shall　not　permit　to　be　carried　away。　Here　they　must　stay；　till　the　Greek　stranger　comes　in　person　and　takes　them　back　with　him。　For　thyself　and　thy　companions；　I　command　thee　to　begone　from　my　land　within　the　space　of　three　days…　and　I　warn　you；　that　otherwise　at　the　end　of　that　time　you　will　be　treated　as　enemies。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　tale　told　me　by　the　priests　concerning　the　arrival　of　Helen　at　the　court　of　Proteus。　It　seems　to　me　that　Homer　was　acquainted　with　this　story；　and　while　discarding　it；　because　he　thought　it　less　adapted　for　epic　poetry　than　the　version　which　he　followed；　showed　that　it　was　not　unknown　to　him。　This　is　evident　from　the　travels　which　he　assigns　to　Alexander　in　the　Iliad…　and　let　it　be　borne　in　mind　that　he　has　nowhere　else　contradicted　himself…　making　him　be　carried　out　of　his　course　on　his　return　with　Helen；　and　after　divers　wanderings　come　at　last　to　Sidon　in　Phoenicia。　The　passage　is　in　the　Bravery　of　Diomed；　and　the　words　are　as　follows：…

　　　　There　were　the　robes；　many…coloured；　the　work　of　Sidonian　women：　　　　　They　from　Sidon　had　come；　what　time　god…shaped　Alexander　　　　　Over　the　broad　sea　brought；　that　way；　the　high…born　Helen。

　　　　In　the　Odyssey　also　the　same　fact　is　alluded　to；　in　these　words：…

　　　　Such；　so　wisely　prepared；　were　the　drugs　that　her　stores　　　　　　　afforded；　　　　　Excellent；　gift　which　once　Polydamna；　partner　of　Thonis；　　　　　Gave　her　in　Egypt；　where　many　the　simples　that　grow　in　the　　　　　　　meadows；　　　　　Potent　to　cure　in　part；　in　part　as　potent　to　injure。

　　　　Menelaus　too；　in　the　same　poem；　thus　addresses　Telemachus：…

　　　　Much　did　I　long　to　return；　but　the　Gods　still　kept　me　in　Egypt…　　　　　Angry　because　I　had　failed　to　pay　them　their　hecatombs　duly。

　　　　In　these　places　Homer　shows　himself　acquainted　with　the　voyage　of　Alexander　to　Egypt；　for　Syria　borders　on　Egypt；　and　the　Phoenicians；　to　whom　Sidon　belongs；　dwell　in　Syria。　　　　　From　these　various　passages；　and　from　that　about　Sidon　especially；　it　is　clear　that　Homer　did　not　write　the　Cypria。　For　there　it　is　said　that　Alexander　arrived　at　Ilium　with　Helen　on　the　third　day　after　he　left　Sparta；　the　wind　having　been　favourable；　and　the　sea　smooth；　whereas　in　the　Iliad；　the　poet　makes　him　wander　before　he　brings　her　home。　Enough；　however；　for　the　present　of　Homer　and　the　Cypria。　　　　　I　made　inquiry　of　the　priests　whether　the　story　which　the　Greeks　tell　about　Ilium　is　a　fable；　or　no。　In　reply　they　related　the　following　particulars；　of　which　they　declared　that　Menelaus　had　himself　informed　them。　After　the　rape　of　Helen；　a　vast　army　of　Greeks；　wishing　to　render　help　to　Menelaus；　set　sail　for　the　Teucrian　territory；　on　their　arrival　they　disembarked；　and　formed　their　camp；　after　which　they　sent　ambassadors　to　Ilium；　of　whom　Menelaus　was　one。　The　embassy　was　received　within　the　walls；　and　demanded　the　restoration　of　Helen　with　the　treasures　which　Alexander　had　carried　off；　and　likewise　required　satisfaction　for　the　wrong　done。　The　Teucrians　gave　at　once　the　answer　in　which　they　persisted　ever　afterwards；　backing　their　assertions　sometimes　even　with　oaths；　to　wit；　that　neither　Helen；　nor　the　treasures　claimed；　were　in　their　possession；…　both　the　one　and　the　other　had　remained；　they　said；　in　Egypt；　and　it　was　not　just　to　come　upon　them　for　what　Proteus；　king　of　Egypt；　was　detaining。　The　Greeks；　imagining　that　the　Teucrians　were　merely　laughing　at　them；　laid　siege　to　the　town；　and　never　rested　until　they　finally　took　it。　As；　however；　no　Helen　was　found；　and　they　were　still　told　the　same　story；　they　at　length　believed　in　its　truth；　and　despatched　Menelaus　to　the　court　of　Proteus。　　　　　So　Menelaus　travelled　to　Egypt；　and　on　his　arrival　sailed　up　the　river　as　far　as　Memphis；　and　related　all　that　had　happened。　He　met　with　the　utmost　hospitality；　received　Helen　back　unharmed；　and　recovered　all　his　treasures。　After　this　friendly　treatment　Menelaus；　they　said；　behaved　most　unjustly　towards　the　Egyptians；　for　as　it　happened　that　at　the　time　when　he　wanted　to　take　his　departure；　he　was　detained　by　the　wind　being　contrary；　and　as　he　found　this　obstruction　continue；　he　had　recourse　to　a　most　wicked　expedient。　He　seized；　they　said；　two　children　of　the　people　of　the　country；　and　offered　them　up　in　sacrifice。　When　this　became　known；　the　indignation　of　the　people　was　stirred；　and　they　went　in　pursuit　of　Menelaus；　who；　however；　escaped　with　his　ships　to　Libya；　after　which　the　Egyptians　could　not　say　whither　he　went。　The　rest　they　knew　full　well；　partly　by　the　inquiries　which　they　had　made；　and　partly　from　the　circumstances　having　taken　place　in　their　own　land；　and　therefore　not　admitting　of　doubt。　　　　　Such　is　the　account　given　by　the　Egyptian　priests；　and　I　am　myself　inclined　to　regard　as　true　all　that　they　say　of　Helen　from　the　following　considerations：…　If　Helen　had　been　at　Troy；　the　inhabitants　would；　I　think；　have　given　her　up　to　the　Greeks；　whether　Alexander　consented　to　it　or　no。　For　surely　neither　Priam；　nor　his　family；　could　have　been　so　infatuated　as　to　endanger　their　own　persons；　their　children；　and　their　city；　merely　that　Alexander　might　possess　Helen。　At　any　rate；　if　they　determined　to　refuse　at　first；　yet　afterwards　when　so　many　of　the　Trojans　fell　on　every　encounter　with　the　Greeks；　and　Priam　too　in　each　battle　lost　a　son；　or　sometimes　two；　or　three；　or　even　more；　if　we　may　credit　the　epic　poets；　I　do　not　believe　that　even　if　Priam　himself　had　been　married　to　her　he　would　have　declined　to　deliver　her　up；　with　the　view　of　bringing　the　series　of　calamities　to　a　close。　Nor　was　it　as　if　Alexander　had　been　heir　to　the　crown；　in　which　case　he　might　have　had　the　chief　management　of　affairs；　since　Priam　was　already　old。　Hector；　who　was　his　elder　brother；　and　a　far　braver　man；　stood　before　him；　and　was　the　heir　to　the　kingdom　on　the　death　of　their　father　Priam。　And　it　could　not　be　Hector's　interest　to　uphold　his　brother　in　his　wrong；　when　it　brought　such　dire　calamities　upon　himself　and　the　other　Trojans。　But　the　fact　was　that　they　had　no　Helen　to　deliver；　and　so　they　told　the　Greeks；　but　the　Greeks　would　not　believe　what　they　said…　Divine　Providence；　as　I　think；　so　willing；　that　by　their　utter　destruction　it　might　be　made　evident　to　all　men　that　when　great　wrongs　are　done；　the　gods　will　surely　visit　them　with　great　punishments。　Such；　at　least；　is　my　view　of　the　matter。　　　　　（1。）　When　Proteu