the history-第51节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　when　he　heard　this　reply；　and　praised　the　judgment　of　Croesus。　　　　　Recollecting　these　answers；　Cambyses　spoke　fiercely　to　Prexaspes；　saying；　〃Judge　now　thyself；　Prexaspes；　whether　the　Persians　tell　the　truth；　or　whether　it　is　not　they　who　are　mad　for　speaking　as　they　do。　Look　there　now　at　thy　son　standing　in　the　vestibule…　if　I　shoot　and　hit　him　right　in　the　middle　of　the　heart；　it　will　be　plain　the　Persians　have　no　grounds　for　what　they　say：　if　I　miss　him；　then　I　allow　that　the　Persians　are　right；　and　that　I　am　out　of　my　mind。〃　So　speaking　he　drew　his　bow　to　the　full；　and　struck　the　boy；　who　straightway　fell　down　dead。　Then　Cambyses　ordered　the　body　to　be　opened；　and　the　wound　examined；　and　when　the　arrow　was　found　to　have　entered　the　heart；　the　king　was　quite　overjoyed；　and　said　to　the　father　with　a　laugh；　〃Now　thou　seest　plainly；　Prexaspes；　that　it　is　not　I　who　am　mad；　but　the　Persians　who　have　lost　their　senses。　I　pray　thee　tell　me；　sawest　thou　ever　mortal　man　send　an　arrow　with　a　better　aim？〃　Prexaspes；　seeing　that　the　king　was　not　in　his　right　mind；　and　fearing　for　himself；　replied；　〃Oh！　my　lord；　I　do　not　think　that　God　himself　could　shoot　so　dexterously。〃　Such　was　the　outrage　which　Cambyses　committed　at　this　time：　at　another；　he　took　twelve　of　the　noblest　Persians；　and；　without　bringing　any　charge　worthy　of　death　against　them；　buried　them　all　up　to　the　neck。　　　　　Hereupon　Croesus　the　Lydian　thought　it　right　to　admonish　Cambyses；　which　he　did　in　these　words　following：…　〃Oh！　king；　allow　not　thyself　to　give　way　entirely　to　thy　youth；　and　the　heat　of　thy　temper；　but　check　and　control　thyself。　It　is　well　to　look　to　consequences；　and　in　forethought　is　true　wisdom。　Thou　layest　hold　of　men；　who　are　thy　fellow…citizens；　and；　without　cause　of　complaint；　slayest　them…　thou　even　puttest　children　to　death…　bethink　thee　now；　if　thou　shalt　often　do　things　like　these；　will　not　the　Persians　rise　in　revolt　against　thee？　It　is　by　thy　father's　wish　that　I　offer　thee　advice；　he　charged　me　strictly　to　give　thee　such　counsel　as　I　might　see　to　be　most　for　thy　good。〃　In　thus　advising　Cambyses；　Croesus　meant　nothing　but　what　was　friendly。　But　Cambyses　answered　him；　〃Dost　thou　presume　to　offer　me　advice？　Right　well　thou　ruledst　thy　own　country　when　thou　wert　a　king；　and　right　sage　advice　thou　gavest　my　father　Cyrus；　bidding　him　cross　the　Araxes　and　fight　the　Massagetae　in　their　own　land；　when　they　were　willing　to　have　passed　over　into　ours。　By　thy　misdirection　of　thine　own　affairs　thou　broughtest　ruin　upon　thyself；　and　by　thy　bad　counsel；　which　he　followed；　thou　broughtest　ruin　upon　Cyrus；　my　father。　But　thou　shalt　not　escape　punishment　now；　for　I　have　long　been　seeking　to　find　some　occasion　against　thee。〃　As　he　thus　spoke；　Cambyses　took　up　his　bow　to　shoot　at　Croesus；　but　Croesus　ran　hastily　out；　and　escaped。　So　when　Cambyses　found　that　he　could　not　kill　him　with　his　bow；　he　bade　his　servants　seize　him；　and　put　him　to　death。　The　servants；　however；　who　knew　their　master's　humour；　thought　it　best　to　hide　Croesus；　that　so；　if　Cambyses　relented；　and　asked　for　him；　they　might　bring　him　out；　and　get　a　reward　for　having　saved　his　life…　if；　on　the　other　hand；　he　did　not　relent；　or　regret　the　loss；　they　might　then　despatch　him。　Not　long　afterwards；　Cambyses　did　in　fact　regret　the　loss　of　Croesus；　and　the　servants；　perceiving　it；　let　him　know　that　he　was　still　alive。　〃I　am　glad；〃　said　he；　〃that　Croesus　lives；　but　as　for　you　who　saved　him；　ye　shall　not　escape　my　vengeance；　but　shall　all　of　you　be　put　to　death。〃　And　he　did　even　as　he　had　said。　　　　　Many　other　wild　outrages　of　this　sort　did　Cambyses　commit；　both　upon　the　Persians　and　the　allies；　while　he　still　stayed　at　Memphis；　among　the　rest　he　opened　the　ancient　sepulchres；　and　examined　the　bodies　that　were　buried　in　them。　He　likewise　went　into　the　temple　of　Vulcan；　and　made　great　sport　of　the　image。　For　the　image　of　Vulcan　is　very　like　the　Pataeci　of　the　Phoenicians；　wherewith　they　ornament　the　prows　of　their　ships　of　war。　If　persons　have　not　seen　these；　I　will　explain　in　a　different　way…　it　is　a　figure　resembling　that　of　a　pigmy。　He　went　also　into　the　temple　of　the　Cabiri；　which　it　is　unlawful　for　any　one　to　enter　except　the　priests；　and　not　only　made　sport　of　the　images；　but　even　burnt　them。　They　are　made　like　the　statue　of　Vulcan；　who　is　said　to　have　been　their　father。　　　　　Thus　it　appears　certain　to　me；　by　a　great　variety　of　proofs；　that　Cambyses　was　raving　mad；　he　would　not　else　have　set　himself　to　make　a　mock　of　holy　rites　and　long…established　usages。　For　if　one　were　to　offer　men　to　choose　out　of　all　the　customs　in　the　world　such　as　seemed　to　them　the　best；　they　would　examine　the　whole　number；　and　end　by　preferring　their　own；　so　convinced　are　they　that　their　own　usages　far　surpass　those　of　all　others。　Unless；　therefore；　a　man　was　mad；　it　is　not　likely　that　he　would　make　sport　of　such　matters。　That　people　have　this　feeling　about　their　laws　may　be　seen　by　very　many　proofs：　among　others；　by　the　following。　Darius；　after　he　had　got　the　kingdom；　called　into　his　presence　certain　Greeks　who　were　at　hand；　and　asked…　〃What　he　should　pay　them　to　eat　the　bodies　of　their　fathers　when　they　died？〃　To　which　they　answered；　that　there　was　no　sum　that　would　tempt　them　to　do　such　a　thing。　He　then　sent　for　certain　Indians；　of　the　race　called　Callatians；　men　who　eat　their　fathers；　and　asked　them；　while　the　Greeks　stood　by；　and　knew　by　the　help　of　an　interpreter　all　that　was　said　…　〃What　he　should　give　them　to　burn　the　bodies　of　their　fathers　at　their　decease？〃　The　Indians　exclaimed　aloud；　and　bade　him　forbear　such　language。　Such　is　men's　wont　herein；　and　Pindar　was　right；　in　my　judgment；　when　he　said；　〃Law　is　the　king　o'er　all。〃　　　　　While　Cambyses　was　carrying　on　this　war　in　Egypt；　the　Lacedaemonians　likewise　sent　a　force　to　Samos　against　Polycrates；　the　son　of　Aeaces；　who　had　by　insurrection　made　himself　master　of　that　island。　At　the　outset　he　divided　the　state　into　three　parts；　and　shared　the　kingdom　with　his　brothers；　Pantagnotus　and　Syloson；　but　later；　having　killed　the　former　and　banished　the　latter；　who　was　the　younger　of　the　two；　he　held　the　whole　island。　Hereupon　he　made　a　contract　of　friendship　with　Amasis　the　Egyptian　king；　sending　him　gifts；　and　receiving　from　him　others　in　return。　In　a　little　while　his　power　so　greatly　increased；　that　the　fame　of　it　went　abroad　throughout　Ionia　and　the　rest　of　Greece。　Wherever　he　turned　his　arms；　success　waited　on　him。　He　had　a　fleet　of　a　hundred　penteconters；　and　bowmen　to　the　number　of　a　thousand。　Herewith　he　plundered　all；　without　distinction　of　friend　or　foe；　for　he　argued　that　a　friend　was　better　pleased　if　you　gave　him　back　what　you　had　taken　from　him；　than　if　you　spared　him　at　the　first。　He　captured　many　of　the　islands；　and　several　towns　upon　the　mainland。　Among　his　other　doings　he　overcame　the　Lesbians　in　a　sea…fight；　when　they　came　with　all　their　forces　to　the　help　of　Miletus；　and　made　a　number　of　them　prisoners。　These　persons；　laden　with　fetters；　dug　the　moat　which　surrounds　the　castle　at　Samos。　　　　　The　exceeding　good　fortune　of　Polycrates　did　not　escape　the　notice　of　Amasis；　who　was　much　disturbed　thereat。　When　therefore　his　successes　continued　increasing；　Amasis　wrote　him　the　following　letter；　and　sent　it　to　Samos。　〃Amasis　to　Polycrates　thus　sayeth：　It　is　a　pleasure　to　hear　of　a　friend　and　ally　prospering；　but　thy　exceeding　prosperity　does　not　cause　me　joy；　forasmuch　as　I　know　that　the　gods　are　envious。　My　wish　for　myself　and　for　those　whom　I　love　is　to　be　now　successful；　and　now　to　meet　with　a　check；　thus　passing　through　life　amid　alternate　good　and　ill；　rather　than　with　perpetual　good　fortune。　For　never　yet　did　I　hear　tell　of　any　one　succeeding　in　all　his　undertakings；　who　did　not　meet　with　calamity　at　last；　and　come　to　utter　ruin。　Now；　therefore；　give　ear　to　my　words；　and　meet　thy　good　luck　in　this　way：　bethink　thee　which　of　all　thy　treasures　thou　valuest　most　and　canst　least　bear　to　part　with；　take　it；　whatsoever　it　be；　and　throw　it　away；　so　that　it　may　be　sure　never　to　come　any　more　into　the　sight　of　man。　Then；　if　thy　good　fortune　be　not　thenceforth　chequered　with　ill；　save　thyself　from　harm　by　again　doing　as　I　have　counselled。〃　　　　　When　Polycrates　read　this　letter；　and　perceived　that　the　advice　of　Amasis　was　good；　he　considered　carefully　with　himself　which　of　the　treasures　that　he　had　in　store　it　would　grieve　him　most　to　lose。　After　much　thought　he　made　up　his　mind　that　it　was　a　signet…ring　which　he　was　wont　to　wear；　an　emerald　set　in　gold；　the　workmanship　of　Theodore；　son　of　Telecles；　a　Samian。　So　he　determined　to　throw　this　away；　and；　manning　a　penteconter；　he　went　on　board；　and　bade　the　sailors　put　out　into　the　open　sea。　When　he　was　now　a　long　way　from　the　island；　he　took　the　ring　from　his　finger；　and；　in　the　sight　of　all　those　who　were　on　board；　flung　it　into　the　deep。　This　done；　he　returned　home；　and　gave　vent　to　his　sorrow。　　　　　Now　it　happened　five　or　six　days　afterwards　that　a　fisherman　caught　a　fish　so　large　and　beautiful　that　he　thought　it　well　deserved　to　be　made　a　present　of　to　the　king。　So　he　took　it　with　him　to　the　gate　of　the　palace；　and　said　that　he　wanted　to　see　Polycrates。　Then　Polycrates　allowed　him　to　come　in；　and　the　fisherman　gave　him　the　fish　with