the history-第57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！


t　is　right　and　fit？　It　rushes　wildly　into　state　affairs　with　all　the　fury　of　a　stream　swollen　in　the　winter；　and　confuses　everything。　Let　the　enemies　of　the　Persians　be　ruled　by　democracies；　but　let　us　choose　out　from　the　citizens　a　certain　number　of　the　worthiest；　and　put　the　government　into　their　hands。　For　thus　both　we　ourselves　shall　be　among　the　governors；　and　power　being　entrusted　to　the　best　men；　it　is　likely　that　the　best　counsels　will　prevail　in　the　state。〃　　　　　This　was　the　advice　which　Megabyzus　gave；　and　after　him　Darius　came　forward；　and　spoke　as　follows：…　〃All　that　Megabyzus　said　against　democracy　was　well　said；　I　think；　but　about　oligarchy　he　did　not　speak　advisedly；　for　take　these　three　forms　of　government…　democracy；　oligarchy；　and　monarchy…　and　let　them　each　be　at　their　best；　I　maintain　that　monarchy　far　surpasses　the　other　two。　What　government　can　possibly　be　better　than　that　of　the　very　best　man　in　the　whole　state？　The　counsels　of　such　a　man　are　like　himself；　and　so　he　governs　the　mass　of　the　people　to　their　heart's　content；　while　at　the　same　time　his　measures　against　evil…doers　are　kept　more　secret　than　in　other　states。　Contrariwise；　in　oligarchies；　where　men　vie　with　each　other　in　the　service　of　the　commonwealth；　fierce　enmities　are　apt　to　arise　between　man　and　man；　each　wishing　to　be　leader；　and　to　carry　his　own　measures；　whence　violent　quarrels　come；　which　lead　to　open　strife；　often　ending　in　bloodshed。　Then　monarchy　is　sure　to　follow；　and　this　too　shows　how　far　that　rule　surpasses　all　others。　Again；　in　a　democracy；　it　is　impossible　but　that　there　will　be　malpractices：　these　malpractices；　however；　do　not　lead　to　enmities；　but　to　close　friendships；　which　are　formed　among　those　engaged　in　them；　who　must　hold　well　together　to　carry　on　their　villainies。　And　so　things　go　on　until　a　man　stands　forth　as　champion　of　the　commonalty；　and　puts　down　the　evil…doers。　Straightway　the　author　of　so　great　a　service　is　admired　by　all；　and　from　being　admired　soon　comes　to　be　appointed　king；　so　that　here　too　it　is　plain　that　monarchy　is　the　best　government。　Lastly；　to　sum　up　all　in　a　word；　whence；　I　ask；　was　it　that　we　got　the　freedom　which　we　enjoy？…　did　democracy　give　it　us；　or　oligarchy；　or　a　monarch？　As　a　single　man　recovered　our　freedom　for　us；　my　sentence　is　that　we　keep　to　the　rule　of　one。　Even　apart　from　this；　we　ought　not　to　change　the　laws　of　our　forefathers　when　they　work　fairly；　for　to　do　so　is　not　well。〃　　　　　Such　were　the　three　opinions　brought　forward　at　this　meeting；　the　four　other　Persians　voted　in　favour　of　the　last。　Otanes；　who　wished　to　give　his　countrymen　a　democracy；　when　he　found　the　decision　against　him；　arose　a　second　time；　and　spoke　thus　before　the　assembly：…　〃Brother　conspirators；　it　is　plain　that　the　king　who　is　to　be　chosen　will　be　one　of　ourselves；　whether　we　make　the　choice　by　casting　lots　for　the　prize；　or　by　letting　the　people　decide　which　of　us　they　will　have　to　rule　over　them；　in　or　any　other　way。　Now；　as　I　have　neither　a　mind　to　rule　nor　to　be　ruled；　I　shall　not　enter　the　lists　with　you　in　this　matter。　I　withdraw；　however；　on　one　condition…　none　of　you　shall　claim　to　exercise　rule　over　me　or　my　seed　for　ever。〃　The　six　agreed　to　these　terms；　and　Otanes　withdraw　and　stood　aloof　from　the　contest。　And　still　to　this　day　the　family　of　Otanes　continues　to　be　the　only　free　family　in　Persia；　those　who　belong　to　it　submit　to　the　rule　of　the　king　only　so　far　as　they　themselves　choose；　they　are　bound；　however；　to　observe　the　laws　of　the　land　like　the　other　Persians。　　　　　After　this　the　six　took　counsel　together；　as　to　the　fairest　way　of　setting　up　a　king：　and　first；　with　respect　to　Otanes；　they　resolved；　that　if　any　of　their　own　number　got　the　kingdom；　Otanes　and　his　seed　after　him　should　receive　year　by　year；　as　a　mark　of　special　honour；　a　Median　robe；　and　all　such　other　gifts　as　are　accounted　the　most　honourable　in　Persia。　And　these　they　resolved　to　give　him；　because　he　was　the　man　who　first　planned　the　outbreak；　and　who　brought　the　seven　together。　These　privileges；　therefore；　were　assigned　specially　to　Otanes。　The　following　were　made　common　to　them　all：…　It　was　to　be　free　to　each；　whenever　he　pleased；　to　enter　the　palace　unannounced；　unless　the　king　were　in　the　company　of　one　of　his　wives；　and　the　king　was　to　be　bound　to　marry　into　no　family　excepting　those　of　the　conspirators。　Concerning　the　appointment　of　a　king；　the　resolve　to　which　they　came　was　the　following：…　They　would　ride　out　together　next　morning　into　the　skirts　of　the　city；　and　he　whose　steed　first　neighed　after　the　sun　was　up　should　have　the　kingdom。　　　　　Now　Darius　had　a　groom；　a　sharp…witted　knave；　called　Oebares。　After　the　meeting　had　broken　up；　Darius　sent　for　him；　and　said；　〃Oebares；　this　is　the　way　in　which　the　king　is　to　be　chosen…　we　are　to　mount　our　horses；　and　the　man　whose　horse　first　neighs　after　the　sun　is　up　is　to　have　the　kingdom。　If　then　you　have　any　cleverness；　contrive　a　plan　whereby　the　prize　may　fall　to　us；　and　not　go　to　another。〃　〃Truly；　master；〃　Oebares　answered；　〃if　it　depends　on　this　whether　thou　shalt　be　king　or　no；　set　thine　heart　at　ease；　and　fear　nothing：　I　have　a　charm　which　is　sure　not　to　fail。〃　〃If　thou　hast　really　aught　of　the　kind；〃　said　Darius；　〃hasten　to　get　it　ready。　The　matter　does　not　brook　delay；　for　the　trial　is　to　be　to…morrow。〃　So　Oebares　when　he　heard　that；　did　as　follows：…　When　night　came；　he　took　one　of　the　mares；　the　chief　favourite　of　the　horse　which　Darius　rode；　and　tethering　it　in　the　suburb；　brought　his　master's　horse　to　the　place；　then；　after　leading　him　round　and　round　the　mare　several　times；　nearer　and　nearer　at　each　circuit；　he　ended　by　letting　them　come　together。　　　　　And　now；　when　the　morning　broke；　the　six　Persians；　according　to　agreement；　met　together　on　horseback；　and　rode　out　to　the　suburb。　As　they　went　along　they　neared　the　spot　where　the　mare　was　tethered　the　night　before；　whereupon　the　horse　of　Darius　sprang　forward　and　neighed。　just　at　the　same　time；　though　the　sky　was　clear　and　bright；　there　was　a　flash　of　lightning；　followed　by　a　thunderclap。　It　seemed　as　if　the　heavens　conspired　with　Darius；　and　hereby　inaugurated　him　king：　so　the　five　other　nobles　leaped　with　one　accord　from　their　steeds；　and　bowed　down　before　him　and　owned　him　for　their　king。　　　　　This　is　the　account　which　some　of　the　Persians　gave　of　the　contrivance　of　Oebares；　but　there　are　others　who　relate　the　matter　differently。　They　say　that　in　the　morning　he　stroked　the　mare　with　his　hand；　which　he　then　hid　in　his　trousers　until　the　sun　rose　and　the　horses　were　about　to　start；　when　he　suddenly　drew　his　hand　forth　and　put　it　to　the　nostrils　of　his　master's　horse；　which　immediately　snorted　and　neighed。　　　　　Thus　was　Darius；　son　of　Hystaspes；　appointed　king；　and；　except　the　Arabians；　all　they　of　Asia　were　subject　to　him；　for　Cyrus；　and　after　him　Cambyses；　had　brought　them　all　under。　The　Arabians　were　never　subject　as　slaves　to　the　Persians；　but　had　a　league　of　friendship　with　them　from　the　time　when　they　brought　Cambyses　on　his　way　as　he　went　into　Egypt；　for　had　they　been　unfriendly　the　Persians　could　never　have　made　their　invasion。　　　　　And　now　Darius　contracted　marriages　of　the　first　rank；　according　to　the　notions　of　the　Persians：　to　wit；　with　two　daughters　of　Cyrus；　Atossa　and　Artystone；　of　whom；　Atossa　had　been　twice　married　before；　once　to　Cambyses；　her　brother；　and　once　to　the　Magus；　while　the　other；　Artystone；　was　a　virgin。　He　married　also　Parmys；　daughter　of　Smerdis；　son　of　Cyrus；　and　he　likewise　took　to　wife　the　daughter　of　Otanes；　who　had　made　the　discovery　about　the　Magus。　And　now　when　his　power　was　established　firmly　throughout　all　the　kingdoms；　the　first　thing　that　he　did　was　to　set　up　a　carving　in　stone；　which　showed　a　man　mounted　upon　a　horse；　with　an　inscription　in　these　words　following：…　〃Darius；　son　of　Hystaspes；　by　aid　of　his　good　horse〃　（here　followed　the　horse's　name）；　〃and　of　his　good　groom　Oebares；　got　himself　the　kingdom　of　the　Persians。〃　　　　　This　he　set　up　in　Persia；　and　afterwards　he　proceeded　to　establish　twenty　governments　of　the　kind　which　the　Persians　call　satrapies；　assigning　to　each　its　governor；　and　fixing　the　tribute　which　was　to　be　paid　him　by　the　several　nations。　And　generally　he　joined　together　in　one　satrapy　the　nations　that　were　neighbours；　but　sometimes　he　passed　over　the　nearer　tribes；　and　put　in　their　stead　those　which　were　more　remote。　The　following　is　an　account　of　these　governments；　and　of　the　yearly　tribute　which　they　paid　to　the　king：…　Such　as　brought　their　tribute　in　silver　were　ordered　to　pay　according　to　the　Babylonian　talent；　while　the　Euboic　was　the　standard　measure　for　such　as　brought　gold。　Now　the　Babylonian　talent　contains　seventy　Euboic　minae。　During　all　the　reign　of　Cyrus；　and　afterwards　when　Cambyses　ruled；　there　were　no　fixed　tributes；　but　the　nations　severally　brought　gifts　to　the　king。　On　account　of　this　and　other　like　doings；　the　Persians　say　that　Darius　was　a　huckster；　Cambyses　a　master；　and　Cyrus　a　father；　for　Darius　looked　to　making　a　gain　in　everything；　Cambyses　was　harsh　and　reckless；　while　Cyrus　was　gentle；　and　procured　them　all　manner　of　goods。　　　　　The　Ionians；　the　Magnesians　of　Asia；　the　Aeolians；　the　Carians；　the　Lycians；　the　Milyans；　and　the　Pamphylians；　paid　the