the history-第60节

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e　trucks　are　placed　under　the　tails；　each　sheep　having　one　to　himself；　and　the　tails　are　then　tied　down　upon　them。　The　other　kind　has　a　broad　tail；　which　is　a　cubit　across　sometimes。　　　　　Where　the　south　declines　towards　the　setting　sun　lies　the　country　called　Ethiopia；　the　last　inhabited　land　in　that　direction。　There　gold　is　obtained　in　great　plenty；　huge　elephants　abound；　with　wild　trees　of　all　sorts；　and　ebony；　and　the　men　are　taller；　handsomer；　and　longer　lived　than　anywhere　else。　　　　　Now　these　are　the　farthest　regions　of　the　world　in　Asia　and　Libya。　Of　the　extreme　tracts　of　Europe　towards　the　west　I　cannot　speak　with　any　certainty；　for　I　do　not　allow　that　there　is　any　river；　to　which　the　barbarians　give　the　name　of　Eridanus；　emptying　itself　into　the　northern　sea；　whence　（as　the　tale　goes）　amber　is　procured；　nor　do　I　know　of　any　islands　called　the　Cassiterides　（Tin　Islands）；　whence　the　tin　comes　which　we　use。　For　in　the　first　place　the　name　Eridanus　is　manifestly　not　a　barbarian　word　at　all；　but　a　Greek　name；　invented　by　some　poet　or　other；　and　secondly；　though　I　have　taken　vast　pains；　I　have　never　been　able　to　get　an　assurance　from　an　eye…witness　that　there　is　any　sea　on　the　further　side　of　Europe。　Nevertheless；　tin　and　amber　do　certainly　come　to　us　from　the　ends　of　the　earth。　　　　　The　northern　parts　of　Europe　are　very　much　richer　in　gold　than　any　other　region：　but　how　it　is　procured　I　have　no　certain　knowledge。　The　story　runs　that　the　one…eyed　Arimaspi　purloin　it　from　the　griffins；　but　here　too　I　am　incredulous；　and　cannot　persuade　myself　that　there　is　a　race　of　men　born　with　one　eye；　who　in　all　else　resemble　the　rest　of　mankind。　Nevertheless　it　seems　to　be　true　that　the　extreme　regions　of　the　earth；　which　surround　and　shut　up　within　themselves　all　other　countries；　produce　the　things　which　are　the　rarest；　and　which　men　reckon　the　most　beautiful。　　　　　There　is　a　plain　in　Asia　which　is　shut　in　on　all　sides　by　a　mountain…range；　and　in　this　mountain…range　are　five　openings。　The　plain　lies　on　the　confines　of　the　Chorasmians；　Hyrcanians；　Parthians；　Sarangians；　and　Thamanaeans；　and　belonged　formerly　to　the　first…mentioned　of　those　peoples。　Ever　since　the　Persians；　however；　obtained　the　mastery　of　Asia；　it　has　been　the　property　of　the　Great　King。　A　mighty　river；　called　the　Aces；　flows　from　the　hills　inclosing　the　plain；　and　this　stream；　formerly　splitting　into　five　channels；　ran　through　the　five　openings　in　the　hills；　and　watered　the　lands　of　the　five　nations　which　dwell　around。　The　Persian　came；　however；　and　conquered　the　region；　and　then　it　went　ill　with　the　people　of　these　lands。　The　Great　King　blocked　up　all　the　passages　between　the　hills　with　dykes　and　flood　gates；　and　so　prevented　the　water　from　flowing　out。　Then　the　plain　within　the　hills　became　a　sea；　for　the　river　kept　rising；　and　the　water　could　find　no　outlet。　From　that　time　the　five　nations　which　were　wont　formerly　to　have　the　use　of　the　stream；　losing　their　accustomed　supply　of　water；　have　been　in　great　distress。　In　winter；　indeed；　they　have　rain　from　heaven　like　the　rest　of　the　world；　but　in　summer；　after　sowing　their　millet　and　their　sesame；　they　always　stand　in　need　of　water　from　the　river。　When；　therefore；　they　suffer　from　this　want；　hastening　to　Persia；　men　and　women　alike；　they　take　their　station　at　the　gate　of　the　king's　palace；　and　wail　aloud。　Then　the　king　orders　the　flood…gates　to　be　opened　towards　the　country　whose　need　is　greatest；　and　lets　the　soil　drink　until　it　has　had　enough；　after　which　the　gates　on　this　side　are　shut；　and　others　are　unclosed　for　the　nation　which；　of　the　remainder；　needs　it　most。　It　has　been　told　me　that　the　king　never　gives　the　order　to　open　the　gates　till　the　suppliants　have　paid　him　a　large　sum　of　money　over　and　above　the　tribute。　　　　　Of　the　seven　Persians　who　rose　up　against　the　Magus；　one；　Intaphernes；　lost　his　life　very　shortly　after　the　outbreak；　for　an　act　of　insolence。　He　wished　to　enter　the　palace　and　transact　a　certain　business　with　the　king。　Now　the　law　was　that　all　those　who　had　taken　part　in　the　rising　against　the　Magus　might　enter　unannounced　into　the　king's　presence；　unless　he　happened　to　be　in　private　with　his　wife。　So　Intaphernes　would　not　have　any　one　announce　him；　but；　as　he　belonged　to　the　seven；　claimed　it　as　his　right　to　go　in。　The　doorkeeper；　however；　and　the　chief　usher　forbade　his　entrance；　since　the　king；　they　said；　was　with　his　wife。　But　Intaphernes　thought　they　told　lies；　so；　drawing　his　scymitar；　he　cut　off　their　noses　and　their　ears；　and；　hanging　them　on　the　bridle　of　his　horse；　put　the　bridle　round　their　necks；　and　so　let　them　go。　　　　　Then　these　two　men　went　and　showed　themselves　to　the　king；　and　told　him　how　it　had　come　to　pass　that　they　were　thus　treated。　Darius　trembled　lest　it　was　by　the　common　consent　of　the　six　that　the　deed　had　been　done；　he　therefore　sent　for　them　all　in　turn；　and　sounded　them　to　know　if　they　approved　the　conduct　of　Intaphernes。　When　he　found　by　their　answers　that　there　had　been　no　concert　between　him　and　them；　he　laid　hands　on　Intaphernes；　his　children；　and　all　his　near　kindred；　strongly　suspecting　that　he　and　his　friends　were　about　to　raise　a　revolt。　When　all　had　been　seized　and　put　in　chains；　as　malefactors　condemned　to　death；　the　wife　of　Intaphernes　came　and　stood　continually　at　the　palace…gates；　weeping　and　wailing　sore。　So　Darius　after　a　while；　seeing　that　she　never　ceased　to　stand　and　weep；　was　touched　with　pity　for　her；　and　bade　a　messenger　go　to　her　and　say；　〃Lady；　king　Darius　gives　thee　as　a　boon　the　life　of　one　of　thy　kinsmen…　choose　which　thou　wilt　of　the　prisoners。〃　Then　she　pondered　awhile　before　she　answered；　〃If　the　king　grants　me　the　life　of　one　alone；　I　make　choice　of　my　brother。〃　Darius；　when　he　heard　the　reply；　was　astonished；　and　sent　again；　saying；　〃Lady；　the　king　bids　thee　tell　him　why　it　is　that　thou　passest　by　thy　husband　and　thy　children；　and　preferrest　to　have　the　life　of　thy　brother　spared。　He　is　not　so　near　to　thee　as　thy　children；　nor　so　dear　as　thy　husband。〃　She　answered；　〃O　king；　if　the　gods　will；　I　may　have　another　husband　and　other　children　when　these　are　gone。　But　as　my　father　and　my　mother　are　no　more；　it　is　impossible　that　I　should　have　another　brother。　This　was　my　thought　when　I　asked　to　have　my　brother　spared。〃　Then　it　seemed　to　Darius　that　the　lady　spoke　well；　and　he　gave　her；　besides　the　life　that　she　had　asked；　the　life　also　of　her　eldest　son；　because　he　was　greatly　pleased　with　her。　But　he　slew　all　the　rest。　Thus　one　of　the　seven　died；　in　the　way　I　have　described；　very　shortly　after　the　insurrection。　　　　　About　the　time　of　Cambyses'　last　sickness；　the　following　events　happened。　There　was　a　certain　Oroetes；　a　Persian；　whom　Cyrus　had　made　governor　of　Sardis。　This　man　conceived　a　most　unholy　wish。　He　had　never　suffered　wrong　or　had　an　ill　word　from　Polycrates　the　Samian…　nay；　he　had　not　so　much　as　seen　him　in　all　his　life；　yet；　notwithstanding；　he　conceived　the　wish　to　seize　him　and　put　him　to　death。　This　wish；　according　to　the　account　which　the　most　part　give；　arose　from　what　happened　one　day　as　he　was　sitting　with　another　Persian　in　the　gate　of　the　king's　palace。　The　man's　name　was　Mitrobates；　and　he　was　ruler　of　the　satrapy　of　Dascyleium。　He　and　Oroetes　had　been　talking　together；　and　from　talking　they　fell　to　quarrelling　and　comparing　their　merits；　whereupon　Mitrobates　said　to　Oroetes　reproachfully；　〃Art　thou　worthy　to　be　called　a　man；　when；　near　as　Samos　lies　to　thy　government；　and　easy　as　it　is　to　conquer；　thou　hast　omitted　to　bring　it　under　the　dominion　of　the　king？　Easy　to　conquer；　said　I？　Why；　a　mere　common　citizen；　with　the　help　of　fifteen　men…at…arms；　mastered　the　island；　and　is　still　king　of　it。〃　Oroetes；　they　say；　took　this　reproach　greatly　to　heart；　but；　instead　of　seeking　to　revenge　himself　on　the　man　by　whom　it　was　uttered；　he　conceived　the　desire　of　destroying　Polycrates；　since　it　was　on　Polycrates'　account　that　the　reproach　had　fallen　on　him。　　　　　Another　less　common　version　of　the　story　is　that　Oroetes　sent　a　herald　to　Samos　to　make　a　request；　the　nature　of　which　is　not　stated；　Polycrates　was　at　the　time　reclining　in　the　apartment　of　the　males；　and　Anacreon　the　Teian　was　with　him；　when　therefore　the　herald　came　forward　to　converse；　Polycrates；　either　out　of　studied　contempt　for　the　power　of　Oroetes；　or　it　may　be　merely　by　chance；　was　lying　with　his　face　turned　away　towards　the　wall；　and　so　he　lay　all　the　time　that　the　herald　spake；　and　when　he　ended；　did　not　even　vouchsafe　him　a　word。　　　　　Such　are　the　two　reasons　alleged　for　the　death　of　Polycrates；　it　is　open　to　all　to　believe　which　they　please。　What　is　certain　is　that　Oroetes；　while　residing　at　Magnesia　on　the　Maeander；　sent　a　Lydian；　by　name　Myrsus；　the　son　of　Gyges；　with　a　message　to　Polycrates　at　Samos；　well　knowing　what　that　monarch　designed。　For　Polycrates　entertained　a　design　which　no　other　Greek；　so　far　as　we　know；　ever　formed　before　him；　unless　it　were　Minos　the　Cnossian；　and　those　（if　there　were　any　such）　who　had　the　mastery　of　the　Egaean　at　an　earlier　time…　Polycrates；　I　say；　was　the　first　of　mere　human　birth　who　conceived　the　design　of　gaining　the　empire　of　the　sea；　and　aspired　to　rule　over　Ionia　and　the　islands。　Knowing　then　that　Polycrates　was　thus　minded；　Oroetes　sent　hi