the history-第8节

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es；　which　he　took　care　should　be　observed　by　all。　After　this　he　arranged　whatever　appertained　to　war；　establishing　the　Enomotiae；　Triacades；　and　Syssitia；　besides　which　he　instituted　the　senate；'　and　the　ephoralty。　Such　was　the　way　in　which　the　Lacedaemonians　became　a　well…governed　people。　　　　　On　the　death　of　Lycurgus　they　built　him　a　temple；　and　ever　since　they　have　worshipped　him　with　the　utmost　reverence。　Their　soil　being　good　and　the　population　numerous；　they　sprang　up　rapidly　to　power；　and　became　a　flourishing　people。　In　consequence　they　soon　ceased　to　be　satisfied　to　stay　quiet；　and；　regarding　the　Arcadians　as　very　much　their　inferiors；　they　sent　to　consult　the　oracle　about　conquering　the　whole　of　Arcadia。　The　Pythoness　thus　answered　them：

　　　　Cravest　thou　Arcady？　Bold　is　thy　craving。　I　shall　not　content　it。　　　　　Many　the　men　that　in　Arcady　dwell；　whose　food　is　the　acorn…　　　　　They　will　never　allow　thee。　It　is　not　I　that　am　niggard。　　　　　I　will　give　thee　to　dance　in　Tegea；　with　noisy　foot…fall；　　　　　And　with　the　measuring　line　mete　out　the　glorious　champaign。

When　the　Lacedaemonians　received　this　reply；　leaving　the　rest　of　Arcadia　untouched；　they　marched　against　the　Tegeans；　carrying　with　them　fetters；　so　confident　had　this　oracle　（which　was；　in　truth；　but　of　base　metal）　made　them　that　they　would　enslave　the　Tegeans。　The　battle；　however；　went　against　them；　and　many　fell　into　the　enemy's　hands。　Then　these　persons；　wearing　the　fetters　which　they　had　themselves　brought；　and　fastened　together　in　a　string；　measured　the　Tegean　plain　as　they　executed　their　labours。　The　fetters　in　which　they　worked　were　still；　in　my　day；　preserved　at　Tegea　where　they　hung　round　the　walls　of　the　temple　of　Minerva　Alea。　　　　　Throughout　the　whole　of　this　early　contest　with　the　Tegeans；　the　Lacedaemonians　met　with　nothing　but　defeats；　but　in　the　time　of　Croesus；　under　the　kings　Anaxandrides　and　　Aristo；　fortune　had　turned　in　their　favour；　in　the　manner　which　I　will　now　relate。　Having　been　worsted　in　every　engagement　by　their　enemy；　they　sent　to　Delphi；　and　inquired　of　the　oracle　what　god　they　must　propitiate　to　prevail　in　the　war　against　the　Tegeans。　The　answer　of　the　Pythoness　was　that　before　they　could　prevail；　they　must　remove　to　Sparta　the　bones　of　Orestes；　the　son　of　Agamemnon。　Unable　to　discover　his　burial…place；　they　sent　a　second　time；　and　asked　the　god　where　the　body　of　the　hero　had　been　laid。　The　following　was　the　answer　they　received：…

　　　　Level　and　smooth　is　the　plain　where　Arcadian　Tegea　standeth；　　　　　There　two　winds　are　ever；　by　strong　necessity；　blowing；　　　　　Counter…stroke　answers　stroke；　and　evil　lies　upon　evil。　　　　　There　all…teeming　Earth　doth　harbour　the　son　of　Atrides；　　　　　Bring　thou　him　to　thy　city；　and　then　be　Tegea's　master。

After　this　reply；　the　Lacedaemonians　were　no　nearer　discovering　the　burial…place　than　before；　though　they　continued　to　search　for　it　diligently；　until　at　last　a　man　named　Lichas；　one　of　the　Spartans　called　Agathoergi；　found　it。　The　Agathoergi　are　citizens　who　have　just　served　their　time　among　the　knights。　The　five　eldest　of　the　knights　go　out　every　year；　and　are　bound　during　the　year　after　their　discharge　to　go　wherever　the　State　sends　them；　and　actively　employ　themselves　in　its　service。　　　　　Lichas　was　one　of　this　body　when；　partly　by　good　luck；　partly　by　his　own　wisdom；　he　discovered　the　burial…place。　Intercourse　between　the　two　States　existing　just　at　this　time；　he　went　to　Tegea；　and；　happening　to　enter　into　the　workshop　of　a　smith；　he　saw　him　forging　some　iron。　As　he　stood　marvelling　at　what　he　beheld；　he　was　observed　by　the　smith　who；　leaving　off　his　work；　went　up　to　him　and　said；　　　　　〃Certainly；　then；　you　Spartan　stranger；　you　would　have　been　wonderfully　surprised　if　you　had　seen　what　I　have；　since　you　make　a　marvel　even　of　the　working　in　iron。　I　wanted　to　make　myself　a　well　in　this　room；　and　began　to　dig　it；　when　what　think　you？　I　came　upon　a　coffin　seven　cubits　long。　I　had　never　believed　that　men　were　taller　in　the　olden　times　than　they　are　now；　so　I　opened　the　coffin。　The　body　inside　was　of　the　same　length：　I　measured　it；　and　filled　up　the　hole　again。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　man's　account　of　what　he　had　seen。　The　other；　on　turning　the　matter　over　in　his　mind；　conjectured　that　this　was　the　body　of　Orestes；　of　which　the　oracle　had　spoken。　He　guessed　so；　because　he　observed　that　the　smithy　had　two　bellows；　which　he　understood　to　be　the　two　winds；　and　the　hammer　and　anvil　would　do　for　the　stroke　and　the　counterstroke；　and　the　iron　that　was　being　wrought　for　the　evil　lying　upon　evil。　This　he　imagined　might　be　so　because　iron　had　been　discovered　to　the　hurt　of　man。　Full　of　these　conjectures；　he　sped　back　to　Sparta　and　laid　the　whole　matter　before　his　countrymen。　Soon　after；　by　a　concerted　plan；　they　brought　a　charge　against　him；　and　began　a　prosecution。　Lichas　betook　himself　to　Tegea；　and　on　his　arrival　acquainted　the　smith　with　his　misfortune；　and　proposed　to　rent　his　room　of　him。　The　smith　refused　for　some　time；　but　at　last　Lichas　persuaded　him；　and　took　up　his　abode　in　it。　Then　he　opened　the　grave；　and　collecting　the　bones；　returned　with　them　to　Sparta。　From　henceforth；　whenever　the　Spartans　and　the　Tegeans　made　trial　of　each　other's　skill　in　arms；　the　Spartans　always　had　greatly　the　advantage；　and　by　the　time　to　which　we　are　now　come　they　were　masters　of　most　of　the　Peloponnese。　　　　　Croesus；　informed　of　all　these　circumstances；　sent　messengers　to　Sparta；　with　gifts　in　their　hands；　who　were　to　ask　the　Spartans　to　enter　into　alliance　with　him。　They　received　strict　injunctions　as　to　what　they　should　say；　and　on　their　arrival　at　Sparta　spake　as　follows：…　　　　　〃Croesus；　king　of　the　Lydians　and　of　other　nations；　has　sent　us　to　speak　thus　to　you：　'Oh　Lacedaemonians；　the　god　has　bidden　me　to　make　the　Greek　my　friend；　I　therefore　apply　to　you；　in　conformity　with　the　oracle；　knowing　that　you　hold　the　first　rank　in　Greece；　and　desire　to　become　your　friend　and　ally　in　all　true　faith　and　honesty。'〃　　　　　Such　was　the　message　which　Croesus　sent　by　his　heralds。　The　Lacedaemonians；　who　were　aware　beforehand　of　the　reply　given　him　by　the　oracle；　were　full　of　joy　at　the　coming　of　the　messengers；　and　at　once　took　the　oaths　of　friendship　and　alliance：　this　they　did　the　more　readily　as　they　had　previously　contracted　certain　obligations　towards　him。　They　had　sent　to　Sardis　on　one　occasion　to　purchase　some　gold；　intending　to　use　it　on　a　statue　of　Apollo…　the　statue；　namely；　which　remains　to　this　day　at　Thornax　in　Laconia；　when　Croesus；　hearing　of　the　matter；　gave　them　as　a　gift　the　gold　which　they　wanted。　　　　　This　was　one　reason　why　the　Lacedaemonians　were　so　willing　to　make　the　alliance：　another　was；　because　Croesus　had　chosen　them　for　his　friends　in　preference　to　all　the　other　Greeks。　They　therefore　held　themselves　in　readiness　to　come　at　his　summons；　and　not　content　with　so　doing；　they　further　had　a　huge　vase　made　in　bronze；　covered　with　figures　of　animals　all　round　the　outside　of　the　rim；　and　large　enough　to　contain　three　hundred　amphorae；　which　they　sent　to　Croesus　as　a　return　for　his　presents　to　them。　The　vase；　however；　never　reached　Sardis。　Its　miscarriage　is　accounted　for　in　two　quite　different　ways。　The　Lacedaemonian　story　is　that　when　it　reached　Samos；　on　its　way　towards　Sardis；　the　Samians　having　knowledge　of　it；　put　to　sea　in　their　ships　of　war　and　made　it　their　prize。　But　the　Samians　declare　that　the　Lacedaemonians　who　had　the　vase　in　charge；　happening　to　arrive　too　late；　and　learning　that　Sardis　had　fallen　and　that　Croesus　was　a　prisoner；　sold　it　in　their　island；　and　the　purchasers　（who　were；　they　say；　private　persons）　made　an　offering　of　it　at　the　shrine　of　Juno：　the　sellers　were　very　likely　on　their　return　to　Sparta　to　have　said　that　they　had　been　robbed　of　it　by　the　Samians。　Such；　then；　was　the　fate　of　the　vase。　　　　　Meanwhile　Croesus；　taking　the　oracle　in　a　wrong　sense；　led　his　forces　into　Cappadocia；　fully　expecting　to　defeat　Cyrus　and　destroy　the　empire　of　the　Persians。　While　he　was　still　engaged　in　making　preparations　for　his　attack；　a　Lydian　named　Sandanis；　who　had　always　been　looked　upon　as　a　wise　man；　but　who　after　this　obtained　a　very　great　name　indeed　among　his　countrymen；　came　forward　and　counselled　the　king　in　these　words：　　　　　〃Thou　art　about；　oh！　king；　to　make　war　against　men　who　wear　leathern　trousers；　and　have　all　their　other　garments　of　leather；　who　feed　not　on　what　they　like；　but　on　what　they　can　get　from　a　soil　that　is　sterile　and　unkindly；　who　do　not　indulge　in　wine；　but　drink　water；　who　possess　no　figs　nor　anything　else　that　is　good　to　eat。　If；　then；　thou　conquerest　them；　what　canst　thou　get　from　them；　seeing　that　they　have　nothing　at　all？　But　if　they　conquer　thee；　consider　how　much　that　is　precious　thou　wilt　lose：　if　they　once　get　a　taste　of　our　pleasant　things；　they　will　keep　such　hold　of　them　that　we　shall　never　be　able　to　make　them　loose　their　grasp。　For　my　part；　I　am　thankful　to　the　gods　that　they　have　not　put　it　into　the　hearts　of　the　Persians　to　invade　Lydia。〃　　　　　Croesus　was　not　persuaded　by　this　speech；　though　it　was　true　enough；　for　before　the　conquest　of　Lydia；　the　Persians　possessed　none　of　the　luxuries　or　delights　of　life。　　　　　The　Cappadocians　are　known　to　the　Greeks　by　the　name　of　Syrians。