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themistocles-第5部分
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ancient Athenian kings; who; endeavouring to withdraw their subjects
from the sea; and to accustom them to live; not by sailing about;
but by planting and tilling the earth; spread the story of the dispute
between Minerva and Neptune for the sovereignty of Athens; in which
Minerva; by producing to the judges an olive…tree; was declared to
have won; whereas Themistocles did not only knead up; as
Aristophanes says; the port and the city into one; but made the city
absolutely the dependant and the adjunct of the port; and the land
of the sea; which increased the power and confidence of the people
against the nobility; the authority coming into the hands of sailors
and boatswains and pilots。 Thus it was one of the orders of the thirty
tyrants; that the hustings in the assembly; which had faced towards
the sea; should be turned round towards the land; implying their
opinion that the empire by sea had been the origin of the democracy;
and that the farming population were not so much opposed to oligarchy。
Themistocles; however; formed yet higher designs with a view to
naval supremacy。 For; after the departure of Xerxes; when the
Grecian fleet was arrived at Pagasae; where they wintered;
Themistocles; in a public oration to the people of Athens; told them
that he had a design to perform something that would tend greatly to
their interests and safety; but was of such a nature that it could not
be made generally public。 The Athenians ordered him to impart it to
Aristides only; and; if he approved of it; to put it in practice。
And when Themistocles had discovered to him that his design was to
burn the Grecian fleet in the haven of Pagasae; Aristides coming out
to the people; gave this report of the stratagem contrived by
Themistocles; that no proposal could be more politic; or more
dishonourable; on which the Athenians commanded Themistocles to
think no farther of it。
When the Lacedaemonians proposed; at the general council of the
Amphictyonians; that the representatives of those cities which were
not in the league; nor had fought against the Persians; should be
excluded; Themistocles; fearing that the Thessalians; with those of
Thebes; Argos; and others; being thrown out of the council; the
Lacedaemonians would become wholly masters of the votes; and do what
they pleased; supported the deputies of the cities; and prevailed with
the members then sitting to alter their opinion on this point; showing
them that there were but one…and…thirty cities which had partaken in
the war; and that most of these; also; were very small; how
intolerable would it be; if the rest of Greece should be excluded; and
the general council should come to be ruled by two or three great
cities。 By this; chiefly; he incurred the displeasure of the
Lacedaemonians; whose honours and favours were now shown to Cimon;
with a view to making him the opponent of the state policy of
Themistocles。
He was also burdensome to the confederates; sailing about the
islands and collecting money from them。 Herodotus says; that;
requiring money of those of the island of Andros; he told them that he
had brought with him two goddesses; Persuasion and Force; and they
answered him that they had also two great goddesses; which
prohibited them from giving him any money; Poverty and
Impossibility。 Timocreon; the Rhodian poet; reprehends him somewhat
bitterly for being wrought upon by money to let some who were banished
return; while abandoning himself; who was his guest and friend。 The
verses are these:…
〃Pausanias you may praise; and Xanthippus; he be for;
For Leutychidas; a third; Aristides; I proclaim;
From the sacred Athens came。
The one true man of all; for Themistocles Latona doth abhor;
The liar; traitor; cheat; who to gain his filthy pay;
Timocreon; his friend; neglected to restore
To his native Rhodian shore;
Three silver talents took and departed (curses with him) on his
way;
Restoring people here; expelling there; and killing here;
Filling evermore his purse: and at the Isthmus gave a treat;
To be laughed at; of cold meat;
Which they ate; and prayed the gods some one else might
give the feast another year。〃
But after the sentence and banishment of Themistocles; Timocreon
reviles him yet more immoderately and wildly in a poem that begins
thus:…
〃Unto all the Greeks repair;
O Muse; and tell these verses there;
As is fitting and is fair。〃
The story is; that it was put to the question whether Timocreon should
be banished for siding with the Persians; and Themistocles gave his
vote against him。 So when Themistocles was accused of intriguing
with the Medes; Timocreon made these lines upon him:…
〃So now Timocreon; indeed; is not the sole friend of the Mede;
There are some knaves besides; nor is it only mine that fails;
But other foxes have lost tails。…〃
When the citizens of Athens began to listen willingly to those who
traduced and reproached him; he was forced; with somewhat obnoxious
frequency; to put them in mind of the great services he had performed;
and ask those who were offended with him whether they were weary
with receiving benefits often from the same person; so rendering
himself more odious。 And he yet more provoked the people by building a
temple to Diana with the epithet of Aristobule; or Diana of Best
Counsel; intimating thereby; that he had given the best counsel; not
only to the Athenians; but to all Greece。 He built this temple near
his own house; in the district called Melite; where now the public
officers carry out the bodies of such as are executed; and throw the
halters and clothes of those that are strangled or otherwise put to
death。 There is to this day a small figure of Themistocles in the
temple of Diana of Best Counsel; which represents him to be a person
not only of a noble mind; but also of a most heroic aspect。 At
length the Athenians banished him; making use of the ostracism to
humble his eminence and authority; as they ordinarily did with all
whom they thought too powerful; or; by their greatness;
disproportional to the equality thought requisite in a popular
government。 For the ostracism was instituted; not so much to punish
the offender; as to mitigate and pacify the violence of the envious;
who delighted to humble eminent men; and who; by fixing this
disgrace upon them; might vent some part of their rancour。
Themistocles being banished from Athens; while he stayed at Argos
the detection of Pausanias happened; which gave such advantage to
his enemies; that Leobotes of Agraule; son of Alcmaeon; indicted him
of treason; the Spartans supporting him in the accusation。
When Pausanias went about this treasonable design; he concealed it
at first from Themistocles; though he were his intimate friend; but
when he saw him expelled out of the commonwealth; and how
impatiently he took his banishment; he ventured to communicate it to
him; and desired his assistance; showing him the king of Persia's
letters; and exasperating him against the Greeks; as a villainous;
ungrateful people。 However; Themistocles immediately rejected the
proposals of Pausanias; and wholly refused to be a party in the
enterprise; though he never revealed his communications; nor disclosed
the conspiracy to any man; either hoping that Pausanias would desist
from his intentions; or expecting that so inconsiderate an attempt
after such chimerical objects would be discovered by other means。
After that Pausanias was put to death; letters and writings being
found concerning this matter; which rendered Themistocles suspected;
the Lacedaemonians were clamorous against him; and his enemies among
the Athenians accused him; when; being absent from Athens; he made his
defence by letters; especially against the points that had been
previously alleged against him。 In answer to the malicious detractions
of his enemies; he merely wrote to the citizens; urging that he who
was always ambitious to govern; and not of a character or a
disposition to serve; would never sell himself and his country into
slavery to a barbarous and hostile nation。
Notwithstanding this; the people; being persuaded by his accusers;
sent officers to take him and bring him away to be tried before a
council of the Greeks; but; having timely notice of it; he passed over
into the island of Corcyra; where the state was under obligations to
him; for; being chosen as arbitrator in a difference between them
and the Corinthians; he decided the controversy by ordering the
Corinthians to pay down twenty talents; and declaring the town and
island of Leucas a joint colony from both cities。 From thence he
fled into Epirus; and; the Athenians and Lacedaemonians still pursuing
him; he threw himself upon chances of safety that seemed all but
desperate。 For he fled for refuge to Admetus; king of the
Molossians; who had formerly made some request to the Athenians;
when Themistocles was in the height of his authority; and had been
disdainfully used and insulted by him; and had let it appear plain
enough; that; could he lay hold of him; he would take his revenge。 Yet
in this misfortune Themistocles; fearing the recent hatred of his
neighbours and fellow…citizens more than the old displeasure of the
king; put himself at his mercy and became an humble suppliant to
Admetus; after a peculiar manner different from the custom of other
countries。 For taking the king's son; who was then a child; in his
arms; he laid himself down at his hearth; this being the most sacred
and only manner of supplication among the Molossians; which was not to
be refused。 And some say that his wife; Phthia; intimated to
Themistocles this way of petitioning; and placed her young son with
him before the hearth; others; that king Admetus; that he might be
under a religious obligation not to deliver him up to his pursuers;
prepared and enacted with him a sort of stage…play to this effect。
At this time Epicrates of Acharnae privately conveyed his wife and
children out of Athens; and sent them hither; for which afterwards
Cimon condemned him and put him to death; as Stesimbrotus reports; and
yet somehow; either forgetting this himself; or making Themis
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