timoleon-第6部分

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as　though；　in　a　sort　of　rivalry　with　his　own　personal　exertions；　she
made　it　her　aim　to　exceed　and　obscure　his　actions　by　her　favours；　that
those　who　heard　him　commended　for　his　noble　deeds　might　rather
admire　the　happiness　than　the　merit　of　them。　For　the　fame　of　what
was　done　not　only　passed　through　all　Sicily；　and　filled　Italy　with
wonder；　but　even　Greece　itself；　after　a　few　days；　came　to　ring　with
the　greatness　of　his　exploit；　insomuch　that　those　of　Corinth；　who
had　as　yet　no　certainty　that　their　auxiliaries　were　landed　on　the
island；　had　tidings　brought　them　at　the　same　time　that　they　were
safe　and　were　conquerors。　In　so　prosperous　a　course　did　affairs　run；
and　such　was　the　speed　and　celerity　of　execution　with　which　fortune；
as　with　a　new　ornament；　set　off　the　native　lustres　of　the　performance。
　　Timoleon；　being　master　of　the　citadel；　avoided　the　error　which
Dion　had　been　guilty　of。　He　spared　not　the　place　for　the　beauty　and
sumptuousness　of　its　fabric；　and；　keeping　clear　of　those　suspicions
which　occasioned　first　the　unpopularity　and　afterwards　the　fall　of
Dion；　made　a　public　crier　give　notice　that　all　the　Syracusans　who　were
willing　to　have　a　hand　in　the　work　should　bring　pick…axes　and
mattocks；　and　other　instruments；　and　help　him　to　demolish　the
fortifications　of　the　tyrants。　When　they　all　came　up　with　one
accord；　looking　upon　that　order　and　that　day　as　the　surest
foundation　of　their　liberty；　they　not　only　pulled　down　the　castle；　but
overturned　the　palaces　and　monuments　adjoining；　and　whatever　else
might　preserve　any　memory　of　former　tyrants。　Having　soon　levelled
and　cleared　the　place；　he　there　presently　erected　courts　for
administration　of　justice；　ratifying　the　citizens　by　this　means；　and
building　popular　government　on　the　fall　and　ruin　of　tyranny。　But　since
he　had　recovered　a　city　destitute　of　inhabitants；　some　of　them　dead　in
civil　wars　and　insurrections；　and　others　being　fled　to　escape　tyrants；
so　that　through　solitude　and　want　of　people　the　great　market…place
of　Syracuse　was　overgrown　with　such　quantity　of　rank　herbage　that　it
became　a　pasture　for　their　horses；　the　grooms　lying　along　in　the　grass
as　they　fed　by　them；　while　also　other　towns；　very　few　excepted；　were
become　full　of　stags　and　wild　boars；　so　that　those　who　had　nothing
else　to　do　went　frequently　a…hunting；　and　found　game　in　the　suburbs
and　about　the　walls；　and　not　one　of　those　who　possessed　themselves
of　castles；　or　made　garrisons　in　the　country；　could　be　persuaded　to
quit　their　present　abode；　or　would　accept　an　invitation　to　return　back
into　the　city；　so　much　did　they　all　dread　and　abhor　the　very　name　of
assemblies　and　forms　of　government　and　public　speaking；　that　had
produced　the　greater　part　of　those　usurpers　who　had　successively
assumed　a　dominion　over　them…　Timoleon；　therefore；　with　the　Syracusans
that　remained；　considering　this　vast　desolation；　and　how　little　hope
there　was　to　have　it　otherwise　supplied；　thought　good　to　write　to
the　Corinthians；　requesting　that　they　would　send　a　colony　out　of
Greece　to　repeople　Syracuse。　For　else　the　land　about　it　would　lie
unimproved；　and　besides　this；　they　expected　to　be　involved　in　a
greater　war　from　Africa；　having　news　brought　them　that　Mago　had　killed
himself；　and　that　the　Carthaginians；　out　of　rage　for　his　ill…conduct
in　the　late　expedition；　had　caused　his　body　to　be　nailed　upon　a　cross；
and　that　they　were　raising　a　mighty　force；　with　design　to　make　their
descent　upon　Sicily　the　next　summer。
　　These　letters　from　Timoleon　being　delivered　at　Corinth；　and　the
ambassadors　of　Syracuse　beseeching　them　at　the　same　time　that　they
would　take　upon　them　the　care　of　their　poor　city；　and　once　again
become　the　founders　of　it；　the　Corinthians　were　not　tempted　by　any
feeling　of　cupidity　to　lay　hold　of　the　advantage。　Nor　did　they　seize
and　appropriate　the　city　to　themselves；　but　going　about　first　to　the
games　that　are　kept　as　sacred　in　Greece；　and　to　the　most　numerously
attended　religious　assemblages；　they　made　publication　by　heralds；　that
the　Corinthians；　having　destroyed　the　usurpation　at　Syracuse　and
driven　out　the　tyrant；　did　thereby　invite　the　Syracusan　exiles；　and
any　other　Siceliots；　to　return　and　inhabit　the　city；　with　full
enjoyment　of　freedom　under　their　own　laws；　the　land　being　divided
among　them　in　just　and　equal　proportions。　And　after　this；　sending
messengers　into　Asia　and　the　several　islands　where　they　understood
that　most　of　the　scattered　fugitives　were　then　residing；　they　bade
them　all　repair　to　Corinth；　engaging　that　the　Corinthians　would　afford
them　vessels　and　commanders；　and　a　safe　convoy；　at　their　own
charges；　to　Syracuse。　Such　generous　proposals；　being　thus　spread
about；　gained　them　the　just　and　honourable　recompense　of　general
praise　and　benediction；　for　delivering　the　country　from　oppressors；
and　saving　it　from　barbarians；　and　restoring　it　at　length　to　the
rightful　owners　of　the　place。　These；　when　they　were　assembled　at
Corinth；　and　found　how　insufficient　their　company　was；　besought　the
Corinthians　that　they　might　have　a　supplement　of　other　persons；　as
well　out　of　their　city　as　the　rest　of　Greece；　to　go　with　them　as　joint
colonists；　and　so　raising　themselves　to　the　number　of　ten　thousand；
they　sailed　together　to　Syracuse。　By　this　time　great　multitudes；　also；
from　Italy　and　Sicily　had　flocked　in　to　Timoleon；　so　that；　as
Athanis　reports；　their　entire　body　amounted　now　to　sixty　thousand　men。
Among　these　he　divided　the　whole　territory；　and　sold　the　houses　for
a　thousand　talents；　by　which　method　he　both　left　it　in　the　power　of
the　old　Syracusans　to　redeem　their　own；　and　made　it　a　means　also　for
raising　a　stock　for　the　community；　which　had　been　so　much　impoverished
of　late　and　was　so　unable　to　defray　other　expenses；　and　especially
those　of　a　war；　that　they　exposed　their　very　statues　to　sale；　a
regular　process　being　observed；　and　sentence　of　auction　passed　upon
each　of　them　by　majority　of　votes；　as　if　they　had　been　so　many
criminals　taking　their　trial；　in　the　course　of　which　it　is　said　that
while　condemnation　was　pronounced　upon　all　other　statues；　that　of
the　ancient　usurper　Gelo　was　exempted；　out　of　admiration　and　honour
and　for　the　sake　of　the　victory　he　gained　over　the　Carthaginian　forces
at　the　river　Himera。
　　Syracuse　being　thus　happily　revived；　and　replenished　again　by　the
general　concourse　of　inhabitants　from　all　parts；　Timoleon　was　desirous
now　to　rescue　other　cities　from　the　like　bondage；　and　wholly　and
once　for　all　to　extirpate　arbitrary　government　out　of　Sicily。　And
for　this　purpose；　marching　in　to　the　territories　of　those　that　used
it；　he　compelled　Hicetes　first　to　renounce　the　Carthaginian
interest；　and；　demolishing　the　fortresses　which　were　held　by　him；　to
live　henceforth　among　the　Leontinians　as　a　private　person。　Leptines；
also；　the　tyrant　of　Apollonia　and　divers　other　little　towns；　after
some　resistance　made；　seeing　the　danger　he　was　in　of　being　taken　by
force；　surrendered　himself；　upon　which　Timoleon　spared　his　life；　and
sent　him　away　to　Corinth；　counting　it　a　glorious　thing　that　the　mother
city　should　expose　to　the　view　of　other　Greeks　these　Sicilian　tyrants；
living　now　in　an　exiled　and　a　low　condition。　After　this　he　returned　to
Syracuse；　that　he　might　have　leisure　to　attend　to　the　establishment　of
the　new　constitution；　and　assist　Cephalus　and　Dionysius；　who　were　sent
from　Corinth　to　make　laws；　in　determining　the　most　important　points　of
it。　In　the　meanwhile；　desirous　that　his　hired　soldiers　should　not　want
action；　but　might　rather　enrich　themselves　by　some　plunder　from　the
enemy；　he　despatched　Dinarchus　and　Demaretus　with　a　portion　of　them
into　the　part　of　the　island　belonging　to　the　Carthaginians；　where　they
obliged　several　cities　to　revolt　from　the　barbarians；　and　not　only
lived　in　great　abundance　themselves；　but　raised　money　from　their　spoil
to　carry　on　the　war。
　　Meantime；　the　Carthaginians　landed　at　the　promontory　of　Lilybaeum；
bringing　with　them　an　army　of　seventy　thousand　men　on　board　two
hundred　galleys；　besides　a　thousand　other　vessels　laden　with　engines
of　battery；　chariots；　corn；　and　other　military　stores；　as　if　they
did　not　intend　to　manage　the　war　by　piecemeal　and　in　parts　as
heretofore；　but　to　drive　the　Greeks　altogether　and　at　once　out　of
all　Sicily。　And　indeed　it　was　a　force　sufficient　to　overpower　the
Siceliots；　even　though　they　had　been　at　perfect　union　among
themselves；　and　had　never　been　enfeebled　by　intestine　quarrels。
Hearing　that　part　of　their　subject　territory　was　suffering
devastation；　they　forthwith　made　toward　the　Corinthians　with　great
fury；　having　Asdrubal　and　Hamilcar　for　their　generals；　the　report　of
whose　number　and　strength　coming　suddenly　to　Syracuse；　the　citizens
were　so　terrified；　that　hardly　three　thousand；　among　so　many　myriads
of　them；　had　the　courage　to　take　up　arms　and　join　Timoleon。　The
foreigners；　serving　for　pay；　were　not　above　four　thousand　in　all；
and　about　a　thousand　of　these　grew　faint…hearted　by　the　way；　and
forsook　Timoleon　in　his　march　towards　the　enemy；　looking　on　him　as
frantic　and　distracted；　destitute　of　the　sense　which　might　have　been
expected　from　his　time　of　life；　thus　to　venture　out　against　an　army　of
seventy　thousand　men；　with　no　more　than　five　thousand　foot　and　a
thousand　horse；　and；　when　he　should　have　kept　those　forces　to　defend
the　city；　choosing　rather　to　remove　them　eight　days'　journey　from
Syracuse；　so　that　if　they　were　beaten　from　the　field；　they　would
have　no　retreat；　nor　any　burial　if　they　fell　upon　it。　Timoleon；
however；　reckoned　it　some　kind　of　advantage；　that　these　had　thus
discovered　themselves　before　the　battle；　and　encouraging　the　rest；　led
them　with　all　speed　to　the　river　Crimesus；　where　it　was　told　him　the
Carthaginians　were　drawn　together。
　　As　he　was　marching　up　an　ascent；　from　the　top　of　which　they　expected
to　have　a　view　of　the　army　and　of　the　strength　of　the　enemy；　there　met
him　by　chance　a　train　of　mules　loaded　with　parsley；　which　his　soldiers
conceived　to　be　an　ominous　occurrence　or　ill…boding　token；　because
this　is　the　herb　with　which　we　not　unfrequently　adorn　the　sepulchres
of　the　dead；　and　there　is　a　proverb　derived　from　the　custom；　used　of
one　who　is　dangerously　sick；