the comparison of romulus with theseus-第1部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　COMPARISON　OF　ROMULUS　WITH　THESEUS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden



　　This　is　what　I　have　learned　of　Romulus　and　Theseus；　worthy　of
memory。　It　seems；　first　of　all；　that　Theseus；　out　of　his　own
free…will；　without　any　compulsion；　when　he　might　have　reigned　in
security　at　Troezen　in　the　enjoyment　of　no　inglorious　empire；　of　his
own　motion　affected　great　actions；　whereas　the　other；　to　escape
present　servitude　and　a　punishment　that　threatened　him　（according　to
Plato's　phrase）；　grew　valiant　purely　out　of　fear；　and　dreading　the
extremest　inflictions；　attempted　great　enterprises　out　of　mere
necessity。　Again；　his　greatest　action　was　only　the　killing　of　one　King
of　Alba；　while；　as　mere　by…adventures　and　preludes；　the　other　can　name
Sciron；　Sinnis；　Procrustes；　and　Corynetes；　by　reducing　and　killing
of　whom；　he　rid　Greece　of　terrible　oppressors；　before　any　of　them　that
were　relieved　knew　who　did　it；　moreover；　he　might　without　any
trouble　as　well　have　gone　to　Athens　by　sea；　considering　he　himself
never　was　in　the　least　injured　by　those　robbers；　whereas　Romulus　could
not　but　be　in　trouble　whilst　Amulius　lived。　Add　to　this；　the　fact　that
Theseus；　for　no　wrong　done　to　himself；　but　for　the　sake　of　others；
fell　upon　these　villains；　but　Romulus　and　Remus；　as　long　as　they
themselves　suffered　no　ill　by　the　tyrant；　permitted　him　to　oppress　all
others。　And　if　it　be　a　great　thing　to　have　been　wounded　in　battle　by
the　Sabines；　to　have　killed　King　Acron；　and　to　have　conquered　many
enemies；　we　may　oppose　to　these　actions　the　battle　with　the　Centaurs
and　the　feats　done　against　the　Amazons。　But　what　Theseus　adventured；
in　offering　himself　voluntarily　with　young　boys　and　virgins；　as　part
of　the　tribute　unto　Crete；　either　to　be　a　prey　to　a　monster　or　a
victim　upon　the　tomb　of　Androgeus；　or；　according　to　the　mildest　form
of　the　story；　to　live　vilely　and　dishonourably　in　slavery　to　insulting
and　cruel　men；　it　is　not　to　be　expressed　what　an　act　of　courage；
magnanimity；　or　justice　to　the　public；　or　of　love　for　honour　and
bravery；　that　was。　So　what　methinks　the　philosophers　did　not　ill
define　love　to　be　the　provision　of　the　gods　for　the　care　and
preservation　of　the　young；　for　the　love　of　Ariadne；　above　all；　seems
to　have　been　the　proper　work　and　design　of　some　god　in　order　to
preserve　Theseus；　and；　indeed；　we　ought　not　to　blame　her　for　loving
him；　but　rather　wonder　all　men　and　women　were　not　alike　affected
towards　him；　and　if　she　alone　were　so；　truly　I　dare　pronounce　her
worthy　of　the　love　of　a　god；　who　was　herself　so　great　a　lover　of
virtue　and　goodness；　and　the　bravest　man。
　　Both　Theseus　and　Romulus　were　by　nature　meant　for　governors；　yet
neither　lived　up　to　the　true　character　of　a　king；　but　fell　off；　and
ran；　the　one　into　popularity；　the　other　into　tyranny；　falling　both
into　the　same　fault　out　of　different　passions。　For　a　ruler's　first　aim
is　to　maintain　his　office；　which　is　done　no　less　by　avoiding　what　is
unfit　than　by　observing　what　is　suitable。　Whoever　is　either　too　remiss
or　too　strict　is　no　more　a　king　or　a　governor；　but　either　a
demagogue　or　a　despot；　and　so　becomes　either　odious　or　contemptible　to
his　subjects。　Though　certainly　the　one　seems　to　be　the　fault　of
easiness　and　good…nature；　the　other　of　pride　and　severity。
　　If　men's　calamities；　again；　are　not　to　be　wholly　imputed　to　fortune；
but　refer　themselves　to　differences　of　character；　who　will　acquit
either　Theseus　of　rash　and　unreasonable　anger　against　his　son；　or
Romulus　against　his　brother？　Looking　at　motives；　we　more　easily　excuse
the　anger　which　a　stronger　cause；　like　a　severer　blow；　provoked。
Romulus；　having　disagreed　with　his　brother　advisedly　and
deliberately　on　public　matters；　one　would　think　could　not　on　a
sudden　have　been　put　into　so　great　a　passion；　but　love　and　jealousy
and　the　complaints　of　his　wife；　which　few　men　can　avoid　being　moved
by；　seduced　Theseus　to　commit　that　outrage　upon　his　son。　And　what　is
more；　Romulus；　in　his　anger；　committed　an　action　of　unfortunate
consequence；　but　that　of　Theseus　ended　only　in　words；　some　evil
speaking；　and　an　old　man's　curse；　the　rest　of　the　youth's　disasters
seem　to　have　proceeded　from　fortune；　so　that；　so　far；　a　man　would　give
his　vote　on　Theseus's　part。
　　But　Romulus　has；　first　of　all；　one　great　plea；　that　his　performances
proceeded　from　very　small　beginnings；　for　both　the　brothers　being
thought　servants　and　the　sons　of　swine…herds；　before　becoming
freemen　themselves；　gave　liberty　to　almost　all　the　Latins；　obtaining
at　once　all　the　most　honourable　titles；　as　destroyers　of　their
country's　enemies；　preservers　of　their　friends　and　kindred；　princes　of
the　people；　founders　of　cities；　not　removers；　like　Theseus；　who　raised
and　compiled　only　one　house　out　of　many；　demolishing　many　cities
bearing　the　names　of　ancient　kings　and　heroes。　Romulus；　indeed；　did
the　same　afterwards；　forcing　his　enemies　to　deface　and　ruin　their
own　dwellings；　and　to　sojourn　with　their　conquerors；　but　at　first；　not
by　removal；　or　increase　of　an　existing　city；　but　by　foundation　of　a
new　one；　he　obtained　himself　lands；　a　country；　a　kingdom；　wives；
children；　and　relations。　And；　in　so　doing；　he　killed　or　destroyed
nobody；　but　benefited　those　that　wanted　houses　and　homes　and　were
willing　to　be　of　a　society　and　become　citizens。　Robbers　and
malefactors　he　slew　not；　but　he　subdued　nations；　he　overthrew
cities；　he　triumphed　over　kings　and　commanders。　As　to　Remus；　it　is
doubtful　by　whose　hand　he　fell；　it　is　generally　imputed　to　others。　His
mother　he　clearly　retrieved　from　death；　and　placed　his　grandfather；
who　was　brought　under　base　and　dishonourable　vassalage；　on　the　ancient
throne　of　Aeneas；　to　whom　he　did　voluntarily　many　good　offices；　but
never　did　him　harm　even　inadvertently。　But　Theseus；　in　his
forgetfulness　and　neglect　of　the　command　concerning　the　flag；　can
scarcely；　methinks；　by　any　excuses；　or　before　the　most　indulgent
judges；　avoid　the　imputation　of　parricide。　And；　indeed；　one　of　the
Attic　writers；　perceiving　it　to　be　very　hard　to　make　an　excuse　for
this；　feigns　that　Aegeus；　at　the　approach　of　the　ship；　running　hastily
to　the　Acropolis　to　see　what　news；　slipped　and　fell　down；　as　if　he　had
no　servants；　or　none　would　attend　him　on　his　way　to　the　shore。
　　And；　indeed；　the　faults　committed　in　the　rapes　of　women　admit　of
no　plausible　excuse　in　Theseus。　First；　because　of　the　often　repetition
of　the　crime；　for　he　stole　Ariadne；　Antiope；　Anaxo　the　Troezenian；
at　last　Helen；　when　he　was　an　old　man；　and　she　not　marriageable；　she　a
child；　and　he　at　an　age　past　even　lawful　wedlock。　Then；　on　account
of　the　cause；　for　the　Troezenian；　Lacedaemonian；　and　Amazonian
virgins；　beside　that　they　were　not　betrothed　to　him；　were　not　worthier
to　raise　children　by　then　the　Athenian　women；　derived　from
Erechtheus　and　Cecrops；　but　it　is　to　be　suspected　these　things　were
done　out　of　wantonness　and　lust。　Romulus；　when　he　had　taken　near　eight
hundred　women；　chose　not　all；　but　only　Hersilia；　as　they　say；　for
himself；　the　rest　he　divided　among　the　chief　of　the　city；　and
afterwards；　by　the　respect　and　tenderness　and　justice　shown　towards
them；　he　made　it　clear　that　this　violence　and　injury　was　a　commendable
and　politic　exploit　to　establish　a　society；　by　which　he　intermixed　and
united　both　nations；　and　made　it　the　foundation　of　after　friendship
and　public　stability。　And　to　the　reverence　and　love　and　constancy　he
established　in　matrimony；　time　can　witness；　for　in　two　hundred　and
thirty　years；　neither　any　husband　deserted　his　wife；　nor　any　wife
her　husband；　but；　as　the　curious　among　the　Greeks　can　name　the　first
case　of　parricide　or　matricide；　so　the　Romans　all　well　know　that
Spurius　Carvilius　was　the　first　who　put　away　his　wife；　accusing　her　of
barrenness。　The　immediate　results　were　similar；　for　upon　those
marriages　the　two　princes　shared　in　the　dominion；　and　both　nations
fell　under　the　same　government。　But　from　the　marriages　of　Theseus
proceeded　nothing　of　friendship　or　correspondence　for　the　advantage　of
commerce；　but　enmities　and　wars　and　the　slaughter　of　citizens；　and；　at
last；　the　loss　of　the　city　Aphidnae；　when　only　out　of　the　compassion
of　the　enemy；　whom　they　entreated　and　caressed　like　gods；　they　escaped
suffering　what　Troy　did　by　Paris。　Theseus's　mother；　however；　was　not
only　in　danger；　but　suffered　actually　what　Hecuba　did；　deserted　and
neglected　by　her　son；　unless　her　captivity　be　not　a　fiction；　as　I
could　wish　both　that　and　other　things　were。　The　circumstances　of　the
divine　intervention；　said　to　have　preceded　or　accompanied　their
births；　are　also　in　contrast；　for　Romulus　was　preserved　by　the　special
favour　of　the　gods；　but　the　oracle　given　to　Aegeus　commanding　him　to
abstain；　seems　to　demonstrate　that　the　birth　of　Theseus　was　not
agreeable　to　the　will　of　the　gods。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END