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lysander-第4部分
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to pull down the city; and turn the country into sheep…pasture; yet
afterwards; when there was a meeting of the captains together; a man
of Phocis; singing the first chorus in Euripides's Electra; which
begins…
〃Electra; Agamemnon's child; I come
Unto thy desert home;〃
they were all melted with compassion; and it seemed to be a cruel deed
to destroy and pull down a city which had been so famous; and produced
such men。
Accordingly Lysander; the Athenians yielding up everything; sent for
a number of flute…women out of the city; and collected together all
that were in the camp; and pulled down the walls; and burnt the
ships to the sound of the flute; the allies being crowned with
garlands; and making merry together; as counting that day the
beginning of their liberty。 He proceeded also at once to alter the
government; placing thirty rulers in the city and ten in the
Piraeus: he put; also; a garrison into the Acropolis; and made
Callibius; a Spartan; the governor of it; who afterwards taking up his
staff to strike Autolycus; the athlete; about whom Xenophon wrote
his 〃Banquet;〃 on his tripping up his heels and throwing him to the
ground; Lysander was not vexed at it; but chid Callibius; telling
him he did not know how to govern freemen。 The thirty rulers; however;
to gain Callibius's favour; a little after killed Autolycus。
Lysander; after this; sails out to Thrace; and what remained of
the public money; and the gifts and crowns which he had himself
received; numbers of people; as might be expected; being anxious to
make presents to a man of such great power; who was; in a manner;
the lord of Greece; he sends to Lacedaemon by Gylippus; who had
commanded formerly in Sicily。 But he; it is reported; unsewed the
sacks at the bottom; took a considerable amount of silver out of every
one of them; and sewed them up again; not knowing there was a
writing in every one stating how much there was。 And coming into
Sparta; what he had thus stolen away he hid under the tiles of his
house; and delivered up the sacks to the magistrates; and showed the
seals were upon them。 But afterwards; on their opening the sacks and
counting it; the quantity of the silver differed from what the writing
expressed; and the matter causing some perplexity to the
magistrates; Gylippus's servant tells them in a riddle; that under the
tiles lay many owls; for; as it seems; the greatest part of the
money then current bore the Athenian stamp of the owl。 Gylippus having
committed so foul and base a deed; after such great and
distinguished exploits before; removed himself from Lacedaemon。
But the wisest of the Spartans; very much on account of this
occurrence; dreading the influence of money; as being what had
corrupted the greatest citizens; exclaimed against Lysander's conduct;
and declared to the Ephors that all the silver and gold should be sent
away; as mere 〃alien mischiefs。〃 These consulted about it; and
Theopompus says it was Sciraphidas; but Ephorus that it was Phlogidas;
who declared they ought not to receive any gold or silver into the
city; but to use their own country coin; which was iron; and was first
of all dipped in vinegar when it was red…hot; that it might not be
worked up anew; but because of the dipping might be hard and
unpliable。 It was also; of course; very heavy and troublesome to
carry; and a great deal of it in quantity and weight was but a
little in value。 And perhaps all the old money was so; coin consisting
of iron; or; in some countries; copper skewers; whence it comes that
we still find a great number of small pieces of money retain the
name of obolus; and the drachma is six of these; because so much may
be grasped in one's hand。 But Lysander's friends being against it; and
endeavouring to keep the money in the city; it was resolved to bring
in this sort of money to be used publicly; enacting; at the same time;
that if any one was found in possession of any privately; he should be
put to death; as if Lycurgus had feared the coin; and not the
covetousness resulting from it; which they did not repress by
letting no private man keep any; so much as they encouraged it; by
allowing the state to possess it; attaching thereby a sort of
dignity to it; over and above its ordinary utility。 Neither was it
possible; that what they saw so much esteemed publicly they should
privately despise as unprofitable; and that every one should think
that thing could be nothing worth for his own personal use; which
was so extremely valued and desired for the use of the state。 And
moral habits; induced by public practices; are far quicker in making
their way into men's private lives; than the failings and faults of
individuals are in infecting the city at large。 For it is probable
that the parts will be rather corrupted by the whole if that grows
bad; while the vices which flow from a part into the whole find many
correctives and remedies from that which remains sound。 Terror and the
law were now to keep guard over the citizens' houses; to prevent any
money entering into them: but their minds could no longer be
expected to remain superior to the desire of it when wealth in general
was thus set up to be striven after; as a high and noble object。 On
this point; however; we have given our censure of the Lacedaemonians
in one of our other writings。
Lysander erected out of the spoils brazen statues at Delphi of
himself; and of every one of the masters of the ships; as also figures
of the golden stars of Castor and Pollux; which vanished before the
battle at Leuctra。 In the treasury of Brasidas and the Acanthians
there was a trireme made of gold and ivory; of two cubits; which Cyrus
sent Lysander in honour of his victory。 But Alexandrides of Delphi
write's; in his history; that there was also a deposit of
Lysander's; a talent of silver; and fifty…two minas; besides eleven
staters; a statement not consistent with the generally received
account of his poverty。 And at that time; Lysander; being in fact of
greater power than any Greek before; was yet thought to show a
pride; and to affect a superiority greater even than his power
warranted。 He was the first; as Duris says in his history; among the
Greeks to whom the cities reared altars as to a god; and sacrificed;
to him were songs of triumph first sung; the beginning of one of which
still remains recorded:…
〃Great Greece's general from spacious Sparta we
Will celebrate with songs of victory。〃
And the Samians decreed that their solemnities of Juno should be
called the Lysandria; and out of the poets he had Choerilus always
with him; to extol his achievements in verse; and to Antilochus; who
had made some verses in his commendation; being pleased with them;
he gave a hat full of silver; and when Antimachus of Colophon; and one
Niceratus of Heraclea competed with each other in a poem on the
deeds of Lysander; he gave the garland to Niceratus; at which
Antimachus; in vexation; suppressed his poem; but Plato; being then
a young man and admiring Antimachus for his poetry; consoled him for
his defeat by telling him that it is the ignorant who are the
sufferers by ignorance; as truly as the blind by want of sight。
Afterwards; when Aristonus; the musician; who had been a conqueror six
times at the Pythian games; told him as a piece of flattery; that if
he were successful again; he would proclaim himself in the name of
Lysander; 〃that is;〃 he answered;〃 as his slave?〃
This ambitious temper was indeed only burdensome to the highest
personages and to his equals; but through having so many people
devoted to serve him; an extreme haughtiness and contemptuousness grew
up; together with ambition; in his character。 He observed no sort of
moderation; such as befitted a private man; either in rewarding or
in punishing; the recompense of his friends and guests was absolute
power over cities; and irresponsible authority and the only
satisfaction of his wrath was the destruction of his enemy; banishment
would not suffice。 As for example; at a later period; fearing lest the
popular leaders of the Milesians should fly; and desiring also to
discover those who lay hid; he swore he would do them no harm; and
on their believing him coming forth; he delivered them up to the
oligarchical leaders to be slain; being in all no less than eight
hundred。 And; indeed; the slaughter in general of those of the popular
party in the towns exceeded all computation as he did not kill only
for offences against himself; but granted these favours without
sparing; and joined in the execution of them; to gratify the many
hatreds and the much cupidity of his friends everywhere round about
him。 From whence the saying of Eteocles; the Lacedaemonian; came to be
famous; that 〃Greece could not have borne two Lysanders。〃 Theophrastus
says; that Archestratus said the same thing concerning Alcibiades。 But
in his case what had given most offence was a certain licentious and
wanton self…will; Lysander's power was; feared and hated because of
his unmerciful disposition。 The Lacedaemonians did not at all
concern themselves for any other accusers; but afterwards; when
Pharnabazus; having been injured by him; he having pillaged and wasted
his country; sent some to Sparta to inform against him; the Ephors
taking it very ill; put one of his friends and fellow…captains;
Thorax; to death; taking him with some silver privately in his
possession; and they sent him a scroll; commanding him to return home。
This scroll is made up thus: When the Ephors send an admiral or
general on his way; they take two round pieces of wood; both exactly
of a length and thickness; and cut even to one another; they keep
one themselves; and the other they give to the person they send forth;
and these pieces of wood they call Scytales。 When; therefore; they
have occasion to communicate any secret or important matter; making
a scroll of parchment long and narrow like a leathern thong; they roll
it about their own staff of wood; leaving no space void between; but
covering the surface of the staff with the scroll all over。 When
they have done this; they write what they please on the scroll; as
it is wrapped about the staff;
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