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lysander-第6部分

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and places of exercise; at which Agesilaus was more annoyed than ever;
envying him the honour; and; finally; when he gave many of the
officers places of command and the governments of cities; he appointed
Lysander carver at his table; adding; by way of insult to the Ionians;
〃Let them go now; and pay their court to my carver。〃 Upon this;
Lysander thought fit to come and speak with him; and a brief laconic
dialogue passed between them as follows: 〃Truly; you know very well; O
Agesilaus; how to depress your friends;〃 〃Those friends;〃 replied
he; 〃who would be greater than myself; but those who increase my
power; it is just should share in it。〃 〃Possibly; O Agesilaus;〃
answered Lysander; 〃in all this there may be more said on your part
than done on mine; but I request you; for the sake of observers from
without; to place me in any command under you where you may judge I
shall be the least offensive; and most useful。〃
  Upon this he was sent ambassador to the Hellespont; and though angry
with Agesilaus; yet did not neglect to perform his duty; and having
induced Spithridates the Persian; being offended with Pharnabazus; a
gallant man; and in command of some forces; to revolt; he brought
him to Agesilaus。 He was not; however; employed in any other
service; but having completed his time returned to Sparta; without
honour; angry with Agesilaus; and hating more than ever the whole
Spartan government; and resolved to delay no longer; but while there
was yet time; to put into execution the plans which he appears some
time before to have concerted for a revolution and change in the
constitution。 These were as follows。 The Heraclidae who joined with
the Dorians; and came into Peloponnesus; became a numerous and
glorious race in Sparta; but not every family belonging to it had
the right of succession in the kingdom; but the kings were chosen
out of two only; called the Eurypontidae and the Agiadae; the rest had
no privilege in the government by their nobility of birth; and the
honours which followed from merit lay open to all who could obtain
them。 Lysander who was born of one of these families; when he had
risen into great renown for his exploits; and had gained great friends
and power; was vexed to see the city; which had increased to what it
was by him; ruled by others not at all better descended than
himself; and formed a design to remove the government from the two
families; and to give it in common to all the Heraclidae; or; as
some say; not to the Heraclidae only; but to all Spartans; that the
reward might not belong to the posterity of Hercules; but to those who
were like Hercules; judging by that personal merit which raised even
him to the honour of the Godhead; and he hoped that when the kingdom
was thus to be competed for; no Spartan would be chosen before
himself。
  Accordingly he first attempted and prepared to persuade the citizens
privately; and studied an oration composed for this purpose by
Cleon; the Halicarnassian。 Afterwards perceiving so unexpected and
great an innovation required bolder means of support; he proceeded; as
it might be on the stage; to avail himself of machinery; and to try
the effects of divine agency upon his countrymen。 He collected and
arranged for his purpose answers and oracles from Apollo; not
expecting to get any benefit from Cleon's rhetoric; unless he should
first alarm and overpower the minds of his fellow…citizens by
religious and superstitious terrors; before bringing them to the
consideration of his arguments。 Ephorus relates; after he had
endeavoured to corrupt the oracle of Apollo; and had again failed to
persuade the priestess of Dodona by means of Pherecles; that he went
to Ammon; and discoursed with the guardians of the oracle there;
proffering them a great deal of gold; and that they; taking this
ill; sent some to Sparta to accuse Lysander; and on his acquittal
the Libyans; going away; said; 〃You will find us; O Spartans; better
judges; when you come to dwell with us in Libya;〃 there being a
certain ancient oracle that the Lacedaemonians should dwell in
Libya。 But as the whole intrigue and the course of the contrivance was
no ordinary one; nor lightly undertaken; but depended as it went on;
like some mathematical proposition; on a variety of important
admissions; and proceeded through a series of intricate and
difficult steps to its conclusion; we will go into it at length;
following the account of one who was at once an historian and a
philosopher。
  There was a woman in Pontus who professed to be pregnant by
Apollo; which many; as was natural; disbelieved; and many also gave
credit to; and when she had brought forth a man…child; several; not
unimportant persons; took an interest in its rearing and bringing
up。 The name given the boy was Silenus; for some reason or other。
Lysander; taking this for the groundwork; frames and devises the
rest himself; making use of not a few; nor these insignificant
champions of his story; who brought the report of the child's birth
into credit without any suspicion。 Another report; also; was
procured from Delphi and circulated in Sparta; that there were some
very old oracles which were kept by the priests in private writings;
and they were not to be meddled with; neither was it lawful to read
them; till one in aftertimes should come; descended from Apollo;
and; on giving some known token to the keepers; should take the
books in which the oracles were。 Things being thus ordered beforehand;
Silenus; it was intended; should come and ask for the oracles; as
being the child of Apollo; and those priests who were privy to the
design were to profess to search narrowly into all particulars; and to
question him concerning his birth; and finally; were to be
convinced; and; as to Apollo's son; to deliver up to him the writings。
Then he; in the presence of many witnesses; should read; amongst other
prophecies; that which was the object of the whole contrivance;
relating to the office of the kings; that it would be better and
more desirable to the Spartans to choose their kings out of the best
citizens。 And now; Silenus being grown up to a youth; and being
ready for the action; Lysander miscarried in his drama through the
timidity of one of his actors; or assistants; who just as he came to
the point lost heart and drew back。 Yet nothing was found out while
Lysander lived; but only after his death。
  He died before Agesilaus came back from Asia; being involved; or
perhaps more truly having himself involved Greece; in the Boeotian
war。 For it is stated both ways; and the cause of it some make to be
himself; others the Thebans; and some both together; the Thebans; on
the one hand; being charged with casting away the sacrifices at Aulis;
and that being bribed with the king's money brought by Androclides and
Amphitheus; they had; with the object of entangling the Lacedaemonians
in a Grecian war; set upon the Phocians; and wasted their country;
it being said; on the other hand; that Lysander was angry that the
Thebans had preferred a claim to the tenth part of the spoils of the
war; while the rest of the confederates submitted without complaint;
and because they expressed indignation about the money which
Lysander sent to Sparta; but more especially; because from them the
Athenians had obtained the first opportunity of freeing themselves
from the thirty tyrants; whom Lysander had made; and to support whom
the Lacedaemonians issued a decree that political refugees from Athens
might be arrested in whatever country they were found; and that
those who impeded their arrest should be excluded from the
confederacy。 In reply to this the Thebans issued counter decrees of
their own; truly in the spirit and temper of the actions of Hercules
and Bacchus; that every house and city in Boeotia should be opened
to the Athenians who required it; and that he who did not help a
fugitive who was seized should be fined a talent for damages; and if
any one should bear arms through Boeotia to Attica against the
tyrants; that none of the Thebans should either see or hear of it。 Nor
did they pass these humane and truly Greek decrees without at the same
time making their acts conformable to their words。 For Thrasybulus;
and those who with him occupied Phyle; set out upon that enterprise
from Thebes; with arms and money; and secrecy and a point to start
from; provided for them by the Thebans。 Such were the causes of
complaint Lysander had against Thebes。 And being now grown violent
in his temper through the atrabilious tendency which increased upon
him in his old age; he urged the Ephors and persuaded them to place
a garrison in Thebes; and taking the commander's place; he marched
forth with a body of troops。 Pausanias; also; the king; was sent
shortly after with an army。 Now Pausanias; going round by Cithaeron;
was to invade Boeotia; Lysander; meantime; advanced through Phocis
to meet him; with a numerous body of soldiers。 He took the city of the
Orchomenians; who came over to him of their own accord; and
plundered Lebadea。 He despatched also letters to Pausanias; ordering
him to move from Plataea to meet him at Haliartus; and that himself
would be at the walls of Haliartus by break of day。 These letters were
brought to the Thebans; the carrier of them falling into the hands
of some Theban scouts。 They; having received aid from Athens;
committed their city to the charge of the Athenian troops; and
sallying out about the first sleep; succeeded in reaching Haliartus
a little before Lysander; and part of them entered into the city。 He
upon this first of all resolved; posting his army upon a hill; to stay
for Pausanias; then as the day advanced; not being able to rest; he
bade his men take up their arms; and encouraging the allies; led
them in a column along the road to the walls。 But those Thebans who
had remained outside; taking the city on the left hand; advanced
against the rear of their enemies; by the fountain which is called
Cissusa; here they tell the story that the nurses washed the infant
Bacchus after birth; the water of it is of a bright wine…colour;
clear; and most pleasant to drink; and not far off the Cretan storax
grows all about which the Haliartia
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