cimon-第1部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CIMON
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　507？…449　B。C。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden




　　PERIPOLTAS　the　prophet；　having　brought　the　King　Opheltas；　and
those　under　his　command；　from　Thessaly　into　Boeotia；　left　there　a
family；　which　flourished　a　long　time　after；　the　greater　part　of　them
inhabiting　Chaeronea；　the　first　city　out　of　which　they　expelled　the
barbarians。　The　descendants　of　this　race；　being　men　of　bold　attempts
and　warlike　habits；　exposed　themselves　to　so　many　danger's　in　the
invasions　of　the　Mede；　and　in　battles　against　the　Gauls；　that　at
last　they　were　almost　wholly　consumed。
　　There　was　left　one　orphan　of　this　house；　called　Damon；　surnamed
Peripoltas；　in　beauty　and　greatness　of　spirit　surpassing　all　of　his
age；　but　rude　and　undisciplined　in　temper。　A　Roman　captain　of　a
company　that　wintered　in　Chaeronea　became　passionately　fond　of　this
youth；　who　was　now　pretty　nearly　grown　a　man。　And　finding　all　his
approaches；　his　gifts；　his　entreaties；　alike　repulsed；　he　showed
violent　inclinations　to　assault　Damon。　Our　native　Chaeronea　was　then
in　a　distressed　condition；　too　small　and　too　poor　to　meet　with
anything　but　neglect。　Damon；　being　sensible　of　this；　and　looking
upon　himself　as　injured　already；　resolved　to　inflict　punishment。
Accordingly；　he　and　sixteen　of　his　companions　conspired　against　the
captain；　but　that　the　design　might　be　managed　without　any　danger　of
being　discovered；　they　all　daubed　their　faces　at　night　with　soot。　Thus
disguised　and　inflamed　with　wine；　they　set　upon　him　by　break　of　day；
as　he　was　sacrificing　in　the　market…place；　and　having　killed　him；
and　several　others　that　were　with　him；　they　fled　out　of　the　city；
which　was　extremely　alarmed　and　troubled　at　the　murder。　The　council
assembled　immediately；　and　pronounced　sentence　of　death　against
Damon　and　his　accomplices。　This　they　did　to　justify　the　city　to　the
Romans。　But　that　evening；　as　the　magistrates　were　at　supper
together；　according　to　the　custom；　Damon　and　his　confederates；
breaking　into　the　hall；　killed　them；　and　then　fled　again　out　of　the
town。　About　this　time；　Lucius　Lucullus　chanced　to　be　passing　that
way　with　a　body　of　troops；　upon　some　expedition；　and　this　disaster
having　but　recently　happened；　he　stayed　to　examine　the　matter。　Upon
inquiry；　he　found　the　city　was　in　no　wise　faulty；　but　rather　that　they
themselves　had　suffered；　therefore　he　drew　out　the　soldiers；　and
carried　them　away　with　him。　Yet　Damon　continuing　to　ravage　the　country
all　about；　the　citizens；　by　messages　and　decrees；　in　appearance
favourable；　enticed　him　into　the　city；　and　upon　his　return；　made　him
Gymnasiarch；　but　afterwards　as　he　was　anointing　himself　in　the
vapour　baths；　they　set　upon　him　and　killed　him。　For　a　long　while　after
apparitions　continuing　to　be　seen；　and　groans　to　be　heard　in　that
place；　so　our　fathers　have　told　us；　they　ordered　the　gates　of　the
baths　to　be　built　up；　and　even　to　this　day　those　who　live　in　the
neighbourhood　believe　that　they　sometimes　see　spectres　and　hear
alarming　sounds。　The　posterity　of　Damon；　of　whom　some　still　remain；
mostly　in　Phocis；　near　the　town　of　Stiris；　are　called　Asbolomeni；　that
is；　in　the　Aeolian　idiom；　men　daubed　with　soot：　because　Damon　was　thus
besmeared　when　he　committed　this　murder。
　　But　there　being　a　quarrel　between　the　people　of　Chaeronea　and　the
Orchomenians；　their　neighbours；　these　latter　hired　an　informer；　a
Roman；　to　accuse　the　community　of　Chaeronea　as　if　it　had　been　a　single
person　of　the　murder　of　the　Romans；　of　which　only　Damon　and　his
companions　were　guilty；　accordingly；　the　process　was　commenced；　and
the　cause　pleaded　before　the　Praetor　of　Macedon；　since　the　Romans　as
yet　had　not　sent　governors　into　Greece。
　　The　advocates　who　defended　the　inhabitants　appealed　to　the　testimony
of　Lucullus；　who；　in　answer　to　a　letter　the　praetor　wrote　to　him；
returned　a　true　account　of　the　matter…of…fact。　By　this　means　the
town　obtained　its　acquittal；　and　escaped　a　most　serious　danger。　The
citizens；　thus　preserved；　erected　a　statue　to　Lucullus　in　the
market…place；　near　that　of　the　god　Bacchus。
　　We　also　have　the　same　impressions　of　gratitude；　and　though　removed
from　the　events　by　the　distance　of　several　generations；　we　yet　feel
the　obligation　to　extend　to　ourselves：　and　as　we　think　an　image　of　the
character　and　habits　to　be　a　greater　honour　than　one　merely
representing　the　face　and　the　person；　we　will　put　Lucullus's　life
amongst　our　parallels　of　illustrious　men；　and　without　swerving　from
the　truth；　will　record　his　actions。　The　commemoration　will　be　itself　a
sufficient　proof　of　our　grateful　feeling；　and　he　himself　would　not
thank　us；　if　in　recompense　for　a　service　which　consisted　in　speaking
the　truth；　we　should　abuse　his　memory　with　a　false　and　counterfeit
narration。　For　as　we　would　wish　that　a　painter　who　is　to　draw　a
beautiful　face；　in　which　there　is　yet　some　imperfection；　should
neither　wholly　leave　out；　nor　yet　too　pointedly　express　what　is
defective；　because　this　would　deform　it；　and　that　spoil　the
resemblance；　so　since　it　is　hard；　or　indeed　perhaps　impossible；　to
show　the　life　of　a　man　wholly　free　from　blemish；　in　all　that　is
excellent　we　must　follow　truth　exactly；　and　give　it　fully；　any
lapses　or　faults　that　occur；　through　human　passions　or　political
necessities；　we　may　regard　rather　as　the　shortcomings　of　some
particular　virtue；　than　as　the　natural　effects　of　vice；　and　may　be
content　without　introducing　them；　curiously　and　officiously；　into
our　narrative；　if　it　be　but　out　of　tenderness　to　the　weakness　of
nature；　which　has　never　succeeded　in　producing　any　human　character
so　perfect　in　virtue　as　to　be　pure　from　all　admixture　and　open　to　no
criticism。　On　considering　with　myself　to　whom　I　should　compare
Lucullus　I　find　none　so　exactly　his　parallel　as　Cimon。
　　They　were　both　valiant　in　war；　and　successful　against　the
barbarians；　both　gentle　in　political　life；　and　more　than　any　others
gave　their　countrymen　a　respite　from　civil　troubles　at　home；　while
abroad　each　of　them　raised　trophies　and　gained　famous　victories。　No
Greek　before　Cimon；　nor　Roman　before　Lucullus；　ever　carried　the
scene　of　war　so　far　from　their　own　country；　putting　out　of　the
question　the　acts　of　Bacchus　and　Hercules；　and　any　exploit　of
Perseus　against　the　Ethiopians；　Medes；　and　Armenians；　or　again　of
Jason；　of　which　any　record　that　deserves　credit　can　be　said　to　have
come　down　to　our　days。　Moreover　in　this　they　were　alike；　that　they　did
not　finish　the　enterprises　they　undertook。　They　brought　their
enemies　near　their　ruin；　but　never　entirely　conquered　them。　There
was　yet　a　great　conformity　in　the　free　good…will　and　lavish
abundance　of　their　entertainments　and　general　hospitalities；　and　in
the　youthful　laxity　of　their　habits。　Other　points　of　resemblance；
which　we　have　failed　to　notice；　may　be　easily　collected　from　our
narrative　itself。
　　Cimon　was　the　son　of　Miltiades　and　Hegesipyle；　who　was　by　birth　a
Thracian；　and　daughter　to　the　King　Olorus；　as　appears　from　the　poems
of　Melanthius　and　Archelaus；　written　in　praise　of　Cimon。　By　this　means
the　historian　Thucydides　was　his　kinsman　by　the　mother's　side；　for　his
father's　name　also；　in　remembrance　of　this　common　ancestor；　was
Olorus；　and　he　was　the　owner　of　the　gold　mines　in　Thrace；　and　met
his　death；　it　is　said；　by　violence；　in　Scapte　Hyle；　a　district　of
Thrace；　and　his　remains　having　afterwards　been　brought　into　Attica；
a　monument　is　shown　as　his　among　those　of　the　family　of　Cimon；　near
the　tomb　of　Elpinice；　Cimon's　sister。　But　Thucydides　was　of　the
township　of　Halimus；　and　Miltiades　and　his　family　were　Laciadae。
Miltiades；　being　condemned　in　a　fine　of　fifty　talents　of　the　state；
and　unable　to　pay　it；　was　cast　into　prison；　and　there　died。　Thus　Cimon
was　left　an　orphan　very　young；　with　his　sister　Elpinice；　who　was
also　young　and　unmarried。　And　at　first　he　had　but　an　indifferent
reputation；　being　looked　upon　as　disorderly　in　his　habits；　fond　of
drinking；　and　resembling　his　grandfather；　also　called　Cimon；　in
character；　whose　simplicity　got　him　the　surname　of　Coalemus。
Stesimbrotus　of　Thasos；　who　lived　near　about　the　same　time　with　Cimon；
reports　of　him　that　he　had　little　acquaintance　either　with　music；　or
any　of　the　other　liberal　studies　and　accomplishments；　then　common
among　the　Greeks；　that　he　had　nothing　whatever　of　the　quickness　and
the　ready　speech　of　his　countrymen　in　Attica；　that　he　had　great
nobleness　and　candour　in　his　disposition；　and　in　his　character　in
general　resembled　rather　a　native　of　Peloponnesus　than　of　Athens；　as
Euripides　describes　Hercules…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Rude
　　　　　　　　　And　unrefined；　for　great　things　well　endued：〃

for　this　may　fairly　be　added　to　the　character　which　Stesimbrotus　has
given　of　him。
　　They　accused　him；　in　his　younger　years；　of　cohabiting　with　his　own
sister　Elpinice；　who；　indeed；　otherwise　had　no　very　clear
reputation；　but　was　reported　to　have　been　over…intimate　with
Polygnotus　the　painter；　and　hence；　when　he　painted　the　Trojan　women　in
the　porch；　then　called　the　Plesianactium；　and　now　the　Poecile；　he　made
Laodice　a　portrait　of　her。　Polygnotus　was　not　an　ordinary　mechanic；
nor　was　he　paid　for　his　work；　but　out　of　a　desire　to　please　the
Athenians　painted　the　portico　for　nothing。　So　it　is　stated　by　the
historians；　and　in　the　following　verses　by　the　poet　Melanthius：…

　　　　　　　　　〃Wrought　by　his　hand　the　deeds　of　heroes　grace
　　　　　　　　　　At　his　own　charge　our　temples　and　our　place。〃

Some　affirm　that　Elpinice　lived　with　her　brother；　not　secretly；　but　as
his　married　wife；　her　poverty　excluding　her　from　any　suitable　match。
But　afterwards；　when　Callias；　one　of　the　richest　men　of　Athens；　fell
in　love　with　her；　and　proffered　to　pay　the　fine　the　father　was
condemned　in；　if　he　could　obtain　the　daughter　in　marriage；　with
Elpinice's　own　consent；　Cimon　betrothed　her　to　Callias。　There　is　no
doubt　but　that　Cimon　was；　in　general；　of　an　amorous　temper。　For
Melanthius；　in　his　elegies；　rallies　him　on　his　attachment　for
Asteria　of　Salamis；　and　again　for　a　certain　Mnestra。　And　there　can
be　no　doubt　of　his　unusually　passionate　affection　for　his