pericles-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


who　inhabited　there。　For　not　only　by　carrying　along　with　him　a
thousand　fresh　citizens　of　Athens　he　gave　new　strength　and　vigour　to
the　cities；　but　also　by　belting　the　neck　of　land；　which　joins　the
peninsula　to　the　continent；　with　bulwarks　and　forts　from　sea　to　sea；
he　put　a　stop　to　the　inroads　of　the　Thracians；　who　lay　all　about　the
Chersonese；　and　closed　the　door　against　a　continual　and　grievous
war；　with　which　that　country　had　been　long　harassed；　lying　exposed
to　the　encroachments　and　influx　of　barbarous　neighbours；　and
groaning　under　the　evils　of　a　predatory　population　both　upon　and
within　its　borders。
　　Nor　was　he　less　admired　and　talked　of　abroad　for　his　sailing
around　the　Peloponnesus；　having　set　out　from　Pegae；　or　The
Fountains；　the　port　of　Megara；　with　a　hundred　galleys。　For　he　not　only
laid　waste　the　sea…coast；　as　Tolmides　had　done　before；　but　also；
advancing　far　up　into　the　mainland　with　the　soldiers　he　had　on
board；　by　the　terror　of　his　appearance　drove　many　within　their
walls；　and　at　Nemea；　with　main　force；　routed　and　raised　a　trophy
over　the　Sicyonians；　who　stood　their　ground　and　joined　battle　with
him。　And　having　taken　on　board　a　supply　of　soldiers　into　the　galleys
out　of　Achaia；　then　in　league　with　Athens；　he　crossed　with　the　fleet
to　the　opposite　continent；　and；　sailing　along　by　the　mouth　of　the
river　Achelous；　overran　Acarnania　and　shut　up　the　Oeniadae　within
their　city　walls；　and　having　ravaged　and　wasted　their　country；　weighed
anchor　for　home　with　the　double　advantage　of　having　shown　himself
formidable　to　his　enemies；　and　at　the　same　time　safe　and　energetic
to　his　fellow　citizens；　for　there　was　not　so　much　as　any　chance
miscarriage　that　happened；　the　whole　voyage　through；　to　those　who　were
under　his　charge。
　　Entering　also　the　Euxine　Sea　with　a　large　and　finely　equipped　fleet；
he　obtained　for　the　Greek　cities　any　new　arrangements　they　wanted；　and
entered　into　friendly　relations　with　them；　and　to　the　barbarous
nations；　and　kings　and　chiefs　round　about　them；　displayed　the
greatness　of　the　power　of　the　Athenians；　their　perfect　ability　avid
confidence　to　sail　where…ever　they　had　a　mind；　and　to　bring　the
whole　sea　under　their　control。　He　left　the　Sinopians　thirteen　ships　of
war；　with　soldiers　under　the　command　of　Lamachus；　to　assist　them
against　Timesileus　the　tyrant；　and　when　he　and　his　accomplices　had
been　thrown　out；　obtained　a　decree　that　six　hundred　of　the　Athenians
that　were　willing　should　sail　to　Sinope　and　plant　themselves　there
with　the　Sinopians；　sharing　among　them　the　houses　and　land　which　the
tyrant　and　his　party　had　previously　held。
　　But　in　other　things　he　did　not　comply　with　the　giddy　impulses　of　the
citizens；　nor　quit　his　own　resolutions　to　follow　their　fancies；
when；　carried　away　with　the　thought　of　their　strength　and　great
success；　they　were　eager　to　interfere　again　in　Egypt；　and　to　disturb
the　King　of　Persia's　maritime　dominions。　Nay；　there　were　a　good　many
who　were；　even　then；　possessed　with　that　unblest　and　inauspicious
passion　for　Sicily；　which　afterward　the　orators　of　Alcibiades's
party　blew　up　into　a　flame。　There　were　some　also　who　dreamt　of　Tuscany
and　Carthage；　and　not　without　plausible　reason　in　their　present
large　dominion　and　prosperous　course　of　their　affairs。
　　But　Pericles　curbed　this　passion　for　foreign　conquest；　and
unsparingly　pruned　and　cut　down　their　ever　busy　fancies　for　a
multitude　of　undertakings；　and　directed　their　power　for　the　most
part　to　securing　and　consolidating　what　they　had　already　got；
supposing　it　would　be　quite　enough　for　them　to　do；　if　they　could
keep　the　Lacedaemonians　in　check；　to　whom　he　entertained　all　along　a
sense　of　opposition；　which；　as　upon　many　other　occasions；　so　he
particularly　showed　by　what　he　did　in　the　time　of　the　holy　war。　The
Lacedaemonians；　having　gone　with　an　army　to　Delphi；　restored
Apollo's　temple；　which　the　Phocians　had　got　into　their　possession；
to　the　Delphians；　immediately　after　their　departure；　Pericles；　with
another　army；　came　and　restored　the　Phocians。　And　the
Lacedaemonians；　having　engraven　the　record　of　their　privilege　of
consulting　the　oracle　before　others；　which　the　Delphians　gave　them；
upon　the　forehead　of　the　brazen　wolf　which　stands　there；　he；　also；
having　received　from　the　Phocians　the　like　privilege　for　the
Athenians；　had　it　cut　upon　the　same　wolf　of　brass　on　his　right　side。
　　That　he　did　well　and　wisely　in　thus　restraining　the　exertions　of　the
Athenians　within　the　compass　of　Greece；　the　events　themselves　that
happened　afterward　bore　sufficient　witness。　For；　in　the　first　place；
the　Euboeans　revolted；　against　whom　he　passed　over　with　forces；　and
then；　immediately　after；　news　came　that　the　Megarians　were　turned
their　enemies；　and　a　hostile　army　was　upon　the　borders　of　Attica；
under　the　conduct　of　Plistoanax；　King　of　the　Lacedaemonians。　Wherefore
Pericles　came　with　his　army　back　again　in　all　haste　out　of　Euboea；
to　meet　the　war　which　threatened　at　home；　and　did　not　venture　to
engage　a　numerous　and　brave　army　eager　for　battle；　but　perceiving　that
Plistoanax　was　a　very　young　man；　and　governed　himself　mostly　by　the
counsel　and　advice　of　Cleandrides；　whom　the　ephors　had　sent　with
him；　by　reason　of　his　youth；　to　be　a　kind　of　guardian　and　assistant　to
him；　he　privately　made　trial　of　this　man's　integrity；　and；　in　a
short　time；　having　corrupted　him　with　money；　prevailed　with　him　to
withdraw　the　Peloponnesians　out　of　Attica。　When　the　army　had　retired
and　dispersed　into　their　several　states；　the　Lacedaemonians　in　anger
fined　their　king　in　so　large　a　sum　of　money；　that；　unable　to　pay　it；
he　quitted　Lacedaemon；　while　Cleandrides　fled；　and　had　sentence　of
death　passed　upon　him　in　his　absence。　This　was　the　father　of　Gylippus；
who　overpowered　the　Athenians　in　Sicily。　And　it　seems　that　this
covetousness　was　an　hereditary　disease　transmitted　from　father　to　son；
for　Gylippus　also　afterwards　was　caught　in　foul　practices；　and
expelled　from　Sparta　for　it。　But　this　we　have　told　at　large　in　the
account　of　Lysander。
　　When　Pericles；　in　giving　up　his　accounts　of　this　expedition；
stated　a　disbursement　of　ten　talents；　as　laid　out　upon　fit　occasion；
the　people；　without　any　question；　nor　troubling　themselves　to
investigate　the　mystery；　freely　allowed　of　it。　And　some　historians；　in
which　number　is　Theophrastus　the　philosopher；　have　given　it　as　a　truth
that　Pericles　every　year　used　to　send　privately　the　sum　of　ten　talents
to　Sparta；　with　which　he　complimented　those　in　office；　to　keep　off　the
war；　not　to　purchase　peace　neither；　but　time；　that　he　might　prepare　at
leisure；　and　be　the　better　able　to　carry　on　war　hereafter。
　　Immediately　after　this；　turning　his　forces　against　the　revolters；
and　passing　over　into　the　island　of　Euboea　with　fifty　sail　of　ships
and　five　thousand　men　in　arms；　he　reduced　their　cities；　and　drove
out　the　citizens　of　the　Chalcidians；　called　Hippobotae；　horse…feeders；
the　chief　persons　for　wealth　and　reputation　among　them；　and　removing
all　the　Histiaeans　out　of　the　country；　brought　in　a　plantation　of
Athenians　in　their　room；　making　them　his　one　example　of　severity；
because　they　had　captured　an　Attic　ship　and　killed　all　on　board。
　　After　this；　having　made　a　truce　between　the　Athenians　and
Lacedaemonians　for　thirty　years；　he　ordered；　by　public　decree；　the
expedition　against　the　isle　of　Samos；　on　the　ground；　that；　when　they
were　bid　to　leave　off　their　war　with　the　Milesians　they　had　not
complied。　And　as　these　measures　against　the　Samians　are　thought　to
have　been　taken　to　please　Aspasia；　this　may　be　a　fit　point　for　inquiry
about　the　woman；　what　art　or　charming　faculty　she　had　that　enabled　her
to　captivate；　as　she　did；　the　greatest　statesmen；　and　to　give　the
philosophers　occasion　to　speak　so　much　about　her；　and　that；　too；　not
to　her　disparagement。　That　she　was　a　Milesian　by　birth；　the　daughter
of　Axiochus；　is　a　thing　acknowledged。　And　they　say　it　was　in　emulation
of　Thargelia；　a　courtesan　of　the　old　Ionian　times；　that　she　made　her
addresses　to　men　of　great　power。　Thargelia　was　a　great　beauty；
extremely　charming；　and　at　the　same　time　sagacious；　she　had　numerous
suitors　among　the　Greeks；　and　brought　all　who　had　to　do　with　her
over　to　the　Persian　interest；　and　by　their　means；　being　men　of　the
greatest　power　and　station；　sowed　the　seeds　of　the　Median　faction　up
and　down　in　several　cities。　Aspasia；　some　say；　was　courted　and
caressed　by　Pericles　upon　account　of　her　knowledge　and　skill　in
politics。　Socrates　himself　would　sometimes　go　to　visit　her；　and　some
of　his　acquaintance　with　him；　and　those　who　frequented　her　company
would　carry　their　wives　with　them　to　listen　to　her。　Her　occupation　was
anything　but　creditable；　her　house　being　a　home　for　young
courtesans。　Aeschines　tells　us；　also；　that　Lysicles；　a　sheep…dealer；　a
man　of　low　birth　and　character；　by　keeping　Aspasia　company　after
Pericles's　death；　came　to　be　a　chief　man　in　Athens。　And　in　Plato's
Menexenus；　though　we　do　not　take　the　introduction　as　quite　serious；
still　thus　much　seems　to　be　historical；　that　she　had　the　repute　of
being　resorted　to　by　many　of　the　Athenians　for　instruction　in　the
art　of　speaking。　Pericles's　inclination　for　her　seems；　however；　to
have　rather　proceeded　from　the　passion　of　love。　He　had　a　wife　that　was
near　of　kin　to　him；　who　had　been　married　first　to　Hipponicus；　by
whom　she　had　Callias；　surnamed　the　Rich；　and　also　she　brought
Pericles；　while　she　lived　with　him；　two　sons；　Xanthippus　and
Paralus。　Afterwards；　when　they　did　not　well　agree；　nor　like　to　live
together；　he　parted　with　her；　with　her　own　consent；　to　another　man；
and　himself　took　Aspasia；　and　loved　her　with　wonderful　affection；
every　day；　both　as　he　went　out　and　as　he　came　in　from　the
market…place；　he　saluted　and　kissed　her。
　　In　the　comedies　she　goes　by　the　nicknames　of　the　new　Omphale　and
Deianira；　and　again　is　styled　Juno。　Cratinus；　in　downright　terms；
calls　her　a　harlot。

　　　　　　　　　　　　〃To　find　him　a　Juno　the　goddess　of　lust
　　　　　　　　　　　　　Bore　that　harlot　past　shame；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　Aspasia　by　name。〃

It　should　seem　also　that　he　had　a　son　by　her；　Eupolis；　in　his　Demi；
introduced　Pericles　asking　after　his　safety；　and　Myronides　replying…

　　　　　　　　〃My　son？〃　〃He　lives：　a　man　he　h