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theseus-第5部分
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courage and resolution; chose rather to be persuaded than forced
into a compliance。 He then dissolved all the distinct statehouses;
council halls; and magistracies; and built one common state…house
and council hall on the site of the present upper town; and gave the
name of Athens to the whole state; ordaining a common feast and
sacrifice; which he called Panathenaea; or the sacrifice of all the
united Athenians。 He instituted also another sacrifice called
Metoecia; or Feast of Migration; which is yet celebrated on the
sixteenth day of Hecatombaeon。 Then; as he had promised; he
laid down his regal power and proceeded to order a commonwealth;
entering upon this great work not without advice from the gods。 For
having sent to consult the oracle of Delphi concerning the fortune
of his new government and city; he received this answer:…
〃Son of the Pitthean maid;
To your town the terms and fates;
My father gives of many states。
Be not anxious nor afraid;
The bladder will not fail to swim
On the waves that compass him。〃
Which oracle; they say; one of the sibyls long after did in a manner
repeat to the Athenians; in this verse:…
〃The bladder may be dipt; but not be drowned。〃
Farther yet designing to enlarge his city; he invited all strangers to
come and enjoy equal privileges with the natives; and it is said
that the common form; Come hither; all ye people; was the words that
Theseus proclaimed when he thus set up a commonwealth; in a manner;
for all nations。 Yet he did not suffer his state; by the promiscuous
multitude that flowed in; to be turned into confusion and he left
without any order or degree; but was the first that divided the
Commonwealth into three distinct ranks; the noblemen; the
husbandmen; and artificers。 To the nobility he committed the care of
religion; the choice of magistrates; the teaching and dispensing of
the laws; and interpretation and direction in all sacred matters;
the whole city being; as it were; reduced to an exact equality; the
nobles excelling the rest in honour; the husbandmen in profit; and the
artificers in number。 And that Theseus was the first; who; as
Aristotle says; out of an inclination to popular government; parted
with the regal power; Homer also seems to testify; in his catalogue of
the ships; where he gives the name of People to the Athenians only。
He also coined money; and stamped it with the image of an ox; either
in memory of the Marathonian bull; or of Taurus; whom he vanquished;
or else to put his people in mind to follow husbandry; and from this
coin came the expression so frequent among the Greeks; of a thing
being worth ten or a hundred oxen。 After this he joined Megara to
Attica; and erected that famous pillar on the Isthmus; which bears
an inscription of two lines; showing the bounds of the two countries
that meet there。 On the east side the inscription is;…
〃Peloponnesus there; Ionia here〃
and on the west side;…
〃Peloponnesus here; Ionia there。〃
He also instituted the games; in emulation of Hercules; being
ambitious that as the Greeks; by that hero's appointment; celebrated
the Olympian games to the honour of Jupiter; so by his institution;
they should celebrate the Isthmian to the honour of Neptune。 For those
that were there before observed; dedicated to Melicerta; were
performed privately in the night; and had the form rather of a
religious rite than of an open spectacle or public feast。 There are
some who say that the Isthmian games were first instituted in memory
of Sciron; Theseus thus making expiation for his death; upon account
of the nearness of kindred between them; Sciron being the son of
Canethus and Heniocha; the daughter of Pittheus; though others write
that Sinnis; not Sciron; was their son; and that to his honour; and
not to the other's; these games were ordained by Theseus。 At the
same time he made an agreement with the Corinthians; that they
should allow those that came from Athens to the celebration of the
Isthmian games as much space of honour before the rest to behold the
spectacle in; as the sail of the ship that brought them thither
stretched to its full extent; could cover; so Hellanicus and Andro
of Halicarnassus have established。
Concerning his voyage into the Euxine Sea; Philochorus and some
others write that he made it with Hercules; offering him his service
in the war against the Amazons; and had Antiope given him for the
reward of his valour; but the greater number; of whom are
Pherecydes; Hellanicus; and Herodorus; write that he made this
voyage many years after Hercules; with a navy under his own command;
and took the Amazon prisoner… the more probable story; for we do not
read that any other; of all those that accompanied him in this action;
took any Amazon prisoner。 Bion adds; that; to take her; he had to
use deceit and fly away; for the Amazons; he says; being naturally
lovers of men; were so far from avoiding Theseus when he touched
upon their coasts; that they sent him presents to his ship; but he;
having invited Antiope; who brought them; to come aboard;
immediately set sail and carried her away。 An author named Menecrates;
that wrote the History of Nicae in Bithynia; adds; that Theseus;
having Antiope aboard his vessel; cruised for some time about those
coasts; and that there were in the same ship three young men of
Athens; that accompanied him in this voyage; all brothers; whose names
were Euneos; Thoas; and soloon。 The last of these fell desperately
in love with Antiope; and; escaping the notice of the rest; revealed
the secret only to one of his most intimate acquaintances; and
employed him to disclose his passion to Antiope; she rejected his
pretences with a very positive denial; yet treated the matter with
much gentleness and discretion; and made no complaint to Theseus of
anything that had happened; but Soloon; the thing being desperate;
leaped into a river near the seaside and drowned himself。 As soon as
Theseus was acquainted with his death; and his unhappy love that was
the cause of it; he was extremely distressed; and; in the height of
his grief; an oracle which he had formerly received at Delphi came
into his mind; for he had been commanded by the priestess of Apollo
Pythius; that wherever in a strange land he was most sorrowful and
under the greatest affliction; he should build a city there; and leave
some of his followers to be governors of the place。 For this cause
he there founded a city; which he called; from the name of Apollo;
Pythopolis; and; in honour of the unfortunate youth; he named the
river that runs by it Soloon; and left the two surviving brothers
intrusted with the care of the government and laws; joining with
them Hermus; one of the nobility of Athens; from whom a place in the
city is called the House of Hermus; though by an error in the accent
it has been taken for the House of Hermes; or Mercury; and the
honour that was designed to the hero; transferred to the god。
This was the origin and cause of the Amazonian invasion of Attica;
which would seem to have been no slight or womanish enterprise。 For it
is impossible that they should have placed their camp in the very
city; and joined battle close by the Pnyx and the hill called
Museum; unless; having first conquered the country around about;
they had thus with impunity advanced to the city。 That they made so
long a journey by land; and passed the Cimmerian Bosphorus; when
frozen; as Hellanicus writes; is difficult to be believed。 That they
encamped all but in the city is certain; and may be sufficiently
confirmed by the names that the places hereabout yet retain; and the
graves and monuments of those that fell in the battle。 Both armies
being in sight; there was a long pause and doubt on each side which
should give the first onset; at last Theseus; having sacrificed to
Fear; in obedience to the command of an oracle he had received; gave
them battle; and this happened in the month of Boedromion; in which to
this very day the Athenians celebrate the Feast Boedromia。 Clidemus;
desirous to be very circumstantial; writes that the left wing of the
Amazons moved towards the place which is yet called Amazonium and
the right towards the Pnyx; near Chrysa; that with this wing the
Athenians; issuing from behind the Museum; engaged; and that the
graves of those that were slain are to be seen in the street that
leads to the gate called the Piraic; by the chapel of the hero
Chalcodon; and that here the Athenians were routed; and gave way
before the women; as far as to the temple of the Furies; but; fresh
supplies coming in from the Palladium; Ardettus; and the Lyceum;
they charged their right wing; and beat them back into their tents; in
which action a great number of the Amazons were slain。 At length;
after four months; a peace was concluded between them by the mediation
of Hippolyta (for so this historian calls the Amazon whom Theseus
married; and not Antiope); though others write that she was slain with
a dart by Molpadia; while fighting by Theseus's side; and that the
pillar which stands by the temple of Olympian Earth was erected to her
honour。 Nor is it to be wondered at; that in events of such antiquity;
history should be in disorder。 For indeed we are also told that
those of the Amazons that were wounded were privately sent away by
Antiope to Chalcis; where many by her care recovered; but some that
died were buried there in the place that is to this time called
Amazonium。 That this war; however; was ended by a treaty is evident;
both from the name of the place adjoining to the temple of Theseus;
called; from the solemn oath there taken; Horcomosium; and also from
the ancient sacrifice which used to be celebrated to the Amazons the
day before the Feast of Theseus。 The Megarians also show a spot in
their city where some Amazons were buried; on the way from the
market to a place called Rhus; where the building in the shape of a
lozenge stands。 It is said; likewise; that others of them were slain
near Chaeronea; and buried near the little rivulet formerly called
Thermodon; but now Haemon; of which an account is given in the life of
Dem
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