demosthenes-第1部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DEMOSTHENES
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　385？…322　B。C。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden




　　WHOEVER　it　was；　Sosius；　that　wrote　the　poem　in　honour　of　Alcibiades；
upon　his　winning　the　chariot…race　at　the　Olympian　Games；　whether　it
were　Euripides；　as　is　most　commonly　thought；　or　some　other　person；
he　tells　us　that　to　a　man's　being　happy　it　is　in　the　first　place
requisite　he　should　be　born　in　〃some　famous　city。〃　But　for　him　that
would　attain　to　true　happiness；　which　for　the　most　part　is　placed　in
the　qualities　and　disposition　of　the　mind；　it　is；　in　my　opinion；　of　no
other　disadvantage　to　be　of　a　mean；　obscure　country；　than　to　be　born
of　a　small　or　plain…looking　woman。　For　it　were　ridiculous　to　think
that　Iulis；　a　little　part　of　Ceos；　which　itself　is　no　great　island；
and　Aegina；　which　an　Athenian　once　said　ought　to　be　removed；　like　a
small　eyesore；　from　the　port　of　Piraeus　should　breed　good　actors　and
poets；　and　yet　should　never　be　able　to　produce　a　just；　temperate；
wise；　and　high…minded　man。　Other　arts；　whose　end　it　is　to　acquire
riches　or　honour；　are　likely　enough　to　wither　and　decay　in　poor　and
undistinguished　towns；　but　virtue；　like　a　strong　and　durable　plant；
may　take　root　and　thrive　in　any　place　where　it　can　lay　hold　of　an
ingenuous　nature；　and　a　mind　that　is　industrious。　I；　for　my　part；
shall　desire　that　for　any　deficiency　of　mine　in　right　judgment　or
action；　I　myself　may　be；　as　in　fairness；　held　accountable；　and　shall
not　attribute　it　to　the　obscurity　of　my　birthplace。
　　But　if　any　man　undertake　to　write　a　history　that　has　to　be　collected
from　materials　gathered　by　observation　and　the　reading　of　works　not
easy　to　be　got　in　all　places；　nor　written　always　in　his　own
language；　but　many　of　them　foreign　and　dispersed　in　other　hands；　for
him；　undoubtedly；　it　is　in　the　first　place　and　above　all　things　most
necessary　to　reside　in　some　city　of　good　note；　addicted　to　liberal
arts；　and　populous；　where　he　may　have　plenty　of　all　sorts　of　books；
and　upon　inquiry　may　hear　and　inform　himself　of　such　particulars　as；
having　escaped　the　pens　of　writers；　are　more　faithfully　preserved　in
the　memories　of　men；　lest　his　work　be　deficient　in　many　things；　even
those　which　it　can　least　dispense　with。
　　But　for　me；　I　live　in　a　little　town；　where　I　am　willing　to　continue；
lest　it　should　grow　less；　and　having　had　no　leisure；　while　I　was　in
Rome　and　other　parts　of　Italy；　to　exercise　myself　in　the　Roman
language；　on　account　of　public　business　and　of　those　who　came　to　be
instructed　by　me　in　philosophy；　it　was　very　late；　and　in　the　decline
of　my　age；　before　I　applied　myself　to　the　reading　of　Latin　authors。
Upon　which　that　which　happened　to　me　may　seem　strange；　though　it　be
true；　for　it　was　not　so　much　by　the　knowledge　of　words　that　I　came
to　the　understanding　of　things；　as　by　my　experience　of　things　I　was
enabled　to　follow　the　meaning　of　words。　But　to　appreciate　the　graceful
and　ready　pronunciation　of　the　Roman　tongue；　to　understand　the　various
figures　and　connection　of　words；　and　such　other　ornaments；　in　which
the　beauty　of　speaking　consists；　is；　I　doubt　not；　an　admirable　and
delightful　accomplishment；　but　it　requires　a　degree　of　practice　and
study　which　is　not　easy；　and　will　better　suit　those　who　have　more
leisure；　and　time　enough　yet　before　them　for　the　occupation。
　　And　so　in　this　fifth　book　of　my　Parallel　Lives；　in　giving　an　account
of　Demosthenes　and　Cicero；　my　comparison　of　their　natural　dispositions
and　their　characters　will　be　formed　upon　their　actions　and　their　lives
as　statesmen；　and　I　shall　not　pretend　to　criticize　their　orations
one　against　the　other；　to　show　which　of　the　two　was　the　more
charming　or　the　more　powerful　speaker。　For　there；　as　Ion　says…

　　　　　　　　　〃We　are　but　like　a　fish　upon　dry　land；〃

a　proverb　which　Caecilius　perhaps　forgot；　when　he　employed　his
always　adventurous　talents　in　so　ambitious　an　attempt　as　a
comparison　of　Demosthenes　and　Cicero；　and；　possibly；　if　it　were　a
thing　obvious　and　easy　for　every　man　to　know　himself；　the　precept
had　not　passed　for　an　oracle。
　　The　divine　power　seems　originally　to　have　designed　Demosthenes　and
Cicero　upon　the　same　plan；　giving　them　many　similarities　in　their
natural　characters；　as　their　passion　for　distinction　and　their　love　of
liberty　in　civil　life；　and　their　want　of　courage　in　dangers　and　war；
and　at　the　same　time　also　to　have　added　many　accidental
resemblances。　I　think　there　can　hardly　be　found　two　other　orators；
who；　from　small　and　obscure　beginnings；　became　so　great　and　mighty；
who　both　contested　with　kings　and　tyrants；　both　lost　their
daughters；　were　driven　out　of　their　country；　and　returned　with　honour；
who；　flying　from　thence　again；　were　both　seized　upon　by　their　enemies；
and　at　last　ended　their　lives　with　the　liberty　of　their　countrymen。　So
that　if　we　were　to　suppose　there　had　been　a　trial　of　skill　between
nature　and　fortune；　as　there　is　sometimes　between　artists；　it　would　be
hard　to　judge　whether　that　succeeded　best　in　making　them　alike　in
their　dispositions　and　manners；　or　this　in　the　coincidences　of　their
lives。　We　will　speak　of　the　eldest　first。
　　Demosthenes；　the　father　of　Demosthenes；　was　a　citizen　of　good　rank
and　quality；　as　Theopompus　informs　us；　surnamed　the　Sword…maker；
because　he　had　a　large　workhouse；　and　kept　servants　skilful　in　that
art　at　work。　But　of　that　which　Aeschines　the　orator　said　of　his
mother；　that　she　was　descended　of　one　Gylon；　who　fled　his　country　upon
an　accusation　of　treason；　and　of　a　barbarian　woman；　I　can　affirm
nothing；　whether　he　spoke　true；　or　slandered　and　maligned　her。　This　is
certain；　that　Demosthenes；　being　as　yet　but　seven　years　old　was　left
by　his　father　in　affluent　circumstances；　the　whole　value　of　his　estate
being　little　short　of　fifteen　talents；　and　that　he　was　wronged　by
his　guardians；　part　of　his　fortune　being　embezzled　by　them；　and　the
rest　neglected；　insomuch　that　even　his　teachers　were　defrauded　of
their　salaries。　This　was　the　reason　that　he　did　not　obtain　the　liberal
education　that　he　should　have　had；　besides　that；　on　account　of
weakness　and　delicate　health；　his　mother　would　not　let　him　exert
himself；　and　his　teachers　forbore　to　urge　him。　He　was　meagre　and
sickly　from　the　first；　and　hence　had　his　nickname　of　Batalus　given
him；　it　is　said；　by　the　boys；　in　derision　of　his　appearance；　Batalus
being；　as　some　tell　us；　a　certain　enervated　flute…player；　in
ridicule　of　whom　Antiphanes　wrote　a　play。　Others　speak　of　Batalus　as　a
writer　of　wanton　verses　and　drinking　songs。　And　it　would　seem　that
some　part　of　the　body；　not　decent　to　be　named；　was　at　that　time　called
batalus　by　the　Athenians。　But　the　name　of　Argas；　which　also　they　say
was　a　nickname　of　Demosthenes；　was　given　him　for　his　behaviour；　as
being　savage　and　spiteful；　argas　being　one　of　the　poetical　words　for　a
snake；　or　for　his　disagreeable　way　of　speaking；　Argas　being　the　name
of　a　poet　who　composed　very　harshly　and　disagreeably。　So　much；　as
Plato　says；　for　such　matters。
　　The　first　occasion　of　his　eager　inclination　to　oratory；　they　say；
was　this。　Callistratus；　the　orator；　being　to　plead　in　open　court　for
Oropus；　the　expectation　of　the　issue　of　that　cause　was　very　great；
as　well　for　the　ability　of　the　orator；　who　was　then　at　the　height　of
his　reputation；　as　also　for　the　fame　of　the　action　itself。
Therefore；　Demosthenes；　having　heard　the　tutors　and　school…masters
agreeing　among　themselves　to　be　present　at　this　trial；　with　much
importunity　persuades　his　tutor　to　take　him　along　with　him　to　the
hearing；　who；　having　some　acquaintance　with　the　doorkeepers；
procured　a　place　where　the　boy　might　sit　unseen；　and　hear　what　was
said。　Callistratus　having　got　the　day；　and　being　much　admired；　the　boy
began　to　look　upon　his　glory　with　a　kind　of　emulation；　observing　how
he　was　courted　on　all　hands；　and　attended　on　his　way　by　the　multitude；
but　his　wonder　was　more　than　all　excited　by　the　power　of　his
eloquence；　which　seemed　able　to　subdue　and　win　over　anything。　From
this　time；　therefore；　bidding　farewell　to　other　sorts　of　learning
and　study；　he　now　began　to　exercise　himself；　and　to　take　pains　in
declaiming；　as　one　that　meant　to　be　himself　also　an　orator。　He　made
use　of　Isaeus　as　his　guide　to　the　art　of　speaking；　though　Isocrates　at
that　time　was　giving　lessons；　whether；　as　some　say；　because　he　was
an　orphan；　and　was　not　able　to　pay　Isocrates　his　appointed　fee　of
ten　minae　or　because　he　preferred　Isaeus's　speaking；　as　being　more
businesslike　and　effective　in　actual　use。　Hermippus　says　that　he　met
with　certain　memoirs　without　any　author's　name；　in　which　it　was
written　that　Demosthenes　was　a　scholar　to　Plato；　and　learnt　much　of
his　eloquence　from　him；　and　he　also　mentions　Ctesibius；　as　reporting
from　Callias　of　Syracuse　and　some　others；　that　Demosthenes　secretly
obtained　a　knowledge　of　the　systems　of　Isocrates　and　Alcidamas；　and
mastered　them　thoroughly。
　　As　soon；　therefore；　as　he　was　grown　up　to　man's　estate；　he　began
to　go　to　law　with　his　guardians；　and　to　write　orations　against　them；
who；　in　the　meantime；　had　recourse　to　various　subterfuges　and　pleas
for　new　trials；　and　Demosthenes；　though　he　was　thus；　as　Thucydides
says；　taught　his　business　in　dangers；　and　by　his　own　exertions　was
successful　in　his　suit；　was　yet　unable　for　all　this　to　recover　so　much
as　a　small　fraction　of　his　patrimony。　He　only　attained　some　degree
of　confidence　in　speaking；　and　some　competent　experience　in　it。　And
having　got　a　taste　of　the　honour　and　power　which　are　acquired　by
pleadings；　he　now　ventured　to　come　forth；　and　to　undertake　public
business。　And；　as　it　is　said　of　Laomedon；　the　Orchomenian；　that；　by
advice　of　his　physician；　he　used　to　run　long　distances　to　keep　off
some　disease　of　his　spleen；　and　by　that　means　having；　through　labour
and　exercise；　framed　the　habit　of　his　body；　he　betook　himself　to　the
great　garland　games；　and　became　one　of　the　best　runners　at　the　long
race；　so　it　happened　to　Demosthenes；　who；　first　venturing　upon　oratory
for　the　recovery　of　his　own　private　property；　by　this　acquired　ability
in　speaking；　and　at　length；　in　public　business；　as　it　were　in　the
g