pyrrhus-第7部分

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increased　their　confidence；　and　one　of　them　advancing　a　good　way
before　the　rest；　large　of　body　and　in　bright　armour；　with　an　haughty
voice　challenged　him　to　come　forth　if　he　were　alive。　Pyrrhus；　in　great
anger；　broke　away　violently　from　his　guards；　and；　in　his　fury；
besmeared　with　blood；　terrible　to　look　upon；　made　his　way　through
his　own　men；　and　struck　the　barbarian　on　the　head　with　his　sword
such　a　blow；　as　with　the　strength　of　his　arm；　and　the　excellent　temper
of　the　weapon；　passed　downward　so　far　that　his　body　being　cut
asunder　fell　in　two　pieces。　This　stopped　the　course　of　the　barbarians；
amazed　and　confounded　at　Pyrrhus；　as　one　more　than　man；　so　that
continuing　his　march　all　the　rest　of　the　way　undisturbed；　he　arrived
at　Tarentum　with　twenty　thousand　foot　and　three　thousand　horse；　where；
reinforcing　himself　with　the　choicest　troops　of　the　Tarentines；　he
advanced　immediately　against　the　Romans；　who　then　lay　encamped　in
the　territories　of　the　Samnites；　whose　affairs　were　extremely
shattered；　and　their　counsels　broken；　having　been　in　many　fights
beaten　by　the　Romans。　There　was　also　a　discontent　amongst　them　at
Pyrrhus　for　his　expedition　into　Sicily；　so　that　not　many　came　in　to
join　him。
　　He　divided　his　army　into　two　parts；　and　despatched　the　first　into
Lucania　to　oppose　one　of　the　consuls　there；　so　that　he　should　not　come
in　to　assist　the　other；　the　rest　he　led　against　Manius　Curius；　who　had
posted　himself　very　advantageously　near　Beneventum；　and　expected　the
other　consul's　forces；　and　partly　because　the　priests　had　dissuaded
him　by　unfavourable　omens；　was　resolved　to　remain　inactive。　Pyrrhus；
hastening　to　attack　these　before　the　other　could　arrive；　with　his　best
men；　and　the　most　serviceable　elephants；　marched　in　the　night　toward
their　camp。　But　being　forced　to　go　round　about；　and　through　a　very
woody　country；　their　lights　failed　them；　and　the　soldiers　lost　their
way。　A　council　of　war　being　called；　while　they　were　in　debate；　the
night　was　spent；　and；　at　the　break　of　day；　his　approach；　as　he　came
down　the　hills；　was　discovered　by　the　enemy；　and　put　the　whole　camp
into　disorder　and　tumult。　But　the　sacrifices　being　auspicious；　and　the
time　absolutely　obliging　them　to　fight；　Manius　drew　his　troops　out
of　the　trenches；　and　attacked　the　vanguard；　and；　having　routed　them
all；　put　the　whole　army　into　consternation；　so　that　many　were　cut
off　and　some　of　the　elephants　taken。　This　success　drew　on　Manius
into　the　level　plain；　and　here；　in　open　battle；　he　defeated　part　of
the　enemy；　but；　in　other　quarters；　finding　himself　overpowered　by
the　elephants　and　forced　back　to　his　trenches；　he　commanded　out
those　who　were　left　to　guard　them；　a　numerous　body；　standing　thick
at　the　ramparts；　all　in　arms　and　fresh。　These　coming　down　from　their
strong　position；　and　charging　the　elephants；　forced　them　to　retire；
and　they　in　the　flight　turning　back　upon　their　own　men；　caused　great
disorder　and　confusion；　and　gave　into　the　hands　of　the　Romans　the
victory　and　the　future　supremacy。　Having　obtained　from　these
efforts；　and　these　contests；　the　feeling　as　well　as　the　fame　of
invincible　strength；　they　at　once　reduced　Italy　under　their　power；　and
not　long　after　Sicily　too。
　　Thus　fell　Pyrrhus　from　his　Italian　and　Sicilian　hopes；　after　he
had　consumed　six　years　in　these　wars；　and　though　unsuccessful　in　his
affairs；　yet　preserved　his　courage　unconquerable　among　all　these
misfortunes；　and　was　held；　for　military　experience；　and　personal
valour　and　enterprise；　much　the　bravest　of　all　the　princes　of　his
time；　only　what　he　got　by　great　actions　he　lost　again　by　vain　hopes；
and　by　new　desires　of　what　he　had　not；　kept　nothing　of　what　he　had。　So
that　Antigonus　used　to　compare　him　to　a　player　with　dice；　who　had
excellent　throws；　but　knew　not　how　to　use　them。　He　returned　into
Epirus　with　eight　thousand　foot　and　five　hundred　horse；　and　for　want
of　money　to　pay　them；　was　fain　to　look　out　for　a　new　war　to　maintain
the　army。　Some　of　the　Gauls　joining　him；　he　invaded　Macedonia；　where
Antigonus；　son　of　Demetrius；　governed；　designing　merely　to　plunder　and
waste　the　country。　But　after　he　had　made　himself　master　of　several
towns；　and　two　thousand　men　came　over　to　him；　he　began　to　hope　for
something　greater；　and　adventured　upon　Antigonus　himself；　and
meeting　him　at　a　narrow　passage；　put　the　whole　army　in　disorder。　The
Gauls；　who　brought　up　Antigonus's　rear；　were　very　numerous　and　stood
firm；　but　after　a　sharp　encounter；　the　greatest　part　of　them　were
cut　off；　and　they　who　had　the　charge　of　the　elephants　being　surrounded
every　way；　delivered　up　both　themselves　and　the　beasts；　Pyrrhus；
taking　this　advantage；　and　advising　more　with　his　good　fortune　than
his　reason；　boldly　set　upon　the　main　body　of　the　Macedonian　foot；
already　surprised　with　fear；　and　troubled　at　the　former　loss。　They
declined　any　action　or　engagement　with　him；　and　he；　holding　out　his
hand　and　calling　aloud　both　to　the　superior　and　under　officers　by
name；　brought　over　the　foot　from　Antigonus；　who；　flying　away　secretly；
was　only　able　to　retain　some　of　the　seaport　towns。　Pyrrhus；　among
all　these　kindnesses　of　fortune；　thinking　what　he　had　effected　against
the　Gauls　the　most　advantageous　for　his　glory；　hung　up　their　richest
and　goodliest　spoils　in　the　temple　of　Minerva　Itonis；　with　this
inscription：…

　　　　　　　　〃Pyrrhus；　descendant　of　Molossian　kings；
　　　　　　　　　These　shields　to　thee；　Itonian　goddess；　brings；
　　　　　　　　　Won　from　the　valiant　Gaul　when　in　the　fight
　　　　　　　　　Antigonus　and　all　his　host　took　flight；
　　　　　　　　　'Tis　not　to…day　or　yesterday　alone
　　　　　　　　　That　for　brave　deeds　the　Aeacidae　are　known。〃

After　this　victory　in　the　field；　he　proceeded　to　secure　the　cities；
and　having　possessed　himself　of　Aegae；　beside　other　hardships　put　upon
the　people　there；　he　left　in　the　town　a　garrison　of　Gauls；　some　of
those　in　his　own　army；　who　being　insatiably　desirous　of　wealth；
instantly　dug　up　the　tombs　of　the　kings　that　lay　buried　there；　and
took　away　the　riches；　and　insolently　scattered　about　their　bones。
Pyrrhus；　in　appearance；　made　no　great　matter　of　it；　either　deferring
it　on　account　of　the　pressure　of　other　business；　or　wholly　passing
it　by；　out　of　fear　of　punishing　those　barbarians；　but　this　made　him
very　ill　spoken　of　among　the　Macedonians；　and　his　affairs　being　yet
unsettled　and　brought　to　no　firm　consistence；　he　began　to　entertain
new　hopes　and　projects；　and　in　raillery　called　Antigonus　a　shameless
man；　for　still　wearing　his　purple　and　not　changing　it　for　an
ordinary　dress；　but　upon　Cleonymus；　the　Spartan；　arriving　and　inviting
him　to　Lacedaemon；　he　frankly　embraced　the　overture。　Cleonymus　was
of　royal　descent；　but　seeming　too　arbitrary　and　absolute；　had　no　great
respect　nor　credit　at　home；　and　Areus　was　king　there。　This　was　the
occasion　of　an　old　and　public　grudge　between　him　and　the　citizens；
but；　beside　that；　Cleonymus；　in　his　old　age；　had　married　a　young
lady　of　great　beauty　and　royal　blood；　Chilonis；　daughter　of
Leotychides；　who；　falling　desperately　in　love　with　Acrotatus；
Areus's　son；　a　youth　in　the　flower　of　manhood；　rendered　this　match
both　uneasy　and　dishonourable　to　Cleonymus；　as　there　was　none　of　the
Spartans　who　did　not　very　well　know　how　much　his　wife　slighted　him；　so
these　domestic　troubles　added　to　his　public　discontent。　He　brought
Pyrrhus　to　Sparta　with　an　army　of　twenty…five　thousand　foot；　two
thousand　horse；　and　twenty…four　elephants。　So　great　a　preparation　made
it　evident　to　the　whole　world　that　he　came；　not　so　much　to　gain　Sparta
for　Cleonymus；　as　to　take　all　Peloponnesus　for　himself；　although　he
expressly　denied　this　to　the　Lacedaemonian　ambassadors　that　came　to
him　at　Megalopolis；　affirming　he　came　to　deliver　the　cities　from　the
slavery　of　Antigonus；　and　declaring　he　would　send　his　younger　sons
to　Sparta；　if　he　might；　to　be　brought　up　in　Spartan　habits；　that　so
they　might　be　better　bred　than　all　other　kings。　With　these　pretensions
amusing　those　who　came　to　meet　him　in　his　march；　as　soon　as　ever　he
entered　Laconia　he　began　to　plunder　and　waste　the　country；　and　on
the　ambassadors　complaining　that　he　began　the　war　upon　them　before
it　was　proclaimed：　〃We　know；〃　said　he；　〃very　well　that　neither　do
you　Spartans；　when　you　design　anything；　talk　of　it　beforehand。〃　One
Mandroclidas；　then　present；　told　him；　in　the　broad　Spartan　dialect：
〃If　you　are　a　god；　you　will　do　us　no　harm；　we　are　wronging　no　man；　but
if　you　are　a　man；　there　may　be　another　stronger　than　you。
　　He　now　marched　away　directly　for　Lacedaemon；　and　being　advised　by
Cleonymus　to　give　the　assault　as　soon　as　he　arrived；　fearing；　as　it　is
said；　lest　the　soldiers；　entering　by　night；　should　plunder　the　city；
he　answered；　they　might　do　it　as　well　next　morning；　because　there　were
but　few　soldiers　in　town；　and　those　unprovided　against　his　sudden
approach；　as　Areus　was　not　there　in　person；　but　gone　to　aid　the
Gortynians　in　Crete。　And　it　was　this　alone　that　saved　the　town；
because　he　despised　it　as　not　tenable；　and　so　imagining　no　defence
would　be　made；　he　sat　down　before　it　that　night。　Cleonymus's
friends；　and　the　Helots；　his　domestic　servants；　had　made　great
preparation　at　his　house；　as　expecting　Pyrrhus　there　at　supper。　In　the
night　the　Lacedaemonians　held　a　consultation　to　ship　over　all　the
women　into　Crete；　but　they　unanimously　refused；　and　Archidamia　came
into　the　senate　with　a　sword　in　her　hand；　in　the　name　of　them　all；
asking　if　the　men　expected　the　women　to　survive　the　ruins　of　Sparta。
It　was　next　resolved　to　draw　a　trench　in　a　line　directly　over
against　the　enemy's　camp；　and；　here　and　there　in　it；　to　sink　wagons　in
the　ground；　as　deep　as　the　naves　of　the　wheel；　that；　so　being　firmly
fixed；　they　might　obstruct　the　passage　of　the　elephants。　When　they　had
just　begun　the　work；　both　maids　and　women　came　to　them；　the　married
women　with　their　robes　tied　like　girdles　round　their　underfrocks；
and　the　unmarried　girls　in　their　single　frocks　only；　to　assist　the
elder　men　at　the　work。　As　for　the　youth　that　were　next　day　to
engage；　they　left　them　to　their　rest；　and　undertaking　their
proportion；　they　themselves　finished　a　third　part　of　the　trench
which　was　in　breadth　six　cubits；　four　in　depth；　and　eight　hundred　feet
lo