pyrrhus-第9部分

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people　ran；　some　to　Aspis　the　chief　citadel；　and　other　places　of
defence；　and　sent　away　to　Antigonus　to　assist　them。　He；　advancing
within　a　short　distance；　made　an　halt；　but　sent　in　some　of　his
principal　commanders；　and　his　son　with　a　considerable　force。　Areus
came　thither；　too；　with　one　thousand　Cretans；　and　some　of　the　most
active　men　among　the　Spartans；　and　all　falling　on　at　once　upon　the
Gauls；　put　them　in　great　disorder。　Pyrrhus；　entering　in　with　noise　and
shouting　near　the　Cylarabis；　when　the　Gauls　returned　the　cry；
noticed　that　it　did　not　express　courage　and　assurance；　but　was　the
voice　of　men　distressed；　and　that　had　their　hands　full。　He；　therefore；
pushed　forward　in　haste　the　van　of　his　horse　that　marched　but　slowly
and　dangerously；　by　reason　of　the　drains　and　sinks　of　which　the　city
is　full。　In　this　night　engagement　there　was　infinite　uncertainty　as　to
what　was　being　done；　or　what　orders　were　given；　there　was　much
mistaking　and　struggling　in　the　narrow　streets；　all　generalship　was
useless　in　that　darkness　and　noise　and　pressure；　so　both　sides
continued　without　doing　anything；　expecting　daylight。　At　the　first
dawn；　Pyrrhus；　seeing　the　great　citadel　Aspis　full　of　enemies；　was
disturbed；　and　remarking；　among　a　variety　of　figures　dedicated　in
the　market…place；　a　wolf　and　a　bull　of　brass；　as　it　were　ready　to
attack　one　another；　he　was　struck　with　alarm；　recollecting　an　oracle
that　formerly　predicted　fate　had　determined　his　death　when　he　should
see　a　wolf　fighting　with　a　bull。　The　Argives　say　these　figures　were
set　up　in　record　of　a　thing　that　long　ago　had　happened　there。　For
Danaus；　at　his　first　landing　in　the　country；　near　the　Pyramia　in
Thyreatis；　as　he　was　on　his　way　towards　Argos；　espied　a　wolf
fighting　with　a　bull；　and　conceiving　the　wolf　to　represent　him　（for
this　stranger　fell　upon　a　native　as　he　designed　to　do）；　stayed　to
see　the　issue　of　the　fight；　and　the　wolf　prevailing；　he　offered　vows
to　Apollo　Lycius；　and　thus　made　his　attempt　upon　the　town；　and
succeeded；　Gelanor；　who　was　then　king；　being　displaced　by　a　faction。
And　this　was　the　cause　of　dedicating　those　figures。
　　Pyrrhus；　quite　out　of　heart　at　this　sight；　and　seeing　none　of　his
designs　succeed；　thought　best　to　retreat；　but　fearing　the　narrow
passage　at　the　gate；　sent　to　his　son　Helenus；　who　was　left　without　the
town　with　a　great　part　of　his　forces；　commanding　him　to　break　down
part　of　the　wall；　and　assist　the　retreat　if　the　enemy　pressed　hard
upon　them。　But　what　with　haste　and　confusion；　the　person　that　was　sent
delivered　nothing　clearly；　so　that　quite　mistaking；　the　young　prince
with　the　best　of　his　men　and　the　remaining　elephants　marched
straight　through　the　gates　into　the　town　to　assist　his　father。　Pyrrhus
was　now　making　good　his　retreat；　and　while　the　market…place　afforded
them　ground　enough　both　to　retreat　and　fight；　frequently　repulsed
the　enemy　that　bore　upon　him。　But　when　he　was　forced　out　of　that　broad
place　into　the　narrow　street　leading　to　the　gate；　and　fell　in　with
those　who　came　the　other　way　to　his　assistance；　some　did　not　hear
him　call　out　to　them　to　give　back；　and　those　who　did；　however　eager　to
obey　him；　were　pushed　forward　by　others　behind；　who　poured　in　at　the
gate。　Besides；　the　largest　of　his　elephants　falling　down　on　his　side
in　the　very　gate；　and　lying　roaring　on　the　ground；　was　in　the　way　of
those　that　would　have　got　out。　Another　of　the　elephants　already　in　the
town；　called　Nicon；　striving　to　take　up　his　rider；　who；　after　many
wounds　received；　was　fallen　off　his　back；　bore　forward　upon　those　that
were　retreating；　and；　thrusting　upon　friends　as　well　as　enemies；
tumbled　them　all　confusedly　upon　one　another；　till　having　found　the
body；　and　taken　it　up　with　his　trunk；　he　carried　it　on　his　tusks；　and；
returning　in　a　fury；　trod　down　all　before　him。　Being　thus　pressed
and　crowded　together；　not　a　man　could　do　anything　for　himself；　but
being　wedged；　as　it　were；　together　into　one　mass；　the　whole
multitude　rolled　and　swayed　this　way　and　that　altogether；　and　did　very
little　execution　either　upon　the　enemy　in　their　rear；　or　on　any　of
them　who　were　intercepted　in　the　mass；　but　very　much　harm　to　one
another。　For　he　who　had　either　drawn　his　sword　or　directed　his　lance
could　neither　restore　it　again；　nor　put　his　sword　up；　with　these
weapons　they　wounded　their　own　men；　as　they　happened　to　come　in　the
way；　and　they　were　dying　by　mere　contact　with　each　other。
　　Pyrrhus；　seeing　this　storm　and　confusion　of　things；　took　off　the
crown　he　wore　upon　his　helmet；　by　which　he　was　distinguished；　and　gave
it　to　one　nearest　his　person；　and　trusting　to　the　goodness　of　his
horse；　rode　in　among　the　thickest　of　the　enemy；　and　being　wounded　with
a　lance　through　his　breastplate；　but　not　dangerously；　nor　indeed
very　much；　he　turned　about　upon　the　man　who　struck　him；　who　was　an
Argive；　not　of　any　illustrious　birth；　but　the　son　of　a　poor　old　woman；
she　was　looking　upon　the　fight　among　other　women　from　the　top　of　a
house；　and　perceiving　her　son　engaged　with　Pyrrhus；　and　affrighted
at　the　danger　he　was　in；　took　up　a　tile　with　both　hands　and　threw　it
at　Pyrrhus。　This　falling　on　his　head　below　the　helmet；　and　bruising
the　vertebrae　of　the　lower　part　of　the　neck；　stunned　and　blinded
him；　his　hands　let　go　the　reins；　and　sinking　down　from　his　horse　he
fell　just　by　the　tomb　of　Licymnius。　The　common　soldiers　knew　not　who
it　was；　but　one　Zopyrus；　who　served　under　Antigonus；　and　two　or
three　others　running　thither；　and　knowing　it　was　Pyrrhus；　dragged
him　to　a　doorway　hard　by；　just　as　he　was　recovering　a　little　from
the　blow。　But　when　Zopyrus　drew　out　an　Illyrian　sword；　ready　to　cut
off　his　head；　Pyrrhus　gave　him　so　fierce　a　look　that；　confounded
with　terror；　and　sometimes　his　hands　trembling　and　then　again
endeavouring　to　do　it；　full　of　fear　and　confusion；　he　could　not　strike
him　right；　but　cutting　over　his　mouth　and　chin；　it　was　a　long　time
before　he　got　off　the　head。　By　this　time　what　had　happened　was　known
to　a　great　many；　and　Alcyoneus　hastening　to　the　place；　desired　to　look
upon　the　head；　and　see　whether　he　knew　it；　and　taking　it　in　his　hand
rode　away　to　his　father；　and　threw　it　at　his　feet；　while　he　was
sitting　with　some　of　his　particular　favourites。　Antigonus；　looking
upon　it；　and　knowing　it；　thrust　his　son　from　him；　and　struck　him
with　his　staff；　calling　him　wicked　and　barbarous；　and　covering　his
eyes　with　his　robe　shed　tears；　thinking　of　his　own　father　and
grandfather；　instances　in　his　own　family　of　the　changefulness　of
fortune；　and　caused　the　head　and　body　of　Pyrrhus　to　be　burned　with　all
due　solemnity。　After　this；　Alcyoneus；　discovering　Helenus　under　a　mean
disguise　in　a　threadbare　coat；　used　him　very　respectfully；　and　brought
him　to　his　father。　When　Antigonus　saw　him；　〃This；　my　son；〃　said　he；
〃is　better；　and　yet　even　now　you　have　not　done　wholly　well　in　allowing
these　clothes　to　remain；　to　the　disgrace　of　those　who　it　seems　now　are
the　victors。〃　And　treating　Helenus　with　great　kindness；　and　as
became　a　prince；　restored　him　to　his　kingdom　of　Epirus；　and　gave　the
same　obliging　reception　to　all　Pyrrhus's　principal　commanders；　his
camp　and　whole　army　having　fallen　into　his　hands。





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