timoleon-第4章

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dexterity　practised　first　upon　the　galley　which　brought　him　hither。
　　Hicetes；　informed　that　Timoleon　had　made　good　his　passage；　was　in
great　fear　of　what　might　follow；　and　sent　to　desire　the
Carthaginians　that　a　large　number　of　galleys　might　be　ordered　to
attend　and　secure　the　coast。　And　now　it　was　that　the　Syracusans
began　wholly　to　despair　of　safety；　seeing　the　Carthaginians
possessed　of　their　haven；　Hicetes　master　of　the　town；　and　Dionysius
supreme　in　the　citadel；　while　Timoleon　had　as　yet　but　a　slender　hold
of　Sicily；　as　it　were　by　the　fringe　or　border　of　it；　in　the　small　city
of　the　Tauromenians；　with　a　feeble　hope　and　a　poor　company；　having　but
a　thousand　soldiers　at　the　most；　and　no　more　provisions；　either　of
corn　or　money；　than　were　just　necessary　for　the　maintenance　and　the
pay　of　that　inconsiderable　number。　Nor　did　the　other　towns　of　Sicily
confide　in　him；　overpowered　as　they　were　with　violence　and　outrage；
and　embittered　against　all　that　should　offer　to　lead　armies　by　the
treacherous　conduct　chiefly　of　Callipus；　an　Athenian；　and　Pharax；　a
Lacedaemonian　captain；　both　of　whom；　after　giving　out　that　the
design　of　their　coming　was　to　introduce　liberty　and　to　depose　tyrants；
so　tyrannized　themselves；　that　the　reign　of　former　oppressors　seemed
to　be　a　golden　age　in　comparison；　and　the　Sicilians　began　to
consider　those　more　happy　who　had　expired　in　servitude；　than　any
that　had　lived　to　see　such　a　dismal　freedom。
　　Looking；　therefore；　for　no　better　usage　from　the　Corinthian　general；
but　imagining　that　it　was　only　the　same　old　course　of　things　once
more；　specious　pretences　and　false　professions　to　allure　them　by
fair　hopes　and　kind　promises　into　the　obedience　of　a　new　master；
they　all；　with　one　accord；　unless　it　were　the　people　of　Adranum；
suspected　the　exhortations；　and　rejected　the　overtures　that　were
made　them　in　his　name。　These　were　inhabitants　of　a　small　city；
consecrated　to　Adranus；　a　certain　god　that　was　in　high　veneration
throughout　Sicily；　and；　as　it　happened；　they　were　then　at　variance
among　themselves；　insomuch　that　one　party　called　in　Hicetes　and　the
Carthaginians　to　assist　them；　while　the　other　sent　proposals　to
Timoleon。　It　so　fell　out　that　these　auxiliaries；　striving　which　should
be　soonest；　both　arrived　at　Adranum　about　the　same　time；　Hicetes
bringing　with　him　at　least　five　thousand　men；　while　all　the　force
Timoleon　could　make　did　not　exceed　twelve　hundred。　With　these　he
marched　out　of　Tauromenium；　which　was　about　three　hundred　and　forty
furlongs　distant　from　that　city。　The　first　day　he　moved　but　slowly；
and　took　up　his　quarters　betimes　after　a　short　journey；　but　the　day
following　he　quickened　his　pace；　and；　having　passed　through　much
difficult　ground；　towards　evening　received　advice　that　Hicetes　was
just　approaching　Adranum；　and　pitching　his　camp　before　it；　upon
which　intelligence；　his　captains　and　other　officers　caused　the
vanguard　to　halt；　that　the　army　being　refreshed；　and　having　reposed
a　while；　might　engage　the　enemy　with　better　heart。　But　Timoleon；
coming　up　in　haste；　desired　them　not　to　stop　for　that　reason；　but
rather　use　all　possible　diligence　to　surprise　the　enemy；　whom　probably
they　would　now　find　in　disorder；　as　having　lately　ended　their　march
and　being　taken　up　at　present　in　erecting　tents　and　preparing
supper；　which　he　had　no　sooner　said；　but　laying　hold　of　his　buckler
and　putting　himself　in　the　front；　he　led　them　on　as　it　were　to　certain
victory。　The　braveness　of　such　a　leader　made　them　all　follow　him
with　like　courage　and　assurance。　They　were　now　within　less　than　thirty
furlongs　of　Adranum；　which　they　quickly　traversed；　and　immediately
fell　in　upon　the　enemy；　who　were　seized　with　confusion；　and　began　to
retire　at　their　first　approaches；　one　consequence　of　which　was　that；
amidst　so　little　opposition；　and　so　early　and　general　a　flight；
there　were　not　many　more　than　three　hundred　slain；　and　about　twice　the
number　made　prisoners。　Their　camp　and　baggage；　however；　was　all　taken。
The　fortune　of　this　onset　soon　induced　the　Adranitans　to　unlock
their　gates；　and　to　embrace　the　interest　of　Timoleon；　to　whom　they
recounted；　with　a　mixture　of　affright　and　admiration；　how；　at　the　very
minute　of　the　encounter；　the　doors　of　their　temple　flew　open　of
their　own　accord；　that　the　javelin　also；　which　their　god　held　in　his
band；　was　observed　to　tremble　at　the　point；　and　that　drops　of　sweat
had　been　seen　running　down　his　face；　prodigies　that　not　only
presaged　the　victory　then　obtained；　but　were　an　omen；　it　seemed；　of
all　his　future　exploits；　to　which　this　first　happy　action　gave　the
occasion。
　　For　now　the　neighbouring　cities　and　potentates　sent　deputies；　one
upon　another；　to　seek　his　friendship　and　make　offer　of　their
service。　Among　the　rest　Mamercus；　the　tyrant　of　Catana；　an　experienced
warrior　and　a　wealthy　prince；　made　proposals　of　alliance　with　him；　and
what　was　of　greater　importance　still；　Dionysius　himself；　being　now
grown　desperate；　and　well…nigh　forced　to　surrender；　despising
Hicetes　who　had　been　thus　shamefully　baffled；　and　admiring　the
valour　of　Timoleon；　found　means　to　advertise　him　and　his　Corinthians
that　he　should　be　content　to　deliver　up　himself　and　the　citadel　into
their　hands。　Timoleon；　gladly　embracing　this　unlooked…for　advantage；
sends　away　Euclides　and　Telemachus；　two　Corinthian　captains；　with　four
hundred　men；　for　the　seizure　and　custody　of　the　castle；　with
directions　to　enter　not　all　at　once；　or　in　open　view；　that　being
impracticable　so　long　as　the　enemy　kept　guard；　but　by　stealth；　and
in　small　companies。　And　so　they　took　possession　of　the　fortress　and
the　palace　of　Dionysius；　with　all　the　stores　and　ammunition　he　had
prepared　and　laid　up　to　maintain　the　war。　They　found　a　good　number
of　horses；　every　variety　of　engines；　a　multitude　of　darts；　and　weapons
to　arm　seventy　thousand　men　（a　magazine　that　had　been　formed　from
ancient　time）；　besides　two　thousand　soldiers　that　were　then　with
him；　whom　he　gave　up　with　the　rest　for　Timoleon's　service。　Dionysius
himself；　putting　his　treasure　aboard；　and　taking　a　few　friends；　sailed
away　unobserved　by　Hicetes；　and　being　brought　to　the　camp　of　Timoleon；
there　first　appeared　in　the　humble　dress　of　a　private　person；　and
was　shortly　after　sent　to　Corinth　with　a　single　ship　and　a　small　sum
of　money。　Born　and　educated　in　the　most　splendid　court　and　the　most
absolute　monarchy　that　ever　was；　which　he　held　and　kept　up　for　the
space　of　ten　years　succeeding　his　father's　death；　he　had；　after　Dion's
expedition；　spent　twelve　other　years　in　a　continual　agitation　of
wars　and　contests；　and　great　variety　of　fortune；　during　which　time　all
the　mischiefs　he　had　committed　in　his　former　reign　were　more　than
repaid　by　the　ills　he　himself　then　suffered；　since　he　lived　to　see　the
deaths　of　his　sons　in　the　prime　and　vigour　of　their　age；　and　the
rape　of　his　daughters　in　the　flower　of　their　virginity；　and　the　wicked
abuse　of　his　sister　and　his　wife；　who；　after　being　first　exposed　to
all　the　lawless　insults　of　the　soldiery；　was　then　murdered　with　her
children；　and　cast　into　the　sea；　the　particulars　of　which　are　more
exactly　given　in　the　life　of　Dion。
　　Upon　the　news　of　his　landing　at　Corinth；　there　was　hardly　a　man　in
Greece　who　had　not　the　curiosity　to　come　and　view　the　late
formidable　tyrant；　and　say　some　words　to　him；　part；　rejoicing　at　his
disasters；　were　led　thither　out　of　mere　spite　and　hatred；　that　they
might　have　the　pleasure　of　trampling；　as　it　were；　on　the　ruins　of
his　broken　fortune；　but　others；　letting　their　attention　and　their
sympathy　turn　rather　to　the　changes　and　revolutions　of　his　life；　could
not　but　see　in　them　a　proof　of　the　strength　and　potency　with　which
divine　and　unseen　causes　operate　amidst　the　weakness　of　human　and
visible　things。　For　neither　art　nor　nature　did　in　that　age　produce
anything　comparable　to　this　work　and　wonder　of　fortune　which　showed
the　very　same　man；　that　was　not　long　before　supreme　monarch　of　Sicily；
loitering　about　perhaps　in　the　fish…market；　or　sitting　in　a　perfumer's
shop　drinking　the　diluted　wine　of　taverns；　or　squabbling　in　the　street
with　common　women；　or　pretending　to　instruct　the　singing　women　of
the　theatre；　and　seriously