timoleon-第8章

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the　ancient　usurper　Gelo　was　exempted；　out　of　admiration　and　honour
and　for　the　sake　of　the　victory　he　gained　over　the　Carthaginian　forces
at　the　river　Himera。
　　Syracuse　being　thus　happily　revived；　and　replenished　again　by　the
general　concourse　of　inhabitants　from　all　parts；　Timoleon　was　desirous
now　to　rescue　other　cities　from　the　like　bondage；　and　wholly　and
once　for　all　to　extirpate　arbitrary　government　out　of　Sicily。　And
for　this　purpose；　marching　in　to　the　territories　of　those　that　used
it；　he　compelled　Hicetes　first　to　renounce　the　Carthaginian
interest；　and；　demolishing　the　fortresses　which　were　held　by　him；　to
live　henceforth　among　the　Leontinians　as　a　private　person。　Leptines；
also；　the　tyrant　of　Apollonia　and　divers　other　little　towns；　after
some　resistance　made；　seeing　the　danger　he　was　in　of　being　taken　by
force；　surrendered　himself；　upon　which　Timoleon　spared　his　life；　and
sent　him　away　to　Corinth；　counting　it　a　glorious　thing　that　the　mother
city　should　expose　to　the　view　of　other　Greeks　these　Sicilian　tyrants；
living　now　in　an　exiled　and　a　low　condition。　After　this　he　returned　to
Syracuse；　that　he　might　have　leisure　to　attend　to　the　establishment　of
the　new　constitution；　and　assist　Cephalus　and　Dionysius；　who　were　sent
from　Corinth　to　make　laws；　in　determining　the　most　important　points　of
it。　In　the　meanwhile；　desirous　that　his　hired　soldiers　should　not　want
action；　but　might　rather　enrich　themselves　by　some　plunder　from　the
enemy；　he　despatched　Dinarchus　and　Demaretus　with　a　portion　of　them
into　the　part　of　the　island　belonging　to　the　Carthaginians；　where　they
obliged　several　cities　to　revolt　from　the　barbarians；　and　not　only
lived　in　great　abundance　themselves；　but　raised　money　from　their　spoil
to　carry　on　the　war。
　　Meantime；　the　Carthaginians　landed　at　the　promontory　of　Lilybaeum；
bringing　with　them　an　army　of　seventy　thousand　men　on　board　two
hundred　galleys；　besides　a　thousand　other　vessels　laden　with　engines
of　battery；　chariots；　corn；　and　other　military　stores；　as　if　they
did　not　intend　to　manage　the　war　by　piecemeal　and　in　parts　as
heretofore；　but　to　drive　the　Greeks　altogether　and　at　once　out　of
all　Sicily。　And　indeed　it　was　a　force　sufficient　to　overpower　the
Siceliots；　even　though　they　had　been　at　perfect　union　among
themselves；　and　had　never　been　enfeebled　by　intestine　quarrels。
Hearing　that　part　of　their　subject　territory　was　suffering
devastation；　they　forthwith　made　toward　the　Corinthians　with　great
fury；　having　Asdrubal　and　Hamilcar　for　their　generals；　the　report　of
whose　number　and　strength　coming　suddenly　to　Syracuse；　the　citizens
were　so　terrified；　that　hardly　three　thousand；　among　so　many　myriads
of　them；　had　the　courage　to　take　up　arms　and　join　Timoleon。　The
foreigners；　serving　for　pay；　were　not　above　four　thousand　in　all；
and　about　a　thousand　of　these　grew　faint…hearted　by　the　way；　and
forsook　Timoleon　in　his　march　towards　the　enemy；　looking　on　him　as
frantic　and　distracted；　destitute　of　the　sense　which　might　have　been
expected　from　his　time　of　life；　thus　to　venture　out　against　an　army　of
seventy　thousand　men；　with　no　more　than　five　thousand　foot　and　a
thousand　horse；　and；　when　he　should　have　kept　those　forces　to　defend
the　city；　choosing　rather　to　remove　them　eight　days'　journey　from
Syracuse；　so　that　if　they　were　beaten　from　the　field；　they　would
have　no　retreat；　nor　any　burial　if　they　fell　upon　it。　Timoleon；
however；　reckoned　it　some　kind　of　advantage；　that　these　had　thus
discovered　themselves　before　the　battle；　and　encouraging　the　rest；　led
them　with　all　speed　to　the　river　Crimesus；　where　it　was　told　him　the
Carthaginians　were　drawn　together。
　　As　he　was　marching　up　an　ascent；　from　the　top　of　which　they　expected
to　have　a　view　of　the　army　and　of　the　strength　of　the　enemy；　there　met
him　by　chance　a　train　of　mules　loaded　with　parsley；　which　his　soldiers
conceived　to　be　an　ominous　occurrence　or　ill…boding　token；　because
this　is　the　herb　with　which　we　not　unfrequently　adorn　the　sepulchres
of　the　dead；　and　there　is　a　proverb　derived　from　the　custom；　used　of
one　who　is　dangerously　sick；　that　he　has　need　of　nothing　but
parsley。　So　to　ease　their　minds；　and　free　them　from　any
superstitious　thoughts　or　forebodings　of　evil；　Timoleon　halted；　and
concluded　an　address　suitable　to　the　occasion；　by　saying；　that　a
garland　of　triumph　was　here　luckily　brought　them；　and　had　fallen
into　their　hands　of　its　own　accord；　as　an　anticipation　of　victory：　the
same　with　which　the　Corinthians　crown　the　victors　in　the　Isthmian
games；　accounting　chaplets　of　parsley　the　sacred　wreath　proper　to
their　country；　parsley　being　at　that　time　still　the　emblem　of
victory　at　the　Isthmian；　as　it　is　now　at　the　Nemean　sports；　and　it
is　not　so　very　long　ago　that　the　pine　first　began　to　be　used　in　its
place。
　　Timoleon；　therefore；　having　thus　bespoke　his　soldiers；　took　part
of　the　parsley；　and　with　it　made　himself　a　chaplet　first；　his　captains
and　their　companies　all　following　the　example　of　their　leader。　The
soothsayers　then；　observing　also　two　eagles　on　the　wing　towards
them；　one　of　which　bore　a　snake　struck　through　with　her　talons；　and
the　other；　as　she　flew；　uttered　a　loud　cry　indicating　boldness　and
assurance；　at　once　showed　them　to　the　soldiers；　who　with　one　consent
fell　to　supplicate　the　gods；　and　call　them　in　to　their　assistance。
It　was　now　about　the　beginning　of　summer；　and　conclusion　of　the
month　called　Thargelion；　not　far　from　the　solstice；　and　the　river
sending　up　a　thick　mist；　all　the　adjacent　plain　was　at　first
darkened　with　the　fog；　so　that　for　a　while　they　could　discern
nothing　from　the　enemy's　camp；　only　a　confused　buzz　and
undistinguished　mixture　of　voices　came　up　to　the　hill　from　the　distant
motions　and　clamours　of　so　vast　a　multitude。　When　the　Corinthians
had　mounted；　and　stood　on　the　top；　and　had　laid　down　their　bucklers　to
take　breath　and　repose　themselves；　the　sun　coming　round　and　drawing　up
the　vapours　from　below；　the　gross　foggy　air　that　was　now　gathered
and　condensed　above　formed　in　a　cloud　upon　the　mountains；　and；　all　the
under　places　being　clear　and　open；　the　river　Crimesus　appeared　to　them
again；　and　they　could　descry　the　enemies　passing　over　it；　first　with
their　formidable　four…horse　chariots　of　war；　and　then　ten　thousand
footmen　bearing　white　shields；　whom　they　guessed　to　be　all
Carthaginians；　from　the　splendour　of　their　arms；　and　the　slowness
and　order　of　their　march。　And　when　now　the　troops　of　various　other
nations；　flowing　in　behind　them；　began　to　throng　for　passage　in　a
tumultuous　and　unruly　manner；　Timoleon；　perceiving　that　the　river　gave
them　opportunity　to　single　off　whatever　number　of　their　enemies　they
had　a　mind　to　engage　at　and　bidding　his　soldiers　observe　how　their
forces　were　divided　into　two　separate　bodies　by　the　intervention　of
the　stream；　some　being　already　over；　and　others　still　to　ford　it；　gave
Demaretus　command　to　fall　in　upon　the　Carthaginians　with　his　horse；
and　disturb　their　ranks　before　they　should　be　drawn　up　into　form　of
battle；　and　coming　down　into　the　plain　himself　forming　his　right　and
left　wing　of　other　Sicilians；　intermingling　only　a　few　strangers　in
each；　he　placed　the　natives　of　Syracuse　in　the　middle；　with　the
stoutest　mercenaries　he　had　about　his　own　person；　and　waiting　a　little
to　observe　the　action　of　his　horse；　when　they　saw　they　were　not　only
hindered　from　grappling　with　the　Carthaginians　by　the　armed　chariots
that　ran　to　and　fro　before　the　army；　but　forced　continually　to　wheel
about　to　escape　having　their　ranks　broken；　and　so　to　repeat　their
charges　anew；　he　took　his　buckler　in　his　hand；　and　crying　out　to　the
foot　that　they　should　follow　him　with　courage　and　confidence；　he
seemed　to　speak　with　a　more　than　human　accent；　and　a　voice　stronger
than　ordinary；　whether　it　were　that　he　naturally　raised　it　so　high
in　the　vehemence　and　ardour　with　his　mind　to　assault　the　enemy；　or
else；　as　many　then　thought；　some　god　or　other　spoke　with　him。　When　his
soldiers　quickly　gave　an　echo　to　it；　and　besought　him　to　lead　them
on　without　any　further　delay；　he　made　a　sign　to　the　horse；　that　they
should　draw　off　from　the　front　where　the　chariots　were；　and　pass
sidewards　t