demetrius-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ir　frame　　　　　　　　　　　Cannot　continue　for　two　nights　the　same；　　　　　　　　　　　But　out　of　shadow　first　a　crescent　shows；　　　　　　　　　　　Thence　into　beauty　and　perfection　grows；　　　　　　　　　　　And　when　the　form　of　plenitude　it　wears；　　　　　　　　　　　Dwindles　again；　and　wholly　disappears。〃

　　The　simile　is　yet　truer　of　Demetrius　and　the　phases　of　his　fortunes；　now　on　the　increase；　presently　on　the　wane；　now　filling　up　and　now　falling　away。　And　so；　at　this　time　of　apparent　entire　obscuration　and　extinction；　his　light　again　shone　out；　and　accessions　of　strength；　little　by　little；　came　in　to　fulfil　once　more　the　measure　of　his　hope。　At　first　he　showed　himself　in　the　garb　of　a　private　man；　and　went　about　the　cities　without　any　of　the　badges　of　a　king。　One　who　saw　him　at　Thebes　applied　to　him；　not　inaptly；　the　lines　of　Euripides…

　　　　　　　　　〃Humbled　to　man；　laid　by　the　godhead's　pride；　　　　　　　　　　　He　comes　to　Dirce　and　Ismenus's　side。〃

But　ere　long　his　expectations　had　re…entered　the　royal　track；　and　he　began　once　more　to　have　about　him　the　body　and　form　of　empire。　The　Thebans　received　back；　as　his　gift；　their　ancient　constitution。　The　Athenians　had　deserted　him。　They　displaced　Diphilus；　who　was　that　year　the　priest　of　the　two　Tutelar　Deities；　and　restored　the　archons；　as　of　old；　to　mark　the　year；　and　on　hearing　that　Demetrius　was　not　so　weak　as　they　had　expected；　they　sent　into　Macedonia　to　beg　the　protection　of　Pyrrhus。　Demetrius；　in　anger；　marched　to　Athens；　and　laid　close　siege　to　the　city。　In　this　distress；　they　sent　out　to　him　Crates　the　philosopher；　a　person　of　authority　and　reputation；　who　succeeded　so　far；　that　what　with　his　entreaties　and　the　solid　reasons　which　he　offered；　Demetrius　was　persuaded　to　raise　the　siege；　and；　collecting　all　his　ships；　he　embarked　a　force　of　eleven　thousand　men　with　cavalry；　and　sailed　away　to　Asia；　to　Caria　and　Lydia；　to　take　those　provinces　from　Lysimachus。　Arriving　at　Miletus；　he　was　met　there　by　Eurydice；　the　sister　of　Phila；　who　brought　along　with　her　Ptolemais；　one　of　her　daughters　by　King　Ptolemy；　who　had　before　been　affianced　to　Demetrius；　and　with　whom　he　now　consummated　his　marriage。　Immediately　after；　he　proceeded　to　carry　out　his　project；　and　was　so　fortunate　in　the　beginning　that　many　cities　revolted　to　him；　others；　as　particularly　Sardis；　he　took　by　force；　and　some　generals　of　Lysimachus；　also；　came　over　to　him　with　troops　and　money。　But　when　Agathocles；　the　son　of　Lysimachus；　arrived　with　an　army；　he　retreated　into　Phrygia；　with　an　intention　to　pass　into　Armenia；　believing　that；　if　he　could　once　plant　his　foot　in　Armenia；　he　might　set　Media　in　revolt；　and　gain　a　position　in　Upper　Asia；　where　a　fugitive　commander　might　find　a　hundred　ways　of　evasion　and　escape。　Agathocles　pressed　hard　upon　him；　and　many　skirmishes　and　conflicts　occurred；　in　which　Demetrius　had　still　the　advantage；　but　Agathocles　straitened　him　much　in　his　forage；　and　his　men　showed　a　great　dislike　to　his　purpose；　which　they　suspected；　of　carrying　them　far　away　into　Armenia　and　Media。　Famine　also　pressed　upon　them；　and　some　mistake　occurred　in　their　passage　of　the　river　Lycus；　in　consequence　of　which　a　large　number　were　swept　away　and　drowned。　Still；　however；　they　could　pass　their　jests；　and　one　of　them　fixed　upon　Demetrius's　tent…door　a　paper　with　the　first　verse；　slightly　altered；　of　the　Oedipus：…

　　　　　　　　　〃Child　of　the　blind　old　man；　Antigonus；　　　　　　　　　　　Into　what　country　are　you　bringing　us？〃

　　But　at　last；　pestilence；　as　is　usual　when　armies　are　driven　to　such　necessities　as　to　subsist　upon　any　food　they　can　get；　began　to　assail　them　as　well　as　famine。　So　that；　having　lost　eight　thousand　of　his　men；　with　the　rest　he　retreated　and　came　to　Tarsus；　and　because　that　city　was　within　the　dominions　of　Seleucus；　he　was　anxious　to　prevent　any　plundering；　and　wished　to　give　no　sort　of　offence　to　Seleucus。　But　when　he　perceived　it　was　impossible　to　restrain　the　soldiers　in　their　extreme　necessity；　Agathocles　also　having　blocked　up　all　the　avenues　of　Mount　Taurus；　he　wrote　a　letter　to　Seleucus；　bewailing　first　all　his　own　sad　fortunes；　and　proceeding　with　entreaties　and　supplications　for　some　compassion　on　his　part　towards　one　nearly　connected　with　him；　who　was　fallen　into　such　calamities　as　might　extort　tenderness　and　pity　from　his　very　enemies。　　　These　letters　so　far　moved　Seleucus；　that　he　gave　orders　to　the　governors　of　those　provinces　that　they　should　furnish　Demetrius　with　all　things　suitable　to　his　royal　rank；　and　with　sufficient　provisions　for　his　troops。　But　Patrocles；　a　person　whose　judgment　was　greatly　valued；　and　who　was　a　friend　highly　trusted　by　Seleucus；　pointed　out　to　him　that　the　expense　of　maintaining　such　a　body　of　soldiers　was　the　least　important　consideration；　but　that　it　was　contrary　to　all　policy　to　let　Demetrius　stay　in　the　country；　since　he；　of　all　the　kings　of　his　time；　was　the　most　violent；　and　most　addicted　to　daring　enterprises；　and　he　was　now　in　a　condition　which　might　tempt　persons　of　the　greatest　temper　and　moderation　to　unlawful　and　desperate　attempts。　Seleucus；　excited　by　this　advice；　moved　with　a　powerful　army　towards　Cilicia；　and　Demetrius；　astonished　at　this　sudden　alteration；　betook　himself　for　safety　to　the　most　inaccessible　places　of　Mount　Taurus；　from　whence　he　sent　envoys　to　Seleucus；　to　request　from　him　that　he　would　permit　him　the　liberty　to　settle　with　his　army　somewhere　among　the　independent　barbarian　tribes；　where　he　might　be　able　to　make　himself　a　petty　king；　and　end　his　life　without　further　travel　and　hardship；　or；　if　he　refused　him　this；　at　any　rate　to　give　his　troops　food　during　the　winter；　and　not　expose　him　in　this　distressed　and　naked　condition　to　the　fury　of　his　enemies。　　　But　Seleucus；　whose　jealousy　made　him　put　an　ill…construction　on　all　he　said；　sent　him　answer；　that　he　would　permit　him　to　stay　two　months　and　no　longer　in　Cataonia；　provided　he　presently　sent　him　the　principal　of　his　friends　as　hostages　for　his　departure　then；　and；　in　the　meantime；　he　fortified　all　the　passages　into　Syria。　So　that　Demetrius；　who　saw　himself　thus；　like　a　wild　beast；　in　the　way　to　be　encompassed　on　all　sides　in　the　toils；　was　driven　in　desperation　to　his　defence；　overran　the　country；　and　in　several　engagements　in　which　Seleucus　attacked　him；　had　the　advantage　of　him。　Particularly；　when　he　was　once　assailed　by　the　scythed　chariots；　he　successfully　avoided　the　charge　and　routed　his　assailants；　and　then；　expelling　the　troops　that　were　in　guard　of　the　passes；　made　himself　master　of　the　roads　leading　into　Syria。　And　now；　elated　himself；　and　finding　his　soldiers　also　animated　by　these　successes；　he　was　resolved　to　push　at　all；　and　to　have　one　deciding　blow　for　the　empire　with　Seleucus；　who　indeed　was　in　considerable　anxiety　and　distress；　being　averse　to　any　assistance　from　Lysimachus；　whom　he　both　mistrusted　and　feared；　and　shrinking　from　a　battle　with　Demetrius；　whose　desperation　he　knew；　and　whose　fortune　he　had　so　often　seen　suddenly　pass　from　the　lowest　to　the　highest。　　　But　Demetrius；　in　the　meanwhile；　was　taken　with　a　violent　sickness；　from　which　he　suffered　extremely　himself；　and　which　ruined　all　his　prospects。　His　men　deserted　to　the　enemy；　or　dispersed。　At　last；　after　forty　days；　he　began　to　be　so　far　recovered　as　to　be　able　to　rally　his　remaining　forces；　and　marched　as　if　he　directly　designed　for　Cilicia；　but　in　the　night；　raising　his　camp　without　sound　of　trumpet；　he　took　a　countermarch；　and；　passing　the　mountain　Amanus；　he　ravaged　all　the　lower　country　as　far　as　Cyrrhestica。　　　Upon　this；　Seleucus　advancing　towards　him　and　encamping　at　no　great　distance；　Demetrius　set　his　troops　in　motion　to　surprise　him　by　night。　And　almost　to　the　last　moment　Seleucus　knew　nothing；　and　was　lying　asleep。　Some　deserter　came　with　the　tidings　just　so　soon　that　he　had　time　to　leap；　in　great　consternation；　out　of　bed；　and　give　the　alarm　to　his　men。　And　as　he　was　putting　on　his　boots　to　mount　his　horse；　he　bade　the　officers　about　him　look　well　to　it；　for　they　had　to　meet　a　furious　and　terrible　wild　beast。　But　Demetrius；　by　the　noise　he　heard　in　the　camp；　finding　they　had　taken　the　alarm；　drew　off　his　troops　in　haste。　With　the　morning's　return　he　found　Seleucus　pressing　hard　upon　him；　so；　sending　one　of　his　officers　against　t