the history-第106章

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me　back　to　look　for　the　child；　they　would　search　all　her　house；　and　so　indeed　they　did；　but　not　finding　the　child　after　looking　everywhere；　they　thought　it　best　to　go　away；　and　declare　to　those　by　whom　they　had　been　sent　that　they　had　done　their　bidding。　And　thus　they　reported　on　their　return　home。　（SS　5。）　Aetion's　son　grew　up；　and；　in　remembrance　of　the　danger　from　which　he　had　escaped；　was　named　Cypselus；　after　the　cornbin。　When　he　reached　to　man's　estate；　he　went　to　Delphi；　and　on　consulting　the　oracle；　received　a　response　which　was　two…sided。　It　was　the　following：

　　　　See　there　comes　to　my　dwelling　a　man　much　favour'd　of　fortune；　　　　　Cypselus；　son　of　Aetion；　and　king　of　the　glorious　Corinth…　　　　　He　and　his　children　too；　but　not　his　children's　children。

Such　was　the　oracle；　and　Cypselus　put　so　much　faith　in　it　that　he　forthwith　made　his　attempt；　and　thereby　became　master　of　Corinth。　Having　thus　got　the　tyranny；　he　showed　himself　a　harsh　ruler…　many　of　the　Corinthians　he　drove　into　banishment；　many　he　deprived　of　their　fortunes；　and　a　still　greater　number　of　their　lives。　（SS　6。）　His　reign　lasted　thirty　years；　and　was　prosperous　to　its　close；　insomuch　that　he　left　the　government　to　Periander；　his　son。　This　prince　at　the　beginning　of　his　reign　was　of　a　milder　temper　than　his　father；　but　after　he　corresponded　by　means　of　messengers　with　Thrasybulus；　tyrant　of　Miletus；　he　became　even　more　sanguinary。　On　one　occasion　he　sent　a　herald　to　ask　Thrasybulus　what　mode　of　government　it　was　safest　to　set　up　in　order　to　rule　with　honour。　Thrasybulus　led　the　messenger　without　the　city；　and　took　him　into　a　field　of　corn；　through　which　he　began　to　walk；　while　he　asked　him　again　and　again　concerning　his　coming　from　Corinth；　ever　as　he　went　breaking　off　and　throwing　away　all　such　ears　of　corn　as　over…topped　the　rest。　In　this　way　he　went　through　the　whole　field；　and　destroyed　all　the　best　and　richest　part　of　the　crop；　then；　without　a　word；　he　sent　the　messenger　back。　On　the　return　of　the　man　to　Corinth；　Periander　was　eager　to　know　what　Thrasybulus　had　counselled；　but　the　messenger　reported　that　he　had　said　nothing；　and　he　wondered　that　Periander　had　sent　him　to　so　strange　a　man；　who　seemed　to　have　lost　his　senses；　since　he　did　nothing　but　destroy　his　own　property。　And　upon　this　he　told　how　Thrasybulus　had　behaved　at　the　interview。　（SS　7。）　Periander；　perceiving　what　the　action　meant；　and　knowing　that　Thrasybulus　advised　the　destruction　of　all　the　leading　citizens；　treated　his　subjects　from　this　time　forward　with　the　very　greatest　cruelty。　Where　Cypselus　had　spared　any；　and　had　neither　put　them　to　death　nor　banished　them；　Periander　completed　what　his　father　had　left　unfinished。　One　day　he　stripped　all　the　women　of　Corinth　stark　naked；　for　the　sake　of　his　own　wife　Melissa。　He　had　sent　messengers　into　Thesprotia　to　consult　the　oracle　of　the　dead　upon　the　Acheron　concerning　a　pledge　which　had　been　given　into　his　charge　by　a　stranger；　and　Melissa　appeared；　but　refused　to　speak　or　tell　where　the　pledge　was…　'she　was　chill；'　she　said；　'having　no　clothes；　the　garments　buried　with　her　were　of　no　manner　of　use；　since　they　had　not　been　burnt。　And　this　should　be　her　token　to　Periander；　that　what　she　said　was　true…　the　oven　was　cold　when　he　baked　his　loaves　in　it。'　When　this　message　was　brought　him；　Periander　knew　the　token；　wherefore　he　straightway　made　proclamation；　that　all　the　wives　of　the　Corinthians　should　go　forth　to　the　temple　of　Juno。　So　the　women　apparelled　themselves　in　their　bravest；　and　went　forth；　as　if　to　a　festival。　Then；　with　the　help　of　his　guards；　whom　he　had　placed　for　the　purpose；　he　stripped　them　one　and　all；　making　no　difference　between　the　free　women　and　the　slaves；　and；　taking　their　clothes　to　a　pit；　he　called　on　the　name　of　Melissa；　and　burnt　the　whole　heap。　This　done；　he　sent　a　second　time　to　the　oracle；　and　Melissa's　ghost　told　him　where　he　would　find　the　stranger's　pledge。　Such；　O　Lacedaemonians！　is　tyranny；　and　such　are　the　deeds　which　spring　from　it。　We　Corinthians　marvelled　greatly　when　we　first　knew　of　your　having　sent　for　Hippias；　and　now　it　surprises　us　still　more　to　hear　you　speak　as　you　do。　We　adjure　you；　by　the　common　gods　of　Greece；　plant　not　despots　in　her　cities。　If　however　you　are　determined；　if　you　persist；　against　all　justice；　in　seeking　to　restore　Hippias…　know；　at　least；　that　the　Corinthians　will　not　approve　your　conduct。〃　　　　　When　Sosicles；　the　deputy　from　Corinth；　had　thus　spoken；　Hippias　replied；　and；　invoking　the　same　gods；　he　said…〃Of　a　surety　the　Corinthians　will；　beyond　all　others；　regret　the　Pisistratidae；　when　the　fated　days　come　for　them　to　be　distressed　by　the　Athenians。〃　Hippias　spoke　thus　because　he　knew　the　prophecies　better　than　any　man　living。　But　the　rest　of　the　allies；　who　till　Sosicles　spoke　had　remained　quiet；　when　they　heard　him　utter　his　thoughts　thus　boldly；　all　together　broke　silence；　and　declared　themselves　of　the　same　mind；　and　withal；　they　conjured　the　Lacedaemonians　〃not　to　revolutionise　a　Grecian　city。〃　And　in　this　way　the　enterprise　came　to　nought。　　　　　Hippias　hereupon　withdrew；　and　Amyntas　the　Macedonian　offered　him　the　city　of　Anthemus；　while　the　Thessalians　were　willing　to　give　him　Iolcos：　but　he　would　accept　neither　the　one　nor　the　other；　preferring　to　go　back　to　Sigeum；　which　city　Pisistratus　had　taken　by　force　of　arms　from　the　Mytilenaeans。　Pisistratus；　when　he　became　master　of　the　place；　established　there　as　tyrant　his　own　natural　son；　Hegesistratus；　whose　mother　was　an　Argive　woman。　But　this　prince　was　not　allowed　to　enjoy　peaceably　what　his　father　had　made　over　to　him；　for　during　very　many　years　there　had　been　war　between　the　Athenians　of　Sigeum　and　the　Mytilenaeans　of　the　city　called　Achilleum。　They　of　Mytilene　insisted　on　having　the　place　restored　to　them：　but　the　Athenians　refused；　since　they　argued　that　the　Aeolians　had　no　better　claim　to　the　Trojan　territory　than　themselves；　or　than　any　of　the　other　Greeks　who　helped　Menelaus　on　occasion　of　the　rape　of　Helen。　　　　　War　accordingly　continued；　with　many　and　various　incidents；　whereof　the　following　was　one。　In　a　battle　which　was　gained　by　the　Athenians；　the　poet　Alcaeus　took　to　flight；　and　saved　himself；　but　lost　his　arms；　which　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　conquerors。　They　hung　them　up　in　the　temple　of　Minerva　at　Sigeum；　and　Alcaeus　made　a　poem；　describing　his　misadventure　to　his　friend　Melanippus；　and　sent　it　to　him　at　Mytilene。　The　Mytilenaeans　and　Athenians　were　reconciled　by　Periander；　the　son　of　Cypselus；　who　was　chosen　by　both　parties　as　arbiter…　he　decided　that　they　should　each　retain　that　of　which　they　were　at　the　time　possessed；　and　Sigeum　passed　in　this　way　under　the　dominion　of　Athens。　　　　　On　the　return　of　Hippias　to　Asia　from　Lacedaemon；　he　moved　heaven　and　earth　to　set　Artaphernes　against　the　Athenians；　and　did　all　that　lay　in　his　power　to　bring　Athens　into　subjection　to　himself　and　Darius。　So　when　the　Athenians　learnt　what　he　was　about；　they　sent　envoys　to　Sardis；　and　exhorted　the　Persians　not　to　lend　an　ear　to　the　Athenian　exiles。　Artaphernes　told　them　in　reply；　〃that　if　they　wished　to　remain　safe；　they　must　receive　back　Hippias。〃　The　Athenians；　when　this　answer　was　reported　to　them；　determined　not　to　consent；　and　therefore　made　up　their　minds　to　be　at　open　enmity　with　the　Persians。　　　　　The　Athenians　had　come　to　this　decision；　and　were　already　in　bad　odour　with　the　Persians；　when　Aristagoras　the　Milesian；　dismissed　from　Sparta　by　Cleomenes　the　Lacedaemonian；　arrived　at　Athens。　He　knew　that；　after　Sparta；　Athens　was　the　most　powerful　of　the　Grecian　states。　Accordingly　he　appeared　before　the　people；　and；　as　he　had　done　at　Sparta；　spoke　to　them　of　the　good　things　which　there　were　in　Asia；　and　of　the　Persian　mode　of　fight…　how　they　used　neither　shield　nor　spear；　and　were　very　easy　to　conquer。　All　this　he　urged；　and　reminded　them　also　that　Miletus　was　a　colony　from　Athens；　and　therefore　ought　to　receive　their　succour；　since　they　were　so　powerful…　and　in　the　earnestness　of　his　entreaties；　he　cared　little　what　he　promised…　till；　at　the　last；　he　prevailed　and　won　them　over。　It　seems　indeed　to　be　easier　to　deceive　a　multitude　than　one　man…　for　Aristagoras；　though　he　failed　to　impose　on　Cleomenes　the　Lacedaemonian；　succeed