the history-第169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！



　　　　Mardonius；　when　Alexander　upon　his　return　made　known　to　him　the　answer　of　the　Athenians；　forthwith　broke　up　from　Thessaly；　and　led　his　army　with　all　speed　against　Athens；　forcing　the　several　nations　through　whose　land　he　passed　to　furnish　him　with　additional　troops。　The　chief　men　of　Thessaly；　far　from　repenting　of　the　part　which　they　had　taken　in　the　war　hitherto；　urged　on　the　Persians　to　the　attack　more　earnestly　than　ever。　Thorax　of　Larissa　in　particular；　who　had　helped　to　escort　Xerxes　on　his　flight　to　Asia；　now　openly　encouraged　Mardonius　in　his　march　upon　Greece。　　　　　When　the　army　reached　Boeotia；　the　Thebans　sought　to　induce　Mardonius　to　make　a　halt：　〃He　would　not；〃　they　told　him；　〃find　anywhere　a　more　convenient　place　in　which　to　pitch　his　camp；　and　their　advice　to　him　was；　that　he　should　go　no　further；　but　fix　himself　there；　and　thence　take　measures　to　subdue　all　Greece　without　striking　a　blow。　If　the　Greeks；　who　had　held　together　hitherto；　still　continued　united　among　themselves；　it　would　be　difficult　for　the　whole　world　to　overcome　them　by　force　of　arms。　But　if　thou　wilt　do　as　we　advise；〃　they　went　on　to　say；　〃thou　mayest　easily　obtain　the　direction　of　all　their　counsels。　Send　presents　to　the　men　of　most　weight　in　the　several　states；　and　by　so　doing　thou　wilt　sow　division　among　them。　After　that；　it　will　be　a　light　task；　with　the　help　of　such　as　side　with　thee；　to　bring　under　all　thy　adversaries。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　advice　of　the　Thebans：　but　Mardonius　did　not　follow　it。　A　strong　desire　of　taking　Athens　a　second　time　possessed　him；　in　part　arising　from　his　inborn　stubbornness；　in　part　from　a　wish　to　inform　the　king　at　Sardis；　by　fire…signals　along　the　islands；　that　he　was　master　of　the　place。　However；　he　did　not　on　his　arrival　in　Attica　find　the　Athenians　in　their　country…　they　had　again　withdrawn；　some　to　their　ships；　but　the　greater　part　to　Salamis…　and　he　only　gained　possession　of　a　deserted　town。　It　was　ten　months　after　the　taking　of　the　city　by　the　king　that　Mardonius　came　against　it　for　the　second　time。　　　　　Mardonius；　being　now　in　Athens；　sent　an　envoy　to　Salamis；　one　Murychides；　a　Hellespontine　Greek；　to　offer　the　Athenians　once　more　the　same　terms　which　had　been　conveyed　to　them　by　Alexander。　The　reason　for　his　sending　a　second　time；　though　he　knew　beforehand　their　unfriendly　feelings　towards　him；　was；…　that　he　hoped；　when　they　saw　the　whole　land　of　Attica　conquered　and　in　his　power；　their　stubbornness　would　begin　to　give　way。　On　this　account；　therefore；　he　dispatched　Murychides　to　Salamis。　　　　　Now；　when　Murychides　came　before　the　council；　and　delivered　his　message；　one　of　the　councillors；　named　Lycidas；　gave　it　as　his　opinion…　〃that　the　best　course　would　be；　to　admit　the　proposals　brought　by　Murychides；　and　lay　them　before　the　assembly　of　the　people。〃　This　he　stated　to　be　his　opinion；　perhaps　because　he　had　been　bribed　by　Mardonius；　or　it　may　be　because　that　course　really　appeared　to　him　the　most　expedient。　However；　the　Athenians…　both　those　in　the　council；　and　those　who　stood　without；　when　they　heard　of　the　advice…　were　full　of　wrath；　and　forthwith　surrounded　Lycidas；　and　stoned　him　to　death。　As　for　Murychides；　the　Hellespontine　Greek；　him　they　sent　away　unharmed。　Now　there　was　a　stir　in　the　island　about　Lycidas；　and　the　Athenian　women　learnt　what　had　happened。　Then　each　exhorted　her　fellow；　and　one　brought　another　to　take　part　in　the　deed；　and　they　all　flocked　of　their　own　accord　to　the　house　of　Lycidas；　and　stoned　to　death　his　wife　and　his　children。　　　　　The　circumstances　under　which　the　Athenians　had　sought　refuge　in　Salamis　were　the　following。　So　long　as　any　hope　remained　that　a　Peloponnesian　army　would　come　to　give　them　aid；　they　abode　still　in　Attica；　but　when　it　appeared　that　the　allies　were　slack　and　slow　to　move；　while　the　invader　was　reported　to　be　pressing　forward　and　to　have　already　entered　Boeotia；　then　they　proceeded　to　remove　their　goods　and　chattels　from　the　mainland；　and　themselves　again　crossed　the　strait　to　Salamis。　At　the　same　time　they　sent　ambassadors　to　Lacedaemon；　who　were　to　reproach　the　Lacedaemonians　for　having　allowed　the　barbarian　to　advance　into　Attica；　instead　of　joining　them　and　going　out　to　meet　him　in　Boeotia。　They　were　likewise　to　remind　the　Lacedaemonians　of　the　offers　by　which　the　Persian　had　sought　to　win　Athens　over　to　his　side；　and　to　warn　them；　that　no　aid　came　from　Sparta；　the　Athenians　must　consult　for　their　own　safety。　　　　　The　truth　was；　the　Lacedaemonians　were　keeping　holiday　at　that　time；　for　it　was　the　feast　of　the　Hyacinthia；　and　they　thought　nothing　of　so　much　moment　as　to　perform　the　service　of　the　god。　They　were　also　engaged　in　building　their　wall　across　the　Isthmus；　which　was　now　so　far　advanced　that　the　battlements　had　begun　to　be　placed　upon　it。　　　　　When　the　envoys　of　the　Athenians；　accompanied　by　ambassadors　from　Megara　and　Plataea；　reached　Lacedaemon；　they　came　before　the　Ephors；　and　spoke　as　follows：…　　　　　〃The　Athenians　have　sent　us　to　you　to　say；…　the　king　of　the　Medes　offers　to　give　us　back　our　country；　and　wishes　to　conclude　an　alliance　with　us　on　fair　and　equal　terms；　without　fraud　or　deceit。　He　is　willing　likewise　to　bestow　on　us　another　country　besides　our　own；　and　bids　us　choose　any　land　that　we　like。　But　we；　because　we　reverenced　Hellenic　Jupiter；　and　thought　it　a　shameful　act　to　betray　Greece；　instead　of　consenting　to　these　terms；　refused　them；　notwithstanding　that　we　have　been　wronged　and　deserted　by　the　other　Greeks；　and　are　fully　aware　that　it　is　far　more　for　our　advantage　to　make　peace　with　the　Persian　than　to　prolong　the　war　with　him。　Still　we　shall　not；　of　our　own　free　will；　consent　to　any　terms　of　peace。　Thus　do　we；　in　all　our　dealings　with　the　Greeks；　avoid　what　is　base　and　counterfeit：　while　contrariwise；　ye；　who　were　but　now　so　full　of　fear　least　we　should　make　terms　with　the　enemy；　having　learnt　of　what　temper　we　are；　and　assured　yourselves　that　we　shall　not　prove　traitors　to　our　country…　having　brought　moreover　your　wall　across　the　Isthmus　to　an　advanced　state…　cease　altogether　to　have　any　care　for　us。　Ye　covenanted　with　us　to　go　out　and　meet　the　Persian　in　Boeotia；　but　when　the　time　came；　ye　were　false　to　your　word；　and　looked　on　while　the　barbarian　host　advanced　into　Attica。　At　this　time；　therefore；　the　Athenians　are　angered　with　you；　and　justly；…　for　ye　have　not　done　what　was　right。　They　bid　you；　however；　make　haste　to　send　forth　your　army；　that　we　may　even　yet　meet　Mardonius　in　Attica。　Now　that　Boeotia　is　lost　to　us；　the　best　place　for　the　fight　within　our　country；　will　be　the　plain　of　Thria。〃　　　　　The　Ephors；　when　they　had　heard　this　speech；　delayed　their　answer　till　the　morrow；　and　when　the　morrow　came；　till　the　day　following。　And　thus　they　acted　for　ten　days；　continually　putting　off　the　ambassadors　from　one　day　to　the　next。　Meanwhile　the　Peloponnesians　generally　were　labouring　with　great　zeal　at　the　wall；　and　the　work　nearly　approached　completion。　I　can　give　no　other　reason　for　the　conduct　of　the　Lacedaemonians　in　showing　themselves　so　anxious；　at　the　time　when　Alexander　came；　that　the　Athenians　should　not　join　the　Medes；　and　now　being　quite　careless　about　it；　except　that　at　the　former　time　the　wall　across　the　Isthmus　was　not　complete；　and　they　worked　at　it　in　great　fear　of　the　Persians；　whereas　now　the　bulwark　had　been　raised；　and　so　they　imagined　that　they　had　no　further　need　of　the　Athenians。　　　　　At　last　the　ambassadors　got　an　answer；　and　the　troops　marched　forth　from　Sparta；　under　the　following　circumstances。　The　last　audience　had　been　fixed　for　the　ambassadors；　when；　the　very　day　before　it　was　to　be　given；　a　certain　Tegean；　named　Chileus；　a　man　who　had　more　influence　at　Sparta　than　any　other　foreigner；　learning　from　the　Ephors　exactly　what　the　Athenians　had　said；　addressed　these　words　to　them…　〃The　case　stands　thus；　O　ye　Ephors！　If　the　Athenians　are　not　our　friends；　but　league　themselves　with　the　barbarians；　however　strong　our　wall　across　the　Isthmus　may　be；　there　will　be　doors　enough；　and　wide　enough　open　too；　by　which　the　Persian　may　gain　entrance　to　the　Peloponnese。　Grant　their　request　then；　before　they　make　any　fresh　resolve；　which　may　bring　Greece　to　ruin。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　counsel　which　Chileus　gave：　and　the　Ephors；　tak