the history-第58章

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er　of　the　two；　he　held　the　whole　island。　Hereupon　he　made　a　contract　of　friendship　with　Amasis　the　Egyptian　king；　sending　him　gifts；　and　receiving　from　him　others　in　return。　In　a　little　while　his　power　so　greatly　increased；　that　the　fame　of　it　went　abroad　throughout　Ionia　and　the　rest　of　Greece。　Wherever　he　turned　his　arms；　success　waited　on　him。　He　had　a　fleet　of　a　hundred　penteconters；　and　bowmen　to　the　number　of　a　thousand。　Herewith　he　plundered　all；　without　distinction　of　friend　or　foe；　for　he　argued　that　a　friend　was　better　pleased　if　you　gave　him　back　what　you　had　taken　from　him；　than　if　you　spared　him　at　the　first。　He　captured　many　of　the　islands；　and　several　towns　upon　the　mainland。　Among　his　other　doings　he　overcame　the　Lesbians　in　a　sea…fight；　when　they　came　with　all　their　forces　to　the　help　of　Miletus；　and　made　a　number　of　them　prisoners。　These　persons；　laden　with　fetters；　dug　the　moat　which　surrounds　the　castle　at　Samos。　　　　　The　exceeding　good　fortune　of　Polycrates　did　not　escape　the　notice　of　Amasis；　who　was　much　disturbed　thereat。　When　therefore　his　successes　continued　increasing；　Amasis　wrote　him　the　following　letter；　and　sent　it　to　Samos。　〃Amasis　to　Polycrates　thus　sayeth：　It　is　a　pleasure　to　hear　of　a　friend　and　ally　prospering；　but　thy　exceeding　prosperity　does　not　cause　me　joy；　forasmuch　as　I　know　that　the　gods　are　envious。　My　wish　for　myself　and　for　those　whom　I　love　is　to　be　now　successful；　and　now　to　meet　with　a　check；　thus　passing　through　life　amid　alternate　good　and　ill；　rather　than　with　perpetual　good　fortune。　For　never　yet　did　I　hear　tell　of　any　one　succeeding　in　all　his　undertakings；　who　did　not　meet　with　calamity　at　last；　and　come　to　utter　ruin。　Now；　therefore；　give　ear　to　my　words；　and　meet　thy　good　luck　in　this　way：　bethink　thee　which　of　all　thy　treasures　thou　valuest　most　and　canst　least　bear　to　part　with；　take　it；　whatsoever　it　be；　and　throw　it　away；　so　that　it　may　be　sure　never　to　come　any　more　into　the　sight　of　man。　Then；　if　thy　good　fortune　be　not　thenceforth　chequered　with　ill；　save　thyself　from　harm　by　again　doing　as　I　have　counselled。〃　　　　　When　Polycrates　read　this　letter；　and　perceived　that　the　advice　of　Amasis　was　good；　he　considered　carefully　with　himself　which　of　the　treasures　that　he　had　in　store　it　would　grieve　him　most　to　lose。　After　much　thought　he　made　up　his　mind　that　it　was　a　signet…ring　which　he　was　wont　to　wear；　an　emerald　set　in　gold；　the　workmanship　of　Theodore；　son　of　Telecles；　a　Samian。　So　he　determined　to　throw　this　away；　and；　manning　a　penteconter；　he　went　on　board；　and　bade　the　sailors　put　out　into　the　open　sea。　When　he　was　now　a　long　way　from　the　island；　he　took　the　ring　from　his　finger；　and；　in　the　sight　of　all　those　who　were　on　board；　flung　it　into　the　deep。　This　done；　he　returned　home；　and　gave　vent　to　his　sorrow。　　　　　Now　it　happened　five　or　six　days　afterwards　that　a　fisherman　caught　a　fish　so　large　and　beautiful　that　he　thought　it　well　deserved　to　be　made　a　present　of　to　the　king。　So　he　took　it　with　him　to　the　gate　of　the　palace；　and　said　that　he　wanted　to　see　Polycrates。　Then　Polycrates　allowed　him　to　come　in；　and　the　fisherman　gave　him　the　fish　with　these　words　following…　〃Sir　king；　when　I　took　this　prize；　I　thought　I　would　not　carry　it　to　market；　though　I　am　a　poor　man　who　live　by　my　trade。　I　said　to　myself；　it　is　worthy　of　Polycrates　and　his　greatness；　and　so　I　brought　it　here　to　give　it　to　you。〃　The　speech　pleased　the　king；　who　thus　spoke　in　reply：…　〃Thou　didst　right　well；　friend；　and　I　am　doubly　indebted；　both　for　the　gift；　and　for　the　speech。　Come　now；　and　sup　with　me。〃　So　the　fisherman　went　home；　esteeming　it　a　high　honour　that　he　had　been　asked　to　sup　with　the　king。　Meanwhile　the　servants；　on　cutting　open　the　fish；　found　the　signet　of　their　master　in　its　belly。　No　sooner　did　they　see　it　than　they　seized　upon　it；　and　hastening　to　Polycrates　with　great　joy；　restored　it　to　him；　and　told　him　in　what　way　it　had　been　found。　The　king；　who　saw　something　providential　in　the　matter；　forthwith　wrote　a　letter　to　Amasis；　telling　him　all　that　had　happened；　what　he　had　himself　done；　and　what　had　been　the　upshot…　and　despatched　the　letter　to　Egypt。　　　　　When　Amasis　had　read　the　letter　of　Polycrates；　he　perceived　that　it　does　not　belong　to　man　to　save　his　fellow…man　from　the　fate　which　is　in　store　for　him；　likewise　he　felt　certain　that　Polycrates　would　end　ill；　as　he　prospered　in　everything；　even　finding　what　he　had　thrown　away。　So　he　sent　a　herald　to　Samos；　and　dissolved　the　contract　of　friendship。　This　he　did；　that　when　the　great　and　heavy　misfortune　came；　he　might　escape　the　grief　which　he　would　have　felt　if　the　sufferer　had　been　his　bond…friend。　　　　　It　was　with　this　Polycrates；　so　fortunate　in　every　undertaking；　that　the　Lacedaemonians　now　went　to　war。　Certain　Samians；　the　same　who　afterwards　founded　the　city　of　Cydonia　in　Crete；　had　earnestly　intreated　their　help。　For　Polycrates；　at　the　time　when　Cambyses；　son　of　Cyrus；　was　gathering　together　an　armament　against　Egypt；　had　sent　to　beg　him　not　to　omit　to　ask　aid　from　Samos；　whereupon　Cambyses　with　much　readiness　despatched　a　messenger　to　the　island；　and　made　request　that　Polycrates　would　give　some　ships　to　the　naval　force　which　he　was　collecting　against　Egypt。　Polycrates　straightway　picked　out　from　among　the　citizens　such　as　he　thought　most　likely　to　stir　revolt　against　him；　and　manned　with　them　forty　triremes；　which　he　sent　to　Cambyses；　bidding　him　keep　the　men　safe；　and　never　allow　them　to　return　home。　　　　　Now　some　accounts　say　that　these　Samians　did　not　reach　Egypt；　for　that　when　they　were　off　Carpathus；　they　took　counsel　together　and　resolved　to　sail　no　further。　But　others　maintain　that　they　did　go　to　Egypt；　and；　finding　themselves　watched；　deserted；　and　sailed　back　to　Samos。　There　Polycrates　went　out　against　them　with　his　fleet；　and　a　battle　was　fought　and　gained　by　the　exiles；　after　which　they　disembarked　upon　the　island　and　engaged　the　land　forces　of　Polycrates；　but　were　defeated；　and　so　sailed　off　to　Lacedaemon。　Some　relate　that　the　Samians　from　Egypt　overcame　Polycrates；　but　it　seems　to　me　untruly；　for　had　the　Samians　been　strong　enough　to　conquer　Polycrates　by　themselves；　they　would　not　have　needed　to　call　in　the　aid　of　the　Lacedaemonians。　And　moreover；　it　is　not　likely　that　a　king　who　had　in　his　pay　so　large　a　body　of　foreign　mercenaries；　and　maintained　likewise　such　a　force　of　native　bowmen；　would　have　been　worsted　by　an　army　so　small　as　that　of　the　returned　Samians。　As　for　his　own　subjects；　to　hinder　them　from　betraying　him　and　joining　the　exiles；　Polycrates　shut　up　their　wives　and　children　in　the　sheds　built　to　shelter　his　ships；　and　was　ready　to　burn　sheds　and　all　in　case　of　need。　　　　　When　the　banished　Samians　reached　Sparta；　they　had　audience　of　the　magistrates；　before　whom　they　made　a　long　speech；　as　was　natural　with　persons　greatly　in　want　of　aid。　Accordingly　at　this　first　sitting　the　Spartans　answered　them　that　they　had　forgotten　the　first　half　of　their　speech；　and　could　make　nothing　of　the　remainder。　Afterwards　the　Samians　had　another　audience；　whereat　they　simply　said；　showing　a　bag　which　they　had　brought　with　them；　〃The　bag　wants　flour。〃　The　Spartans　answered　that　they　did　not　need　to　have　said　〃the　bag〃；　however；　they　resolved　to　give　them　aid。　　　　　Then　the　Lacedaemonians　made　ready　and　set　forth　to　the　attack　of　Samos；　from　a　motive　of　gratitude；　if　we　may　believe　the　Samians；　because　the　Samians　had　once　sent　ships　to　their　aid　against　the　Messenians；　but　as　the　Spartans　themselves　say；　not　so　much　from　any　wish　to　assist　the　Samians　who　begged　their　help；　as　from　a　desire　to　punish　the　people　who　had　seized　the　bowl　which　they　sent　to　Croesus；　and　the　corselet　which　Amasis；　king　of　Egypt；　sent　as　a　present　to　them。　The　Samians　made　prize　of　this　corselet　the　year　before　they　took　the　bowl…　it　was　of　linen；　and　had　a　vast　number　of　figures　of　animals　inwoven　into　its　fabric；　and　was　likewise　embroidered　with　gold　and　tree…wool。　What　is　most　worthy　of　admiration　in　it　is　that　each　of　the　twists；　although　of　fine　texture；　contains　within　it　three　hundred　and　sixty　threads；　all　of　them　clearly　visible。　The　corselet　which　Amasis　gave　to　the　temple　of　Minerva　in　Lindus　is　just　such　another。　　　　　The　Corinthi