the history-第6章

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　he　himself　once　purified　had　done　the　deed。　In　the　violence　of　his　grief　he　called　aloud　on　Jupiter　Catharsius　to　be　a　witness　of　what　he　had　suffered　at　the　stranger's　hands。　Afterwards　he　invoked　the　same　god　as　Jupiter　Ephistius　and　Hetaereus…　using　the　one　term　because　he　had　unwittingly　harboured　in　his　house　the　man　who　had　now　slain　his　son；　and　the　other；　because　the　stranger；　who　had　been　sent　as　his　child's　guardian；　had　turned　out　his　most　cruel　enemy。　　　　　Presently　the　Lydians　arrived；　bearing　the　body　of　the　youth；　and　behind　them　followed　the　homicide。　He　took　his　stand　in　front　of　the　corse；　and；　stretching　forth　his　hands　to　Croesus；　delivered　himself　into　his　power　with　earnest　entreaties　that　he　would　sacrifice　him　upon　the　body　of　his　son…　〃his　former　misfortune　was　burthen　enough；　now　that　he　had　added　to　it　a　second；　and　had　brought　ruin　on　the　man　who　purified　him；　he　could　not　bear　to　live。〃　Then　Croesus；　when　he　heard　these　words；　was　moved　with　pity　towards　Adrastus；　notwithstanding　the　bitterness　of　his　own　calamity；　and　so　he　answered；　〃Enough；　my　friend；　I　have　all　the　revenge　that　I　require；　since　thou　givest　sentence　of　death　against　thyself。　But　in　sooth　it　is　not　thou　who　hast　injured　me；　except　so　far　as　thou　hast　unwittingly　dealt　the　blow。　Some　god　is　the　author　of　my　misfortune；　and　I　was　forewarned　of　it　a　long　time　ago。〃　Croesus　after　this　buried　the　body　of　his　son；　with　such　honours　as　befitted　the　occasion。　Adrastus；　son　of　Gordias；　son　of　Midas；　the　destroyer　of　his　brother　in　time　past；　the　destroyer　now　of　his　purifier；　regarding　himself　as　the　most　unfortunate　wretch　whom　he　had　ever　known；　so　soon　as　all　was　quiet　about　the　place；　slew　himself　upon　the　tomb。　Croesus；　bereft　of　his　son；　gave　himself　up　to　mourning　for　two　full　years。　　　　　At　the　end　of　this　time　the　grief　of　Croesus　was　interrupted　by　intelligence　from　abroad。　He　learnt　that　Cyrus；　the　son　of　Cambyses；　had　destroyed　the　empire　of　Astyages；　the　son　of　Cyaxares；　and　that　the　Persians　were　becoming　daily　more　powerful。　This　led　him　to　consider　with　himself　whether　it　were　possible　to　check　the　growing　power　of　that　people　before　it　came　to　a　head。　With　this　design　he　resolved　to　make　instant　trial　of　the　several　oracles　in　Greece；　and　of　the　one　in　Libya。　So　he　sent　his　messengers　in　different　directions；　some　to　Delphi；　some　to　Abae　in　Phocis；　and　some　to　Dodona；　others　to　the　oracle　of　Amphiaraus；　others　to　that　of　Trophonius；　others；　again；　to　Branchidae　in　Milesia。　These　were　the　Greek　oracles　which　he　consulted。　To　Libya　he　sent　another　embassy；　to　consult　the　oracle　of　Ammon。　These　messengers　were　sent　to　test　the　knowledge　of　the　oracles；　that；　if　they　were　found　really　to　return　true　answers；　he　might　send　a　second　time；　and　inquire　if　he　ought　to　attack　the　Persians。　　　　　The　messengers　who　were　despatched　to　make　trial　of　the　oracles　were　given　the　following　instructions：　they　were　to　keep　count　of　the　days　from　the　time　of　their　leaving　Sardis；　and；　reckoning　from　that　date；　on　the　hundredth　day　they　were　to　consult　the　oracles；　and　to　inquire　of　them　what　Croesus　the　son　of　Alyattes；　king　of　Lydia；　was　doing　at　that　moment。　The　answers　given　them　were　to　be　taken　down　in　writing；　and　brought　back　to　him。　None　of　the　replies　remain　on　record　except　that　of　the　oracle　at　Delphi。　There；　the　moment　that　the　Lydians　entered　the　sanctuary；　and　before　they　put　their　questions；　the　Pythoness　thus　answered　them　in　hexameter　verse：…

　　　　I　can　count　the　sands；　and　I　can　measure　the　ocean；　　　　　I　have　ears　for　the　silent；　and　know　what　the　dumb　man　meaneth；　　　　　Lo！　on　my　sense　there　striketh　the　smell　of　a　shell…covered　　　　　　　tortoise；　　　　　Boiling　now　on　a　fire；　with　the　flesh　of　a　lamb；　in　a　cauldron…　　　　　Brass　is　the　vessel　below；　and　brass　the　cover　above　it。

　　　　These　words　the　Lydians　wrote　down　at　the　mouth　of　the　Pythoness　as　she　prophesied；　and　then　set　off　on　their　return　to　Sardis。　When　all　the　messengers　had　come　back　with　the　answers　which　they　had　received；　Croesus　undid　the　rolls；　and　read　what　was　written　in　each。　Only　one　approved　itself　to　him；　that　of　the　Delphic　oracle。　This　he　had　no　sooner　heard　than　he　instantly　made　an　act　of　adoration；　and　accepted　it　as　true；　declaring　that　the　Delphic　was　the　only　really　oracular　shrine；　the　only　one　that　had　discovered　in　what　way　he　was　in　fact　employed。　For　on　the　departure　of　his　messengers　he　had　set　himself　to　think　what　was　most　impossible　for　any　one　to　conceive　of　his　doing；　and　then；　waiting　till　the　day　agreed　on　came；　he　acted　as　he　had　determined。　He　took　a　tortoise　and　a　lamb；　and　cutting　them　in　pieces　with　his　own　hands；　boiled　them　both　together　in　a　brazen　cauldron；　covered　over　with　a　lid　which　was　also　of　brass。　　　　　Such　then　was　the　answer　returned　to　Croesus　from　Delphi。　What　the　answer　was　which　the　Lydians　who　went　to　the　shrine　of　Amphiarans　and　performed　the　customary　rites　obtained　of　the　oracle　there；　I　have　it　not　in　my　power　to　mention；　for　there　is　no　record　of　it。　All　that　is　known　is　that　Croesus　believed　himself　to　have　found　there　also　an　oracle　which　spoke　the　truth。　　　　　After　this　Croesus；　having　resolved　to　propitiate　the　Delphic　god　with　a　magnificent　sacrifice；　offered　up　three　thousand　of　every　kind　of　sacrificial　beast；　and　besides　made　a　huge　pile；　and　placed　upon　it　couches　coated　with　silver　and　with　gold；　and　golden　goblets；　and　robes　and　vests　of　purple；　all　which　he　burnt　in　the　hope　of　thereby　making　himself　more　secure　of　the　favour　of　the　god。　Further　he　issued　his　orders　to　all　the　people　of　the　land　to　offer　a　sacrifice　according　to　their　means。　When　the　sacrifice　was　ended；　the　king　melted　down　a　vast　quantity　of　gold；　and　ran　it　into　ingots；　making　them　six　palms　long；　three　palms　broad；　and　one　palm　in　thickness。　The　number　of　ingots　was　a　hundred　and　seventeen；　four　being　of　refined　gold；　in　weight　two　talents　and　a　half；　the　others　of　pale　gold；　and　in　weight　two　talents。　He　also　caused　a　statue　of　a　lion　to　be　made　in　refined　gold；　the　weight　of　which　was　ten　talents。　At　the　time　when　the　temple　of　Delphi　was　burnt　to　the　ground；　this　lion　fell　from　the　ingots　on　which　it　was　placed；　it　now　stands　in　the　Corinthian　treasury；　and　weighs　only　six　talents　and　a　half；　having　lost　three　talents　and　a　half　by　the　fire。　　　　　On　the　completion　of　these　works　Croesus　sent　them　away　to　Delphi；　and　with　them　two　bowls　of　an　enormous　size；　one　of　gold；　the　other　of　silver；　which　used　to　stand；　the　latter　upon　the　right；　the　former　upon　the　left；　as　one　entered　the　temple。　They　too　were　moved　at　the　time　of　the　fire；　and　now　the　golden　one　is　in　the　Clazomenian　treasury；　and　weighs　eight　talents　and　forty…two　minae；　the　silver　one　stands　in　the　corner　of　the　ante…chapel；　and　holds　six　hundred　amphorae。　This　is　known　because　the　Delphians　fill　it　at　the　time　of　the　Theophania。　It　is　said　by　the　Delphians　to　be　a　work　of　Theodore　the　Samian；　and　I　think　that　they　say　true；　for　assuredly　it　is　the　work　of　no　common　artist。　Croesus　sent　also　four　silver　casks；　which　are　in　the　Corinthian　treasury；　and　two　lustral　vases；　a　golden　and　a　silver　one。　On　the　former　is　inscribed　the　name　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　and　they　claim　it　as　a　gift　of　theirs；　but　wrongly；　since　it　was　really　given　by　Croesus。　The　inscription　upon　it　was　cut　by　a　Delphian；　who　wished　to　pleasure　the　Lacedaemonians。　His　name　is　known　to　me；　but　I　forbear　to　mention　it。　The　boy；　through　whose　hand　the　water　runs；　is　（I　confess）　a　Lacedaemonian　gift；　but　they　did　not　give　either　of　the　lustral　vases。　Besides　these　various　offerings；　Croesus　sent　to　Delphi　many　others　of　less　account；　among　the　rest　a　number　of　round　silver　basins。　Also　he　dedicated　a　female　figure　in　gold；　three　cubits　high；　which　is　said　by　the　Delphians　to　be　the　statue　of　his　baking…woman；　and　further；　he　presented　the　necklace　and　the　girdles　of　his　wife。　　　　　These　were　the　offerings　sent　by　Croesus　to　Delphi。　To　the　shrine　of　Amphiaraus；　with　whose　valour　and　misfortune　he　was　acquainted；　he　sent　a　shield　entirely　of　gold；　and　a　spear；　also　of　solid　gold；　both　head　and　shaft。　They　were　still　existing　in　my　day　at　Thebes；　laid　up　in　the　temple　of　Ismenian　Apollo。　　　　　The　messengers　who　had