the history-第7章

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　existing　in　my　day　at　Thebes；　laid　up　in　the　temple　of　Ismenian　Apollo。　　　　　The　messengers　who　had　the　charge　of　conveying　these　treasures　to　the　shrines；　received　instructions　to　ask　the　oracles　whether　Croesus　should　go　to　war　with　the　Persians　and　if　so；　whether　he　should　strengthen　himself　by　the　forces　of　an　ally。　Accordingly；　when　they　had　reached　their　destinations　and　presented　the　gifts；　they　proceeded　to　consult　the　oracles　in　the　following　terms：…　〃Croesus；　of　Lydia　and　other　countries；　believing　that　these　are　the　only　real　oracles　in　all　the　world；　has　sent　you　such　presents　as　your　discoveries　deserved；　and　now　inquires　of　you　whether　he　shall　go　to　war　with　the　Persians；　and　if　so；　whether　he　shall　strengthen　himself　by　the　forces　of　a　confederate。〃　Both　the　oracles　agreed　in　the　tenor　of　their　reply；　which　was　in　each　case　a　prophecy　that　if　Croesus　attacked　the　Persians；　he　would　destroy　a　mighty　empire；　and　a　recommendation　to　him　to　look　and　see　who　were　the　most　powerful　of　the　Greeks；　and　to　make　alliance　with　them。　　　　　At　the　receipt　of　these　oracular　replies　Croesus　was　overjoyed；　and　feeling　sure　now　that　he　would　destroy　the　empire　of　the　Persians；　he　sent　once　more　to　Pytho；　and　presented　to　the　Delphians；　the　number　of　whom　he　had　ascertained；　two　gold　staters　apiece。　In　return　for　this　the　Delphians　granted　to　Croesus　and　the　Lydians　the　privilege　of　precedency　in　consulting　the　oracle；　exemption　from　all　charges；　the　most　honourable　seat　at　the　festivals；　and　the　perpetual　right　of　becoming　at　pleasure　citizens　of　their　town。　　　　　After　sending　these　presents　to　the　Delphians；　Croesus　a　third　time　consulted　the　oracle；　for　having　once　proved　its　truthfulness；　he　wished　to　make　constant　use　of　it。　The　question　whereto　he　now　desired　an　answer　was…　〃Whether　his　kingdom　would　be　of　long　duration？〃　The　following　was　the　reply　of　the　Pythoness：…

　　　　Wait　till　the　time　shall　come　when　a　mule　is　monarch　of　Media；　　　　　Then；　thou　delicate　Lydian；　away　to　the　pebbles　of　Hermus；　　　　　Haste；　oh！　haste　thee　away；　nor　blush　to　behave　like　a　coward。

　　　　Of　all　the　answers　that　had　reached　him；　this　pleased　him　far　the　best；　for　it　seemed　incredible　that　a　mule　should　ever　come　to　be　king　of　the　Medes；　and　so　he　concluded　that　the　sovereignty　would　never　depart　from　himself　or　his　seed　after　him。　Afterwards　he　turned　his　thoughts　to　the　alliance　which　he　had　been　recommended　to　contract；　and　sought　to　ascertain　by　inquiry　which　was　the　most　powerful　of　the　Grecian　states。　His　inquiries　pointed　out　to　him　two　states　as　pre…eminent　above　the　rest。　These　were　the　Lacedaemonians　and　the　Athenians；　the　former　of　Doric；　the　latter　of　Ionic　blood。　And　indeed　these　two　nations　had　held　from　very；　early　times　the　most　distinguished　place　in　Greece；　the　being　a　Pelasgic；　the　other　a　Hellenic　people；　and　the　one　having　never　quitted　its　original　seats；　while　the　other　had　been　excessively　migratory；　for　during　the　reign　of　Deucalion；　Phthiotis　was　the　country　in　which　the　Hellenes　dwelt；　but　under　Dorus；　the　son　of　Hellen；　they　moved　to　the　tract　at　the　base　of　Ossa　and　Olympus；　which　is　called　Histiaeotis；　forced　to　retire　from　that　region　by　the　Cadmeians；　they　settled；　under　the　name　of　Macedni；　in　the　chain　of　Pindus。　Hence　they　once　more　removed　and　came　to　Dryopis；　and　from　Dryopis　having　entered　the　Peloponnese　in　this　way；　they　became　known　as　Dorians。　　　　　What　the　language　of　the　Pelasgi　was　I　cannot　say　with　any　certainty。　If；　however；　we　may　form　a　conjecture　from　the　tongue　spoken　by　the　Pelasgi　of　the　present　day…　those；　for　instance；　who　live　at　Creston　above　the　Tyrrhenians；　who　formerly　dwelt　in　the　district　named　Thessaliotis；　and　were　neighbours　of　the　people　now　called　the　Dorians…　or　those　again　who　founded　Placia　and　Scylace　upon　the　Hellespont；　who　had　previously　dwelt　for　some　time　with　the　Athenians…　or　those；　in　short；　of　any　other　of　the　cities　which　have　dropped　the　name　but　are　in　fact　Pelasgian；　if；　I　say；　we　are　to　form　a　conjecture　from　any　of　these；　we　must　pronounce　that　the　Pelasgi　spoke　a　barbarous　language。　If　this　were　really　so；　and　the　entire　Pelasgic　race　spoke　the　same　tongue；　the　Athenians；　who　were　certainly　Pelasgi；　must　have　changed　their　language　at　the　same　time　that　they　passed　into　the　Hellenic　body；　for　it　is　a　certain　fact　that　the　people　of　Creston　speak　a　language　unlike　any　of　their　neighbours；　and　the　same　is　true　of　the　Placianians；　while　the　language　spoken　by　these　two　people　is　the　same；　which　shows　that　they　both　retain　the　idiom　which　they　brought　with　them　into　the　countries　where　they　are　now　settled。　　　　　The　Hellenic　race　has　never；　since　its　first　origin；　changed　its　speech。　This　at　least　seems　evident　to　me。　It　was　a　branch　of　the　Pelasgic；　which　separated　from　the　main　body；　and　at　first　was　scanty　in　numbers　and　of　little　power；　but　it　gradually　spread　and　increased　to　a　multitude　of　nations；　chiefly　by　the　voluntary　entrance　into　its　ranks　of　numerous　tribes　of　barbarians。　The　Pelasgi；　on　the　other　hand；　were；　as　I　think；　a　barbarian　race　which　never　greatly　multiplied。　　　　　On　inquiring　into　the　condition　of　these　two　nations；　Croesus　found　that　one；　the　Athenian；　was　in　a　state　of　grievous　oppression　and　distraction　under　Pisistratus；　the　son　of　Hippocrates；　who　was　at　that　time　tyrant　of　Athens。　Hippocrates；　when　he　was　a　private　citizen；　is　said　to　have　gone　once　upon　a　time　to　Olympia　to　see　the　Games；　when　a　wonderful　prodigy　happened　to　him。　As　he　was　employed　in　sacrificing；　the　cauldrons　which　stood　near；　full　of　water　and　of　the　flesh　of　the　victims；　began　to　boil　without　the　help　of　fire；　so　that　the　water　overflowed　the　pots。　Chilon　the　Lacedaemonian；　who　happened　to　be　there　and　to　witness　the　prodigy；　advised　Hippocrates；　if　he　were　unmarried；　never　to　take　into　his　house　a　wife　who　could　bear　him　a　child；　if　he　already　had　one；　to　send　her　back　to　her　friends；　if　he　had　a　son；　to　disown　him。　Chilon's　advice　did　not　at　all　please　Hippocrates；　who　disregarded　it；　and　some　time　after　became　the　father　of　Pisistratus。　This　Pisistratus；　at　a　time　when　there　was　civil　contention　in　Attica　between　the　party　of　the　Sea…coast　headed　by　Megacles　the　son　of　Alcmaeon；　and　that　of　the　Plain　headed　by　Lycurgus；　one　of　the　Aristolaids；　formed　the　project　of　making　himself　tyrant；　and　with　this　view　created　a　third　party。　Gathering　together　a　band　of　partisans；　and　giving　himself　out　for　the　protector　of　the　Highlanders；　he　contrived　the　following　stratagem。　He　wounded　himself　and　his　mules；　and　then　drove　his　chariot　into　the　market…place；　professing　to　have　just　escaped　an　attack　of　his　enemies；　who　had　attempted　his　life　as　he　was　on　his　way　into　the　country。　He　besought　the　people　to　assign　him　a　guard　to　protect　his　person；　reminding　them　of　the　glory　which　he　had　gained　when　he　led　the　attack　upon　the　Megarians；　and　took　the　town　of　Nisaea；　at　the　same　time　performing　many　other　exploits。　The　Athenians；　deceived　by　his　story；　appointed　him　a　band　of　citizens　to　serve　as　a　guard；　who　were　to　carry　clubs　instead　of　spears；　and　to　accompany　him　wherever　he　went。　Thus　strengthened；　Pisistratus　broke　into　revolt　and　seized　the　citadel。　In　this　way　he　acquired　the　sovereignty　of　Athens；　which　he　continued　to　hold　without　disturbing　the　previously　existing　offices　or　altering　any　of　the　laws。　He　administered　the　state　according　to　the　established　usages；　and　his　arrangements　were　wise　and　salutary。　　　　　However；　after　a　little　time；　the　partisans　of　Megacles　and　those　of　Lycurgus　agreed　to　forget　their　differences；　and　united　to　drive　him　out。　So　Pisistratus；　having　by　the　means　described　first　made　himself　master　of　Athens；　lost　his　power　again　before　it　had　time　to　take　root。　No　sooner；　however；　was　he　departed　than　the　factions　which　had　driven　him　out　quarrelled　anew；　and　at　last　Megacles；　wearied　with　the　struggle；　sent　a　herald　to　Pisistratus；　with　an　offer　to　re…establish　him　on　the　throne　if　he　would　marry　his　daughter。　Pisistratus　consented；　and　on　these　terms　an　agreement　was　concluded　between　the　two；　after　which　they　proceeded　to　devise　the　mode　of　his　restoration。　And　here　the　device　on　which　they　hit　was　the　silliest　that　I　find　on　record；　more　espec