the history-第70章

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the　power　of　the　Persians。　Methinks　that　one　who　is　so　young；　and　so　richly　endowed　with　wealth；　should　perform　some　noble　achievement　to　prove　to　the　Persians　that　it　is　a　man　who　governs　them。　Another　reason；　too；　should　urge　thee　to　attempt　some　enterprise。　Not　only　does　it　befit　thee　to　show　the　Persians　that　a　man　rules　them；　but　for　thy　own　peace　thou　shouldest　waste　their　strength　in　wars　lest　idleness　breed　revolt　against　thy　authority。　Now；　too；　whilst　thou　art　still　young；　thou　mayest　well　accomplish　some　exploit；　for　as　the　body　grows　in　strength　the　mind　too　ripens；　and　as　the　body　ages；　the　mind's　powers　decay；　till　at　last　it　becomes　dulled　to　everything。〃　　　　　So　spake　Atossa；　as　Democedes　had　instructed　her。　Darius　answered：…　〃Dear　lady；　thou　hast　uttered　the　very　thoughts　that　occupy　my　brain。　I　am　minded　to　construct　a　bridge　which　shall　join　our　continent　with　the　other；　and　so　carry　war　into　Scythia。　Yet　a　brief　space　and　all　will　be　accomplished　as　thou　desirest。〃　　　　　But　Atossa　rejoined：…　〃Look　now；　this　war　with　Scythia　were　best　reserved　awhile…　for　the　Scythians　may　be　conquered　at　any　time。　Prithee；　lead　me　thy　host　first　into　Greece。　I　long　to　be　served　by　some　of　those　Lacedaemonian　maids　of　whom　I　have　heard　so　much。　I　want　also　Argive；　and　Athenian；　and　Corinthian　women。　There　is　now　at　the　court　a　man　who　can　tell　thee　better　than　any　one　else　in　the　whole　world　whatever　thou　wouldst　know　concerning　Greece；　and　who　might　serve　thee　right　well　as　guide；　I　mean　him　who　performed　the　cure　on　thy　foot。〃　　　　　〃Dear　lady；〃　Darius　answered；　〃since　it　is　thy　wish　that　we　try　first　the　valour　of　the　Greeks；　it　were　best；　methinks；　before　marching　against　them；　to　send　some　Persians　to　spy　out　the　land；　they　may　go　in　company　with　the　man　thou　mentionest；　and　when　they　have　seen　and　learnt　all；　they　can　bring　us　back　a　full　report。　Then；　having　a　more　perfect　knowledge　of　them；　I　will　begin　the　war。〃　　　　　Darius；　having　so　spoke；　put　no　long　distance　between　the　word　and　the　deed；　but　as　soon　as　day　broke　he　summoned　to　his　presence　fifteen　Persians　of　note；　and　bade　them　take　Democedes　for　their　guide；　and　explore　the　sea…coasts　of　Greece。　Above　all；　they　were　to　be　sure　to　bring　Democedes　back　with　them；　and　not　suffer　him　to　run　away　and　escape。　After　he　had　given　these　orders；　Darius　sent　for　Democedes；　and　besought　him　to　serve　as　guide　to　the　Persians；　and　when　he　had　shown　them　the　whole　of　Greece　to　come　back　to　Persia。　He　should　take；　he　said；　all　the　valuables　he　possessed　as　presents　to　his　father　and　his　brothers；　and　he　should　receive　on　his　return　a　far　more　abundant　store。　Moreover；　the　king　added；　he　would　give　him；　as　his　contribution　towards　the　presents；　a　merchantship　laden　with　all　manner　of　precious　things；　which　should　accompany　him　on　his　voyage。　Now　I　do　not　believe　that　Darius；　when　he　made　these　promises；　had　any　guile　in　his　heart：　Democedes；　however；　who　suspected　that　the　king　spoke　to　try　him；　took　care　not　to　snatch　at　the　offers　with　any　haste；　but　said；　〃he　would　leave　his　own　goods　behind　to　enjoy　upon　his　return…　the　merchant…ship　which　the　king　proposed　to　grant　him　to　carry　gifts　to　his　brothers；　that　he　would　accept　at　the　king's　hands。〃　So　when　Darius　had　laid　his　orders　upon　Democedes；　he　sent　him　and　the　Persians　away　to　the　coast。　　　　　The　men　went　down　to　Phoenicia；　to　Sidon；　the　Phoenician　town；　where　straightway　they　fitted　out　two　triremes　and　a　trading…vessel；　which　they　loaded　with　all　manner　of　precious　merchandise；　and；　everything　being　now　ready；　they　set　sail　for　Greece。　When　they　had　made　the　land；　they　kept　along　the　shore　and　examined　it；　taking　notes　of　all　that　they　saw；　and　in　this　way　they　explored　the　greater　portion　of　the　country；　and　all　the　most　famous　regions；　until　at　last　they　reached　Tarentum　in　Italy。　There　Aristophilides；　king　of　the　Tarentines；　out　of　kindness　to　Democedes；　took　the　rudders　off　the　Median　ships；　and　detained　their　crews　as　spies。　Meanwhile　Democedes　escaped　to　Crotona；　his　native　city；　whereupon　Aristophilides　released　the　Persians　from　prison；　and　gave　their　rudders　back　to　them。　　　　　The　Persians　now　quitted　Tarentum；　and　sailed　to　Crotona　in　pursuit　of　Democedes；　they　found　him　in　the　market…place；　where　they　straightway　laid　violent　hands　on　him。　Some　of　the　Crotoniats；　who　greatly　feared　the　power　of　the　Persians；　were　willing　to　give　him　up；　but　others　resisted；　held　Democedes　fast；　and　even　struck　the　Persians　with　their　walking…sticks。　They；　on　their　part；　kept　crying　out；　〃Men　of　Crotona；　beware　what　you　do。　It　is　the　king's　runaway　slave　that　you　are　rescuing。　Think　you　Darius　will　tamely　submit　to　such　an　insult？　Think　you；　that　if　you　carry　off　the　man　from　us；　it　will　hereafter　go　well　with　you？　Will　you　not　rather　be　the　first　persons　on　whom　we　shall　make　war？　Will　not　your　city　be　the　first　we　shall　seek　to　lead　away　captive？〃　Thus　they　spake；　but　the　Crotoniats　did　not　heed　them；　they　rescued　Democedes；　and　seized　also　the　trading…ship　which　the　Persians　had　brought　with　them　from　Phoenicia。　Thus　robbed；　and　bereft　of　their　guide；　the　Persians　gave　up　all　hope　of　exploring　the　rest　of　Greece；　and　set　sail　for　Asia。　As　they　were　departing；　Democedes　sent　to　them　and　begged　they　would　inform　Darius　that　the　daughter　of　Milo　was　allianced　to　him　as　his　bride。　For　the　name　of　Milo　the　wrestler　was　in　high　repute　with　the　king。　My　belief　is；　that　Democedes　hastened　his　marriage　by　the　payment　of　a　large　sum　of　money　for　the　purpose　of　showing　Darius　that　he　was　a　man　of　mark　in　his　own　country。　　　　　The　Persians　weighed　anchor　and　left　Crotona；　but；　being　wrecked　on　the　coast　of　Iapygia；　were　made　slaves　by　the　inhabitants。　From　this　condition　they　were　rescued　by　Gillus；　a　banished　Tarentine；　who　ransomed　them　at　his　own　cost；　and　took　them　back　to　Darius。　Darius　offered　to　repay　this　service　by　granting　Gillus　whatever　boon　he　chose　to　ask；　whereupon　Gillus　told　the　king　of　his　misfortune；　and　begged　to　be　restored　to　his　country。　Fearing；　however；　that　he　might　bring　trouble　on　Greece　if　a　vast　armament　were　sent　to　Italy　on　his　account；　he　added　that　it　would　content　him　if　the　Cnidians　undertook　to　obtain　his　recall。　Now　the　Cnidians　were　dose　friends　of　the　Tarentines；　which　made　him　think　there　was　no　likelier　means　of　procuring　his　return。　Darius　promised　and　performed　his　part；　for　he　sent　messenger　to　Cnidus；　and　commanded　the　Cnidians　to　restore　Gillus。　The　Cnidians　did　as　he　wished；　but　found　themselves　unable　to　persuade　the　Tarentines；　and　were　too　weak　to　attempt　force。　Such　then　was　the　course　which　this　matter　took。　These　were　the　first　Persians　who　ever　came　from　Asia　to　Greece；　and　they　were　sent　to　spy　out　the　land　for　the　reason　which　I　have　before　mentioned。　　　　　After　this；　king　Darius　besieged　and　took　Samos；　which　was　the　first　city；　Greek　or　Barbarian；　that　he　conquered。　The　cause　of　his　making　war　upon　Samos　was　the　following：…　at　the　time　when　Cambyses；　son　of　Cyrus；　marched　against　Egypt；　vast　numbers　of　Greeks　flocked　thither；　some；　as　might　have　been　looked　for；　to　push　their　trade；　others；　to　serve　in　his　army；　others　again；　merely　to　see　the　land：　among　these　last　was　Syloson；　son　of　Aeaces；　and　brother　of　Polycrates；　at　that　time　an　exile　from　Samos。　This　Syloson；　during　his　stay　in　Egypt；　met　with　a　singular　piece　of　good　fortune。　He　happened　one　day　to　put　on　a　scarlet　cloak；　and　thus　attired　to　go　into　the　market…place　at　Memphis；　when　Dariuss　who　was　one　of　Cambyses'　bodyguard；　and　not　at　that　time　a　man　of　any　account；　saw　him；　and　taking　a　strong　liking　to　the　dress；　went　up　and　offered　to　purchase　it。　Syloson　perceived　how　anxious　he　was；　and　by　a　lucky　inspiration　answered：　〃There　is　no　price　at　which　I　would　sell　my　cloak；　but　I　will　give　it　thee　for　nothing；　if　it　must　needs　be　thine。〃　Darius　thanked　him；　and　accepted　the　garment。　　　　　Poor　Syloson　felt　at　the　time　that　he　had　fooled　away　his　cloak　in　a　very　simple　manner；　but　afterwards；　when　in　the　course　of　years　Cambyses　died；　and　the　seven　Persians　rose　in　revolt　against　the　Magus；　and　Darius　was　the　man　chosen　out　of　the　seven　to　have　the　kingdom；　Syloson　learnt　that　the　person　to　whom　the　crown　had　come　was　the　very　man　wh