marcellus-第6章

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which　he　declining　to　do　before　he　had　worked　out　his　problem　to　a
demonstration；　the　soldier；　enraged；　drew　his　sword　and　ran　him
through。　Others　write　that　a　Roman　soldier；　running　upon　him　with　a
drawn　sword；　offered　to　kill　him；　and　that　Archimedes；　looking　back；
earnestly　besought　him　to　hold　his　hand　a　little　while；　that　he
might　not　leave　what　he　was　then　at　work　upon　inconclusive　and
imperfect；　but　the　soldier；　nothing　moved　by　his　entreaty；　instantly
killed　him。　Others　again　relate　that；　as　Archimedes　was　carrying　to
Marcellus　mathematical　instruments；　dials；　spheres；　and　angles；　by
which　the　magnitude　of　the　sun　might　be　measured　to　the　sight；　some
soldiers　seeing　him；　and　thinking　that　he　carried　gold　in　a　vessel；
slew　him。　Certain　it　is　that　his　death　was　very　afflicting　to
Marcellus；　and　that　Marcellus　ever　after　regarded　him　that　killed
him　as　a　murderer；　and　that　he　sought　for　his　kindred　and　honoured
them　with　signal　favours。
　　Indeed；　foreign　nations　had　held　the　Romans　to　be　excellent　soldiers
and　formidable　in　battle；　but　they　had　hitherto　given　no　memorable
example　of　gentleness；　or　humanity；　or　civil　virtue；　and　Marcellus
seems　first　to　have　shown　to　the　Greeks　that　his　countrymen　were
most　illustrious　for　their　justice。　For　such　was　his　moderation　to　all
with　whom　he　had　anything　to　do；　and　such　his　benignity　also　to　many
cities　and　private　men；　that；　if　anything　hard　or　severe　was　decreed
concerning　the　people　of　Enna；　Megara；　or　Syracuse；　the　blame　was
thought　to　belong　rather　to　those　upon　whom　the　storm　fell；　than　to
those　who　brought　it　upon　them。　One　example　of　many　I　will
commemorate。　In　Sicily　there　is　a　town　called　Engyum；　not　indeed
great；　but　very　ancient　and　ennobled　by　the　presence　of　the　goddesses；
called　the　Mothers。　The　temple；　they　say；　was　built　by　the　Cretans；
and　they　show　some　spears　and　brazen　helmets；　inscribed　with　the　names
of　Meriones；　and　（with　the　same　spelling　as　in　Latin）　of　Ulysses；
who　consecrated　them　to　the　goddesses。　This　city　highly　favouring
the　party　of　the　Carthaginians；　Nicias；　the　most　eminent　of　the
citizens；　counselled　them　to　go　over　to　the　Romans；　to　that　end　acting
freely　and　openly　in　harangues　to　their　assemblies；　arguing　the
imprudence　and　madness　of　the　opposite　course。　They；　fearing　his　power
and　authority；　resolved　to　deliver　him　in　bonds　to　the
Carthaginians。　Nicias；　detecting　the　design；　and　seeing　that　his
person　was　secretly　kept　in　watch；　proceeded　to　speak　irreligiously　to
the　vulgar　of　the　Mothers；　and　showed　many　signs　of　disrespect；　as
if　he　denied　and　contemned　the　received　opinion　of　the　presence　of
those　goddesses；　his　enemies　the　while　rejoicing　that　he；　of　his　own
accord；　sought　the　destruction　hanging　over　his　head。　When　they　were
just　now　about　to　lay　hands　upon　him；　an　assembly　was　held；　and　here
Nicias；　making　a　speech　to　the　people　concerning　some　affair　then
under　deliberation；　in　the　midst　of　his　address；　cast　himself　upon　the
ground；　and　soon　after；　while　amazement　（as　usually　happens　on　such
surprising　occasions）　held　the　assembly　immovable；　raising　and　turning
his　head　round；　he　began　in　a　trembling　and　deep　tone；　but　by
degrees　raised　and　sharpened　his　voice。　When　he　saw　the　whole
theatre　struck　with　horror　and　silence；　throwing　off　his　mantle　and
rending　his　tunic　he　leaps　up　half　naked；　and　runs　towards　the　door；
crying　out　aloud　that　he　was　driven　by　the　wrath　of　the　Mothers。
When　no　man　durst；　out　of　religious　fear；　lay　hands　upon　him　or　stop
him；　but　all　gave　way　before　him；　he　ran　out　of　the　gate；　not　omitting
any　shriek　or　gesture　of　men　possessed　and　mad。　His　wife；　conscious　of
his　counterfeiting；　and　privy　to　his　design；　taking　her　children
with　her；　first　cast　herself　as　a　suppliant　before　the　temple　of　the
goddesses；　then；　pretending　to　seek　her　wandering　husband；　no　man
hindering　her；　went　out　of　the　town　in　safety；　and　by　this　means
they　all　escaped　to　Marcellus　at　Syracuse。　After　many　other　such
affronts　offered　him　by　the　men　of　Engyum；　Marcellus；　having　taken
them　all　prisoners　and　cast　them　into　bonds；　was　preparing　to
inflict　upon　them　the　last　punishment；　when　Nicias；　with　tears　in
his　eyes；　addressed　himself　to　him。　In　fine；　casting　himself　at
Marcellus's　feet；　and　deprecating　for　his　citizens；　he　begged　most
earnestly　their　lives；　chiefly　those　of　his　enemies。　Marcellus；
relenting；　set　them　all　at　liberty；　and　rewarded　Nicias　with　ample
lands　and　rich　presents。　This　history　is　recorded　by　Posidonius　the
philosopher。
　　Marcellus；　at　length　recalled　by　the　people　of　Rome　to　the　immediate
war　at　home；　to　illustrate　his　triumph；　and　adorn　the　city；　carried
away　with　him　a　great　number　of　the　most　beautiful　ornaments　of
Syracuse。　For；　before　that；　Rome　neither　had；　nor　had　seen；　any　of
those　fine　and　exquisite　rarities；　nor　was　any　pleasure　taken　in
graceful　and　elegant　pieces　of　workmanship。　Stuffed　with　barbarous
arms　and　spoils　stained　with　blood；　and　everywhere　crowned　with
triumphal　memorials　and　trophies；　she　was　no　pleasant　or　delightful
spectacle　for　the　eyes　of　peaceful　or　refined　spectators；　but；　as
Epaminondas　named　the　fields　of　Boeotia　the　stage　of　Mars；　and
Xenophon　called　Ephesus　the　workhouse　of　war；　so；　in　my　judgment；
may　you　call　Rome；　at　that　time　（to　use　the　words　of　Pindar）；　〃the
precinct　of　the　peaceless　Mars。〃　Whence　Marcellus　was　more　popular
with　the　people　in　general；　because　he　had　adorned　the　city　with
beautiful　objects　that　had　all　the　charms　of　Grecian　grace　and
symmetry；　but　Fabius　Maximus；　who　neither　touched　nor　brought　away
anything　of　this　kind　from　Tarentum；　when　he　had　taken　it；　was　more
approved　of　by　the　elder　men。　He　carried　off　the　money　and
valuables；　but　forbade　the　statues　to　be　moved；　adding；　as　it　is
commonly　related；　〃Let　us　leave　to　the　Tarentines　these　offended
gods。〃　They　blamed　Marcellus；　first　for　placing　the　city　in　an
invidious　position；　as　it　seemed　now　to　celebrate　victories　and　lead
processions　of　triumph；　not　only　over　men；　but　also　over　the　gods　as
captives；　then；　that　he　had　diverted　to　idleness；　and　vain　talk
about　curious　arts　and　artificers；　the　common　people；　which；　bred　up
in　wars　and　agriculture；　had　never　tasted　of　luxury　and　sloth；　and；　as
Euripides　said　of　Hercules；　had　been…

　　　　　　　　　〃Rude；　unrefined；　only　for　great　things　good；〃

so　that　now　they　misspent　much　of　their　time　in　examining　and
criticizing　trifles。　And　yet；　notwithstanding　this　reprimand；
Marcellus　made　it　his　glory　to　the　Greeks　themselves；　that　he　had
taught　his　ignorant　countrymen　to　esteem　and　admire　the　elegant　and
wonderful　productions　of　Greece。
　　But　when　the　envious　opposed　his　being　brought　triumphant　into　the
city；　because　there　were　some　relics　of　the　war　in　Sicily；　and　a　third
triumph　would　be　looked　upon　with　jealousy；　he　gave　way。　He
triumphed　upon　the　Alban　mount；　and　thence　entered　the　city　in
ovation；　as　it　is　called　in　Latin；　in　Greek　eua；　but　in　this　ovation
he　was　neither　carried　in　a　chariot；　nor　crowned　with　laurel；　nor
ushered　by　trumpets　sounding；　but　went　afoot　with　shoes　on；　many
flutes　or　pipes　sounding　in　concert；　while　he　passed　along；　wearing
a　garland　of　myrtle；　in　a　peaceable　aspect；　exciting　rather　love　and
respect　than　fear。　Whence　I　am；　by　conjecture；　led　to　think　that；
originally；　the　difference　observed　betwixt　ovation　and　triumph　did
not　depend　upon　the　greatness　of　the　achievements；　but　the　manner　of
performing　them。　For　they　who；　having　fought　a　set　battle；　and　slain
the　enemy；　returned　victors；　led　that　martial；　terrible　triumph；
and；　as　the　ordinary　custom　then　was　in　lustrating　the　army；　adorned
the　arms　and　the　soldiers　with　a　great　deal　of　laurel。　But　they　who
without　force；　by　colloquy；　persuasion；　and　reasoning；　had　done　the
business；　to　these　captains　custom　gave　the　honour　of　the　unmilitary
and　festive　ovation。　For　the　pipe　is　the　badge　of　peace；　and　myrtle
the　plant　of　Venus；　who　more　than　the　rest　of　the　gods　and　goddesses
abhors　force　and　war。　It　is　called　ovation；　not　as　most　think；　from
the　Greek　euasmus；　because　they　act　it　with　shouting　and　cries　of　Eua：
for　so　do　they　also　the　proper　triumphs。　The　Greeks　ha