demetrius-第10章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


lthily；　a　sudden　sweat　broke　out　on　his　skin；　the　beatings　of　his　heart　were　irregular　and　violent；　and；　unable　to　support　the　excess　of　his　passion；　he　would　sink　into　a　state　of　faintness；　prostration；　and　pallor。　　　Erasistratus；　reasoning　upon　these　symptoms；　and；　upon　the　probabilities　of　things；　considering　that　the　king's　son　would　hardly；　if　the　object　of　his　passion　had　been　any　other；　have　persisted　to　death　rather　than　reveal　it；　felt；　however；　the　difficulty　of　making　a　discovery　of　this　nature　to　Seleucus。　But；　trusting　to　the　tenderness　of　Seleucus　for　the　young　man；　he　put　on　all　the　assurances　he　could；　and　at　last；　on　some　opportunity；　spoke　out　and　told　him　the　malady　was　love；　a　love　impossible　to　gratify　or　relieve。　The　king　was　extremely　surprised；　and　asked；　〃Why　impossible　to　relieve？〃　〃The　fact　is；〃　replied　Erasistratus；　〃he　is　in　love　with　my　wife。〃　〃How！〃　said　Seleusus；　〃and　will　our　friend　Erasistratus　refuse　to　bestow　his　wife　upon　my　son　and　only　successor；　when　there　is　no　other　way　to　save　his　life？〃　〃You；〃　replied　Erasistratus；　〃who　are　his　father；　would　not　do　so；　if　he　were　in　love　with　Stratonice。〃　〃Ah；　my　friend；〃　answered　Seleucus；　〃would　to　heaven　any　means；　human　or　divine；　could　but　convert　his　present　passion　to　that；　it　would　be　well　for　me　to　part　not　only　with　Stratonice；　but　with　my　empire；　to　save　Antiochus。〃　This　he　said　with　the　greatest　passion；　shedding　tears　as　he　spoke；　upon　which　Erasistratus；　taking　him　by　the　hand；　replied；　〃In　that　case；　you　have　no　need　of　Erasistratus；　for　you；　who　are　the　husband；　the　father；　and　the　king；　are　the　proper　physician　for　your　own　family。〃　Seleucus；　accordingly；　summoning　a　general　assembly　of　his　people；　declared　to　them；　that　he　had　resolved　to　make　Antiochus　king；　and　Stratonice　queen；　of　all　the　provinces　of　Upper　Asia；　uniting　them　in　marriage；　telling　them；　that　he　thought　he　had　sufficient　power　over　the　prince's　will　that　he　should　find　in　him　no　repugnance　to　obey　his　commands；　and　for　Stratonice；　he　hoped　all　his　friends　would　endeavour　to　make　her　sensible；　if　she　should　manifest　any　reluctance　to　such　a　marriage；　that　she　ought　to　esteem　those　things　just　and　honourable　which　had　been　determined　upon　by　the　king　as　necessary　to　the　general　good。　In　this　manner；　we　are　told；　was　brought　about　the　marriage　of　Antiochus　and　Stratonice。　　　To　return　to　the　affairs　of　Demetrius。　Having　obtained　the　crown　of　Macedon；　he　presently　became　master　of　Thessaly　also。　And　holding　the　greatest　part　of　Peloponnesus；　and；　on　this　side　of　the　Isthmus；　the　cities　of　Megara　and　Athens；　he　now　turned　his　arms　against　the　Boeotians。　They　at　first　made　overtures　for　an　accommodation；　but　Cleonymus　of　Sparta　having　ventured　with　some　troops　to　their　assistance；　and　having　made　his　way　into　Thebes；　and　Pisis；　the　Thespian；　who　was　their　first　man　in　power　and　reputation；　animating　them　to　make　a　brave　resistance；　they　broke　off　the　treaty。　No　sooner；　however；　had　Demetrius　begun　to　approach　the　walls　with　his　engines；　but　Cleonymus　in　affright　secretly　withdrew；　and　the　Boeotians；　finding　themselves　abandoned；　made　their　submission。　Demetrius　placed　a　garrison　in　charge　of　their　towns；　and；　having　raised　a　large　sum　of　money　from　them；　he　placed　Hieronymus；　the　historian；　in　the　office　of　governor　and　military　commander　over　them；　and　was　thought　on　the　whole　to　have　shown　great　clemency；　more　particularly　to　Pisis；　to　whom　he　did　no　hurt；　but　spoke　with　him　courteously　and　kindly；　and　made　him　chief　magistrate　of　Thespiae。　Not　long　after；　Lysimachus　was　taken　prisoner　by　Dromichaetes；　and　Demetrius　went　off　instantly　in　the　hopes　of　possessing　himself　of　Thrace；　thus　left　without　a　king。　Upon　this；　the　Boeotians　revolted　again；　and　news　also　came　that　Lysimachus　had　regained　his　liberty。　So　Demetrius；　turning　back　quickly　and　in　anger；　found　on　coming　up　that　his　son　Antigonus　had　already　defeated　the　Boeotians　in　battle；　and　therefore　proceeded　to　lay　siege　again　to　Thebes。　　　But　understanding　that　Pyrrhus　had　made　an　incursion　into　Thessaly；　and　that　he　was　advanced　as　far　as　Thermopylae；　leaving　Antigonus　to　continue　the　siege；　he　marched　with　the　rest　of　his　army　to　oppose　this　enemy。　Pyrrhus；　however；　made　a　quick　retreat。　So；　leaving　ten　thousand　foot　and　a　thousand　horse　for　the　protection　of　Thessaly；　he　returned　to　the　siege　of　Thebes；　and　there　brought　up　his　famous　City…taker　to　the　attack；　which；　however；　was　so　laboriously　and　so　slowly　moved　on　account　of　its　bulk　and　heaviness；　that　in　two　months　it　did　not　advance　two　furlongs。　In　the　meantime　the　citizens　made　a　stout　defence；　and　Demetrius；　out　of　heat　and　contentiousness　very　often；　more　than　upon　any　necessity；　sent　his　soldiers　into　danger；　until　at　last　Antigonus；　observing　how　many　men　were　losing　their　lives；　said　to　him；　〃Why；　my　father；　do　we　go　on　letting　the　men　be　wasted　in　this　way　without　any　need　of　it？〃　But　Demetrius；　in　a　great　passion；　interrupted　him：　〃And　you；　good　sir；　why　do　you　afflict　yourself　for　the　matter？　will　dead　men　come　to　you　for　rations？〃　But　that　the　soldiers　might　see　that　he　valued　his　own　life　at　no　dearer　rate　than　theirs；　he　exposed　himself　freely；　and　was　wounded　with　a　javelin　through　his　neck；　which　put　him　into　great　hazard　of　his　life。　But；　notwithstanding；　he　continued　the　siege；　and　in　conclusion　took　the　town　again。　And　after　his　entrance；　when　the　citizens　were　in　fear　and　trembling；　and　expected　all　the　severities　which　an　incensed　conqueror　could　inflict；　he　only　put　to　death　thirteen　and　banished　some　few　others；　pardoning　all　the　rest。　Thus　the　city　of　Thebes；　which　had　not　yet　been　ten　years　restored；　in　that　short　space　was　twice　besieged　and　taken。　　　Shortly　after；　the　festival　of　the　Pythian　Apollo　was　to　be　celebrated；　and　the　Aetolians　having　blocked　up　all　the　passages　to　Delphi；　Demetrius　held　the　games　and　celebrated　the　feast　at　Athens；　alleging　it　was　great　reason　those　honours　should　be　paid　in　that　place；　Apollo　being　the　paternal　god　of　the　Athenian　people；　and　the　reputed　first　founder　of　their　race。　　　From　thence　Demetrius　returned　to　Macedon；　and　as　he　not　only　was　of　a　restless　temper　himself；　but　saw　also　that　the　Macedonians　were　ever　the　best　subjects　when　employed　in　military　expeditions；　but　turbulent　and　desirous　of　change　in　the　idleness　of　peace；　he　led　them　against　the；　Aetolians；　and；　having　wasted　their　country；　he　left　Pantauchus　with　a　great　part　of　his　army　to　complete　the　conquest；　and　with　the　rest　he　marched　in　person　to　find　out　Pyrrhus；　who　in　like　manner　was　advancing　to　encounter　him。　But　so　it　fell　out；　that　by　taking　different　ways　the　two　armies　did　not　meet；　but　whilst　Demetrius　entered　Epirus；　and　laid　all　waste　before　him；　Pyrrhus　fell　upon　Pantauchus；　and　in　a　battle　in　which　the　two　commanders　met　in　person　and　wounded　each　other　he　gained　the　victory；　and　took　five　thousand　prisoners；　besides　great　numbers　slain　in　the　field。　The　worst　thing；　however；　for　Demetrius　was　that　Pyrrhus　had　excited　less　animosity　as　an　enemy　than　admiration　as　a　brave　man。　His　taking　so　large　a　part　with　his　own　hand　in　the　battle　had　gained　him　the　greatest　name　and　glory　among　the　Macedonians。　Many　among　them　began　to　say　that　this　was　the　only　king　in　whom　there　was　any　likeness　to　be　seen　of　the　great　Alexander's　courage；　the　other　kings；　and　particularly　Demetrius；　did　nothing　but　personate　him；　like　actors　on　a　stage；　in　his　pomp　and　outward　majesty。　And　Demetrius　truly　was　a　perfect　play　and　pageant；　with　his　robes　and　diadems；　his　gold…edged　purple　and　his　hats　with　double　streamers；　his　very　shoes　being　of　the　richest　purple　felt；　embroidered　over　in　gold。　One　robe　in　particular；　a　most　superb　piece　of　work；　was　long　in　the　loom　in　preparation　for　him；　in　which　was　to　be　wrought　the　representation　of　the　universe　and　the　celestial　bodies。　This；　left　unfinished　when　his　reverse　overtook　him；　not　any　one　of　the　kings　of　Macedon；　his　successors；　though　divers　of　them　haughty　enough；　ever　presumed　to　use。　　　But　it　was　not　this　theatric　pomp　alone　which　disgusted　the　Macedonians；　but　his　profuse　and　luxurious　way　of　living；　and；　above　all；　the　difficulty　of　speaking　with　him　or　of　obtaining　access　to　his　presenc