demetrius-第4章

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ime；　the　consecration　of　the　bucklers；　and　according　to　the　answer　the　people　shall　act。〃　With　this　befooling　they　completed　the　perversion　of　a　mind　which　even　before　was　not　so　strong　or　sound　as　it　should　have　been。　　　During　his　present　leisure　in　Athens；　he　took　to　wife　Eurydice；　a　descendant　of　the　ancient　Miltiades；　who　had　been　married　to　Opheltas；　the　ruler　of　Cyrene；　and　after　his　death　had　come　back　to　Athens。　The　Athenians　took　the　marriage　as　a　compliment　and　favour　to　the　city。　But　Demetrius　was　very　free　in　these　matters；　and　was　the　husband　of　several　wives　at　once；　the　highest　place　and　honour　among　all　being　retained　by　Phila；　who　was　Antipater's　daughter；　and　had　been　the　wife　of　Craterus；　the　one　of　all　the　successors　of　Alexander　who　left　behind　him　the　strongest　feelings　of　attachment　among　the　Macedonians。　And　for　these　reasons　Antigonus　had　obliged　him　to　marry　her；　notwithstanding　the　disparity　of　their　years；　Demetrius　being　quite　a　youth；　and　she　much　older；　and　when　upon　that　account　he　made　some　difficulty　in　complying；　Antigonus　whispered　in　his　ear　the　maxim　from　Euripides；　broadly　substituting　a　new　word　for　the　original；　serve…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Natural　or　not；　　　　　　　　　　A　man　must　wed　where　profit　will　be　got。〃

Any　respect；　however；　which　he　showed　either　to　Phila　or　to　his　other　wives　did　not　go　so　far　as　to　prevent　him　from　consorting　with　any　number　of　mistresses；　and　bearing；　in　this　respect；　the　worst　character　of　all　the　princes　of　his　time。　　　A　summons　now　arrived　from　his　father；　ordering　him　to　go　and　fight　with　Ptolemy　in　Cyprus；　which　he　was　obliged　to　obey；　sorry　as　he　was　to　abandon　Greece。　And　in　quitting　this　nobler　and　more　glorious　enterprise；　he　sent　to　Cleonides；　Ptolemy's　general；　who　was　holding　garrisons　in　Sicyon　and　Corinth；　offering　him　money　to　let　the　cities　be　independent。　But　on　his　refusal；　he　set　sail　hastily；　taking　additional　forces　with　him；　and　made　for　Cyprus；　where；　immediately　upon　his　arrival；　he　fell　upon　Menelaus；　the　brother　of　Ptolemy；　and　gave　him　a　defeat。　But　when　Ptolemy　himself　came　in　person；　with　large　forces　both　on　land　and　sea；　for　some　little　time　nothing　took　place　beyond　an　interchange　of　menaces　and　lofty　talk。　Ptolemy　bade　Demetrius　sail　off　before　the　whole　armament　came　up；　if　he　did　not　wish　to　be　trampled　under　foot；　and　Demetrius　offered　to　let　him　retire；　on　condition　of　his　withdrawing　his　garrisons　from　Sicyon　and　Corinth。　And　not　they　alone；　but　all　the　other　potentates　and　princes　of　the　time；　were　in　anxiety　for　the　uncertain　impending　issue　of　the　conflict；　as　it　seemed　evident　that　the　conqueror's　prize　would　be；　not　Cyprus　or　Syria；　but　the　absolute　supremacy。　　　Ptolemy　had　brought　a　hundred　and　fifty　galleys　with　him；　and　gave　orders　to　Menelaus　to　sally；　in　the　heat　of　the　battle；　out　of　the　harbour　of　Salamis；　and　attack　with　sixty　ships　the　rear　of　Demetrius。　Demetrius；　however；　opposing　to　these　sixty　ten　of　his　galleys；　which　were　a　sufficient　number　to　block　up　the　narrow　entrance　of　the　harbour；　and　drawing　out　his　land　forces　along　all　the　headlands　running　out　into　sea；　went　into　action　with　a　hundred　and　eighty　galleys；　and；　attacking　with　the　utmost　boldness　and　impetuosity；　utterly　routed　Ptolemy；　who　fled　with　eight　ships；　the　sole　remnant　of　his　fleet；　seventy　having　been　taken　with　all　their　men；　and　the　rest　destroyed　in　the　battle；　while　the　whole　multitude　of　attendants；　friends；　and　women；　that　had　followed　in　the　ships　of　burden；　all　the　arms；　treasure；　and　military　engines　fell；　without　exception；　into　the　hands　of　Demetrius；　and　were　by　him　collected　and　brought　into　the　camp。　Among　the　prisoners　was　the　celebrated　Lamia；　famed　at　one　time　for　her　skill　on　the　flute；　and　afterwards　renowned　as　a　mistress。　And　although　now　upon　the　wane　of　her　youthful　beauty；　and　though　Demetrius　was　much　her　junior；　she　exercised　over　him　so　great　a　charm　that　all　other　women　seemed　to　be　amorous　of　Demetrius；　but　Demetrius　amorous　only　of　Lamia。　After　this　signal　victory；　Demetrius　came　before　Salamis；　and　Menelaus；　unable　to　make　any　resistance；　surrendered　himself　and　all　his　fleet；　twelve　hundred　horse；　and　twelve　thousand　foot；　together　with　the　place。　But　that　which　added　more　than　all　to　the　glory　and　splendour　of　the　success　was　the　humane　and　generous　conduct　of　Demetrius　to　the　vanquished。　For；　after　he　had　given　honourable　funerals　to　the　dead；　he　bestowed　liberty　upon　the　living；　and　that　he　might　not　forget　the　Athenians；　he　sent　them；　as　a　present；　complete　arms　for　twelve　hundred　men。　　　To　carry　this　happy　news；　Aristodemus　of　Miletus；　the　most　perfect　flatterer　belonging　to　the　court；　was　despatched　to　Antigonus；　and　he；　to　enhance　the　welcome　message；　was　resolved；　it　would　appear；　to　make　his　most　successful　effort。　When　he　crossed　from　Cyprus；　he　bade　the　galley　which　conveyed　him　to　come　to　anchor　off　the　land；　and；　having　ordered　all　the　ship's　crew　to　remain　aboard；　he　took　the　boat；　and　was　set　ashore　alone。　Thus　he　proceeded　to　Antigonus；　who；　one　may　well　imagine；　was　in　suspense　enough　about　the　issue；　and　suffered　all　the　anxieties　natural　to　men　engaged　in　so　perilous　a　struggle。　And　when　he　heard　that　Aristodemus　was　coming　alone；　it　put　him　into　yet　greater　trouble；　he　could　scarcely　forbear　from　going　out　to　meet　him　himself；　he　sent　messenger　on　messenger；　and　friend　after　friend；　to　inquire　what　news。　But　Aristodemus；　walking　gravely　and　with　a　settled　countenance；　without　making　any　answer；　still　proceeded　quietly　onward；　until　Antigonus；　quite　alarmed　and　no　longer　able　to　refrain；　got　up　and　met　him　at　the　gate；　whither　he　came　with　a　crowd　of　anxious　followers　now　collected　and　running　after　him。　As　soon　as　he　saw　Antigonus　within　hearing　stretching　out　his　hands；　he　accosted　him　with　the　loud　exclamation；　〃Hail；　King　Antigonus！　we　have　defeated　Ptolemy　by　sea；　and　have　taken　Cyprus　and　sixteen　thousand　eight　hundred　prisoners。〃　〃Welcome；　Aristodemus；〃　replied　Antigonus；　〃but；　as　you　chose　to　torture　us　so　long　for　your　good　news；　you　may　wait　awhile　for　the　reward　of　it。〃　　　Upon　this　the　people　around　gave　Antigonus　and　Demetrius；　for　the　first　time；　the　title　of　kings。　His　friends　at　once　set　a　diadem　on　the　head　of　Antigonus；　and　he　sent　one　presently　to　his　son；　with　a　letter　addressed　to　him　as　King　Demetrius。　And　when　this　news　was　told　in　Egypt；　that　they　might　not　seem　to　be　dejected　with　the　late　defeat；　Ptolemy's　followers　also　took　occasion　to　bestow　the　style　of　king　upon　him；　and　the　rest　of　the　successors　of　Alexander　were　quick　to　follow　the　example。　Lysimachus　began　to　wear　the　diadem；　and　Seleucus；　who　had　before　received　the　name　in　all　addresses　from　the　barbarians；　now　also　took　it　upon　him　in　all　business　with　the　Greeks；　Cassander　still　retained　his　usual　superscription　in　his　letters；　but　others；　both　in　writing　and　speaking；　gave　him　the　royal　title。　Nor　was　this　the　mere　accession　of　a　name；　or　introduction　of　a　new　fashion。　The　men's　own　sentiments　about　themselves　were　disturbed；　and　their　feelings　elevated；　a　spirit　of　pomp　and　arrogance　passed　into　their　habits　of　life　and　conversation；　as　a　tragic　actor　on　the　stage　modifies；　with　a　change　of　dress；　his　steps；　his　voice；　his　motions　in　sitting　down；　his　manner　in　addressing　another。　The　punishments　they　inflicted　were　more　violent　after　they　had　thus　laid　aside　that　modest　style　under　which　they　formerly　dissembled　their　power；　and　the　influence　of　which　had　often　made　them　gentler　and　less　exacting　to　their　subjects。　A　single　flattering　voice　effected　a　revolution　in　the　world。　　　Antigonus；　extremely　elevated　with　the　success　of　his　arms　in　Cyprus；　under　the　conduct　of　Demetrius；　resolved　to　push　on　his　good　fortune；　and　to　lead　his　forces　in　person　against　Ptolemy　by　land　whilst　Demetrius　should　coast　with　a　great　fleet　along　the　shore；　to　assist　him　by　sea。　The　issue　of　the　contest　was　intimated　in　a　dream　which　Medius；　a　friend　of　Antigonus；　had　at　this　time　in　his　sleep。　He　thought　he　saw　Antigonus　and　his　whole　army　running；　as　if　it　had　been　a　race；　that；　in　the　first　part　of　the　course；　he　went　off　showing　great　strength　and　speed；　gradually；　however；　his　pace　slackened；　and　at　the　end　he　saw