demetrius-第5章

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　off　showing　great　strength　and　speed；　gradually；　however；　his　pace　slackened；　and　at　the　end　he　saw　him　come　lagging　up；　tired　and　almost　breathless　and　quite　spent。　Antigonus　himself　met　with　many　difficulties　by　land；　and　Demetrius；　encountering　a　great　storm　at　sea；　was　driven；　with　the　loss　of　many　of　his　ships；　upon　a　dangerous　coast　without　a　harbour。　So　the　expedition　returned　without　effecting　anything。　Antigonus；　now　nearly　eighty　years　old；　was　no　longer　well　able　to　go　through　the　fatigues　of　a　marching　campaign；　though　rather　on　account　of　his　great　size　and　corpulence　than　from　loss　of　strength；　and　for　this　reason　he　left　things　to　his　son；　whose　fortune　and　experience　appeared　sufficient　for　all　undertakings；　and　whose　luxury　and　expense　and　revelry　gave　him　no　concern。　For　though　in　peace　he　vented　himself　in　pleasures；　and；　when　there　was　nothing　to　do；　ran　headlong　into　any　excesses；　in　war　he　was　as　sober　and　abstemious　as　the　most　temperate　character。　The　story　is　told　that　once；　after　Lamia　had　gained　open　supremacy　over　him；　the　old　man；　when　Demetrius　coming　home　from　abroad　began　to　kiss　him　with　unusual　warmth；　asked　him　if　he　took　him　for　Lamia。　At　another　time；　Demetrius；　after　spending　several　days　in　a　debauch；　excused　himself　for　his　absence；　by　saying　he　had　had　a　violent　flux。　〃So　I　heard；〃　replied　Antigonus；　〃was　it　of　Thasian　wine；　or　Chian？〃　Once　he　was　told　his　son　was　ill；　and　went　to　see　him。　At　the　door　he　met　some　young　beauty。　Going　in；　he　sat　down　by　the　bed　and　took　his　pulse。　〃The　fever；〃　said　Demetrius；　〃has　just　left　me。〃　〃Oh　yes；〃　replied　the　father；　〃I　met　it　going　out　at　the　door。〃　Demetrius's　great　actions　made　Antigonus　treat　him　thus　easily。　The　Scythians　in　their　drinking…bouts　twang　their　bows；　to　keep　their　courage　awake　amidst　the　dreams　of　indulgence；　but　he　would　resign　his　whole　being；　now　to　pleasure；　and　now　to　action；　and　though　he　never　let　thoughts　of　the　one　intrude　upon　the　pursuit　of　the　other；　yet　when　the　time　came　for　preparing　for　war；　he　showed　as　much　capacity　as　any　man。　　　And　indeed　his　ability　displayed　itself　even　more　in　preparing　for　than　in　conducting　a　war。　He　thought　he　could　never　be　too　well　supplied　for　every　possible　occasion；　and　took　a　pleasure；　not　to　be　satiated；　in　great　improvements　in　ship…building　and　machines。　He　did　not　waste　his　natural　genius　and　power　of　mechanical　research　on　toys　and　idle　fancies；　turning；　painting；　and　playing　on　the　flute；　like　some　kings；　Aeropus；　for　example；　King　of　Macedon；　who　spent　his　days　in　making　small　lamps　and　tables；　or　Attalus　Philometor；　whose　amusement　was　to　cultivate　poisons　henbane　and　bellebore；　and　even　hemlock；　aconite；　and　dorycnium；　which　he　used　to　sow　himself　in　the　royal　gardens；　and　made　it　his　business　to　gather　the　fruits　and　collect　the　juices　in　their　season。　The　Parthian　kings　took　a　pride　in　whetting　and　sharpening　with　their　own　hands　the　points　of　their　arrows　and　javelins。　But　when　Demetrius　played　the　workman；　it　was　like　a　king；　and　there　was　magnificence　in　his　handicraft。　The　articles　he　produced　bore　marks　upon　the　face　of　them　not　of　ingenuity　only；　but　of　a　great　mind　and　a　lofty　purpose。　They　were　such　as　a　king　might　not　only　design　and　pay　for；　but　use　his　own　hands　to　make；　and　while　friends　might　be　terrified　with　their　greatness；　enemies　could　be　charmed　with　their　beauty；　a　phrase　which　is　not　so　pretty　to　the　ear　as　it　is　true　to　the　fact。　The　very　people　against　whom　they　were　to　be　employed　could　not　forbear　running　to　gaze　with　admiration　upon　his　galleys　of　five　and　six　ranges　of　oars；　as　they　passed　along　their　coasts；　and　the　inhabitants　of　besieged　cities　came　on　their　walls　to　see　the　spectacles　of　his　famous　City…takers。　Even　Lysmachus；　of　all　the　kings　of　his　time　the　greatest　enemy　of　Demetrius；　coming　to　raise　the　siege　of　Soli　in　Cilicia；　sent　first　to　desire　permission　to　see　his　galleys　and　engines；　and；　having　had　his　curiosity　gratified　by　a　view　of　them；　expressed　his　admiration　and　quitted　the　place。　The　Rhodians；　also；　whom　he　long　besieged；　begged　him；　when　they　concluded　a　peace；　to　let　them　have　some　of　his　engines；　which　they　might　preserve　as　a　memorial　at　once　of　his　power　and　of　their　own　brave　resistance。　　　The　quarrel　between　him　and　the　Rhodians　was　on　account　of　their　being　allies　to　Ptolemy；　and　in　the　siege　the　greatest　of　all　the　engines　was　planted　against　their　walls。　The　base　of　it　was　exactly　square；　each　side　containing　twenty…four　cubits；　it　rose　to　a　height　of　thirty…three　cubits；　growing　narrower　from　the　base　to　the　top。　Within　were　several　apartments　or　chambers；　which　were　to　be　filled　with　armed　men；　and　in　every　story　the　front　towards　the　enemy　had　windows　for　discharging　missiles　of　all　sorts；　the　whole　being　filled　with　soldiers　for　every　description　of　fighting。　And　what　was　most　wonderful　was　that；　notwithstanding　its　size；　when　it　was　moved　it　never　tottered　or　inclined　to　one　side；　but　went　forward　on　its　base　in　perfect　equilibrium；　with　a　loud　noise　and　great　impetus；　astounding　the　minds；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　charming　the　eyes　of　all　the　beholders。　　　Whilst　Demetrius　was　at　this　same　siege；　there　were　brought　to　him　two　iron　cuirasses　from　Cyprus；　weighing　each　of　them　on　more　than　forty　pounds；　and　Zoilus；　who　had　forged　them；　to　show　the　excellence　of　their　temper；　desired　that　one　of　them　might　be　tried　with　a　catapult　missile；　shot　out　of　one　of　the　engines　at　no　greater　distance　than　six…and…twenty　paces；　and；　upon　the　experiment；　it　was　found　that　though　the　dart　exactly　hit　the　cuirass；　yet　it　made　no　greater　impression　than　such　a　slight　scratch　as　might　be　made　with　the　point　of　a　style　or　graver。　Demetrius　took　this　for　his　own　wearing；　and　gave　the　other　to　Alcimus　the　Epirot；　the　best　soldier　and　strongest　man　of　all　his　captains；　the　only　one　who　used　to　wear　armour　to　the　weight　of　two　talents；　one　talent　being　the　weight　which　others　thought　sufficient。　He　fell　during　this　siege　in　a　battle　near　the　theatre。　　　The　Rhodians　made　a　brave　defence；　insomuch　that　Demetrius　saw　he　was　making　but　little　progress；　and　only　persisted　out　of　obstinacy　and　passion；　and　the　rather　because　the　Rhodians；　having　captured　a　ship　in　which　some　clothes　and　furniture；　with　letters　from　herself；　were　coming　to　him　from　Phila　his　wife；　had　sent　on　everything　to　Ptolemy；　and　had　not　copied　the　honourable　example　of　the　Athenians；　who；　having　surprised　an　express　sent　from　King　Philip；　their　enemy；　opened　all　the　letters　he　was　charged　with；　excepting　only　those　directed　to　Queen　Olympias；　which　they　returned　with　the　seal　unbroken。　Yet；　although　greatly　provoked；　Demetrius；　into　whose　power　it　shortly　after　came　to　repay　the　affront；　would　not　suffer　himself　to　retaliate。　Protogenes　the　Caunian　had　been　making　them　a　painting　of　the　story　of　Ialysus；　which　was　all　but　completed；　when　it　was　taken　by　Demetrius　in　one　of　the　suburbs。　The　Rhodians　sent　a　herald　begging　him　to　be　pleased　to　spare　the　work　and　not　let　it　be　destroyed；　Demetrius's　answer　to　which　was　that　he　would　rather　burn　the　pictures　of　his　father　than　a　piece　of　art　which　had　cost　so　much　labour。　It　is　said　to　have　taken　Protogenes　seven　years　to　paint；　and　they　tell　us　that　Apelles；　when　he　first　saw　it；　was　struck　dumb　with　wonder；　and　called　it；　on　recovering　his　speech；　〃a　great　labour　and　a　wonderful　success；〃　adding；　however；　that　it　had　not　the　graces　which　carried　his　own　paintings　as　it　were　up　to　the　heavens。　This　picture；　which　came　with　the　rest　in　the　general　mass　to　Rome；　there　perished　by　fire。　　　While　the　Rhodians　were　thus　defending　their　city　to　the　utmost；　Demetrius；　who　was　not　sorry　for　an　excuse　to　retire；　found　one　in　the　arrival　of　ambassadors　from　Athens；　by　whose　mediation　terms　were　made　that　the　Rhodians　should　bind　themselves　to　aid　Antigonus　and　Demetrius　against　all　enemies；　Ptolemy　excepted。　　　The　Athenians　entreated　his　help　against　Cassander；　who　was　besieging　the　city。　So　he　went　thither　with　a　fleet　of　three　hundred　and　thirty　ships；　and　many　soldiers；　and　not　only　drove　Cassander　out　of　Attica；　but　pursued　him　as　far　as　Thermopylae；　routed　him　and　became　master　of　Heraclea；　which　came　over　to　him　voluntarily；