demetrius-第8章

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at　they　may　equally　proceed　from　fear。　The　same　decrees　are　voted　upon　the　latter　motive　as　upon　the　former。　And　therefore　judicious　men　do　not　look　so　much　to　statues；　paintings；　or　divine　honours　that　are　paid　them；　as　to　their　own　actions　and　conduct；　judging　hence　whether　they　shall　trust　these　as　a　genuine；　or　discredit　them　as　a　forced　homage。　As　in　fact　nothing　is　less　unusual　than　for　a　people；　even　while　offering　compliments；　to　be　disgusted　with　those　who　accept　them　greedily；　or　arrogantly；　or　without　respect　to　the　free…will　of　the　givers。　　　Demetrius；　shamefully　used　as　he　thought　himself；　was　in　no　condition　to　revenge　the　affront。　He　returned　a　message　of　gentle　expostulation；　saying；　however；　that　he　expected　to　have　his　galleys　sent　to　him；　among　which　was　that　of　thirteen　banks　of　oars。　And　this　being　accorded　him；　he　sailed　to　the　Isthmus；　and；　finding　his　affairs　in　very　ill　condition；　his　garrisons　expelled；　and　a　general　secession　going　on　to　the　enemy；　he　left　Pyrrhus　to　attend　to　Greece；　and　took　his　course　to　the　Chersonesus；　where　he　ravaged　the　territories　of　Lysimachus；　and　by　the　booty　which　he　took；　maintained　and　kept　together　his　troops；　which　were　now　once　more　beginning　to　recover　and　to　show　some　considerable　front。　Nor　did　any　of　the　other　princes　care　to　meddle　with　him　on　that　side；　for　Lysimachus　had　quite　as　little　claim　to　be　loved；　and　was　more　to　be　feared　for　his　power。　But　not　long　after　Seleucus　sent　to　treat　with　Demetrius　for　a　marriage　betwixt　himself　and　Stratonice；　daughter　of　Demetrius　by　Phila。　Seleucus；　indeed；　had　already；　by　Apama；　the　Persian；　a　son　named　Antiochus；　but　he　was　possessed　of　territories　that　might　well　satisfy　more　than　one　successor；　and　he　was　the　rather　induced　to　this　alliance　with　Demetrius；　because　Lysimachus　had　just　married　himself　to　one　daughter　of　King　Ptolemy；　and　his　son　Agathocles　to　another。　Demetrius；　who　looked　upon　the　offer　as　an　unexpected　piece　of　good　fortune；　presently　embarked　with　his　daughter；　and　with　his　whole　fleet　sailed　for　Syria。　Having　during　his　voyage　to　touch　several　times　on　the　coast；　among　other　places　he　landed　in　part　of　Cilicia；　which　by　the　apportionment　of　the　kings　after　the　defeat　of　Antigonus　was　allotted　to　Plistarchus；　the　brother　of　Cassander。　Plistarchus；　who　took　this　descent　of　Demetrius　upon　his　coasts　as　an　infraction　of　his　rights；　and　was　not　sorry　to　have　something　to　complain　of；　hastened　to　expostulate　in　person　with　Seleucus　for　entering　separately　into　relations　with　Demetrius；　the　common　enemy；　without　consulting　the　other　kings。　　　Demetrius；　receiving　information　of　this；　seized　the　opportunity；　and　fell　upon　the　city　of　Quinda；　which　he　surprised；　and　took　in　it　twelve　hundred　talents　still　remaining　of　the　treasure。　With　this　prize；　he　hastened　back　to　his　galleys；　embarked；　and　set　sail。　At　Rhosus；　where　his　wife　Phila　was　now　with　him；　he　was　met　by　Seleucus；　and　their　communications　with　each　other　at　once　were　put　on　a　frank；　unsuspecting；　and　kingly　footing。　First；　Seleucus　gave　a　banquet　to　Demetrius　in　his　tent　in　the　camp；　then　Demetrius'　received　him　in　the　ship　of　thirteen　banks　of　oars。　Meetings　for　amusements；　conferences；　and　long　visits　for　general　intercourse　succeeded；　all　without　attendants　or　arms；　until　at　length　Seleucus　took　his　leave；　and　in　great　state　conducted　Stratonice　to　Antioch。　Demetrius　meantime　possessed　himself　of　Cilicia；　and　sent　Phila　to　her　brother　Cassander；　to　answer　the　complaints　of　Plistarchus。　And　here　his　wife　Deidamia　came　by　sea　out　of　Greece　to　meet　him；　but　not　long　after　contracted　an　illness；　of　which　she　died。　After　her　death；　Demetrius；　by　the　mediation　of　Seleucus；　became　reconciled　to　Ptolemy；　and　an　agreement　was　made　that　he　should　marry　his　daughter　Ptolemais。　Thus　far　all　was　handsomely　done　on　the　part　of　Seleucus。　But；　shortly　after；　desiring　to　have　the　province　of　Cilicia　from　Demetrius　for　a　sum　of　money；　and　being　refused　it；　he　then　angrily　demanded　of　him　the　cities　of　Tyre　and　Sidon；　which　seemed　a　mere　piece　of　arbitrary　dealing；　and；　indeed；　an　outrageous　thing　that　he；　who　was　possessed　of　all　the　vast　provinces　between　India　and　the　Syrian　sea；　should　think　himself　so　poorly　off　as；　for　the　sake　of　two　cities　which　he　coveted；　to　disturb　the　peace　of　his　dear　connection；　already　a　sufferer　under　a　severe　reverse　of　fortune。　However；　he　did　but　justify　the　saying　of　Plato；　that　the　only　certain　way　to　be　truly　rich　is　not　to　have　more　property；　but　fewer　desires。　For　whoever　is　always　grasping　at　more　avows　that　he　is　still　in　want；　and　must　be　poor　in　the　midst　of　affluence。　　　But　Demetrius；　whose　courage　did　not　sink；　resolutely　sent　him　answer；　that；　though　he　were　to　lose　ten　thousand　battles　like　that　of　Ipsus；　he　would　pay　no　price　for　the　good…will　of　such　a　son…in…law　as　Seleucus。　He　reinforced　these　cities　with　sufficient　garrisons　to　enable　them　to　make　a　defence　against　Seleucus；　and；　receiving　information　that　Lachares；　taking　the　opportunity　of　their　civil　dissensions；　had　set　up　himself　as　a　usurper　over　the　Athenians；　he　imagined　that　if　he　made　a　sudden　attempt　upon　the　city；　he　might　now　without　difficulty　get　possession　of　it。　He　crossed　the　sea　in　safety　with　a　large　fleet；　but　passing　along　the　coast　of　Attica；　was　met　by　a　violent　storm；　and　lost　the　greater　number　of　his　ships；　and　a　very　considerable　body　of　men　on　board　of　them。　As　for　him；　he　escaped；　and　began　to　make　war　in　a　petty　manner　with　the　Athenians；　but；　finding　himself　unable　to　effect　his　design；　he　sent　back　orders　for　raising　another　fleet；　and；　with　the　troops　which　he　had；　marched　into　Peloponnesus　and　laid　siege　to　the　city　of　Messena。　In　attacking　which　place　he　was　in　danger　of　death；　for　a　missile　from　an　engine　struck　him　in　the　face；　and　passed　through　the　cheek　into　his　mouth。　He　recovered；　however；　and；　as　soon　as　he　was　in　a　condition　to　take　the　field；　won　over　divers　cities　which　had　revolted　from　him；　and　made　an　incursion　into　Attica；　where　he　took　Eleusis　and　Rhamnus；　and　wasted　the　country　thereabout。　And　that　he　might　straiten　the　Athenians　by　cutting　off　all　manner　of　provision；　a　vessel　laden　with　corn　bound　thither　falling　into　his　hands；　he　ordered　the　master　and　the　supercargo　to　be　immediately　hanged；　thereby　to　strike　a　terror　into　others；　that　so　they　might　not　venture　to　supply　the　city　with　provisions。　By　which　means　they　were　reduced　to　such　extremities　that　a　bushel　of　salt　sold　for　forty　drachmas；　and　a　peck　of　wheat　for　three　hundred。　Ptolemy　had　sent　to　their　relief　a　hundred　and　fifty　galleys；　which　came　so　near　as　to　be　seen　off　Aegina；　but　this　brief　hope　was　soon　extinguished　by　the　arrival　of　three　hundred　ships；　which　came　to　reinforce　Demetrius　from　Cyprus；　Peloponnesus；　and　other　places；　upon　which　Ptolemy's　fleet　took　to　flight；　and　Lachares；　the　tyrant；　ran　away；　leaving　the　city　to　its　fate。　　　And　now　the　Athenians；　who　before　had　made　it　capital　for　any　person　to　propose　a　treaty　or　accommodation　with　Demetrius；　immediately　opened　the　nearest　gates　to　send　ambassadors　to　him；　not　so　much　out　of　hopes　of　obtaining　any　honourable　conditions　from　his　clemency　as　out　of　necessity；　to　avoid　death　by　famine。　For　among　many　frightful　instances　of　the　distress　they　were　reduced　to；　it　is　said　that　a　father　and　son　were　sitting　in　a　room　together；　having　abandoned　every　hope；　when　a　dead　mouse　fell　from　the　ceiling；　and　for　this　prize　they　leaped　up　and　came　to　blows。　In　this　famine；　it　is　also　related；　the　philosopher　Epicurus　saved　his　own　life；　and　the　lives　of　his　scholars；　by　a　small　quantity　of　beans；　which　he　distributed　to　them　daily　by　number。　　　In　this　condition　was　the　city　when　Demetrius　made　his　entrance　and　issued　a　proclamation　that　all　the　inhabitants　should　assemble　in　the　theatre；　which　being　done；　he　drew　up　his　soldiers　at　the　back　of　the　stage；　occupied　the　stage　itself　with　his　guards；　and；　presently　coming　in　himself　by　the　actors'　passages；　when　the　people's　consternation　had　risen　to　its　height；　with　his　first　words　he　put　an　end　to　it。　Without　any　harshness　of　tone　or　bitterness　of　words；　he　reprehended　them　in　a　gentle　and　friendly　way；　and　declared　himself　reconciled；　adding　a　p