aratus-第4章

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openly；　〃I　thought　this　Sicyonian　youth　had　been　only　a　lover　of
liberty　and　of　his　fellow…citizens；　but　now　I　look　upon　him　as　a
good　judge　of　the　manners　and　actions　of　kings。　For　formerly　he
despised　us；　and；　placing　his　hopes　further　off；　admired　the
Egyptian　riches；　hearing　so　much　of　their　elephants；　fleets；　and
palaces。　But　after　seeing　all　these　at　a　nearer　distance；　perceiving
them　to　be　but　mere　stage　show　and　pageantry；　he　is　now　come　over　to
us。　And　for　my　part　I　willingly　receive　him；　and；　resolving　to　make
great　use　of　him　myself；　command　you　to　look　upon　him　as　a　friend。〃
These　words　were　soon　taken　hold　of　by　those　that　envied　and
maligned　him；　who　strove　which　of　them　should；　in　their　letters　to
Ptolemy；　attack　him　with　the　worst　calumnies；　so　that　Ptolemy　sent
to　expostulate　the　matter　with　him；　so　much　envy　and　ill…will　did
there　always　attend　the　so　much　contended　for；　and　so　ardently　and
passionately　aspired　to；　friendships　of　princes　and　great　men。
　　But　Aratus；　being　now　for　the　first　time　chosen　general　of　the
Achaeans　ravaged　the　country　of　Locris　and　Calydon；　just　over
against　Achaea　and　then　went　to　assist　the　Boeotians　with　ten　thousand
soldiers；　but　came　not　up　to　them　until　after　the　battle　near
Chaeronea　had　been　fought；　in　which　they　were　beaten　by　the　Aetolians；
with　the　loss　of　Aboeocritus　the　Boeotarch；　and　a　thousand　men
besides。　A　year　after；　being　again　elected　general；　he　resolved　to
attempt　the　capture　of　the　Acro…Corinthus；　not　so　much　for　the
advantage　of　the　Sicyonians　or　Achaeans；　as　considering　that　by
expelling　the　Macedonian　garrison　he　should　free　all　Greece　alike　from
a　tyranny　which　oppressed　every　part　of　her。　Chares；　the　Athenian；
having　the　good　fortune　to　get　the　better；　in　a　certain　battle；　of　the
king's　generals；　wrote　to　the　people　of　Athens　that　this　victory　was
〃sister　to　that　at　Marathon。〃　And　so　may　this　action　be　very　safely
termed　sister　to　those　of　Pelopidas　the　Theban　and　Thrasybulus　the
Athenian；　in　which　they　slew　the　tyrants；　except；　perhaps；　it　exceed
them　upon　this　account；　that　it　was　not　against　natural　Grecians；
but　against　a　foreign　and　stranger　domination。　The　Isthmus；　rising
like　a　bank　between　the　seas；　collects　into　a　single　spot　and
compresses　together　the　whole　continent　of　Greece；　and　Acro…Corinthus；
being　a　high　mountain　springing　up　out　of　the　very　middle　of　what　here
is　Greece；　whensoever　it　is　held　with　a　garrison；　stands　in　the　way
and　cuts　off　all　Peloponnesus　from　intercourse　of　every　kind；　free
passage　of　men　and　arms；　and　all　traffic　by　sea　and　land；　and　makes
him　lord　of　all　that　is　master　of　it。　Wherefore　the　younger　Philip　did
not　jest；　but　said　very　true；　when　he　called　the　city　of　Corinth
〃the　fetters　of　Greece。〃　So　that　this　post　was　always　much　contended
for；　especially　by　the　kings　and　tyrants；　and　so　vehemently　was　it
longed　for　by　Antigonus；　that　his　passion　for　it　came　little　short
of　that　of　frantic　love；　he　was　continually　occupied　with　devising　how
to　take　it　by　surprise　from　those　that　were　then　masters　of　it；
since　he　despaired　to　do　it　by　open　force。
　　Therefore　Alexander；　who　held　the　place；　being　dead；　poisoned　by
him；　as　is　reported；　and　his　wife　Nicaea　succeeding　in　the
government　and　the　possession　of　Acro…Corinthus；　he　immediately　made
use　of　his　son；　Demetrius；　and；　giving　her　pleasing　hopes　of　a　royal
marriage　and　of　a　happy　life　with　a　youth；　whom　a　woman　now　growing
old　might　well　find　agreeable；　with　this　lure　of　his　son　he
succeeded　in　taking　her；　but　the　place　itself　she　did　not　deliver
up；　but　continued　to　hold　it　with　a　very　strong　garrison；　of　which
he　seeming　to　take　no　notice；　celebrated　the　wedding　in　Corinth；
entertaining　them　with　shows　and　banquets　every　day；　as　one　that　had
nothing　else　in　his　mind　but　to　give　himself　up　for　a　while　to
indulgence　in　pleasure　and　mirth。　But　when　the　moment　came；　and
Amoebeus　began　to　sing　in　the　theatre；　he　waited　himself　upon　Nicaea
to　the　play；　she　being　carried　in　a　royally　decorated　chair；　extremely
pleased　with　her　new　honour；　not　dreaming　of　what　was　intended。　As
soon；　therefore；　as　they　were　come　to　the　turning　which　led　up　to
the　citadel；　he　desired　her　to　go　on　before　him　to　the　theatre；　but
for　himself；　bidding　farewell　to　the　music；　farewell　to　the　wedding；
he　went　on　faster　than　one　would　have　thought　his　age　would　have
admitted　to　the　Acro…Corinthus；　and；　finding　the　gate　shut；　knocked
with　his　staff；　commanding　them　to　open；　which　they　within；　being
amazed；　did。　And　having　thus　made　himself　master　of　the　place；　he
could　not　contain　himself　for　joy；　but；　though　an　old　man；　and　one
that　had　seen　so　many　turns　of　fortune；　he　must　needs　revel　it　in
the　open　streets　and　the　midst　of　the　market…place；　crowned　with
garlands　and　attended　with　flute…women；　inviting　everybody　he　met　to
partake　in　his　festivity。　So　much　more　does　joy　without　discretion
transport　and　agitate　the　mind　than　either　fear　or　sorrow。
Antigonus；　therefore；　having　in　this　manner　possessed　himself　of
Acro…Corinthus；　put　a　garrison　into　it　of　those　he　trusted　most；
making　Persaeus　the　philosopher　governor。
　　Now　Aratus；　even　in　the　lifetime　of　Alexander；　had　made　an
attempt；　but；　a　confederacy　being　made　between　Alexander　and　the
Achaeans；　he　desisted。　But　now　he　started　afresh；　with　a　new　plan　of
effecting　the　thing；　which　was　this：　there　were　in　Corinth　four
brothers；　Syrians　born；　one　of　whom；　called　Diocles；　served　as　a
soldier　in　the　garrison；　but　the　three　others；　having　stolen　some　gold
of　the　king's；　came　to　Sicyon；　to　one　Aegias；　a　banker；　whom　Aratus
made　use　of　in　his　business。　To　him　they　immediately　sold　part　of
their　gold；　and　the　rest；　one　of　them；　called　Erginus；　coming　often
thither；　exchanged　by　parcels。　Becoming；　by　this　means；　familiarly
acquainted　with　Aegias；　and　being　by　him　led　into　discourses
concerning　the　fortress；　he　told　him　that　in　going　up　to　his　brother
he　had　observed；　in　the　face　of　the　rock；　a　side　cleft；　leading　to
that　part　of　the　wall　of　the　castle　which　was　lower　than　the　rest。
At　which　Aegias　joking　with　him　and　saying；　〃So；　you　wise　man；　for　the
sake　of　a　little　gold　you　have　broken　into　the　king's　treasure；　when
you　might；　if　you　chose；　get　money　in　abundance　for　a　single　hour's
work；　burglary；　you　know；　and　treason　being　punished　with　the　same
death。〃　Erginus　laughed　and　told　him　then；　he　would　break　the　thing　to
Diocles　（for　he　did　not　altogether　trust　his　other　brothers）；　and；
returning　within　a　few　days；　he　bargained　to　conduct　Aratus　to　that
part　of　the　wall　where　it　was　no　more　than　fifteen　feet　high；　and　to
do　what　else　should　be　necessary；　together　with　his　brother　Diocles。
　　Aratus；　therefore；　agreed　to　give　them　sixty　talents　if　he
succeeded；　but　if　he　failed　in　his　enterprise；　and　yet　he　and　they
came　off　safe；　then　he　would　give　each　of　them　a　house　and　a　talent。
Now　the　threescore　talents　being　to　be　deposited　in　the　hands　of
Aegias　for　Erginus　and　his　partners；　and　Aratus　neither　having　so　much
by　him；　nor　willing；　by　borrowing　it　from　others；　to　give　any　one　a
suspicion　of　his　design；　he　pawned　his　plate　and　his　wife's　golden
ornaments　to　Aegias　for　the　money。　For　so　high　was　his　temper；　and
so　strong　his　passion　for　noble　actions；　that；　even　as　he　had　heard
that　Phocion　and　Epaminondas　were　the　best　and　justest　of　the
Greeks；　because　they　refused　the　greatest　presents；　and　would　not
surrender　their　duty　for　money；　so　he　now　chose　to　be　at　the　expense
of　this　enterprise　privately；　and　to　advance　all　the　cost　out　of　his
own　property；　taking　the　whole　hazard　on　himself　for　the　sake　of　the
rest　that　did　not　so　much　as　know　what　was　doing。　And　who　indeed　can
withhold；　even　now；　his　admiration　for　and　his　sympathy　with　the
generous　mind　of　one；　who　paid　so　largely　to　purchase　so　great　a　risk；
and　lent　out　his　richest　possessions　to　have　an　opportunity　to
expose　his　own　life；　by　entering　among　his　enemies　in　the　dead　of
the　night；　without　desiring　any　other　security　for　them　than　the
hope　of　a　noble　success。
　　Now　the　enterprise；　though　dangerous　enough　in　itself；　was　made　much
more　so　by　an　error　happening　through　mistake　in　th