hiero-第12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!
it is likely; there will none be found more resolute to take the
lion's share of toil or peril; or do outpost duty; keeping watch and
ward while others sleep; brave mercenaries。
'7' The author is perhaps thinking of some personal experiences。 He
works out his theory of a wage…earning militia for the protection
of the state in the 〃Cyropaedia。〃 See esp。 VII。 v。 69 foll。
And what will be the effect on the neighbour states conterminous with
yours?'8' Will not this standing army lead them to desire peace beyond
all other things? In fact; a compact force like this; so organised;
will prove most potent to preserve the interests of their friends and
to damage those of their opponents。
'8' Or; 〃that lie upon your borders;〃 as Thebes and Megara were 〃nigh…
bordering〃 to Athens。 Cf。 Eur。 〃Rhes。〃 426; Soph。 〃Fr。〃 349。
And when; finally; the citizens discover it is not the habit of these
mercenaries to injure those who do no wrong; but their vocation rather
is to hinder all attempts at evil…doing; whereby they exercise a
kindly providence and bear the brunt of danger on behalf of the
community; I say it must needs be; the citizens will rejoice to pay
the expenses which the force entails。 At any rate; it is for objects
of far less importance that at present guards'9' are kept in private
life。
'9' 〃Police or other。〃
XI
But; Hiero; you must not grudge to spend a portion of your private
substance for the common weal。 For myself; I hold to the opinion that
the sums expended by the monarch on the state form items of
disbursement more legitimate'1' than those expended on his personal
account。 But let us look into the question point by point。
'1' {eis to deon}。 Holden cf。 〃Anab。〃 I。 iii。 8。 Aristoph。 〃Clouds;〃
859; {osper Periklees eis to deon apolesa}: 〃Like Pericles; for a
necessary purpose; I have lost them。〃
First; the palace: do you imagine that a building; beautified in every
way at an enormous cost; will afford you greater pride and ornament
than a whole city ringed with walls and battlements; whose furniture
consists of temples and pillared porticoes;'2' harbours; market…
places?
'2' Reading {parastasi}; properly 〃pillasters〃 (Poll。 i。 76。 10。 25) =
〃antae;〃 hence 〃templum in antis〃 (see Vitruv。 iii。 2。 2); or more
widely the entrance of a temple or other building。 (Possibly the
author is thinking of 〃the Propylea〃)。Cf。 Eur。 〃Phoen。〃 415; 〃I。
T。〃 1159。 = {stathmoi}; Herod。 i。 179; Hom。 〃Il。〃 xiv。 167; 〃Od。〃
vii。 89; {stathmoi d' argureoi en khalkeo estasan oudio}。
The brazen thresholds both sides did enfold
Silver pilasters; hung with gates of gold (Chapman)。
Al。 {pastasi}; = colonnades。
Next; as to armaments: Will you present a greater terror to the foe if
you appear furnished yourself from head to foot with bright emlazonrie
and horrent arms;'3' or rather by reason of the warlike aspect of a
whole city perfectly equipped?
'3' Or; 〃with armour curiously wrought a wonder and a dread。〃 {oplois
tois ekpaglotatois}; most magnificent; awe…inspiring; a poetical
word which appears only in this passage in prose (Holden)。 L。 & S。
cf。 Hom。 〃Il。〃i。 146; xxi。 589; of persons; 〃Od。〃 xiv。 552; of
things。 Pind。 〃Pyth。〃 iv。 140; 〃Isth。〃 7 (6); 30。
And now for ways and means: On which principle do you expect your
revenues to flow more copiouslyby keeping your own private
capital'4' employed; or by means devised to make the resources of the
entire state'5' productive?
'4' Reading {idia}; al。 {idia}; = 〃your capital privately employed。〃
'5' Lit。 〃of all citizens alike;〃 〃every single member of the state。〃
And next to speak of that which people hold to be the flower of
institutions; a pursuit both noble in itself and best befitting a
great manI mean the art of breeding chariot…horses'6'which would
reflect the greater lustre on you; that you personally'7' should train
and send to the great festal gatherings'8' more chariots than any
Hellene else? or rather that your state should boast more racehorse…
breeders than the rest of states; that from Syracuse the largest
number should enter to contest the prize?
'6' Cf。 Plat。 〃Laws;〃 834 B。
'7' Breit。 cf。 Pind。 〃Ol。〃 i。 82; 〃Pyth。〃 i。 173; ii。 101; iii。 96。
'8' 〃Our solemn festivals;〃 e。g。 those held at Olympia; Delphi; the
Isthmus; Nemea。
Which would you deem the nobler conquestto win a victory by virtue
of a chariot; or to achieve a people's happiness; that state of which
you are the head and chief? And for my part; I hold it ill becomes a
tyrant to enter the lists with private citizens。 For take the case he
wins; he will not be admired; but be envied rather; when is is thought
how many private fortunes go to swell the stream of his expenditure;
while if he loses; he will become a laughing…stock to all mankind。'9'
'9' Or; 〃you will be mocked and jeered at past all precedence;〃 as
historically was the fate of Dionysus; 388 or 384 B。C。 (?); and
for the possible connection between that incident and this
treatise see Lys。 〃Olymp。〃; and Prof。 Jebb's remarks on the
fragment; 〃Att。 Or。〃 i。 p。 203 foll。 Grote; 〃H。 G。〃 xi。 40 foll。;
〃Plato; iii。 577。
No; no! I tell you; Hiero; your battlefield; your true arena is with
the champion presidents of rival states; above whose lesser heads be
it your destiny to raise this state; of which you are the patron and
supreme head; to some unprecedented height of fortune; which if you
shall achieve; be certain you will be approved victorious in a contest
the noblest and the most stupendous in the world。
Since what follows? In the first place; you will by one swift stroke
have brought about the very thing you have set your heart on; you will
have won the affection of your subjects。 Secondly; you will need no
herald to proclaim your victory; not one man only; but all mankind;
shall hymn your virtue。
Wherever you set foot you shall be gazed upon; and not by individual
citizens alone; but by a hundred states be warmly welcomed。 You shall
be a marvel; not in the private circle only; but in public in the
sight of all。
It shall be open to you; so far as safety is concerned; to take your
journey where you will to see the games or other spectacles; or it
shall be open to you to bide at home; and still attain your object。
Before you shall be gathered daily an assembly; a great company of
people willing to display whatever each may happen to possess of
wisdom; worth; or beauty;'10' and another throng of persons eager to
do you service。 Present; regard them each and all as sworn allies; or
absent; know that each and all have one desire; to set eyes on you。
'10' Or; 〃to display their wares of wisdom; beauty; excellence。〃
The end will be; you shall not be loved alone; but passionately
adored; by human beings。 You will not need to woo the fair but to
endure the enforcement of their loving suit。
You shall not know what fear is for yourself; you shall transfer it to
the hearts of others; fearing lest some evil overtake you。 You will
have about you faithful lieges; willing subjects; nimble servitors。
You shall behold how; as a matter of free choice; they will display a
providential care for you。 And if danger threatens; you will find in
them not