cyropaedia-第60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！


you；　because　you　of　all　men　have　it　in　your　power　to　answer　best。
Happiness　is　yours　to　give。〃

＇26＇　Cyrus　answered；　〃Give　me　time　to　deliberate；　Croesus。　I　bear　in
mind　your　former　happiness　and　I　pity　you。　I　give　you　back　at　once
your　wife　and　your　daughters　（for　they　tell　me　you　have　daughters）；
and　your　friends　and　your　attendants；　they　are　yours　once　more。　And
yours　it　is　to　sit　at　your　own　table　as　you　used　to　live。　But　battles
and　wars　I　must　put　out　of　your　power。〃

＇27＇　〃Now　by　the　gods　above　us；〃　cried　Croesus；　〃you　need　take　no
further　thought　about　your　answer：　if　you　will　do　for　me　what　you　say；
I　shall　live　the　life　that　all　men　called　the　happiest　of　lives；　and　I
knew　that　they　were　right。〃　＇28＇　〃And　who；〃　said　Cyrus；　〃who　was　it
that　lived　that　life　of　happiness？〃　〃My　own　wife；〃　said　Croesus；　〃she
shared　all　my　good　things　with　me；　my　luxuries；　my　softest　joys；　but
in　the　cares　on　which　those　joys　were　based；　in　war　and　battle　and
strife；　she　had　no　part　or　lot。　Methinks；　you　will　provide　for　me　as　I
provided　for　her　whom　I　loved　beyond　all　others　in　the　world；　and　I
must　needs　send　to　Apollo　again；　and　send　thank…offerings。〃

＇29＇　And　as　Cyrus　listened　he　marvelled　at　the　man's　contentedness　of
soul；　and　for　the　future　wherever　he　went　he　took　Croesus　with　him；
either　because　he　thought　he　might　be　useful　or　perhaps　because　he
felt　it　was　safer　so。

＇C。3＇　So　for　that　night　they　rested。　But　the　next　day　Cyrus　called　his
friends　and　generals　together　and　told　some　to　make　an　inventory　of
their　treasures　and　others　to　receive　all　the　wealth　that　Croesus
brought　in。　First　they　were　to　set　aside　for　the　gods　all　that　the
Persian　priests　thought　fit；　and　then　store　the　rest　in　coffers；
weight　them；　and　pack　them　on　waggons；　distributing　the　waggons　by　lot
to　take　with　them　on　the　march；　so　that　they　could　receive　their
proper　share　at　any　convenient　time。　＇2＇　So　they　set　about　the　work。

Then　Cyrus　called　some　of　his　squires　and　said：

〃Tell　me；　have　any　of　you　seen　Abradatas？　I　wonder　that　he　who　used　to
come　to　me　so　often　is　nowhere　to　be　found。〃

＇3＇　Then　one　of　the　squires　made　answer；　〃My　lord；　he　is　dead：　he　fell
in　the　battle；　charging　straight　into　the　Egyptian　ranks：　the　rest；
all　but　his　own　companions；　swerved　before　their　close　array。　＇4＇　And
now；〃　he　added；　〃we　hear　that　his　wife　has　found　his　body　and　laid　it
in　her　own　car；　and　has　brought　it　here　to　the　banks　of　the　Pactolus。
＇5＇　Her　chamberlains　and　her　attendants　are　digging　a　grave　for　the
dead　man　upon　a　hill；　and　she；　they　say；　has　put　her　fairest　raiment
on　him　and　her　jewels；　and　she　is　seated　on　the　ground　with　his　head
upon　her　knees。〃

＇6＇　Then　Cyrus　smote　his　hand　upon　his　thigh　and　leapt　up　and　sprang
to　horse；　galloping　to　the　place　of　sorrow；　with　a　thousand　troopers
at　his　back。　＇7＇　He　bade　Gadatas　and　Gobryas　take　what　jewels　they
could　find　to　honour　the　dear　friend　and　brave　warrior　who　had　fallen；
and　follow　with　all　speed：　and　he　bade　the　keepers　of　the　herds；　the
cattle；　and　the　horses　drive　up　their　flocks　wherever　they　heard　he
was；　that　he　might　sacrifice　on　the　grave。

＇8＇　But　when　he　saw　Pantheia　seated　on　the　ground　and　the　dead　man
lying　there；　the　tears　ran　down　his　cheeks　and　he　cried：

〃O　noble　and　loyal　spirit；　have　you　gone　from　us？〃

Then　he　took　the　dead　man　by　the　hand；　but　the　hand　came　away　with　his
own：　it　had　been　hacked　by　an　Egyptian　blade。　＇9＇　And　when　he　saw
that；　his　sorrow　grew；　and　Pantheia　sobbed　aloud　and　took　the　hand
from　Cyrus　and　kissed　it　and　laid　it　in　its　place；　as　best　she　could；
and　said：

＇10＇　〃It　is　all　like　that；　Cyrus。　But　why　should　you　see　it？〃　And
presently　she　said；　〃All　this；　I　know；　he　suffered　for　my　sake；　and
for　yours　too；　Cyrus；　perhaps　as　much。　I　was　a　fool：　I　urged　him　so　to
bear　himself　as　became　a　faithful　friend　of　yours；　and　he；　I　know；　he
never　thought　once　of　his　own　safety；　but　only　of　what　he　might　do　to
show　his　gratitude。　Now　he　has　fallen；　without　a　stain　upon　his
valour：　and　I；　who　urged　him；　I　live　on　to　sit　beside　his　grave。〃

＇11＇　And　Cyrus　wept　silently　for　a　while；　and　then　he　said：

〃Lady；　his　end　was　the　noblest　and　the　fairest　that　could　be：　he　died
in　the　hour　of　victory。　Take　these　gifts　that　I　have　brought　and　adorn
him。〃

For　now　Gobryas　and　Gadatas　appeared　with　store　of　jewels　and　rich
apparel。　〃He　shall　not　lack　for　honour；〃　Cyrus　said；　〃many　hands　will
raise　his　monument：　it　shall　be　a　royal　one；　and　we　will　offer　such
sacrifice　as　befits　a　hero。　＇12＇　And　you；　lady；〃　he　added；　〃you　shall
not　be　left　desolate。　I　reverence　your　chastity　and　your　nobleness；
and　I　will　give　you　a　guardian　to　lead　you　withersoever　you　choose；　if
you　will　but　tell　me　to　whom　you　wish　to　go。〃

＇13＇　And　Pantheia　answered：

〃Be　at　rest；　Cyrus；　I　will　not　hide　from　you　to　whom　I　long　to　go。〃

＇14＇　Therewith　Cyrus　took　his　leave　of　her　and　went；　pitying　from　his
heart　the　woman　who　had　lost　so　brave　a　husband；　and　the　dead　man　in
his　grave；　taken　from　so　sweet　a　wife；　never　to　see　her　more。　Then
Pantheia　bade　her　chamberlains　stand　aside　〃until；〃　she　said；　〃I　have
wept　over　him　as　I　would。〃　But　she　made　her　nurse　stay　with　her　and
she　said：

〃Nurse；　when　I　am　dead；　cover　us　with　the　same　cloak。〃　And　the　nurse
entreated　and　besought　her；　but　she　could　not　move　her；　and　when　she
saw　that　she　did　but　vex　her　mistress；　she　sat　down　and　wept　in
silence。　Then　Pantheia　took　the　scimitar；　that　had　been　ready　for　her
so　long；　and　drew　it　across　her　throat；　and　dropped　her　head　upon　her
husband's　breast　and　died。　And　the　nurse　cried　bitterly；　but　she
covered　the　two　with　one　cloak　as　her　mistress　had　bidden　her。

＇15＇　And　when　Cyrus　heard　what　Pantheia　had　done　he　rushed　out　in
horror　to　see　if　he　could　save　her。　And　when　the　three　chamberlains
saw　what　had　happened　they　drew　their　own　scimitars　and　killed
themselves；　there　where　she　had　bidden　them　stand。　＇16；　17＇　And　when
Cyrus　came　to　that　place　of　sorrow；　he　looked　with　wonder　and
reverence　on　the　woman；　and　wept　for　her　and　went　his　way　and　saw　that
all　due　honour　was　paid　to　those　who　lay　there　dead；　and　a　mighty
sepulchre　was　raised　above　them；　mightier；　men　say；　than　had　been　seen
in　all　the　world　before。

＇C。4＇　After　this　the　Carians；　who　were　always　at　war　and　strife　with
one　another；　because　their　dwellings　were　fortified；　sent　to　Cyrus　and
asked　for　aid。　Cyrus　himself　was　unwilling　to　leave　Sardis；　where　he
was　having　engines　of　artillery　made　and　battering…rams　to　overthrow
the　walls　of　those　who　would　not　listen　to　him。　But　he　sent　Adousius；
a　Persian；　in　his　place；　a　man　of　sound　judgment　and　a　stout　soldier
and　withal　a　person　of　winning　presence。　He　gave　him　an　army；　and　the
Cilicians　and　Cypriotes　were　very　ready　to　serve　under　him。　＇2＇　That
was　why　Cyrus　never　sent　a　Persian　satrap　to　govern　either　Cilicia　or
Cyprus；　he　was　always　satisfied　with　the　native　kings；　only　he　exacted
tribute　and　levied　troops　whenever　he　needed　them。

＇3＇　So　Adousius　took　his　army　and　marched　into　Caria；　where　he　was　met
by　the　men　of　both　parties；　ready　to　receive　him　inside　their　walls　to
the　detriment　of　their　opponents。　Adousius　treated　each　in　exactly　the
same　way；　he　told　whichever　side　was　pleading　that　he　thought　their
case　was　just；　but　it　was　essential　that　the　others　should　not　realise
he　was　their　friend；　〃for　thus；　you　perceive；　I　will　take　them
unprepared　whenever　I　attack。〃

He　insisted　they　should　give　him　pledges　of　good　faith；　and　the
Carians　had　to　swear　they　would　receive　him　without　fraud　or　guile
within　their　walls　and　for　the　welfare　of　Cyrus　and　the　Persians；　and
on　his　side　he　was　willing　to　swear　that　he　would　enter　without　fraud
or　guile　himself　and　for　the　welfare　of　those　who　received　him。　＇4＇
Having　imposed　these　terms　on　either　party　without　the　knowledge　of
the　other；　he　fixed　on　the　same　night　with　both；　entered　the　walls；
and　had　the　strongholds　of　both　parties　in　his　hands。　At　break　of　day
he　took　his　place　in　the　midst　with　his　army；　and　sent　for　the　leading
men　on　either　side。　Thus　confronted　with　each　other　they　were　more
than　a　little　vexed；　and　both　imagined　th