menexenus-第5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！



and　our　contemporaries　are　also　good；　among　whom　our　departed　friends　are

to　be　reckoned。　　Then　as　now；　and　indeed　always；　from　that　time　to　this；

speaking　generally；　our　government　was　an　aristocracya　form　of　government

which　receives　various　names；　according　to　the　fancies　of　men；　and　is

sometimes　called　democracy；　but　is　really　an　aristocracy　or　government　of

the　best　which　has　the　approval　of　the　many。　　For　kings　we　have　always　had；

first　hereditary　and　then　elected；　and　authority　is　mostly　in　the　hands　of

the　people；　who　dispense　offices　and　power　to　those　who　appear　to　be　most

deserving　of　them。　　Neither　is　a　man　rejected　from　weakness　or　poverty　or

obscurity　of　origin；　nor　honoured　by　reason　of　the　opposite；　as　in　other

states；　but　there　is　one　principlehe　who　appears　to　be　wise　and　good　is　a

governor　and　ruler。　　The　basis　of　this　our　government　is　equality　of　birth；

for　other　states　are　made　up　of　all　sorts　and　unequal　conditions　of　men；

and　therefore　their　governments　are　unequal；　there　are　tyrannies　and　there

are　oligarchies；　in　which　the　one　party　are　slaves　and　the　others　masters。

But　we　and　our　citizens　are　brethren；　the　children　all　of　one　mother；　and

we　do　not　think　it　right　to　be　one　another's　masters　or　servants；　but　the

natural　equality　of　birth　compels　us　to　seek　for　legal　equality；　and　to

recognize　no　superiority　except　in　the　reputation　of　virtue　and　wisdom。



And　so　their　and　our　fathers；　and　these；　too；　our　brethren；　being　nobly

born　and　having　been　brought　up　in　all　freedom；　did　both　in　their　public

and　private　capacity　many　noble　deeds　famous　over　the　whole　world。　　They

were　the　deeds　of　men　who　thought　that　they　ought　to　fight　both　against

Hellenes　for　the　sake　of　Hellenes　on　behalf　of　freedom；　and　against

barbarians　in　the　common　interest　of　Hellas。　　Time　would　fail　me　to　tell　of

their　defence　of　their　country　against　the　invasion　of　Eumolpus　and　the

Amazons；　or　of　their　defence　of　the　Argives　against　the　Cadmeians；　or　of

the　Heracleids　against　the　Argives；　besides；　the　poets　have　already

declared　in　song　to　all　mankind　their　glory；　and　therefore　any

commemoration　of　their　deeds　in　prose　which　we　might　attempt　would　hold　a

second　place。　　They　already　have　their　reward；　and　I　say　no　more　of　them；

but　there　are　other　worthy　deeds　of　which　no　poet　has　worthily　sung；　and

which　are　still　wooing　the　poet's　muse。　　Of　these　I　am　bound　to　make

honourable　mention；　and　shall　invoke　others　to　sing　of　them　also　in　lyric

and　other　strains；　in　a　manner　becoming　the　actors。　　And　first　I　will　tell

how　the　Persians；　lords　of　Asia；　were　enslaving　Europe；　and　how　the

children　of　this　land；　who　were　our　fathers；　held　them　back。　　Of　these　I

will　speak　first；　and　praise　their　valour；　as　is　meet　and　fitting。　　He　who

would　rightly　estimate　them　should　place　himself　in　thought　at　that　time；

when　the　whole　of　Asia　was　subject　to　the　third　king　of　Persia。　　The　first

king；　Cyrus；　by　his　valour　freed　the　Persians；　who　were　his　countrymen；　and

subjected　the　Medes；　who　were　their　lords；　and　he　ruled　over　the　rest　of

Asia；　as　far　as　Egypt；　and　after　him　came　his　son；　who　ruled　all　the

accessible　part　of　Egypt　and　Libya；　the　third　king　was　Darius；　who　extended

the　land　boundaries　of　the　empire　to　Scythia；　and　with　his　fleet　held　the

sea　and　the　islands。　　None　presumed　to　be　his　equal；　the　minds　of　all　men

were　enthralled　by　himso　many　and　mighty　and　warlike　nations　had　the

power　of　Persia　subdued。　　Now　Darius　had　a　quarrel　against　us　and　the

Eretrians；　because；　as　he　said；　we　had　conspired　against　Sardis；　and　he

sent　500；000　men　in　transports　and　vessels　of　war；　and　300　ships；　and　Datis

as　commander；　telling　him　to　bring　the　Eretrians　and　Athenians　to　the　king；

if　he　wished　to　keep　his　head　on　his　shoulders。　　He　sailed　against　the

Eretrians；　who　were　reputed　to　be　amongst　the　noblest　and　most　warlike　of

the　Hellenes　of　that　day；　and　they　were　numerous；　but　he　conquered　them　all

in　three　days；　and　when　he　had　conquered　them；　in　order　that　no　one　might

escape；　he　searched　the　whole　country　after　this　manner：　　his　soldiers；

coming　to　the　borders　of　Eretria　and　spreading　from　sea　to　sea；　joined

hands　and　passed　through　the　whole　country；　in　order　that　they　might　be

able　to　tell　the　king　that　no　one　had　escaped　them。　　And　from　Eretria　they

went　to　Marathon　with　a　like　intention；　expecting　to　bind　the　Athenians　in

the　same　yoke　of　necessity　in　which　they　had　bound　the　Eretrians。　　Having

effected　one…half　of　their　purpose；　they　were　in　the　act　of　attempting　the

other；　and　none　of　the　Hellenes　dared　to　assist　either　the　Eretrians　or　the

Athenians；　except　the　Lacedaemonians；　and　they　arrived　a　day　too　late　for

the　battle；　but　the　rest　were　panic…stricken　and　kept　quiet；　too　happy　in

having　escaped　for　a　time。　　He　who　has　present　to　his　mind　that　conflict

will　know　what　manner　of　men　they　were　who　received　the　onset　of　the

barbarians　at　Marathon；　and　chastened　the　pride　of　the　whole　of　Asia；　and

by　the　victory　which　they　gained　over　the　barbarians　first　taught　other　men

that　the　power　of　the　Persians　was　not　invincible；　but　that　hosts　of　men

and　the　multitude　of　riches　alike　yield　to　valour。　　And　I　assert　that　those

men　are　the　fathers　not　only　of　ourselves；　but　of　our　liberties　and　of　the

liberties　of　all　who　are　on　the　continent；　for　that　was　the　action　to　which

the　Hellenes　looked　back　when　they　ventured　to　fight　for　their　own　safety

in　the　battles　which　ensued：　　they　became　disciples　of　the　men　of　Marathon。　

To　them；　therefore；　I　assign　in　my　speech　the　first　place；　and　the　second

to　those　who　fought　and　conquered　in　the　sea　fights　at　Salamis　and

Artemisium；　for　of　them；　too；　one　might　have　many　things　to　sayof　the

assaults　which　they　endured　by　sea　and　land；　and　how　they　repelled　them。　　I

will　mention　only　that　act　of　theirs　which　appears　to　me　to　be　the　noblest；

and　which　followed　that　of　Marathon　and　came　nearest　to　it；　for　the　men　of

Marathon　only　showed　the　Hellenes　that　it　was　possible　to　ward　off　the

barbarians　by　land；　the　many　by　the　few；　but　there　was　no　proof　that　they

could　be　defeated　by　ships；　and　at　sea　the　Persians　retained　the　reputation

of　being　invincible　in　numbers　and　wealth　and　skill　and　strength。　　This　is

the　glory　of　the　men　who　fought　at　sea；　that　they　dispelled　the　second

terror　which　had　hitherto　possessed　the　Hellenes；　and　so　made　the　fear　of

numbers；　whether　of　ships　or　men；　to　cease　among　them。　　And　so　the　soldiers


of　Marathon　and　the　sailors　of　Salamis　became　the　schoolmasters　of　Hellas；

the　one　teaching　and　habituating　the　Hellenes　not　to　fear　the　barbarians　at

sea；　and　the　others　not　to　fear　them　by　land。　Third　in　order；　for　the

number　and　valour　of　the　combatants；　and　third　in　the　salvation　of　Hellas；

I　place　the　battle　of　Plataea。　　And　now　the　Lacedaemonians　as　well　as　the

Athenians　took　part　in　the　struggle；　they　were　all　united　in　this　greatest

and　most　terrible　conflict　of　all；　wherefore　their　virtues　will　be

celebrated　in　times　to　come；　as　they　are　now　celebrated　by　us。　　But　at　a

later　period　many　Hellenic　tribes　were　still　on　the　side　of　the　barbarians；

and　there　was　a　report　that　the　great　king　was　going　to　make　a　new　attempt

upon　the　Hellenes；　and　therefore　justice　requires　that　we　should　also　make

mention　of　those　who　crowned　the　previous　work　of　our　salvation；　and　drove

and　purged　away　all　barbarians　from　the　sea。　　These　were　the　men　who　fought

by　sea　at　the　river　Eurymedon；　and　who　went　on　the　expedition　to　Cyprus；

and　who　sailed　to　Egypt　and　divers　other　places；　and　they　should　be

gratefully　remembered　by　us；　because　they　compelled　the　king　in　fear　for

himself　to　look　to　his　own　safety　instead　of　plotting　the　destruction　of

Hellas。



And　so　the　war　against　the　barbarians　was　fought　out　to　the　end　by　the

whole　city　on　their　own　behalf；　and　on　behalf　of　their　countrymen。　　There

was　peace；　and　our　city　was　held　in　honour；　and　then；　as　prosperity　makes

men　jealous；　there　succee