menexenus-第6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！



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

men　jealous；　there　succeeded　a　jealousy　of　her；　and　jealousy　begat　envy；

and　so　she　became　engaged　against　her　will　in　a　war　with　the　Hellenes。　　On

the　breaking　out　of　war；　our　citizens　met　the　Lacedaemonians　at　Tanagra；

and　fought　for　the　freedom　of　the　Boeotians；　the　issue　was　doubtful；　and

was　decided　by　the　engagement　which　followed。　　For　when　the　Lacedaemonians

had　gone　on　their　way；　leaving　the　Boeotians；　whom　they　were　aiding；　on　the

third　day　after　the　battle　of　Tanagra；　our　countrymen　conquered　at

Oenophyta；　and　righteously　restored　those　who　had　been　unrighteously

exiled。　　And　they　were　the　first　after　the　Persian　war　who　fought　on　behalf

of　liberty　in　aid　of　Hellenes　against　Hellenes；　they　were　brave　men；　and

freed　those　whom　they　aided；　and　were　the　first　too　who　were　honourably

interred　in　this　sepulchre　by　the　state。　　Afterwards　there　was　a　mighty

war；　in　which　all　the　Hellenes　joined；　and　devastated　our　country；　which

was　very　ungrateful　of　them；　and　our　countrymen；　after　defeating　them　in　a

naval　engagement　and　taking　their　leaders；　the　Spartans；　at　Sphagia；　when

they　might　have　destroyed　them；　spared　their　lives；　and　gave　them　back；　and

made　peace；　considering　that　they　should　war　with　the　fellow…countrymen

only　until　they　gained　a　victory　over　them；　and　not　because　of　the　private

anger　of　the　state　destroy　the　common　interest　of　Hellas；　but　that　with

barbarians　they　should　war　to　the　death。　　Worthy　of　praise　are　they　also

who　waged　this　war；　and　are　here　interred；　for　they　proved；　if　any　one

doubted　the　superior　prowess　of　the　Athenians　in　the　former　war　with　the

barbarians；　that　their　doubts　had　no　foundationshowing　by　their　victory

in　the　civil　war　with　Hellas；　in　which　they　subdued　the　other　chief　state

of　the　Hellenes；　that　they　could　conquer　single…handed　those　with　whom　they

had　been　allied　in　the　war　against　the　barbarians。　　After　the　peace　there

followed　a　third　war；　which　was　of　a　terrible　and　desperate　nature；　and　in

this　many　brave　men　who　are　here　interred　lost　their　livesmany　of　them

had　won　victories　in　Sicily；　whither　they　had　gone　over　the　seas　to　fight

for　the　liberties　of　the　Leontines；　to　whom　they　were　bound　by　oaths；　but；

owing　to　the　distance；　the　city　was　unable　to　help　them；　and　they　lost

heart　and　came　to　misfortune；　their　very　enemies　and　opponents　winning　more

renown　for　valour　and　temperance　than　the　friends　of　others。　　Many　also

fell　in　naval　engagements　at　the　Hellespont；　after　having　in　one　day　taken

all　the　ships　of　the　enemy；　and　defeated　them　in　other　naval　engagements。　

And　what　I　call　the　terrible　and　desperate　nature　of　the　war；　is　that　the

other　Hellenes；　in　their　extreme　animosity　towards　the　city；　should　have

entered　into　negotiations　with　their　bitterest　enemy；　the　king　of　Persia；

whom　they；　together　with　us；　had　expelled；him；　without　us；　they　again

brought　back；　barbarian　against　Hellenes；　and　all　the　hosts；　both　of

Hellenes　and　barbarians；　were　united　against　Athens。　　And　then　shone　forth

the　power　and　valour　of　our　city。　　Her　enemies　had　supposed　that　she　was

exhausted　by　the　war；　and　our　ships　were　blockaded　at　Mitylene。　　But　the

citizens　themselves　embarked；　and　came　to　the　rescue　with　sixty　other

ships；　and　their　valour　was　confessed　of　all　men；　for　they　conquered　their

enemies　and　delivered　their　friends。　　And　yet　by　some　evil　fortune　they

were　left　to　perish　at　sea；　and　therefore　are　not　interred　here。　　Ever　to

be　remembered　and　honoured　are　they；　for　by　their　valour　not　only　that　sea…

fight　was　won　for　us；　but　the　entire　war　was　decided　by　them；　and　through

them　the　city　gained　the　reputation　of　being　invincible；　even　though

attacked　by　all　mankind。　　And　that　reputation　was　a　true　one；　for　the

defeat　which　came　upon　us　was　our　own　doing。　　We　were　never　conquered　by

others；　and　to　this　day　we　are　still　unconquered　by　them；　but　we　were　our

own　conquerors；　and　received　defeat　at　our　own　hands。　　Afterwards　there　was

quiet　and　peace　abroad；　but　there　sprang　up　war　at　home；　and；　if　men　are

destined　to　have　civil　war；　no　one　could　have　desired　that　his　city　should

take　the　disorder　in　a　milder　form。　　How　joyful　and　natural　was　the

reconciliation　of　those　who　came　from　the　Piraeus　and　those　who　came　from

the　city；　with　what　moderation　did　they　order　the　war　against　the　tyrants

in　Eleusis；　and　in　a　manner　how　unlike　what　the　other　Hellenes　expected！　

And　the　reason　of　this　gentleness　was　the　veritable　tie　of　blood；　which

created　among　them　a　friendship　as　of　kinsmen；　faithful　not　in　word　only；

but　in　deed。　　And　we　ought　also　to　remember　those　who　then　fell　by　one

another's　hands；　and　on　such　occasions　as　these　to　reconcile　them　with

sacrifices　and　prayers；　praying　to　those　who　have　power　over　them；　that

they　may　be　reconciled　even　as　we　are　reconciled。　　For　they　did　not　attack

one　another　out　of　malice　or　enmity；　but　they　were　unfortunate。　　And　that

such　was　the　fact　we　ourselves　are　witnesses；　who　are　of　the　same　race　with

them；　and　have　mutually　received　and　granted　forgiveness　of　what　we　have

done　and　suffered。　　After　this　there　was　perfect　peace；　and　the　city　had

rest；　and　her　feeling　was　that　she　forgave　the　barbarians；　who　had　severely

suffered　at　her　hands　and　severely　retaliated；　but　that　she　was　indignant

at　the　ingratitude　of　the　Hellenes；　when　she　remembered　how　they　had

received　good　from　her　and　returned　evil；　having　made　common　cause　with　the

barbarians；　depriving　her　of　the　ships　which　had　once　been　their　salvation；

and　dismantling　our　walls；　which　had　preserved　their　own　from　falling。　　She

thought　that　she　would　no　longer　defend　the　Hellenes；　when　enslaved　either

by　one　another　or　by　the　barbarians；　and　did　accordingly。　　This　was　our

feeling；　while　the　Lacedaemonians　were　thinking　that　we　who　were　the

champions　of　liberty　had　fallen；　and　that　their　business　was　to　subject　the

remaining　Hellenes。　　And　why　should　I　say　more？　for　the　events　of　which　I

am　speaking　happened　not　long　ago　and　we　can　all　of　us　remember　how　the

chief　peoples　of　Hellas；　Argives　and　Boeotians　and　Corinthians；　came　to

feel　the　need　of　us；　and；　what　is　the　greatest　miracle　of　all；　the　Persian

king　himself　was　driven　to　such　extremity　as　to　come　round　to　the　opinion；

that　from　this　city；　of　which　he　was　the　destroyer；　and　from　no　other；　his

salvation　would　proceed。



And　if　a　person　desired　to　bring　a　deserved　accusation　against　our　city；　he

would　find　only　one　charge　which　he　could　justly　urgethat　she　was　too

compassionate　and　too　favourable　to　the　weaker　side。　　And　in　this　instance

she　was　not　able　to　hold　out　or　keep　her　resolution　of　refusing　aid　to　her

injurers　when　they　were　being　enslaved；　but　she　was　softened；　and　did　in

fact　send　out　aid；　and　delivered　the　Hellenes　from　slavery；　and　they　were

free　until　they　afterwards　enslaved　themselves。　　Whereas；　to　the　great　king

she　refused　to　give　the　assistance　of　the　state；　for　she　could　not　forget

the　trophies　of　Marathon　and　Salamis　and　Plataea；　but　she　allowed　exiles

and　volunteers　to　assist　him；　and　they　were　his　salvation。　　And　she

herself；　when　she　was　compelled；　entered　into　the　war；　and　built　walls　and

ships；　and　fought　with　the　Lacedaemonians　on　behalf　of　the　Parians。　　Now

the　king　fearing　this　city　and　wanting　to　stand　aloof；　when　he　saw　the

Lacedaemonians　growing　weary　of　the　war　at　sea；　asked　of　us；　as　the　price

of　his　alliance　with　us　and　the　other　allies；　to　give　up　the　Hellenes　in

Asia；　whom　the　Lacedaemonians　had　previously　handed　over　to　him；　he

thinking　that　we　should　refuse；　and　that　then　he　might　have　a　pretence　for

withdrawing　from　us。　　About　the　other　allies　he　was　mistaken；　for　the

Corinthians　and　Argives　and　Boeotians；　and　the　other　states；　were　quite

willing　to　let　them　go；　and　swore　and　covenanted；　that；　if　he　would　pay

them　money；　they　would　make　over　to　him　the　Hellenes　of　the　continent；　and

we　alone　refused　to　give