贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > agesilaus >

第2章

agesilaus-第2章

小说: agesilaus 字数: 每页4000字

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!






prepare for active service; and to the several cities which lay on the



line of march to Caria; the order sped to have their markets in



readiness; while to the men of Ionia and the Aeolid and the Hellespont



he sent despatches bidding them send their contingents to Ephesus to



join in the campaign。







'8' Lit。 〃When Tissaphernes; priding himself 。 。 。 bade Agesilaus be



    gone 。 。 。 deep was the annoyance felt。〃







Tissaphernes meanwhile was influenced by the fact that Agesilaus had



no cavalry; and that Caria was a hilly district unsuited for that arm。



Moreover; as he further bethought him; Agesilaus must needs be wroth



with him for his deceit。 What could be clearer; therefore; than that



he was about to make a dash at the satrap's home in Caria? Accordingly



he transported the whole of his infantry into Caria and marched his



cavalry round the while into the plain of the Maeander; persuaded that



he would trample the Hellenes under the hoofs of his horses long



before they reached the district where no cavalry could operate。







But Agesilaus; instead of advancing upon Caria; turned right about and



marched in the direction of Phrygia。 Picking up the various forces



that met him on his progress; he passed onwards; laying city after



city at his feet; and by the suddenness of his incursion capturing



enormous wealth。







Here was an achievement which showed the genius of a general; as all



agreed。 When once war as declared; and the arts of circumvention and



deceit were thereby justified; he had proved Tissaphernes to be a very



bade in subtlety;'9' and with what sagacity again did he turn the



circumstances to account for the enrichment of his friends。 Owing to



the quantity of wealth captured; precious things were selling for a



mere song。 Thereupon he gave his friends warning to make their



purchases; adding that he should at once march down to the sea…coast



at the head of his troops。 The quartermasters meanwhile received



orders to make a note of the purchasers with the prices of the



articles; and to consign the goods。 The result was that; without prior



disbursement on their part; or detriment to the public treasury; his



friends reaped an enormous harvest。 Moreover; when deserters came with



offers to disclose hidden treasures; and naturally enough laid their



proposal before the king himself; he took care to have the capture of



these treasures effected by his friends; which would enable them to do



a stroke of business; and at the same time redound to their prestige。



For this reason he was not long in discovering many an eager aspirant



to his friendship。







'9' See below; xi。 4; 〃Mem。〃 III。 i。 6; IV。 ii。 15; 〃Cyrop。〃 I。 vi。



    31; Plut。 〃Ages。〃 xi。 (Clough; iv。 10)。







But a country pillaged and denuded of inhabitants would not long



support an army。 That he felt。 A more perennial source of supply was



surely to be found in waving cornfields and thickly clustering



homesteads。 So with infinite pains he set himself not merely to crush



his foes by force; but also to win them to his side by gentleness。 In



this spirit he often enjoined upon his soldiers to guard their



captives as fellow…men rather than take vengeance upon them as



evildoers;'10' or; on a change of quarters; if aware of little



children left behind by the dealers (since the men often sold them in



the belief that it would be impossible to carry them away and rear



them); he would show concern in behalf of these poor waifs and have



them conveyed to some place of safety; or he would entrust them to the



care of fellow…prisoners also left behind on account of old age; in no



case must they be left to ravening dogs and wolves。 In this way he won



the goodwill not only of those who heard tell of these doings but of



the prisoners themselves。 And whenever he brought over a city to his



side; he set the citizens free from the harsher service of a bondsman



to his lord; imposing the gentler obedience of a freeman to his ruler。



Indeed; there were fortresses impregnable to assault which he brought



under his power by the subtler force of human kindness。







'10' See Grote; vol。 ix。 p。 365 foll。







But when; in Phrygia even; the freedom of his march along the flats



was hampered by the cavalry of Pharnabazus; he saw that if he wished



to avoid a skulking warfare under cover; a force of cavalry was



indispensable。 Accordingly he enlisted the wealthiest members of every



city in those parts to breed and furnish horses; with this saving



clause; however: that the individual who furnished a horse and arms



with a good rider should be exempt from service himself。 By this means



he engendered an eagerness to discharge the obligation; not unlike



that of the condemned man; casting about to discover some one to die



in his place。'11' He further ordered some of the states themselves to



furnish contingents of mounted troopers; and this in the conviction



that from such training…centres he would presently get a pick of



cavaliers proud of their horsemanship。 And thus once more he won



golden opinions by the skill with which he provided himself with a



body of cavalry in the plenitude of strength and ripe for active



service。







'11' Instead of the plain {zetoie} of the parallel passage (〃Hell。〃



    III。 iv。 15) the encomiast prefers the poetical {masteuoi}。







On the approach of early spring'12' he collected his whole armament at



Ephesus; and set himself to the work of training it。 With that object



he proposed a series of prizes: one set for the cavalry squadron which



rode best; another for the heavy infantry divisions which presented



the best physique; another again for various light troops; peltasts;



and bowmen; which showed themselves most efficient in their respective



duties。







'12' B。C。 395; see 〃Hell。〃 III。 iv。 16; Plut。 〃Marcel。〃 (Clough; ii。



    262); Polyb。 xii。 20; 7。







Thereupon it was a sight to see the gymnasiums thronged with warriors



going through their exercises; the racecourses crowded with troopers



on prancing steeds; the archers and the javelin men shooting at the



butts。 Nay; the whole city in which he lay was transformed into a



spectacle itself; so filled to overflowing was the market…place with



arms and armour of every sort; and horses; all for sale。 Here were



coppersmiths and carpenters; ironfounders and cobblers; painters and



decoratorsone and all busily engaged in fabricating the implements



of war; so that an onlooker might have thought the city of Ephesus



itself a gigantic arsenal。 It would have kindled courage in the breast



of a coward to see the long lines of soldiers; with Agesilaus at their



head; all garlanded as they marched in proud procession from the



gymnasiums and dedicated their wreaths to our Lady Artemis。 Since;



where these three elements existreverence towards heaven; practice



in military affairs; and obedience to commandall else must needs be



full of happy promise。







But seeing that contempt for the foe is calculated to infuse a certain



strength in face of battle; he ordered his criers to strip naked the



barbarians captured by his foraging parties; and so to sell them。 The



soldiers who saw the white skins of these folk; unused to strip for



toil; soft and sleek and lazy…looking; as of people who could only



stir abroad in carriages; concluded that a war with women would



scarcely be more formidable。 Then he published a further order to the



soldiers: 〃I shall lead you at once by the shortest route to the



stronghold'13' of the enemy's territory。 Your g

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的