agesilaus-第8章

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from　hearsay；　by　the　evidence　of　men's　eyes　his　valour　stood　approved。







＇1＇　Or；　〃visible　signs　of　the　spirit；〃　etc。　See　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　xxxvi。







And　amongst　these　we　must　not　deem　them　trophies　alone　which　he



actually　set　up；　but　reckon　the　many　campaigns　which　he　undertook；



since　they　were　victories　truly；　even　when　the　enemy　refused　to



encounter　him；　victories　devoid　of　danger；　yet　fraught　with　even　more



solid　advantage　to　the　state　of　Sparta　and　her　fellow…combatants；　just



as　in　our　games　we　crown　as　victor　him　who　walks　over　the　field＇2＇　no



less　than　him　who　conquers　by　dint　of　battle。







＇2＇　Or；　〃without　striking　a　blow。〃　Lit。　〃without　the　dust　of　the



　　　　arena；　'sine　pulvere。'〃　See　Thuc。　iv。　73；　｛akoniti｝。







And　to　speak　next　of　his　wisdom；＇3＇　I　suppose　there　is　not　one　of　all



his　doings　but　must　illustrate　it；this　man　whose　bearing　towards　his



fatherland　was　such　that　by　dint　of　implicit　obedience　＇he　grew　to　so



greate　a　height　of　power＇；＇4＇　whose　zeal　in　the　service　of　his



comrades　won　for　him　the　unhesitating　attachment　of　his　friends；　who



infused　into　the　hearts　of　his　soldiers　a　spirit；　not　of　discipline



only；　but　of　self…devotion　to　their　chief。　And　yet　surely　that　is　the



strongest　of　all　battle…lines＇5＇　in　which　obedience　creates　tactical



efficieny；　and　alacrity　in　the　field　springs　out　of　loyal　affection



for　the　general。







＇3＇　Or；　〃his　sagacity。〃







＇4＇　The　words　｛pleiston　iskhue｝　are　supplied　from　Plutarch　（〃Ages。〃



　　　　iv。）；　who　quotes　the　passage；　〃What　Xenophon　tells　us　of　him；　that



　　　　by　complying　with；　and；　as　it　were；　ruled　by　his　country；　he　grew



　　　　into　such　great　power　with　them；　that　he　could　do　what　he　pleased；



　　　　is　meant；〃　etc。　（Clough；　iv。　p。　4）。　The　lacuna　in　the　MS。　was



　　　　first　noted；　I　believe；　by　Weiske。　See　Breitenbach's　note　ad　loc。







＇5＇　See　〃Cyrop。〃　VII。　i。　30；　〃Econ。〃　xxi。　7。







Enemies　he　had　to　cope　with；　who　had　little　excuse　to　disparage；



however　much　they　might　be　compelled　to　hate　their　opponent；　seeing



that　he　was　for　ever　contriving　to　give　his　allies　some　advantage　over



themby　sheer　deception；　if　occasion　offered；　now　anticipating　them



if　speed　were　requisite；　now　skulking　in　corners　if　concealment



served；　in　all　points　observing　one　rule　of　behaviour　to　his　friends



and　another　towards　his　foes。　By　turning　night　into　day　and　day　into



night＇6＇　he　drew　so　close　a　veil　of　mystery　over　his　movements　that



frequently　there　was　no　saying　where　he　was；　or　whither　he　would　go；



or　what　he　might　do　next。　The　fastnesses　of　the　enemy　he　transformed



into　so　many　weaknesses；＇7＇　passing　this　one　by；　and　scaling　that；　and



stealing　like　a　thief　into　a　third。







＇6＇　See　〃Hell。〃　VI。　i。　15；　〃Pol。　Lac。〃　v。　7；　〃Cyrop。〃　I。　v。　12。







＇7＇　Or；　〃the　strongholds　of　the　enemy　might　to　all　intents　and



　　　　purposes　have　been　open　places。〃







When　he　was　on　the　march；　and　was　well　aware　that　an　enemy　might；　if



he　chose；　deliver　battle；　his　habit　was　to　lead　his　troops　in　compact



battle　order　ready　to　confront　emergencies；　with　soft；　slow　step；



advancing；　as　it　were；　with　maidenly　demureness；＇8＇　for　in　such



procedure；　as　he　believed；　lay　the　secret　of　true　calm；　engendering　a



dauntless　self…assurance；　imperturbable；　unerring；　impervious　to



treacherous　assault。　Therefore　by　such　behaviour　he　was　a　terror　to



the　enemy；　whilst　he　infused　courage　and　strength　in　the　hearts　of　his



friends；　so　that　throughout　his　life　he　continued　to　be　a　man　whom　his



foes　dared　not　despise；　whom　his　fellow…citizens　cared　not　to　arraign；



within　the　circle　of　his　friends　held　blameless；　the　idol　and



admiration　of　the　outer　world。＇9＇







＇8＇　See　above；　ii。　3；　〃Pol。　Lac。〃　iii。　5。







＇9＇　Cf。　Tacitus's　phrase　concerning　Titus；　〃deliciae　humani　generis。〃























VII







To　describe　his　patriotism＇1＇　point　by　point　in　detail　were　a　tedious



story；　since；　as　I　suppose；　there　is　not　one　of　his　several



achievements　but　must　finally　resolve　itself　into　that。　For；　to　put　it



briefly；　we　all　know　well　that　where　Agesilaus　expected　in　any　way　to



benefit　his　country　there　was　no　toil　he　shrank　from；　no　danger　he



avoided；　no　money　he　stinted；　no　excuse　whether　of　age　or　body　he



admitted；　but　deemed　it　ever　the　true　function　of　a　good　king＇2＇　to



shower　blessings　to　the　utmost　on　the　subjects　of　his　rule。







＇1＇　Lit。　〃love　for　his　own　city。〃







＇2＇　Or；　〃regarded　it　as　the　cardinal　virtue　of　a　real　prince。〃　See



　　　　〃Mem。〃　III。　ii。　3。







And　for　my　part　I　hold　it　as　chief　among　the　magnificent　benefits　so



conferred　by　him　upon　his　country　that；　being　the　most　powerful　member



of　the　state；　he　made　no　secret　of　his　absolute　submission　to　the



laws；＇3＇　since　what　lesser　man；　seeing　the　king's　obedience；　would



take＇4＇　on　himself　to　disobey？　Who；　in　discontentment　at　his　own　poor



lot；　would　venture　on　revolution；　knowing　that　the　king　himself　could



condescend　to　constitutional　control？　And　that；　too；　a　king　who　bore



himself　towards　political　opponents　with　a　paternal　mildness。＇5＇　If　he



rebuked　them　sharply　for　their　misdemeanours；　he　none　the　less



honoured　their　high　endeavours；　and　proved　himself　a　present　help　to



them　in　time　of　trouble。＇6＇　No　citizen　could　be　his　personal　foe；　of



that　he　was　assured。　His　desire　was　to　commend　them　one　and　all　alike；



counting　the　common　salvation　of　all　a　gain；　and　reckoning　it　as　a



loss　if　even　a　mean　man　perished。　For　thus　he　reasoned；　nor　made　a



secret　of　the　conclusion　he　had　come　to：　so　long　as　her　citizens



continued　tranquilly　adherent　to　the　laws　the　happiness　of　Sparta　was



secure。＇7＇　And　for　the　rest　Sparta　would　once　again　be　strong　on　that



day　when　the　states　of　Hellas　should　learn　wisdom。







＇3＇　Or；　〃he　was　at　the　same　time　the　most　obvious　in　his　allegiance　to



　　　　the　laws。〃







＇4＇　Lit。　〃would　have　taken　on　himself　。　。　。　would　have　ventured　on



　　　　revolution。〃







＇5＇　Lit。　〃as　a　father　to　his　children。〃







＇6＇　Or；　〃and　was　ready　to　stand　by　their　side　in　time　of　trouble。〃







＇7＇　Or；　〃For　this　was　the　clear　tenor　of　his　thought；　that　by　tranquil



　　　　continuance　within　the　laws　the　citizens　of　Sparta　might　secure



　　　　her　happiness。　And　as　to　power；　Sparta；　etc。〃　See　〃Mem。〃　II。　vi。



　　　　27。







And　if；　by　admission；　it　is　noble　for　every　Hellene　to　be　a　lover　of



his　fellow…Hellenes；　yet　we　must　fare　far　afield　to　find　another



instance　of　a　general　who；　expecting　to　sack　some　city；　would　have



refused　to　seize　the　prize；　or　who　regarded　victory　in　a　war　waged



against　fellow…Hellenes　as　a　species　of　calamity。　Yet　this　man　when　a



message　was　brought　him　concerning　the　battle　at　Corinth；＇8＇　in　which



but　eight　Lacedaemonians　had　fallen；　but　of　their　opponents　ten



thousand　nearly；　showed　no　sign　of　exultation；　but　sighed；　saying；



〃Alas　for　Hellas！　since　those　who　now　lie　in　their　graves；　were　able；



had　they　lived；　to　conquer　the　hosts　of　Asia。〃＇9＇　Again；　when　some



Corinthian　exiles　informed　him　that　their　city　was　ripe　for　surrender；



and　showed　him　the　engines　by　which　they　were　confident　they　would



take　the　walls；　he　refused　to　make　the　assault；　saying　that　Hellene



cities　ought　not　to　be　reduced　to　slavery；　but　brought　back　to　a



better　mind；＇10＇　and　added；　〃For　if　we　lop　off　our　offending　members；



haply　we　may　deprive　ourselves　of　the　means　to　master　the　barbarians。〃







＇8＇　B。C。　394。　See　〃Hell。〃　IV。　ii。　9…23；　Diod。　xiv。　83；　Grote；　〃H。　G。〃



　　　　ix。　429。







＇9＇　Lit。　〃all　the　ba