agesilaus-第9章

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　　　　ix。　429。







＇9＇　Lit。　〃all　the　barbarians。〃







＇10＇　See　〃Econ。〃　i。　23。







Again；　if　it　is　a　sacred　duty　to　hate　the　Persian；　who　of　old　set　out



on　a　campaign　to　enslave　Hellas；　the　Persian；　who　to…day　makes



alliance　with　these　（no　matter　to　him　which　the　party；　provided　it



will　help　him　to　work　the　greater　mischief＇11＇）；　or　gives　presents　to



those　（who　will　take　them　and　do　the　greatest　harm　to　his　foes　the



Hellenes）；　or　else　concocts　a　peace　that　shall　presently　involve　us　in



internecine　war；　as　he　anticipates：but　why　dwell　on　facts　so　patent？



I　ask；　did　ever　Hellene　before　Agesilaus　so　enter　heart　and　soul



upon　his　duty；　whether　it　were　to　help　some　tribe　to　throw　off　the



Persian　yoke；　or　to　save　from　destruction　a　revolted　district；　or　if



nothing　else；　at　any　rate　to　saddle　the　Persian　with　such　troubles　of



his　own　that　he　should　cease　to　trouble　Hellas？　An　ardent　hater　of



Persia　surely　was　he；　who；　when　his　own　country　was　at　war　with



Hellenes；　did　not　neglect　the　common　good　of　Hellas；　but　set　sail　to



wreak　what　harm　he　might　upon　the　barbarians。＇12＇







＇11＇　Or；　〃the　worse　the　mischief　he　can　work；　the　better　the　side。〃







＇12＇　See　Isocr。　〃Ep。〃　ix。　〃To　Archidamus；〃　S。　11…14。



















VIII







To　turn　to　another　side；　that　grace　of　manner　which　was　his；　claims



more　than　passing　recognition。　Here　was　a　man　to　whom　honour　was



vouchsafed　and　power　present；　and　who；　to　crown　all　else；　held　in　his



hands　the　sceptre　of　sovereigntya　kingship　not　plotted　against；　but



respected　and　beloved。　Yet　there　was　no　trace　of　arrogance　to　be　seen



in　him；　but　of　tender　affection　and　courteous　service　to　his　friends



proof　in　abundance　without　seeking。　Witness　the　zest　with　which　he



shared　in　the　round　of　lovers'　talk；＇1＇　the　zeal　with　which　he　threw



himself　into　the　serious　concerns＇2＇　of　friends。　By　dint　of　a　hopeful



and　cheery　disposition　and　unflagging　gaiety　of　heart　he　attracted　to



his　side　a　throng　of　visitors；　who　came；　not　simply　for　the



transaction　of　some　private　interest；　but　rather　to　pass　away　the　day



in　pleasant　sort。　Though　little　apt　himself　to　use　high…swelling



words；　it　did　not　annoy　him　to　hear　others　sounding　their　own　praises；



which　he　regarded　as　a　harmless　weakness；　the　pledge　at　least　of　high



endeavour＇3＇　in　the　future。







＇1＇　See　〃Hell。〃　V。　iii。　20；　〃Cyrop。〃　I。　iv。　27；　〃Econ。〃　ii。　7；　Plut。



　　　　〃Ages。〃　ii。；　xx。；　Lyc。　xx。







＇2＇　Or；　〃he　would　discuss　graver　matters；　according　to　the　humour　of



　　　　his　friends。〃







＇3＇　Or；　〃of　courageous　conduct；〃　〃noble　manhood。〃







But　that　he　was　capable　of　lofty　sentiment　and　at　the　right　season



must　not　be　overlooked。　Thus　when　a　letter　reached　him　from　the　king



（I　speak　of　that　which　was　brought　by　the　Persian　agent　in　company



with　Calleas＇4＇　of　Lacedaemon；　proposing　terms　of　hospitality　and



friendship　with　the　Persian　monarch）；　he　disdained　to　accept　it；



telling　the　bearer　to　take　back　to　the　king　this　answer：　〃He　need　not



be　at　pains　to　send　him　letters　in　private；　but　if　he　could　prove



himself　a　friend　to　Lacedaemon　and　the　well…wisher　of　Hellas　he　should



have　no　cause　to　blame　the　ardour　of　his　friendship；〃　but　added；　〃if



your　king　be　detected　plotting；　let　him　not　think　to　find　a　friend　in



me。　No；　not　if　he　sends　me　a　thousand　letters。〃　For　my　part；　then；　I



hold　it　praiseworthy　that；　by　comparison　with　pleasing　his　fellow…



Hellenes；　Agesilaus　scorned　such　friendship。　And　this；　too；　among　his



tenets　I　find　admirable：　the　truer　title　to　self…congratulation



belonged　not　to　the　millionaire；　the　master　of　many　legions；　but　to



him　rather；　who；　being　himself　a　better　man；　commanded　the　allegience



of　better　followers。







＇4＇　See　〃Hell。〃　IV。　i。　15；　Plut。　〃Apophth。　Lac。〃　p。　777；　Grote；　〃H。



　　　　G。〃　x。　402。







And　this；　in　proof　of　mental　forecast；　I　must　needs　praise　in　him。



Holding　to　the　belief　that　the　more　satraps　there　were　who　revolted



from　the　king　the　surer　the　gain　to　Hellas；　he　did　not　suffer　himself



to　be　seduced；　either　by　gifts　or　by　the　mightiness　in　his　power；　to



be　drawn　into　bonds　of　friendship　with　the　king；　but　took　precaution



rather　not　to　abuse　their　confidence　who　were　willing　to　revolt。







And　lastly；　as　beyond　all　controversy　admirable；　note　this　contrast：



First；　the　Persian；　who；　believing　that　in　the　multitude　of　his　riches



he　had　power　to　lay　all　things　under　his　feet；　would　fain　have　swept



into　his　coffers　all　the　gold　and　all　the　silver　of　mankind：　for　him；



and　him　alone；　the　costliest　and　most　precious　things　of　earth。　And



then　this　other；　who　contrariwise　so　furnished　his　establishment　as　to



be　totally　independent　of　every　adventitious　aid。＇5＇　And　if　any　one



doubts　the　statement；　let　him　look　and　see　with　what　manner　of



dwelling…place　he　was　contented；　let　him　view　the　palace　doors：　these



are　the　selfsame　doors；　he　might　well　imagine；　which　Aristodemus；＇6＇



the　great…great…grandson　of　Heracles；　took　and　set　up　in　the　days　of



the　return。　Let　him　endeavour　to　view　the　furniture　inside；　there　he



will　perceive　how　the　king　feasted　on　high　holy　days；　and　he　will　hear



how　the　king's　own　daughter　was　wont　to　drive　to　Amyclae　in　a　public



basket…carriage。＇7＇　Thus　it　was　that　by　the　adjustment　of　expenditure



to　income　he　was　never　driven　to　the　commission　of　any　unjust　deed　for



money's　sake。　And　yet　if　it　be　a　fine　thing　to　hold　a　fortress



impregnable　to　attck；　I　count　it　a　greater　glory　that　a　man　should



hold　the　fortress　of　his　soul　inviolable　against　the　assaults　of



riches；　pleasures；　fears。







＇5＇　Or；　〃of　all　such　external　needs。〃







＇6＇　See　Herod。　vi。　52。







＇7＇　See　Plut。　〃Ages。〃　xix。　（Clough；　iv。　p。　23）；　the　words　｛e　thugater



　　　　autou｝　were　supplied　from　this　passage　by　Casaubon。



















IX







I　will　here　state　to　what　extent　the　style　of　living　which　he



presented　stands　out　in　striking　contrast　to　the　ostentatious　manner



of　the　Persian。＇1＇　In　the　first　place；　if　the　latter　made　a　solemn



affectation　of　being　but　seldom　seen；　Agesilaus　delighted　to　live　in



the　eye　of　day；　believing　that　seclusion　might　accord　well　enough　as　a



screen　for　shameless　conduct；　but　to　a　life　of　nobleness　and　beauty＇2＇



heaven's　light　added　new　ornament。＇3＇　And　next；　if　the　one　prided



himself　on　being　unapproachable；　the　other　rejoiced　in　being



accessible　to　all　the　world；　the　one；　with　his　airs　and　graces；　was



pleased　to　transact　business　slowly；　the　other　was　never　so　happy　as



when　he　could　satisfy　the　demands　of　a　petitioner　without　waste　of



time。＇4＇







＇1＇　Or；　〃how　he　presented　his　own　manner　in　antithesis　to　the　false



　　　　pretences　of　the　Persian。〃　For　｛alazoneia｝　see　〃Mem。〃　I。　vii。　1；



　　　　Aristot。　〃N。　E。〃　iv。　7；　Theophr。　〃Char。〃　vi。







＇2＇　Lit。　〃a　life　striving　towards　beauteousness。〃







＇3＇　Or；　〃added　but　greater　lustre。〃







＇4＇　Lit。　〃could　satisfy　and　dismiss　his　petitioners　without　delay。〃







Again；　it　is　worthy　of　observation　how　much　easier　and　simpler　to



satisfy　was　the　standard　of　comfort　which　the　Spartan　aimed　at。＇5＇　For



the　Persian；　men　must　compass　sea　and　land　to　discover　some　beverage



which　he　will　care　to　drink；　he　needs　ten　thousand　pastrycooks　to



supply　the　kick…shaws　he　will　deign　to　eat；　and　to　procure　him　the



blessing　of　sleep　no　tongue　can　describe　what　a　world　of　trouble　must



be　taken。　But　Agesilaus　was　a　lover　of　toil；　and　therefore　not　so



dainty；　the　meanest　beverage　was　sweet　to　his　lips；　and　pleasant