pericles-第10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！


sole　cause　of　the　war。
　　They　say；　moreover；　that　ambassadors　went；　by　order；　from　Lacedaemon
to　Athens　about　this　very　business；　and　that　when　Pericles　was
urging　a　certain　law　which　made　it　illegal　to　take　down　or　withdraw
the　tablet　of　the　decree；　one　of　the　ambassadors；　Polyalces　by　name；
said；　〃Well；　do　not　take　it　down　then；　but　turn　it；　there　is　no　law；　I
suppose；　which　forbids　that；〃　which；　though　prettily　said；　did　not
move　Pericles　from　his　resolution。　There　may　have　been；　in　all
likelihood；　something　of　a　secret　grudge　and　private　animosity　which
he　had　against　the　Megarians。　Yet；　upon　a　public　and　open　charge
against　them；　that　they　had　appropriated　part　of　the　sacred　land　on
the　frontier；　he　proposed　a　decree　that　a　herald　should　be　sent　to
them；　and　the　same　also　to　the　Lacedaemonians；　with　an　accusation　of
the　Megarians；　an　order　which　certainly　shows　equitable　and　friendly
proceeding　enough。　And　after　that　the　herald　who　was　sent；　by　name
Anthemocritus；　died；　and　it　was　believed　that　the　Megarians　had
contrived　his　death；　then　Charinus　proposed　a　decree　against　them；
that　there　should　be　an　irreconcilable　and　implacable　enmity
thenceforward　betwixt　the　two　commonwealths；　and　that　if　any　one　of
the　Megarians　should　but　set　his　foot　in　Attica；　he　should　be　put　to
death；　and　that　the　commanders；　when　they　take　the　usual　oath；　should；
over　and　above　that；　swear　that　they　will　twice　every　year　make　an
inroad　into　the　Megarian　country；　and　that　Anthemocritus　should　be
buried　near　the　Thracian　Gates；　which　are　now　called　the　Dipylon；　or
Double　Gate。
　　On　the　other　hand；　the　Megarians；　utterly　denying　and　disowning
the　murder　of　Anthemocritus；　throw　the　whole　matter　upon　Aspasia　and
Pericles；　availing　themselves　of　the　famous　verses　in　the　Acharnians…

　　　　　　　　〃To　Megara　some　of　our　madcaps　ran；
　　　　　　　　　And　stole　Simaetha　thence；　their　courtesan。
　　　　　　　　　Which　exploit　the　Megarians　to　outdo；
　　　　　　　　　Came　to　Aspasia's　house；　and　took　off　two。〃

　　The　true　occasion　of　the　quarrel　is　not　so　easy　to　find　out。　But
of　inducing　the　refusal　to　annul　the　decree；　all　alike　charge
Pericles。　Some　say　he　met　the　request　with　a　positive　refusal；　out
of　high　spirit　and　a　view　of　the　state's　best　interest；　accounting
that　the　demand　made　in　those　embassies　was　designed　for　a　trial　of
their　compliance；　and　that　a　concession　would　be　taken　for　a
confession　of　weakness　as　if　they　durst　not　do　otherwise；　while
other　some　there　are　who　say　that　it　was　rather　out　of　arrogance　and　a
willful　spirit　of　contention；　to　show　his　own　strength；　that　he　took
occasion　to　slight　the　Lacedaemonians。　The　worst　motive　of　all；
which　is　confirmed　by　most　witnesses；　is　to　the　following　effect：
Phidias　the　Moulder　had；　as　has　before　been　said；　undertaken　to　make
the　statue　of　Minerva。　Now　he；　being　admitted　to　friendship　with
Pericles；　and　a　great　favourite　of　his；　had　many　enemies　upon　this
account；　who　envied　and　maligned　him；　who　also；　to　make　trial　in　a
case　of　his；　what　kind　of　judges　the　commons　would　prove；　should　there
be　occasion　to　bring　Pericles　himself　before　them；　having　tampered
with　Menon；　one　who　had　been　a　workman　with　Phidias；　stationed　him
in　the　market…place；　with　a　petition　desiring　public　security　upon　his
discovery　and　impeachment　of　Phidias。　The　people　admitting　the　man
to　tell　his　story；　and　the　prosecution　proceeding　in　the　assembly；
there　was　nothing　of　theft　or　cheat　proved　against　him；　for　Phidias；
from　the　very　first　beginning；　by　the　advice　of　Pericles；　had　so
wrought　and　wrapt　the　gold　that　was　used　in　the　work　about　the　statue；
that　they　might　take　it　all　off；　and　make　out　the　just　weight　of　it；
which　Pericles　at　that　time　bade　the　accuser　do。　But　the　reputation　of
his　works　was　what　brought　envy　upon　Phidias；　especially　that　where　he
represents　the　fight　of　the　Amazons　upon　the　goddess's　shield；　he
had　introduced　a　likeness　of　himself　as　a　bald　old　man　holding　up　a
great　stone　with　both　hands；　and　had　put　in　a　very　fine　representation
of　Pericles　fighting　with　an　Amazon。　And　the　position　of　the　hand
which　holds　out　the　spear　in　front　of　the　face；　was　ingeniously
contrived　to　conceal　in　some　degree　the　likeness；　which　meantime
showed　itself　on　either　side。
　　Phidias　then　was　carried　away　to　prison；　and　there　died　of　a
disease；　but；　as　some　say；　of　poison；　administered　by　the　enemies　of
Pericles；　to　raise　a　slander；　or　a　suspicion　at　least；　as　though　he
had　procured　it。　The　informer　Menon；　upon　Glycon's　proposal；　the
people　made　free　from　payment　of　taxes　and　customs；　and　ordered　the
generals　to　take　care　that　nobody　should　do　him　any　hurt。　About　the
same　time；　Aspasia　was　indicted　of　impiety；　upon　the　complaint　of
Hermippus　the　comedian；　who　also　laid　further　to　her　charge　that　she
received　into　her　house　freeborn　women　for　the　uses　of　Pericles。　And
Diopithes　proposed　a　decree；　that　public　accusations　should　be　laid
against　persons　who　neglected　religion；　or　taught　new　doctrines
about　things　above；　directing　suspicion；　by　means　of　Anaxagoras；
against　Pericles　himself。　The　people　receiving　and　admitting　these
accusations　and　complaints；　at　length；　by　this　means；　they　came　to
enact　a　decree；　at　the　motion　of　Dracontides；　that　Pericles　should
bring　in　the　accounts　of　the　moneys　he　had　expended；　and　lodge　them
with　the　Prytanes；　and　that　the　judges；　carrying　their　suffrage　from
the　altar　in　the　Acropolis；　should　examine　and　determine　the
business　in　the　city。　This　last　clause　Hagnon　took　out　of　the
decree；　and　moved　that　the　causes　should　be　tried　before　fifteen
hundred　jurors；　whether　they　should　be　styled　prosecutions　for
robbery；　or　bribery；　or　any　kind　of　malversation。　Aspasia；　Pericles
begged　off；　shedding；　as　Aeschines　says；　many　tears　at　the　trial；
and　personally　entreating　the　jurors。　But　fearing　how　it　might　go　with
Anaxagoras；　he　sent　him　out　of　the　city。　And　finding　that　in　Phidias's
case　he　had　miscarried　with　the　people；　being　afraid　of　impeachment；
he　kindled　the　war；　which　hitherto　had　lingered　and　smothered；　and
blew　it　up　into　a　flame；　hoping；　by　that　means；　to　disperse　and
scatter　these　complaints　and　charges；　and　to　allay　their　jealousy；　the
city　usually　throwing　herself　upon　him　alone；　and　trusting　to　his　sole
conduct；　upon　the　urgency　of　great　affairs　and　public　dangers；　by
reason　of　his　authority　and　the　sway　he　bore。
　　These　are　given　out　to　have　been　the　reasons　which　induced
Pericles　not　to　suffer　the　people　of　Athens　to　yield　to　the
proposals　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　but　their　truth　is　uncertain。
　　The　Lacedaemonians；　for　their　part；　feeling　sure　that　if　they
could　once　remove　him；　they　might　be　at　what　terms　they　pleased　with
the　Athenians；　sent　them　word　that　they　should　expel　the　〃Pollution〃
with　which　Pericles　on　the　mother's　side　was　tainted；　as　Thucydides
tells　us。　But　the　issue　proved　quite　contrary　to　what　those　who　sent
the　message　expected；　instead　of　bringing　Pericles　under　suspicion　and
reproach；　they　raised　him　into　yet　greater　credit　and　esteem　with
the　citizens；　as　a　man　whom　their　enemies　most　hated　and　feared。　In
the　same　way；　also；　before　Archidamus；　who　was　at　the　head　of　the
Peloponnesians；　made　his　invasion　into　Attica；　he　told　the　Athenians
beforehand；　that　if　Archidamus；　while　he　laid　waste　the　rest　of　the
country；　should　forbear　and　spare　his　estate；　either　on　the　ground
of　friendship　or　right　of　hospitality　that　was　betwixt　them；　or　on
purpose　to　give　his　enemies　an　occasion　of　traducing　him；　that　then　he
did　freely　bestow　upon　the　state　all　his　land　and　the　buildings　upon
it　for　the　public　use。　The　Lacedaemonians；　therefore；　and　their
allies；　with　a　great　army；　invaded　the　Athenian　territories；　under　the
conduct　of　King　Archidamus；　and　laying　waste　the　country；　marched　on
as　far　as　Acharnae；　and　there　pitched　their　camp；　presuming　that　the
Athenians　would　never　endure　that；　but　would　come　out　and　fight　them
for　their　country's　and　their　honour's　sake。　But　Pericles　looked
upon　it　as　dangerous　to　engage　in　battle；　to　the　risk　of　the　city
itself；　against　sixty　thousand　men…at…arms　of　Peloponnesians　and
Boeotians；　for　so　many　they　were　in　number　that　made　the　inroad