pericles-第3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！


Pericles；　however；　to　avoid　any　feeling　of　commonness；　or　any
satiety　on　the　part　of　the　people；　presented　himself　at　intervals
only；　not　speaking　to　every　business；　nor　at　all　times　coming　into　the
assembly；　but；　as　Critolaus　says；　reserving　himself；　like　the
Salaminian　galley；　for　great　occasions；　while　matters　of　lesser
importance　were　despatched　by　friends　or　other　speakers　under　his
direction。　And　of　this　number　we　are　told　Ephialtes　made　one；　who
broke　the　power　of　the　council　of　Areopagus；　giving　the　people；
according　to　Plato's　expression；　so　copious　and　so　strong　a　draught　of
liberty；　that　growing　wild　and　unruly；　like　an　unmanageable　horse；　it；
as　the　comic　poets　say〃…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃…got　beyond　all　keeping　in；
　　　　　　　　　Champing　at　Euboea；　and　among　the　islands　leaping　in。〃

　　The　style　of　speaking　most　consonant　to　his　form　of　life　and　the
dignity　of　his　views　he　found；　so　to　say；　in　the　tones　of　that
instrument　with　which　Anaxagoras　had　furnished　him；　of　his　teaching　he
continually　availed　himself；　and　deepened　the　colours　of　rhetoric　with
the　dye　of　natural　science。　For　having；　in　addition　to　his　great
natural　genius；　attained；　by　the　study　of　nature；　to　use　the　words
of　the　divine　Plato；　this　height　of　intelligence；　and　this　universal
consummating　power；　and　drawing　hence　whatever　might　be　of　advantage
to　him　in　the　art　of　speaking；　he　showed　himself　far　superior　to　all
others。　Upon　which　account；　they　say；　he　had　his　nickname　given　him；
though　some　are　of　opinion　he　was　named　the　Olympian　from　the　public
buildings　with　which　he　adorned　the　city；　and　others　again；　from　his
great　power　in　public　affairs；　whether　of　war　or　peace。　Nor　is　it
unlikely　that　the　confluence　of　many　attributes　may　have　conferred
it　on　him。　However；　the　comedies　represented　at　the　time；　which；
both　in　good　earnest　and　in　merriment；　let　fly　many　hard　words　at　him；
plainly　show　that　he　got　that　appellation　especially　from　his
speaking；　they　speak　of　his　〃thundering　and　lightning〃　when　he
harangued　the　people；　and　of　his　wielding　a　dreadful　thunderbolt　in
his　tongue。
　　A　saying　also　of　Thucydides；　the　son　of　Melesias；　stands　on
record；　spoken　by　him　by　way　of　pleasantry　upon　Pericles's
dexterity。　Thucydides　was　one　of　the　noble　and　distinguished　citizens；
and　had　been　his　greatest　opponent；　and；　when　Archidamus；　the　King
of　the　Lacedaemonians；　asked　him　whether　he　or　Pericles　were　the
better　wrestler；　he　made　this　answer：　〃When　I；〃　said　he；　〃have
thrown　him　and　given　him　a　fair　fall；　by　persisting　that　he　had　no
fall；　he　gets　the　better　of　me；　and　makes　the　bystanders；　in　spite
of　their　own　eyes；　believe　him。〃　The　truth；　however；　is；　that　Pericles
himself　was　very　careful　what　and　how　he　was　to　speak；　insomuch
that；　whenever　he　went　up　to　the　hustings；　he　prayed　the　gods　that
no　one　word　might　unawares　slip　from　him　unsuitable　to　the　matter
and　the　occasion。
　　He　has　left　nothing　in　writing　behind　him；　except　some　decrees；
and　there　are　but　very　few　of　his　sayings　recorded；　one；　for
example；　is；　that　he　said　Aegina　must；　like　a　gathering　in　a　man's
eye；　be　removed　from　Piraeus；　and　another；　that　he　said　he　saw　already
war　moving　on　its　way　towards　them　out　of　Peloponnesus。　Again；　when　on
a　time　Sophocles；　who　was　his　fellow…commissioner　in　the
generalship；　was　going　on　board　with　him；　and　praised　the　beauty　of
a　youth　they　met　with　in　the　way　to　the　ship；　〃Sophocles；〃　said　he；　〃a
general　ought　not　only　to　have　clean　hands　but　also　clean　eyes。〃　And
Stesimbrotus　tells　us　that；　in　his　encomium　on　those　who　fell　in
battle　at　Samos；　he　said　they　were　become　immortal；　as　the　gods
were。　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃we　do　not　see　them　themselves；　but　only　by
the　honours　we　pay　them；　and　by　the　benefits　they　do　us；　attribute
to　them　immortality；　and　the　like　attributes　belong　also　to　those　that
die　in　the　service　of　their　country。〃
　　Since　Thucydides　describes　the　rule　of　Pericles　as　an　aristocratical
government；　that　went　by　the　name　of　a　democracy；　but　was；　indeed；　the
supremacy　of　a　single　great　man；　while　many　others　say；　on　the
contrary；　that　by　him　the　common　people　were　first　encouraged　and
led　on　to　such　evils　as　appropriations　of　subject　territory；
allowances　for　attending　theatres；　payments　for　performing　public
duties；　and　by　these　bad　habits　were；　under　the　influence　of　his
public　measures；　changed　from　a　sober；　thrifty　people；　that　maintained
themselves　by　their　own　labours；　to　lovers　of　expense；　intemperance；
and　licence；　let　us　examine　the　cause　of　this　change　by　the　actual
matters　of　fact。
　　At　the　first；　as　has　been　said；　when　he　set　himself　against
Cimon's　great　authority；　he　did　caress　the　people。　Finding　himself
come　short　of　his　competitor　in　wealth　and　money；　by　which
advantages　the　other　was　enabled　to　take　care　of　the　poor；　inviting
every　day　some　one　or　other　of　the　citizens　that　was　in　want　to
supper；　and　bestowing　clothes　on　the　aged　people；　and　breaking　down
the　hedges　and　enclosures　of　his　grounds；　that　all　that　would　might
freely　gather　what　fruit　they　pleased；　Pericles；　thus　outdone　in
popular　arts；　by　the　advice　of　one　Damonides　of　Oea；　as　Aristotle
states；　turned　to　the　distribution　of　the　public　moneys；　and　in　a
short　time　having　bought　the　people　over；　what　with　moneys　allowed　for
shows　and　for　service　on　juries；　and　what　with　other　forms　of　pay
and　largess；　he　made　use　of　them　against　the　council　of　Areopagus　of
which　he　himself　was　no　member；　as　having　never　been　appointed　by　lot…
either　chief　archon；　or　lawgiver；　or　king；　or　captain。　For　from　of　old
these　offices　were　conferred　on　persons　by　lot；　and　they　who　had
acquitted　themselves　duly　in　the　discharge　of　them　were　advanced　to
the　court　of　Areopagus。　And　so　Pericles；　having　secured　his　power　in
interest　with　the　populace；　directed　the　exertions　of　his　party
against　this　council　with　such　success；　that　most　of　these　causes
and　matters　which　had　been　used　to　be　tried　there　were；　by　the
agency　of　Ephialtes；　removed　from　its　cognisance；　Cimon；　also；　was
banished　by　ostracism　as　a　favourer　of　the　Lacedaemonians　and　a
hater　of　the　people；　though　in　wealth　and　noble　birth　he　was　among　the
first；　and　had　won　several　most　glorious　victories　over　the
barbarians；　and　had　filled　the　city　with　money　and　spoils　of　war；　as
is　recorded　in　the　history　of　his　life。　So　vast　an　authority　had
Pericles　obtained　among　the　people。
　　The　ostracism　was　limited　by　law　to　ten　years；　but　the
Lacedaemonians；　in　the　meantime；　entering　with　a　great　army　into　the
territory　of　Tanagra；　and　the　Athenians　going　out　against　them；　Cimon；
coming　from　his　banishment　before　his　time　was　out；　put　himself　in
arms　and　array　with　those　of　his　fellow…citizens　that　were　of　his
own　tribe；　and　desired　by　his　deeds　to　wipe　off　the　suspicion　of　his
favouring　the　Lacedaemonians；　by　venturing　his　own　person　along　with
his　countrymen。　But　Pericles's　friends；　gathering　in　a　body；　forced
him　to　retire　as　a　banished　man。　For　which　cause　also　Pericles　seems
to　have　exerted　himself　more　in　that　than　in　any　battle；　and　to　have
been　conspicuous　above　all　for　his　exposure　of　himself　to　danger。
All　Cimon's　friends；　also；　to　a　man；　fell　together　side　by　side；
whom　Pericles　had　accused　with　him　of　taking　part　with　the
Lacedaemonians。　Defeated　in　this　battle　on　their　own　frontiers；　and
expecting　a　new　and　perilous　attack　with　return　of　spring；　the
Athenians　now　felt　regret　and　sorrow　for　the　loss　of　Cimon；　and
repentance　for　their　expulsion　of　him。　Pericles；　being　sensible　of
their　feelings；　did　not　hesitate　or　delay　to　gratify　it；　and　himself
made　the　motion　for　recalling　him　home。　He；　upon　his　return；　concluded
a　peace　betwixt　the　two　cities；　for　the　Lacedaemonians　entertained
as　kindly　feelings　towards　him　as　they　did　the　reverse　towards
Pericles　and　the　other　popular　leaders。
　　Yet　some　there　are　who　say　that　Pericles　did　not　propose　the　order
for　Cimon's　return　till　some　private　articles　of　agreement　had　been
made　between　them；　and　this　by　means　of　Elpinice；　Cimon's　sister；　that
Cimon；　namely；　should　go　out　to　sea　with　a　fleet　of　two　hundred　ships；
and　be　commander…in…chief　abroad；　with　a　design　to　reduce　th