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第4章

pericles-第4章

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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 the King
of Persia's territories; and that Pericles should have the power at
home。
  This Elpinice; it was thought; had before this time procured some
favour for her brother Cimon at Pericles's hands; and induced him to
be more remiss and gentle in urging the charge when Cimon was tried
for his life; for Pericles was one of the committee appointed by the
commons to plead against him。 And when Elpinice came and besought
him in her brother's behalf; he answered; with a smile; 〃O Elpinice;
you are too old a woman to undertake such business as this。〃 But; when
he appeared to impeach him; he stood up but once to speak; merely to
acquit himself of his commission; and went out of court; having done
Cimon the least prejudice of any of his accusers。
  How; then; can one believe Idomeneus; who charges Pericles as if
he had by treachery procured the murder of Ephialtes; the popular
statesman; one who was his friend; and of his own party in all his
political course; out of jealousy; forsooth; and envy of his great
reputation? This historian; it seems; having raked up these stories; I
know not whence; has befouled with them a man who; perchance; was
not altogether free from fault or blame; but yet had a noble spirit;
and a soul that was bent on honour; and where such qualities are;
there can no such cruel and brutal passion find harbour or gain
admittance。 As to Ephialtes; the truth of the story; as Aristotle
has told it; is this: that having made himself formidable to the
oligarchical party; by being an uncompromising asserter of the
people's rights in calling to account and prosecuting those who any
way wronged them; his enemies; lying in wait for him; by the means
of Aristodicus the Tanagraean; privately despatched him。
  Cimon; while he was admiral; ended his days in the Isle of Cyprus。
And the aristocratical party; seeing that Pericles was already
before this grown to be the greatest and foremost man of all the city;
but nevertheless wishing there should be somebody set up against
him; to blunt and turn the edge of his power; that it might not
altogether prove a monarchy; put forward Thucydides of Alopece; a
discreet person; and a near kinsman of Cimon's; to conduct the
opposition against him; who; indeed; though less skilled in warlike
affairs than Cimon was; yet was better versed in speaking and
political business and keeping close guard in the city; and;
engaging with Pericles on the hustings; in a short time brought the
government to an equality of parties。 For he would not suffer those
who were called the honest and good (persons of worth and distinction)
to be scattered up and down and mix themselves and be lost among the
populace; as formerly; diminishing and obscuring their superiority
amongst the masses; but taking them apart by themselves and uniting
them in one body; by their combined weight he was able; as it were
upon the balance; to make a counterpoise to the other party。
  For; indeed; there was from the beginning a sort of concealed split;
or seam; as it might be in a piece of iron; marking the different
popular and aristocratical tendencies; but the open rivalry and
contention of these two opponents made the gash deep; and severed
the city into the two parties of the people and the few。 And so
Pericles; at that time; more than at any other; let loose the reins to
the people; and made his policy subservient to their pleasure;
contriving continually to have some great public show or solemnity;
some banquet; or some procession or other in the town to please
them; coaxing his countrymen like children with such delights and
pleasures as were not; however; unedifying。 Besides that every year he
sent out threescore galleys; on board of which there were numbers of
the citizens; who were in pay eight months; learning at the same
time and practising the art of seamanship。
  He sent; moreover; a thousand of them into the Chersonese as
planters; to share the land among them by lot; and five hundred more
into the isle of Naxos; and half that number to Andros; a thousand
into Thrace to dwell among the Bisaltae; and others into Italy; when
the city Sybaris; which now was called Thurii; was to be repeopled。
And this he did to ease and discharge the city of an idle; and; by
reason of their idleness; a busy meddling crowd of people; and at
the same time to meet the necessities and restore the fortunes of
the poor townsmen; and to intimidate; also; and check their allies
from attempting any change; by posting such garrisons; as it were;
in the midst of them。
  That which gave most pleasure and ornament to the city of Athens;
and the greatest admiration and even astonishment to all strangers;
and that which now is Greece's only evidence that the power she boasts
of and her ancient wealth are no romance or idle story; was his
construction of the public and sacred buildings。 Yet this was that
of all his actions in the government which his enemies most looked
askance upon and cavilled at in the popular assemblies; crying out how
that the commonwealth of Athens had lost its reputation and was
ill…spoken of abroad for removing the common treasure of the Greeks
from the isle of Delos into their own custody; and how that their
fairest excuse for so doing; namely; that they took it away for fear
the barbarians should seize it; and on purpose to secure it in a
safe place; this Pericles had made unavailable; and how that 〃Greece
cannot but resent it as an insufferable affront; and consider
herself to be tyrannized over openly; when she sees the treasure;
which was contributed by her upon a necessity for the war; wantonly
lavished out by us upon our city; to gild her all over; and to adorn
and set her forth; as it were some vain woman; hung round with
precious stones and figures and temples; which cost a world of money。〃
  Pericles; on the other hand; informed the people; that they were
in no way obliged to give any account of those moneys to their allies;
so long as they maintained their defence; and kept off the
barbarians from attacking them; while in the meantime they did not
so much as supply one horse or man or ship; but only found money for
the service; 〃which money;〃 said he; 〃is not theirs that give it;
but theirs that receive it; if so be they perform the conditions
upon which they receive it。〃 And that it was good reason; that; now
the city was sufficiently provided and stored with all things
necessary for the war; they should convert the overplus of its
wealth to such undertakings as would hereafter; when completed; give
them eternal honour; and; for the present; while in process; freely
supply all the inhabitants with plenty。 With their variety of
workmanship and of occasions for service; which summon all arts and
trades and require all hands to be employed about them; they do
actually put the whole city; in a manner; into state…pay; while at the
same time she is both beautiful and maintained by herself。 For as
those who are of age and strength for war are provided for and
maintained in the armaments abroad by their pay out of the public
stock; so; it being his desire and design that the undisciplined
mechanic multitude that stayed at home should not go without their
share of public salaries; and yet should not have them given them
for sitting still and doing nothing; to that end he thought fit to
bring in among them; with the approbation of the people; these vast
projects of buildings and designs of work; that would be of some
continuance before they were finished; and would give employment to
numerous arts; so that the part of the people that stayed at home
might; no less than those that were at sea or in garrisons or on
expeditions; have a fair and just occasion of receiving the benefit
and having their share of the public moneys。
  The materials were stone; brass; ivory; gold; ebony; cypresswood;
and the arts or trades that wrought and fashioned them were smiths and
carpenters; moulders; founders and braziers; stone…cutters; dyers;
goldsmiths; ivory…workers; painters; embroiderers; turners; 

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