the history-第129章

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eep　upon　the　king's　own　bed。　As　he　slept；　there　appeared　to　him　the　very　same　dream　which　had　been　seen　by　Xerxes；　it　came　and　stood　over　Artabanus；　and　said：…　　　　　〃Thou　art　the　man；　then；　who；　feigning　to　be　tender　of　Xerxes；　seekest　to　dissuade　him　from　leading　his　armies　against　the　Greeks！　But　thou　shalt　not　escape　scathless；　either　now　or　in　time　to　come；　because　thou　hast　sought　to　prevent　that　which　is　fated　to　happen。　As　for　Xerxes；　it　has　been　plainly　told　to　himself　what　will　befall　him；　if　he　refuses　to　perform　my　bidding。〃　　　　　In　such　words；　as　Artabanus　thought；　the　vision　threatened　him；　and　then　endeavoured　to　burn　out　his　eyes　with　red…hot　irons。　At　this　he　shrieked；　and；　leaping　from　his　couch；　hurried　to　Xerxes；　and；　sitting　down　at　his　side；　gave　him　a　full　account　of　the　vision；　after　which　he　went　on　to　speak　in　the　words　which　follow：…　　　　　〃I；　O　King！　am　a　man　who　have　seen　many　mighty　empires　overthrown　by　weaker　ones；　and　therefore　it　was　that　I　sought　to　hinder　thee　from　being　quite　carried　away　by　thy　youth；　since　I　knew　how　evil　a　thing　it　is　to　covet　more　than　one　possesses。　I　could　remember　the　expedition　of　Cyrus　against　the　Massagetae；　and　what　was　the　issue　of　it；　I　could　recollect　the　march　of　Cambyses　against　the　Ethiops；　I　had　taken　part　in　the　attack　of　Darius　upon　the　Scyths…bearing　therefore　all　these　things　in　mind；　I　thought　with　myself　that　if　thou　shouldst　remain　at　peace；　all　men　would　deem　thee　fortunate。　But　as　this　impulse　has　plainly　come　from　above；　and　a　heaven…sent　destruction　seems　about　to　overtake　the　Greeks；　behold；　I　change　to　another　mind；　and　alter　my　thoughts　upon　the　matter。　Do　thou　therefore　make　known　to　the　Persians　what　the　god　has　declared；　and　bid　them　follow　the　orders　which　were　first　given；　and　prepare　their　levies。　Be　careful　to　act　so　that　the　bounty　of　the　god　may　not　be　hindered　by　slackness　on　thy　part。〃　　　　　Thus　spake　these　two　together；　and　Xerxes；　being　in　good　heart　on　account　of　the　vision；　when　day　broke；　laid　all　before　the　Persians；　while　Artabanus；　who　had　formerly　been　the　only　person　openly　to　oppose　the　expedition；　now　showed　as　openly　that　he　favoured　it。　　　　　After　Xerxes　had　thus　determined　to　go　forth　to　the　war；　there　appeared　to　him　in　his　sleep　yet　a　third　vision。　The　Magi　were　consulted　upon　it；　and　said　that　its　meaning　reached　to　the　whole　earth；　and　that　all　mankind　would　become　his　servants。　Now　the　vision　which　the　king　saw　was　this：　he　dreamt　that　he　was　crowned　with　a　branch　of　an　olive　tree；　and　that　boughs　spread　out　from　the　olive　branch　and　covered　the　whole　earth；　then　suddenly　the　garland；　as　it　lay　upon　his　brow；　vanished。　So　when　the　Magi　had　thus　interpreted　the　vision；　straightway　all　the　Persians　who　were　come　together　departed　to　their　several　governments；　where　each　displayed　the　greatest　zeal；　on　the　faith　of　the　king's　offers。　For　all　hoped　to　obtain　for　themselves　the　gifts　which　had　been　promised。　And　so　Xerxes　gathered　together　his　host；　ransacking　every　corner　of　the　continent。　　　　　Reckoning　from　the　recovery　of　Egypt；　Xerxes　spent　four　full　years　in　collecting　his　host　and　making　ready　all　things　that　were　needful　for　his　soldiers。　It　was　not　till　the　close　of　the　fifth　year　that　he　set　forth　on　his　march；　accompanied　by　a　mighty　multitude。　For　of　all　the　armaments　whereof　any　mention　has　reached　us；　this　was　by　far　the　greatest；　insomuch　that　no　other　expedition　compared　to　this　seems　of　any　account；　neither　that　which　Darius　undertook　against　the　Scythians；　nor　the　expedition　of　the　Scythians　（which　the　attack　of　Darius　was　designed　to　avenge）；　when　they；　being　in　pursuit　of　the　Cimmerians；　fell　upon　the　Median　territory；　and　subdued　and　held　for　a　time　almost　the　whole　of　Upper　Asia；　nor；　again；　that　of　the　Atridae　against　Troy；　of　which　we　hear　in　story；　nor　that　of　the　Mysians　and　Teucrians；　which　was　still　earlier；　wherein　these　nations　crossed　the　Bosphorus　into　Europe；　and；　after　conquering　all　Thrace；　pressed　forward　till　they　came　to　the　Ionian　Sea；　while　southward　they　reached　as　far　as　the　river　Peneus。　　　　　All　these　expeditions；　and　others；　if　such　there　were；　are　as　nothing　compared　with　this。　For　was　there　a　nation　in　all　Asia　which　Xerxes　did　not　bring　with　him　against　Greece？　Or　was　there　a　river；　except　those　of　unusual　size；　which　sufficed　for　his　troops　to　drink？　One　nation　furnished　ships；　another　was　arrayed　among　the　foot…soldiers；　a　third　had　to　supply　horses；　a　fourth；　transports　for　the　horse　and　men　likewise　for　the　transport　service；　a　fifth；　ships　of　war　towards　the　bridges；　a　sixth；　ships　and　provisions。　　　　　And　in　the　first　place；　because　the　former　fleet　had　met　with　so　great　a　disaster　about　Athos；　preparations　were　made；　by　the　space　of　about　three　years；　in　that　quarter。　A　fleet　of　triremes　lay　at　Elaeus　in　the　Chersonese；　and　from　this　station　detachments　were　sent　by　the　various　nations　whereof　the　army　was　composed；　which　relieved　one　another　at　intervals；　and　worked　at　a　trench　beneath　the　lash　of　taskmasters；　while　the　people　dwelling　about　Athos　bore　likewise　a　part　in　the　labour。　Two　Persians；　Bubares；　the　son　of　Megabazus；　and　Artachaees；　the　son　of　Artaeus；　superintended　the　undertaking。　　　　　Athos　is　a　great　and　famous　mountain；　inhabited　by　men；　and　stretching　far　out　into　the　sea。　Where　the　mountain　ends　towards　the　mainland　it　forms　a　peninsula；　and　in　this　place　there　is　a　neck　of　land　about　twelve　furlongs　across；　the　whole　extent　whereof；　from　the　sea　of　the　Acanthians　to　that　over　against　Torone；　is　a　level　plain；　broken　only　by　a　few　low　hills。　Here；　upon　this　isthmus　where　Athos　ends；　is　Sand；　a　Greek　city。　Inside　of　Sand；　and　upon　Athos　itself；　are　a　number　of　towns；　which　Xerxes　was　now　employed　in　disjoining　from　the　continent：　these　are　Dium；　Olophyxus；　Acrothoum；　Thyssus；　and　Cleonae。　Among　these　cities　Athos　was　divided。　　　　　Now　the　manner　in　which　they　dug　was　the　following：　a　line　was　drawn　across　by　the　city　of　Sand；　and　along　this　the　various　nations　parcelled　out　among　themselves　the　work　to　be　done。　When　the　trench　grew　deep；　the　workmen　at　the　bottom　continued　to　dig；　while　others　handed　the　earth；　as　it　was　dug　out；　to　labourers　placed　higher　up　upon　ladders；　and　these　taking　it；　passed　it　on　farther；　till　it　came　at　last　to　those　at　the　top；　who　carried　it　off　and　emptied　it　away。　All　the　other　nations；　therefore；　except　the　Phoenicians；　had　double　labour；　for　the　sides　of　the　trench　fell　in　continually；　as　could　not　but　happen；　since　they　made　the　width　no　greater　at　the　top　than　it　was　required　to　be　at　the　bottom。　But　the　Phoenicians　showed　in　this　the　skill　which　they　are　wont　to　exhibit　in　all　their　undertakings。　For　in　the　portion　of　the　work　which　was　allotted　to　them　they　began　by　making　the　trench　at　the　top　twice　as　wide　as　the　prescribed　measure；　and　then　as　they　dug　downwards　approached　the　sides　nearer　and　nearer　together；　so　that　when　they　reached　the　bottom　their　part　of　the　work　was　of　the　same　width　as　the　rest。　In　a　meadow　near；　there　was　a　place　of　assembly　and　a　market；　and　hither　great　quantities　of　corn；　ready　ground；　were　brought　from　Asia。　　　　　It　seems　to　me；　when　I　consider　this　work；　that　Xerxes；　in　making　it；　was　actuated　by　a　feeling　of　pride；　wishing　to　display　the　extent　of　his　power；　and　to　leave　a　memorial　behind　him　to　posterity。　For　notwithstanding　that　it　was　open　to　him；　with　no　trouble　at　all；　to　have　had　his　ships　drawn　across　the　isthmus；　yet　he　issued　orders　that　a　canal　should　be　made　through　which　the　sea　might　flow；　and　that　it　should　be　of　such　a　width　as　would　allow　of　two　triremes　passing　through　it　abreast　with　the　oars　in　action。　He　likewise　gave　to　the　same　persons　who　were　set　over　the　digging　of　the　trench；　the　task　of　making　a　bridge　across　the　river　Strymon。　　　　　While　these　things　were　in　progress；　he　was　having　cables　prepared　for　his　bridges；　some　of　papyrus　and　some　of　white　flax；　a　business　which　he　entrusted　to　the　Phoenicians　and　the　Egyptians。　He　likewise　laid　up　stores　of　provisions　in　divers　places；　to　save　the　army　and　the　beasts　of　burthen　from　suffering　want　upon　their　march　into　Greece。　He　inquired　carefully　about　all　the　sites；　and　had　the　stores　laid　up　in　such　as　were　most　convenient