the history-第13章

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ure　pleased　with　this　advice；　so　excellent　did　it　seem　to　him。　He　praised　Croesus　highly；　and　gave　orders　to　his　bodyguard　to　do　as　he　had　suggested。　Then；　turning　to　Croesus；　he　said；　〃Oh！　Croesus；　I　see　that　thou　are　resolved　both　in　speech　and　act　to　show　thyself　a　virtuous　prince：　ask　me；　therefore；　whatever　thou　wilt　as　a　gift　at　this　moment。〃　Croesus　replied；　〃Oh！　my　lord；　if　thou　wilt　suffer　me　to　send　these　fetters　to　the　god　of　the　Greeks；　whom　I　once　honoured　above　all　other　gods；　and　ask　him　if　it　is　his　wont　to　deceive　his　benefactors…　that　will　be　the　highest　favour　thou　canst　confer　on　me。〃　Cyrus　upon　this　inquired　what　charge　he　had　to　make　against　the　god。　Then　Croesus　gave　him　a　full　account　of　all　his　projects；　and　of　the　answers　of　the　oracle；　and　of　the　offerings　which　he　had　sent；　on　which　he　dwelt　especially；　and　told　him　how　it　was　the　encouragement　given　him　by　the　oracle　which　had　led　him　to　make　war　upon　Persia。　All　this　he　related；　and　at　the　end　again　besought　permission　to　reproach　the　god　with　his　behaviour。　Cyrus　answered　with　a　laugh；　〃This　I　readily　grant　thee；　and　whatever　else　thou　shalt　at　any　time　ask　at　my　hands。〃　Croesus；　finding　his　request　allowed；　sent　certain　Lydians　to　Delphi；　enjoining　them　to　lay　his　fetters　upon　the　threshold　of　the　temple；　and　ask　the　god；　〃If　he　were　not　ashamed　of　having　encouraged　him；　as　the　destined　destroyer　of　the　empire　of　Cyrus；　to　begin　a　war　with　Persia；　of　which　such　were　the　first…fruits？〃　As　they　said　this　they　were　to　point　to　the　fetters…　and　further　they　were　to　inquire；　〃If　it　was　the　wont　of　the　Greek　gods　to　be　ungrateful？〃　　　　　The　Lydians　went　to　Delphi　and　delivered　their　message；　on　which　the　Pythoness　is　said　to　have　replied…　〃It　is　not　possible　even　for　a　god　to　escape　the　decree　of　destiny。　Croesus　has　been　punished　for　the　sin　of　his　fifth　ancestor；　who；　when　he　was　one　of　the　bodyguard　of　the　Heraclides；　joined　in　a　woman's　fraud；　and；　slaying　his　master；　wrongfully　seized　the　throne。　Apollo　was　anxious　that　the　fall　of　Sardis　should　not　happen　in　the　lifetime　of　Croesus；　but　be　delayed　to　his　son's　days；　he　could　not；　however；　persuade　the　Fates。　All　that　they　were　willing　to　allow　he　took　and　gave　to　Croesus。　Let　Croesus　know　that　Apollo　delayed　the　taking　of　Sardis　three　full　years；　and　that　he　is　thus　a　prisoner　three　years　later　than　was　his　destiny。　Moreover　it　was　Apollo　who　saved　him　from　the　burning　pile。　Nor　has　Croesus　any　right　to　complain　with　respect　to　the　oracular　answer　which　he　received。　For　when　the　god　told　him　that；　if　he　attacked　the　Persians；　he　would　destroy　a　mighty　empire；　he　ought；　if　he　had　been　wise；　to　have　sent　again　and　inquired　which　empire　was　meant；　that　of　Cyrus　or　his　own；　but　if　he　neither　understood　what　was　said；　nor　took　the　trouble　to　seek　for　enlightenment；　he　has　only　himself　to　blame　for　the　result。　Besides；　he　had　misunderstood　the　last　answer　which　had　been　given　him　about　the　mule。　Cyrus　was　that　mule。　For　the　parents　of　Cyrus　were　of　different　races；　and　of　different　conditions…　his　mother　a　Median　princess；　daughter　of　King　Astyages；　and　his　father　a　Persian　and　a　subject；　who；　though　so　far　beneath　her　in　all　respects；　had　married　his　royal　mistress。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　answer　of　the　Pythoness。　The　Lydians　returned　to　Sardis　and　communicated　it　to　Croesus；　who　confessed；　on　hearing　it；　that　the　fault　was　his；　not　the　god's。　Such　was　the　way　in　which　Ionia　was　first　conquered；　and　so　was　the　empire　of　Croesus　brought　to　a　close。　　　　　Besides　the　offerings　which　have　been　already　mentioned；　there　are　many　others　in　various　parts　of　Greece　presented　by　Croesus；　as　at　Thebes　in　Boeotia；　where　there　is　a　golden　tripod；　dedicated　by　him　to　Ismenian　Apollo；　at　Ephesus；　where　the　golden　heifers；　and　most　of　the　columns　are　his　gift；　and　at　Delphi；　in　the　temple　of　Pronaia；　where　there　is　a　huge　shield　in　gold；　which　he　gave。　All　these　offerings　were　still　in　existence　in　my　day；　many　others　have　perished：　among　them　those　which　he　dedicated　at　Branchidae　in　Milesia；　equal　in　weight；　as　I　am　informed；　and　in　all　respects　like　to　those　at　Delphi。　The　Delphian　presents；　and　those　sent　to　Amphiaraus；　came　from　his　own　private　property；　being　the　first…fruits　of　the　fortune　which　he　inherited　from　his　father；　his　other　offerings　came　from　the　riches　of　an　enemy；　who；　before　he　mounted　the　throne；　headed　a　party　against　him；　with　the　view　of　obtaining　the　crown　of　Lydia　for　Pantaleon。　This　Pantaleon　was　a　son　of　Alyattes；　but　by　a　different　mother　from　Croesus；　for　the　mother　of　Croesus　was　a　Carian　woman；　but　the　mother　of　Pantaleon　an　Ionian。　When；　by　the　appointment　of　his　father；　Croesus　obtained　the　kingly　dignity；　he　seized　the　man　who　had　plotted　against　him；　and　broke　him　upon　the　wheel。　His　property；　which　he　had　previously　devoted　to　the　service　of　the　gods；　Croesus　applied　in　the　way　mentioned　above。　This　is　all　I　shall　say　about　his　offerings。　　　　　Lydia；　unlike　most　other　countries；　scarcely　offers　any　wonders　for　the　historian　to　describe；　except　the　gold…dust　which　is　washed　down　from　the　range　of　Tmolus。　It　has；　however；　one　structure　of　enormous　size；　only　inferior　to　the　monuments　of　Egypt　and　Babylon。　This　is　the　tomb　of　Alyattes；　the　father　of　Croesus；　the　base　of　which　is　formed　of　immense　blocks　of　stone；　the　rest　being　a　vast　mound　of　earth。　It　was　raised　by　the　joint　labour　of　the　tradesmen；　handicraftsmen；　and　courtesans　of　Sardis；　and　had　at　the　top　five　stone　pillars；　which　remained　to　my　day；　with　inscriptions　cut　on　them；　showing　how　much　of　the　work　was　done　by　each　class　of　workpeople。　It　appeared　on　measurement　that　the　portion　of　the　courtesans　was　the　largest。　The　daughters　of　the　common　people　in　Lydia；　one　and　all；　pursue　this　traffic；　wishing　to　collect　money　for　their　portions。　They　continue　the　practice　till　they　marry；　and　are　wont　to　contract　themselves　in　marriage。　The　tomb　is　six　stades　and　two　plethra　in　circumference；　its　breadth　is　thirteen　plethra。　Close　to　the　tomb　is　a　large　lake；　which　the　Lydians　say　is　never　dry。　They　call　it　the　Lake　Gygaea。　　　　　The　Lydians　have　very　nearly　the　same　customs　as　the　Greeks；　with　the　exception　that　these　last　do　not　bring　up　their　girls　in　the　same　way。　So　far　as　we　have　any　knowledge；　they　were　the　first　nation　to　introduce　the　use　of　gold　and　silver　coin；　and　the　first　who　sold　goods　by　retail。　They　claim　also　the　invention　of　all　the　games　which　are　common　to　them　with　the　Greeks。　These　they　declare　that　they　invented　about　the　time　when　they　colonised　Tyrrhenia；　an　event　of　which　they　give　the　following　account。　In　the　days　of　Atys；　the　son　of　Manes；　there　was　great　scarcity　through　the　whole　land　of　Lydia。　For　some　time　the　Lydians　bore　the　affliction　patiently；　but　finding　that　it　did　not　pass　away；　they　set　to　work　to　devise　remedies　for　the　evil。　Various　expedients　were　discovered　by　various　persons；　dice；　and　huckle…bones；　and　ball；　and　all　such　games　were　invented；　except　tables；　the　invention　of　which　they　do　not　claim　as　theirs。　The　plan　adopted　against　the　famine　was　to　engage　in　games　one　day　so　entirely　as　not　to　feel　any　craving　for　food；　and　the　next　day　to　eat　and　abstain　from　games。　In　this　way　they　passed　eighteen　years。　Still　the　affliction　continued　and　even　became　more　grievous。　So　the　king　determined　to　divide　the　nation　in　half；　and　to　make　the　two　portions　draw　lots；　the　one　to　stay；　the　other　to　leave　the　land。　He　would　continue　to　reign　over　those　whose　lot　it　should　be　to　remain　behind；　the　emigrants　should　have　his　son　Tyrrhenus　for　their　leader。　The　lot　was　cast；　and　they　who　had　to　emigrate　went　down　to　Smyrna；　and　built　themselves　ships；　in　which；　after　they　had　put　on　board　all　needful　stores；　they　sailed　away　in　search　of　new　homes　and　better　sustenance。　After　sailing　past　many　countries　they　came　to　Umbria；　where　they　built　cities　for　themselves；　and　fixed　their　residence。　Their　former　name　of　Lydians　they　laid　aside；　and　called　themselves　after　the　name　of　the　king's　son；　who　led　the　colony；　Tyrrhenians。　　　　　Thus　far　I　have　been　engaged　in　showing　how　the　Lydians　were　brought　under　the　Persian　yoke。　The　course　of　my　history　now　compels　me　to　inquire　who　this　Cyrus　was　by　whom　the　Lydian　empir