the history-第137章

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y；　you　are　really　men　of　this　sort　and　size；　how　is　the　speech　that　thou　hast　uttered　more　than　a　mere　empty　boast？　For；　to　go　to　the　very　verge　of　likelihood…　how　could　a　thousand　men；　or　ten　thousand；　or　even　fifty　thousand；　particularly　if　they　were　all　alike　free；　and　not　under　one　lord…　how　could　such　a　force；　I　say；　stand　against　an　army　like　mine？　Let　them　be　five　thousand；　and　we　shall　have　more　than　a　thousand　men　to　each　one　of　theirs。　If；　indeed；　like　our　troops；　they　had　a　single　master；　their　fear　of　him　might　make　them　courageous　beyond　their　natural　bent；　or　they　might　be　urged　by　lashes　against　an　enemy　which　far　outnumbered　them。　But　left　to　their　own　free　choice；　assuredly　they　will　act　differently。　For　mine　own　part；　I　believe；　that　if　the　Greeks　had　to　contend　with　the　Persians　only；　and　the　numbers　were　equal　on　both　sides；　the　Greeks　would　find　it　hard　to　stand　their　ground。　We　too　have　among　us　such　men　as　those　of　whom　thou　spakest…　not　many　indeed；　but　still　we　possess　a　few。　For　instance；　some　of　my　bodyguard　would　be　willing　to　engage　singly　with　three　Greeks。　But　this　thou　didst　not　know；　and　therefore　it　was　thou　talkedst　so　foolishly。〃　　　　　Demaratus　answered　him…　〃I　knew；　O　king！　at　the　outset；　that　if　I　told　thee　the　truth；　my　speech　would　displease　thine　ears。　But　as　thou　didst　require　me　to　answer　thee　with　all　possible　truthfulness；　I　informed　thee　what　the　Spartans　will　do。　And　in　this　I　spake　not　from　any　love　that　I　bear　them…　for　none　knows　better　than　thou　what　my　love　towards　them　is　likely　to　be　at　the　present　time；　when　they　have　robbed　me　of　my　rank　and　my　ancestral　honours；　and　made　me　a　homeless　exile；　whom　thy　father　did　receive；　bestowing　on　me　both　shelter　and　sustenance。　What　likelihood　is　there　that　a　man　of　understanding　should　be　unthankful　for　kindness　shown　him；　and　not　cherish　it　in　his　heart？　For　mine　own　self；　I　pretend　not　to　cope　with　ten　men；　nor　with　two…　nay；　had　I　the　choice；　I　would　rather　not　fight　even　with　one。　But；　if　need　appeared；　or　if　there　were　any　great　cause　urging　me　on；　I　would　contend　with　right　good　will　against　one　of　those　persons　who　boast　themselves　a　match　for　any　three　Greeks。　So　likewise　the　Lacedaemonians；　when　they　fight　singly；　are　as　good　men　as　any　in　the　world；　and　when　they　fight　in　a　body；　are　the　bravest　of　all。　For　though　they　be　free…men；　they　are　not　in　all　respects　free；　Law　is　the　master　whom　they　own；　and　this　master　they　fear　more　than　thy　subjects　fear　thee。　Whatever　he　commands　they　do；　and　his　commandment　is　always　the　same：　it　forbids　them　to　flee　in　battle；　whatever　the　number　of　their　foes；　and　requires　them　to　stand　firm；　and　either　to　conquer　or　die。　If　in　these　words；　O　king！　I　seem　to　thee　to　speak　foolishly；　I　am　content　from　this　time　forward　evermore　to　hold　my　peace。　I　had　not　now　spoken　unless　compelled　by　thee。　Certes；　I　pray　that　all　may　turn　out　according　to　thy　wishes。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　answer　of　Demaratus；　and　Xerxes　was　not　angry　with　him　at　all；　but　only　laughed；　and　sent　him　away　with　words　of　kindness。　　　　　After　this　interview；　and　after　he　had　made　Mascames　the　son　of　Megadostes　governor　of　Doriscus；　setting　aside　the　governor　appointed　by　Darius；　Xerxes　started　with　his　army；　and　marched　upon　Greece　through　Thrace。　　　　　This　man；　Mascames；　whom　he　left　behind　him；　was　a　person　of　such　merit　that　gifts　were　sent　him　yearly　by　the　king　as　a　special　favour；　because　he　excelled　all　the　other　governors　that　had　been　appointed　either　by　Xerxes　or　by　Darius。　In　like　manner；　Artaxerxes；　the　son　of　Xerxes；　sent　gifts　yearly　to　the　descendants　of　Mascames。　Persian　governors　had　been　established　in　Thrace　and　about　the　Hellespont　before　the　march　of　Xerxes　began；　but　these　persons；　after　the　expedition　was　over；　were　all　driven　from　their　towns　by　the　Greeks；　except　the　governor　of　Doriscus：　no　one　succeeded　in　driving　out　Mascames；　though　many　made　the　attempt。　For　this　reason　the　gifts　are　sent　him　every　year　by　the　king　who　reigns　over　the　Persians。　　　　　Of　the　other　governors　whom　the　Greeks　drove　out；　there　was　not　one　who；　in　the　judgment　of　Xerxes；　showed　himself　a　brave　man；　excepting　Boges；　the　governor　of　Eion。　Him　Xerxes　never　could　praise　enough；　and　such　of　his　sons　as　were　left　in　Persia；　and　survived　their　father；　he　very　specially　honoured。　And　of　a　truth　this　Boges　was　worthy　of　great　commendation；　for　when　he　was　besieged　by　the　Athenians　under　Cimon；　the　son　of　Miltiades；　and　it　was　open　to　him　to　retire　from　the　city　upon　terms；　and　return　to　Asia；　he　refused；　because　he　feared　the　king　might　think　he　had　played　the　coward　to　save　his　own　life；　wherefore；　instead　of　surrendering；　he　held　out　to　the　last　extremity。　When　all　the　food　in　the　fortress　was　gone；　he　raised　a　vast　funeral　pile；　slew　his　children；　his　wife；　his　concubines；　and　his　household　slaves；　and　cast　them　all　into　the　flames。　Then；　collecting　whatever　gold　and　silver　there　was　in　the　place；　he　flung　it　from　the　walls　into　the　Strymon；　and；　when　that　was　done；　to　crown　all；　he　himself　leaped　into　the　fire。　For　this　action　Boges　is　with　reason　praised　by　the　Persians　even　at　the　present　day。　　　　　Xerxes；　as　I　have　said；　pursued　his　march　from　Doriscus　against　Greece；　and　on　his　way　he　forced　all　the　nations　through　which　he　passed　to　take　part　in　the　expedition。　For　the　whole　country　as　far　as　the　frontiers　of　Thessaly　had　been　（as　I　have　already　shown）　enslaved　and　made　tributary　to　the　king　by　the　conquests　of　Megabazus；　and；　more　lately；　of　Mardonius。　And　first；　after　leaving　Doriscus；　Xerxes　passed　the　Samothracian　fortresses；　whereof　Mesambria　is　the　farthermost　as　one　goes　toward　the　west。　The　next　city　is　Stryme；　which　belongs　to　Thasos。　Midway　between　it　and　Mesambria　flows　the　river　Lissus；　which　did　not　suffice　to　furnish　water　for　the　army；　but　was　drunk　up　and　failed。　This　region　was　formerly　called　Gallaica；　now　it　bears　the　name　of　Briantica；　but　in　strict　truth　it　likewise　is　really　Ciconian。　　　　　After　crossing　the　dry　channel　of　the　Lissus；　Xerxes　passed　the　Grecian　cities　of　Maroneia；　Dicaea；　and　Abdera；　and　likewise　the　famous　lakes　which　are　in　their　neighbourhood；　Lake　Ismaris　between　Maroneia　and　Stryme；　and　Lake　Bistonis　near　Dicaea；　which　receives　the　waters　of　two　rivers；　the　Travus　and　the　Compsatus。　Near　Abdera　there　was　no　famous　lake　for　him　to　pass；　but　he　crossed　the　river　Nestus；　which　there　reaches　the　sea。　Proceeding　further　upon　his　way；　he　passed　by　several　continental　cities；　one　of　them　possessing　a　lake　nearly　thirty　furlongs　in　circuit；　full　of　fish；　and　very　salt；　of　which　the　sumpter…beasts　only　drank；　and　which　they　drained　dry。　The　name　of　this　city　was　Pistyrus。　All　these　towns；　which　were　Grecian；　and　lay　upon　the　coast；　Xerxes　kept　upon　his　left　hand　as　he　passed　along。　　　　　The　following　are　the　Thracian　tribes　through　whose　country　he　marched：　the　Paeti；　the　Ciconians；　the　Bistonians；　the　Sapaeans；　the　Dersaeans；　the　Edonians；　and　the　Satrae。　Some　of　these　dwelt　by　the　sea；　and　furnished　ships　to　the　king's　fleet；　while　others　lived　in　the　more　inland　parts；　and　of　these　all　the　tribes　which　I　have　mentioned；　except　the　Satrae；　were　forced　to　serve　on　foot。　　　　　The　Satrae；　so　far　as　our　knowledge　goes；　have　never　yet　been　brought　under　by　any　one；　but　continue　to　this　day　a　free　and　unconquered　people；　unlike　the　other　Thracians。　They　dwell　amid　lofty　mountains　clothed　with　forests　of　different　trees　and　capped　with　snow；　and　are　very　valiant　in　fight。　They　are　the　Thracians　who　have　an　oracle　of　Bacchus　in　their　country；　which　is　situated　upon　their　highest　mountain…range。　The　Bessi；　a　Satrian　race；　deliver　the　oracles；　but　the　prophet；　as　at　Delphi；　is　a　woman；　and　her　answers　are　not　harder　to　read。　　　　　When　Xerxes　had　passed　through　the　region　mentioned　above；　he　came　next　to　the　Pierian　fortresses；　one　of　which　is　called　Phagres；　and　another　Pergamus。　Here　his　line　of　march　lay　close　by　the　walls；　with　the　long　high　range　of　Pangaeum　upon　his　right；　a　tract　in　which　there　are　mines　both　of　gold　and　silver；　some　worked　by　the　Pierians　and　Odomantians；　but　the　greater　part　by　the　Satrae。　　　　　Xerxes　then　marched　through　the　country　of　the　Paeonian　tribes…　the　Doberians　and　the　Paeoplae…　whic