the history-第69章

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a　courier　sent　to　him　by　Darius　whose　message　was　not　to　his　mind…　Oroetes　had　him　waylaid　and　murdered　on　his　road　back　to　the　king；　the　man　and　his　horse　both　disappeared；　and　no　traces　were　left　of　either。　　　　　Darius　therefore　was　no　sooner　settled　upon　the　throne　than　he　longed　to　take　vengeance　upon　Oroetes　for　all　his　misdoings；　and　especially　for　the　murder　of　Mitrobates　and　his　son。　To　send　an　armed　force　openly　against　him；　however；　he　did　not　think　advisable；　as　the　whole　kingdom　was　still　unsettled；　and　he　too　was　but　lately　come　to　the　throne；　while　Oroetes；　as　he　understood；　had　a　great　power。　In　truth　a　thousand　Persians　attended　on　him　as　a　bodyguard；　and　he　held　the　satrapies　of　Phrygia；　Lydia；　and　Ionia。　Darius　therefore　proceeded　by　artifice。　He　called　together　a　meeting　of　all　the　chief　of　the　Persians；　and　thus　addressed　them：…　〃Who　among　you；　O　Persians；　will　undertake　to　accomplish　me　a　matter　by　skill　without　force　or　tumult？　Force　is　misplaced　where　the　work　wants　skilful　management。　Who；　then；　will　undertake　to　bring　me　Oroetes　alive；　or　else　to　kill　him？　He　never　did　the　Persians　any　good　in　his　life；　and　he　has　wrought　us　abundant　injury。　Two　of　our　number；　Mitrobates　and　his　son；　he　has　slain；　and　when　messengers　go　to　recall　him；　even　though　they　have　their　mandate　from　me；　with　an　insolence　which　is　not　to　be　endured；　he　puts　them　to　death。　We　must　kill　this　man；　therefore；　before　he　does　the　Persians　any　greater　hurt。〃　　　　　Thus　spoke　Darius；　and　straightway　thirty　of　those　present　came　forward　and　offered　themselves　for　the　work。　As　they　strove　together；　Darius　interfered；　and　bade　them　have　recourse　to　the　lot。　Accordingly　lots　were　cast；　and　the　task　fell　to　Bagaeus；　son　of　Artontes。　Then　Bagaeus　caused　many　letters　to　be　written　on　divers　matters；　and　sealed　them　all　with　the　king's　signet；　after　which　he　took　the　letters　with　him；　and　departed　for　Sardis。　On　his　arrival　he　was　shown　into　the　presence　of　Oroetes；　when　he　uncovered　the　letters　one　by　one；　and　giving　them　to　the　king's　secretary…　every　satrap　has　with　him　a　king's　secretary…　commanded　him　to　read　their　contents。　Herein　his　design　was　to　try　the　fidelity　of　the　bodyguard；　and　to　see　if　they　would　be　likely　to　fall　away　from　Oroetes。　When　therefore　he　saw　that　they　showed　the　letters　all　due　respect；　and　even　more　highly　reverenced　their　contents；　he　gave　the　secretary　a　paper　in　which　was　written；　〃Persians；　king　Darius　forbids　you　to　guard　Oroetes。〃　The　soldiers　at　these　words　laid　aside　their　spears。　So　Bagaeus；　finding　that　they　obeyed　this　mandate；　took　courage；　and　gave　into　the　secretary's　hands　the　last　letter；　wherein　it　was　written；　〃King　Darius　commands　the　Persians　who　are　in　Sardis　to　kill　Oroetes。〃　Then　the　guards　drew　their　swords　and　slew　him　upon　the　spot。　Thus　did　retribution　for　the　murder　of　Polycrates　the　Samian　overtake　Oroetes　the　Persian。　　　　　Soon　after　the　treasures　of　Oroetes　had　been　conveyed　to　Sardis　it　happened　that　king　Darius；　as　he　leaped　from　his　horse　during　the　chase；　sprained　his　foot。　The　sprain　was　one　of　no　common　severity；　for　the　ankle…bone　was　forced　quite　out　of　the　socket。　Now　Darius　already　had　at　his　court　certain　Egyptians　whom　he　reckoned　the　best…skilled　physicians　in　all　the　world；　to　their　aid；　therefore；　he　had　recourse；　but　they　twisted　the　foot　so　clumsily；　and　used　such　violence；　that　they　only　made　the　mischief　greater。　For　seven　days　and　seven　nights　the　king　lay　without　sleep；　so　grievous　was　the　pain　he　suffered。　On　the　eighth　day　of　his　indisposition；　one　who　had　heard　before　leaving　Sardis　of　the　skill　of　Democedes　the　Crotoniat；　told　Darius；　who　commanded　that　he　should　be　brought　with　all　speed　into　his　presence。　When；　therefore；　they　had　found　him　among　the　slaves　of　Oroetes；　quite　uncared　for　by　any　one；　they　brought　him　just　as　he　was；　clanking　his　fetters；　and　all　clothed　in　rags；　before　the　king。　　　　　As　soon　as　he　was　entered　into　the　presence；　Darius　asked　him　if　he　knew　medicine…　to　which　he　answered　〃No；〃　for　he　feared　that　if　he　made　himself　known　he　would　lose　all　chance　of　ever　again　beholding　Greece。　Darius；　however；　perceiving　that　he　dealt　deceitfully；　and　really　understood　the　art；　bade　those　who　had　brought　him　to　the　presence　go　fetch　the　scourges　and　the　pricking…irons。　Upon　this　Democedes　made　confession；　but　at　the　same　time　said；　that　he　had　no　thorough　knowledge　of　medicine…　he　had　but　lived　some　time　with　a　physician；　and　in　this　way　had　gained　a　slight　smattering　of　the　art。　However；　Darius　put　himself　under　his　care；　and　Democedes；　by　using　the　remedies　customary　among　the　Greeks；　and　exchanging　the　violent　treatment　of　the　Egyptians　for　milder　means；　first　enabled　him　to　get　some　sleep；　and　then　in　a　very　little　time　restored　him　altogether；　after　he　had　quite　lost　the　hope　of　ever　having　the　use　of　his　foot。　Hereupon　the　king　presented　Democedes　with　two　sets　of　fetters　wrought　in　gold；　so　Democedes　asked　if　he　meant　to　double　his　sufferings　because　he　had　brought　him　back　to　health？　Darius　was　pleased　at　the　speech；　and　bade　the　eunuchs　take　Democedes　to　see　his　wives；　which　they　did　accordingly；　telling　them　all　that　this　was　the　man　who　had　saved　the　king's　life。　Then　each　of　the　wives　dipped　with　a　saucer　into　a　chest　of　gold；　and　gave　so　bountifully　to　Democedes；　that　a　slave　named　Sciton；　who　followed　him；　and　picked　up　the　staters　which　fell　from　the　saucers；　gathered　together　a　great　heap　of　gold。　　　　　This　Democedes　left　his　country　and　became　attached　to　Polycrates　in　the　following　way：…　His　father；　who　dwelt　at　Crotona；　was　a　man　of　a　savage　temper；　and　treated　him　cruelly。　When；　therefore；　he　could　no　longer　bear　such　constant　ill…usage；　Democedes　left　his　home；　and　sailed　away　to　Egina。　There　he　set　up　in　business；　and　succeeded　the　first　year　in　surpassing　all　the　best…skilled　physicians　of　the　place；　notwithstanding　that　he　was　without　instruments；　and　had　with　him　none　of　the　appliances　needful　for　the　practice　of　his　art。　In　the　second　year　the　state　of　Egina　hired　his　services　at　the　price　of　a　talent；　in　the　third　the　Athenians　engaged　him　at　a　hundred　minae；　and　in　the　fourth　Polycrates　at　two　talents。　So　he　went　to　Samos；　and　there　took　up　his　abode。　It　was　in　no　small　measure　from　his　success　that　the　Crotoniats　came　to　be　reckoned　such　good　physicians；　for　about　this　period　the　physicians　of　Crotona　had　the　name　of　being　the　best；　and　those　of　Cyrene　the　second　best；　in　all　Greece。　The　Argives；　about　the　same　time；　were　thought　to　be　the　first　musicians　in　Greece。　　　　　After　Democedes　had　cured　Darius　at　Susa；　he　dwelt　there　in　a　large　house；　and　feasted　daily　at　the　king's　table；　nor　did　he　lack　anything　that　his　heart　desired；　excepting　liberty　to　return　to　his　country。　By　interceding　for　them　with　Darius；　he　saved　the　lives　of　the　Egyptian　physicians　who　had　had　the　care　of　the　king　before　he　came；　when　they　were　about　to　be　impaled　because　they　had　been　surpassed　by　a　Greek；　and　further；　he　succeeded　in　rescuing　an　Elean　soothsayer；　who　had　followed　the　fortunes　of　Polycrates；　and　was　lying　in　utter　neglect　among　his　slaves。　In　short　there　was　no　one　who　stood　so　high　as　Democedes　in　the　favour　of　the　king。　　　　　Moreover；　within　a　little　while　it　happened　that　Atossa；　the　daughter　of　Cyrus；　who　was　married　to　Darius；　had　a　boil　form　upon　her　breast；　which；　after　it　burst；　began　to　spread　and　increase。　Now　so　long　as　the　sore　was　of　no　great　size；　she　hid　it　through　shame　and　made　no　mention　of　it　to　any　one；　but　when　it　became　worse；　she　sent　at　last　for　Democedes；　and　showed　it　to　him。　Democedes　said　that　he　would　make　her　well；　but　she　must　first　promise　him　with　an　oath　that　if　he　cured　her　she　would　grant　him　whatever　request　he　might　prefer；　assuring　her　at　the　same　time　that　it　should　be　nothing　which　she　could　blush　to　hear。　　　　　On　these　terms　Democedes　applied　his　art；　and　soon　cured　the　abscess；　and　Atossa；　when　she　had　heard　his　request；　spake　thus　one　night　to　Darius：…　　　　　〃It　seemeth　to　me　strange；　my　lord；　that；　with　the　mighty　power　which　is　thine；　thou　sittest　idle；　and　neither　makest　any　conquest；　nor　advancest　the　power　of　the　Persians。　Methinks　that　one　who　is　so　young；　and　so　richly　endowed　with　wealth；　sho