the history-第94章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ept　the　Cinyps　region；　which　is　named　after　the　river　that　waters　it。　This　piece　of　land　is　equal　to　any　country　in　the　world　for　cereal　crops；　and　is　in　nothing　like　the　rest　of　Libya。　For　the　soil　here　is　black；　and　springs　of　water　abound；　so　that　there　is　nothing　to　fear　from　drought；　nor　do　heavy　rains　（and　it　rains　in　that　part　of　Libya）　do　any　harm　when　they　soak　the　ground。　The　returns　of　the　harvest　come　up　to　the　measure　which　prevails　in　Babylonia。　The　soil　is　likewise　good　in　the　country　of　the　Euesperites；　for　there　the　land　brings　forth　in　the　best　years　a　hundred…fold。　But　the　Cinyps　region　yields　three　hundred…fold。　　　　　The　country　of　the　Cyrenaeans；　which　is　the　highest　tract　within　the　part　of　Libya　inhabited　by　the　wandering　tribes；　has　three　seasons　that　deserve　remark。　First　the　crops　along　the　sea…coast　begin　to　ripen；　and　are　ready　for　the　harvest　and　the　vintage；　after　they　have　been　gathered　in；　the　crops　of　the　middle　tract　above　the　coast　region　（the　hill…country；　as　they　call　it）　need　harvesting；　while　about　the　time　when　this　middle　crop　is　housed；　the　fruits　ripen　and　are　fit　for　cutting　in　the　highest　tract　of　all。　So　that　the　produce　of　the　first　tract　has　been　all　eaten　and　drunk　by　the　time　that　the　last　harvest　comes　in。　And　the　harvest…time　of　the　Cyrenaeans　continues　thus　for　eight　full　months。　So　much　concerning　these　matters。　　　　　When　the　Persians　sent　from　Egypt　by　Aryandes　to　help　Pheretima　reached　Barca；　they　laid　siege　to　the　town；　calling　on　those　within　to　give　up　the　men　who　had　been　guilty　of　the　murder　of　Arcesilaus。　The　townspeople；　however；　as　they　had　one　and　all　taken　part　in　the　deed；　refused　to　entertain　the　proposition。　So　the　Persians　beleaguered　Barca　for　nine　months；　in　the　course　of　which　they　dug　several　mines　from　their　own　lines　to　the　walls；　and　likewise　made　a　number　of　vigorous　assaults。　But　their　mines　were　discovered　by　a　man　who　was　a　worker　in　brass；　who　went　with　a　brazen　shield　all　round　the　fortress；　and　laid　it　on　the　ground　inside　the　city。　In　other　Places　the　shield；　when　he　laid　it　down；　was　quite　dumb；　but　where　the　ground　was　undermined；　there　the　brass　of　the　shield　rang。　Here；　therefore；　the　Barcaeans　countermined；　and　slew　the　Persian　diggers。　Such　was　the　way　in　which　the　mines　were　discovered；　as　for　the　assaults；　the　Barcaeans　beat　them　back。　　　　　When　much　time　had　been　consumed；　and　great　numbers　had　fallen　on　both　sides；　nor　had　the　Persians　lost　fewer　than　their　adversaries；　Amasis；　the　leader　of　the　land…army；　perceiving　that；　although　the　Barcaeans　would　never　be　conquered　by　force；　they　might　be　overcome　by　fraud；　contrived　as　follows　One　night　he　dug　a　wide　trench；　and　laid　light　planks　of　wood　across　the　opening；　after　which　he　brought　mould　and　placed　it　upon　the　planks；　taking　care　to　make　the　place　level　with　the　surrounding　ground。　At　dawn　of　day　he　summoned　the　Barcaeans　to　a　parley：　and　they　gladly　hearkening；　the　terms　were　at　length　agreed　upon。　Oaths　were　interchanged　upon　the　ground　over　the　hidden　trench；　and　the　agreement　ran　thus…　〃So　long　as　the　ground　beneath　our　feet　stands　firm；　the　oath　shall　abide　unchanged；　the　people　of　Barca　agree　to　pay　a　fair　sum　to　the　king；　and　the　Persians　promise　to　cause　no　further　trouble　to　the　people　of　Barca。〃　After　the　oath；　the　Barcaeans；　relying　upon　its　terms；　threw　open　all　their　gates；　went　out　themselves　beyond　the　walls；　and　allowed　as　many　of　the　enemy　as　chose　to　enter。　Then　the　Persians　broke　down　their　secret　bridge；　and　rushed　at　speed　into　the　town…　their　reason　for　breaking　the　bridge　being　that　so　they　might　observe　what　they　had　sworn；　for　they　had　promised　the　Barcaeans　that　the　oath　should　continue　〃so　long　as　the　ground　whereon　they　stood　was　firm。〃　When；　therefore；　the　bridge　was　once　broken　down；　the　oath　ceased　to　hold。　　　　　Such　of　the　Barcaeans　as　were　most　guilty　the　Persians　gave　up　to　Pheretima；　who　nailed　them　to　crosses　all　round　the　walls　of　the　city。　She　also　cut　off　the　breasts　of　their　wives；　and　fastened　them　likewise　about　the　walls。　The　remainder　of　the　people　she　gave　as　booty　to　the　Persians；　except　only　the　Battiadae　and　those　who　had　taken　no　part　in　the　murder；　to　whom　she　handed　over　the　possession　of　the　town。　　　　　The　Persians　now　set　out　on　their　return　home；　carrying　with　them　the　rest　of　the　Barcaeans；　whom　they　had　made　their　slaves。　On　their　way　they　came　to　Cyrene；　and　the　Cyrenaeans；　out　of　regard　for　an　oracle；　let　them　pass　through　the　town。　During　the　passage；　Bares；　the　commander　of　the　fleet；　advised　to　seize　the　place；　but　Amasis；　the　leader　of　the　land…force；　would　not　consent；　〃because；〃　he　said；　〃they　had　only　been　charged　to　attack　the　one　Greek　city　of　Barca。〃　When；　however；　they　had　passed　through　the　town；　and　were　encamped　upon　the　hill　of　Lycaean　Jove；　it　repented　them　that　they　had　not　seized　Cyrene；　and　they　endeavoured　to　enter　it　a　second　time。　The　Cyrenaeans；　however；　would　not　suffer　this；　whereupon；　though　no　one　appeared　to　offer　them　battle；　yet　a　panic　came　upon　the　Persians；　and　they　ran　a　distance　of　full　sixty　furlongs　before　they　pitched　their　camp。　Here　as　they　lay；　a　messenger　came　to　them　from　Aryandes；　ordering　them　home。　Then　the　Persians　besought　the　men　of　Cyrene　to　give　them　provisions　for　the　way；　and；　these　consenting；　they　set　off　on　their　return　to　Egypt。　But　the　Libyans　now　beset　them；　and；　for　the　sake　of　their　clothes　and　harness；　slew　all　who　dropped　behind　and　straggled；　during　the　whole　march　homewards。　　　　　The　furthest　point　of　Libya　reached　by　this　Persian　host　was　the　city　of　Euesperides。　The　Barcaeans　carried　into　slavery　were　sent　from　Egypt　to　the　king；　and　Darius　assigned　them　a　village　in　Bactria　for　their　dwelling…place。　To　this　village　they　gave　the　name　of　Barca；　and　it　was　to　my　time　an　inhabited　place　in　Bactria。　　　　　Nor　did　Pheretima　herself　end　her　days　happily。　For　on　her　return　to　Egypt　from　Libya；　directly　after　taking　vengeance　on　the　people　of　Barca；　she　was　overtaken　by　a　most　horrid　death。　Her　body　swarmed　with　worms；　which　ate　her　flesh　while　she　was　still　alive。　Thus　do　men；　by　over…harsh　punishments；　draw　down　upon　themselves　the　anger　of　the　gods。　Such　then；　and　so　fierce；　was　the　vengeance　which　Pheretima；　daughter　of　Battus；　took　upon　the　Barcaeans。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Fifth　Book；　Entitled　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TERPSICHORE

　　　　The　Persians　left　behind　by　King　Darius　in　Europe；　who　had　Megabazus　for　their　general；　reduced；　before　any　other　Hellespontine　state；　the　people　of　Perinthus；　who　had　no　mind　to　become　subjects　of　the　king。　Now　the　Perinthians　had　ere　this　been　roughly　handled　by　another　nation；　the　Paeonians。　For　the　Paeonians　from　about　the　Strymon　were　once　bidden　by　an　oracle　to　make　war　upon　the　Perinthians；　and　if　these　latter；　when　the　camps　faced　one　another；　challenged　them　by　name　to　fight；　then　to　venture　on　a　battle；　but　if　otherwise；　not　to　make　the　hazard。　The　Paeonians　followed　the　advice。　Now　the　men　of　Perinthus　drew　out　to　meet　them　in　the　skirts　of　their　city；　and　a　threefold　single　combat　was　fought　on　challenge　given。　Man　to　man；　and　horse　to　horse；　and　dog　to　dog；　was　the　strife　waged；　and　the　Perinthians；　winners　of　two　combats　out　of　the　three；　in　their　joy　had　raised　the　paean；　when　the　Paeonians　struck　by　the　thought　that　this　was　what　the　oracle　had　meant；　passed　the　word　one　to　another；　saying；　〃Now　of　a　surety　has　the　oracle　been　fulfilled　for　us；　now　our　work　begins。〃　Then　the　Paeonians　set　upon　the　Perinthians　in　the　midst　of　their　paean；　and　defeated　them　utterly；　leaving　but　few　of　them　alive。　　　　　Such　was　the　affair　of　the　Paeonians；　which　happened　a　long　time　previously。　At　this　time　the　Perinthians；　after　a　brave　struggle　for　freedom；　were　overcome　by　numbers；　and　yielded　to　Megabazus　and　his　Persians。　After　Perinthus　had　been　brought　under；　Megabazus　led　his　host　through　Thrace；　subduing　to　the　dominion　of　the　king　all　the　towns　and　all　the　nations　of　those　parts。　For　the　king's　command　to　him　was　that　he　should　conquer　Thrace。　　　　　The　Thracians　are　the　most　powerful　people　in　the　world；　except；　of　course；　the　Indians；　and　if　they　had　one　head；　or　were　agreed　among　themselves；　it　is　my　belief　that　their　match