anabasis-第64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！


you　to　use　your　best　endeavour　to　right　me　with　the　soldiers。　Leave　me　at　least　where　you　found　me；　that　is　all　I　ask。〃

After　listening　to　this　appeal；　Seuthes　called　down　curses　on　him；　whose　fault　it　was；　that　the　debt　had　not　long　ago　been　paid；　and；　if　the　general　suspicion　was　correct；　this　was　Heracleides。　〃For　myself；〃　said　Seuthes；　〃I　never　had　any　idea　of　robbing　you　of　your　just　dues。　I　will　repay。〃　Then　Xenophon　rejoined：　〃Since　you　are　minded　to　pay；　I　only　ask　that　you　will　do　so　through　me；　and　will　not　suffer　me　on　your　account　to　hold　a　different　position　in　the　army　from　what　I　held　when　we　joined　you。〃　He　replied：　〃As　far　as　that　goes；　so　far　from　holding　a　less　honoured　position　among　your　own　men　on　my　account；　if　you　will　stay　with　me；　keeping　only　a　thousand　heavy　infantry；　I　will　deliver　to　you　the　fortified　places　and　everything　I　promised。〃　The　other　answered：　〃On　these　terms　I　may　not　accept　them；　only　let　us　go　　　51　free。〃　〃Nay；　but　I　know；〃　said　Seuthes；　〃that　it　is　safer　for　you　to　bide　with　me　than　to　go　away。〃　Then　Xenophon　again：　〃For　your　forethought　I　thank　you；　but　I　may　not　stay。　Somewhere　I　may　rise　to　honour；　and　that；　be　sure；　shall　redound　to　your　gain　also。〃　Thereupon　Seuthes　spoke：　〃Of　silver　I　have　but　little；　that　little；　however；　I　give　to　you；　one　talent；　but　of　beeves　I　can　give　you　six　hundred　head；　and　of　sheep　four　thousand；　and　of　slaves　six　score。　These　take；　and　the　hostages　besides；　who　wronged　you；　and　begone。〃　Xenophon　laughed　and　said：　〃But　supposing　these　all　together　do　not　amount　to　the　pay；　for　whom　is　the　talent；　shall　I　say？　It　is　a　little　dangerous　for　myself；　is　it　not？　I　think　I　had　better　be　on　the　look…out　for　stones　when　I　return。　You　heard　the　threats？〃

So　for　the　moment　he　stayed　there；　but　the　next　day　Seuthes　gave　up　to　them　what　he　had　promised；　and　sent　an　escort　to　drive　the　cattle。　The　soldiers　at　first　maintained　that　Xenophon　had　gone　to　take　up　his　abode　with　Seuthes；　and　to　receive　what　he　had　been　promised；　so　when　they　saw　him　they　were　pleased；　and　ran　to　meet　him。　And　Xenophon；　seeing　Charminus　and　Polynicus；　said：　〃Thanks　to　your　intervention；　this　much　has　been　saved　for　the　army。　My　duty　is　to　deliver　this　fraction　over　to　your　keeping；　do　you　divide　and　distribute　it　to　the　soldiers。〃　Accordingly　they　took　the　property　and　appointed　official　vendors　of　the　booty；　and　in　the　end　incurred　considerable　blame。　Xenophon　held　aloof。　In　fact　it　was　no　secret　that　he　was　making　his　preparations　to　return　home；　for　as　yet　the　vote　of　banishment　had　not　been　passed　at　Athens＇1＇。　But　the　authorities　in　the　camp　came　to　him　and　begged　him　not　to　go　away　until　he　had　conducted　the　army　to　its　destination；　and　handed　it　over　to　Thibron。

＇1＇　I。e。　〃at　this　moment　the　vote　of　banishment　had　not　been　passed　　　　　which　would　prevent　his　return　to　Athens。〃　The　natural　inference　　　　　from　these　words　is；　I　think；　that　the　vote　of　banishment　was　　　　　presently　passed；　at　any　rate　considerably　earlier　than　the　battle　　　　　of　Coronea　in　B。C。　394；　five　years　and　a　half　afterwards。



VIII

From　this　place　they　sailed　across　to　Lampsacus；　and　here　Xenophon　was　　1　met　by　Eucleides　the　soothsayer；　a　Phliasian；　the　son　of　Cleagoras；　who　painted　〃the　dreams＇1＇〃　in　the　Lycium。　Eucleides　congratulated　Xenophon　upon　his　safe　return；　and　asked　him　how　much　gold　he　had　got？　and　Xenophon　had　to　confess：　〃Upon　my　word；　I　shall　have　barely　enough　to　get　home；　unless　I　sell　my　horse；　and　what　I　have　about　my　person。〃　The　other　could　not　credit　the　statement。　Now　when　the　Lampsacenes　sent　gifts　of　hospitaliry　to　Xenophon；　and　he　was　sacrificing　to　Apollo；　he　requested　the　presence　of　Eucleides；　and　the　latter；　seeing　the　victims；　said：　〃Now　I　believe　what　you　said　about　having　no　money。　But　I　am　certain；〃　he　continued；　〃if　it　were　ever　to　come；　there　is　an　obstacle　in　the　way。　If　nothing　else；　you　are　that　obstacle　yourself。〃　Xenophon　admitted　the　force　of　that　remark。　Then　the　other：　〃Zeus　Meilichios＇2＇　is　an　obstacle　to　you；　I　am　sure；〃　adding　in　another　tone　of　voice；　〃have　you　tried　sacrificing　to　that　god；　as　I　was　wont　to　sacrifice　and　offer　whole　burnt　offerings　for　you　at　home？〃　Xenophon　replied　that　since　he　had　been　abroad；　he　had　not　sacrificed　to　that　god。　Accordingly　Eucleides　counselled　him　to　sacrifice　in　the　old　customary　way：　he　was　sure　that　his　fortune　would　improve。　The　nexy　day　Xenophon　went　on　to　Ophrynium　and　sacrificed；　offering　a　holocaust　of　swine；　after　the　custom　of　his　family；　and　the　signs　which　he　obtained　were　favourable。　That　very　day　Bion　and　Nausicleides　arrived　laden　with　gifts　for　the　army。　These　two　were　hospitably　entertained　by　Xenophon；　and　were　kind　enough　to　repurchase　the　horse　he　had　sold　in　Lampsacus　for　fifty　darics；　suspecting　that　he　had　parted　with　it　out　of　need；　and　hearing　that　he　was　fond　of　the　beast　they　restored　it　to　him；　refusing　to　be　remunerated。

＇1＇　Reading　｛ta　enupnia｝；　or　if　｛ta　entoikhia｝　with　Hug　and　others；　　　　　translate　〃the　wall…paintings〃　or　the　〃frescoes。〃　Others　think　　　　　that　a　writing；　not　a　painting；　is　referred　to。

＇2＇　Zeus　Meilichios；　or　the　gentle　one。　See　Thuc。　i。　126。　The　festival　　　　　of　the　Diasia　at　Athens　was　in　honour　of　that　god；　or　rather　of　　　　　Zeus　under　that　aspect。　Cf。　Arist。　〃Clouds；〃　408。

From　that　place　they　marched　through　the　Troad；　and；　crossing　Mount　Ida；　arrived　at　Antandrus；　and　then　pushed　along　the　seaboard　of　Mysia　to　the　plain　of　Thebe＇3＇。　Thence　they　made　their　way　through　　　　　　　　　　　　8　Adramytium　and　Certonus＇4＇　by　Atarneus；　coming　into　the　plain　of　the　Caicus；　and　so　reached　Pergamus　in　Mysia。

＇3＇　Thebe；　a　famous　ancient　town　in　Mysia；　at　the　southern　foot　of　Mt。　　　　　Placius；　which　is　often　mentioned　in　Homer　（〃Il。〃　i。　366；　vi。　397；　　　　　xxii。　479；　ii。　691）。　See　〃Dict。　Geog。〃　s。v。　The　name　｛Thebes　　　　　pedion｝　preserves　the　site。　Cf。　above　｛Kaustrou　pedion｝；　and　such　　　　　modern　names　as　〃the　Campagna〃　or　〃Piano　di　Sorrento。〃

＇4＇　The　site　of　Certonus　is　not　ascertained。　Some　critics　have　　　　　conjectured　that　the　name　should　be　Cytonium；　a　place　between　　　　　Mysia　and　Lydia；　and　Hug；　who　reads　｛Kutoniou｝；　omits　｛odeusantes　　　　　par　'Atanea｝；　〃they　made　their　way　by　Atarneus；〃　as　a　gloss。

Here　Xenophon　was　hospitably　entertained　at　the　house　of　Hellas；　the　wife　of　Gongylus　the　Eretrian＇5＇；　the　mother　of　Gorgion　and　Gongylus。　From　her　he　learnt　that　Asidates；　a　Persian　notable；　was　in　the　plain。　〃If　you　take　thirty　men　and　go　by　night；　you　will　take　him　prisoner；〃　she　said；　〃wife；　children；　money；　and　all；　of　money　he　has　a　store；〃　and　to　show　them　the　way　to　these　treasures；　she　sent　her　own　cousin　and　Daphnagoras；　whom　she　set　great　store　by。　So　then　Xenophon；　with　these　two　to　assist；　did　sacrifice；　and　Basias；　an　Eleian；　the　soothsayer　in　attendance；　said　that　the　victims　were　as　promising　as　could　be；　and　the　great　man　would　be　an　easy　prey。　Accordingly；　after　dinner　he　set　off；　taking　with　him　the　officers　who　had　been　hs　staunchest　friends　and　confidants　throughout；　as　he　wished　to　do　them　a　good　turn。　A　number　of　others　came　thrusting　themselves　on　their　company；　to　the　number　of　six　hundred；　but　the　officers　repelled　them：　〃They　had　no　notion　of　sharing　their　portion　of　the　spoil；〃　they　said；　〃just　as　though　the　property　lay　already　at　their　feet。〃

＇5＇　Cf。　Thuc。　i。　128；　also　〃Hell。〃　III。　i。　6。

Ahout　midnight　they　arrived。　The　slaves　occupying　the　precincts　of　the　tower；　with　the　mass　of　goods　and　chattles；　slipped　through　their　fingers；　their　sole　anxiety　being　to　capture　Asidates　and　his　belongings。　So　they　brought　their　batteries　to　bear；　but　failing　to　take　the　tower　by　assault　（since　it　was　high　and　solid；　and　well　supplied　with　ramparts；　besides　having　a　large　body　of　warlike　defenders）；　they　endeavoured　to　undermine　it。　The　wall　was　eight　clay　bricks　thick；　but　by　daybreak　the　passage　was　effected　and　the　wall　undermined。　At　the　first　cleam　of　light　through　the　aperture；　one　of　　　　14　the　defendants　inside；　with　a　large　ox…spit；　smote　right　through　the　thigh　of　the　man　nearest　the　hole；　and　the　rest　discharged　their　arrows　so　hotly　that　it　was　dangerous　to　come　anywhere　near　the　passage；　and　what　with　their　shouting　and　kindling　of　beacon　fire