the history-第150章

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to　be　my　prop　and　stay；　and　the　guardian　of　my　wealth。　Take　with　thee　the　other　four；　and　when　thou　hast　done　all　that　is　in　thy　heart；　mayest　thou　come　back　in　safety。〃　　　　　But　Xerxes　was　greatly　angered；　and　replied　to　him：　〃Thou　wretch！　darest　thou　speak　to　me　of　thy　son；　when　I　am　myself　on　the　march　against　Greece；　with　sons；　and　brothers；　and　kinsfolk；　and　friends？　Thou；　who　art　my　bond…slave；　and　art　in　duty　bound　to　follow　me　with　all　thy　household；　not　excepting　thy　wife！　Know　that　man's　spirit　dwelleth　in　his　ears；　and　when　it　hears　good　things；　straightway　it　fills　all　his　body　with　delight；　but　no　sooner　does　it　hear　the　contrary　than　it　heaves　and　swells　with　passion。　As　when　thou　didst　good　deeds　and　madest　good　offers　to　me；　thou　wert　not　able　to　boast　of　having　outdone　the　king　in　bountifulness；　so　now　when　thou　art　changed　and　grown　impudent；　thou　shalt　not　receive　all　thy　deserts；　but　less。　For　thyself　and　four　of　thy　five　sons；　the　entertainment　which　I　had　of　thee　shall　gain　protection；　but　as　for　him　to　whom　thou　clingest　above　the　rest；　the　forfeit　of　his　life　shall　be　thy　punishment。〃　Having　thus　spoken；　forthwith　he　commanded　those　to　whom　such　tasks　were　assigned　to　seek　out　the　eldest　of　the　sons　of　Pythius；　and　having　cut　his　body　asunder；　to　place　the　two　halves。　one　on　the　right；　the　other　on　the　left；　of　the　great　road；　so　that　the　army　might　march　out　between　them。　　　　　Then　the　king's　orders　were　obeyed；　and　the　army　marched　out　between　the　two　halves　of　the　carcase。　First　of　all　went　the　baggage…bearers；　and　the　sumpter…beasts；　and　then　a　vast　crowd　of　many　nations　mingled　together　without　any　intervals；　amounting　to　more　than　one　half　of　the　army。　After　these　troops　an　empty　space　was　left；　to　separate　between　them　and　the　king。　In　front　of　the　king　went　first　a　thousand　horsemen；　picked　men　of　the　Persian　nation…　then　spearmen　a　thousand；　likewise　chosen　troops；　with　their　spearheads　pointing　towards　the　ground…　next　ten　of　the　sacred　horses　called　Nisaean；　all　daintily　caparisoned。　（Now　these　horses　are　called　Nisaean；　because　they　come　from　the　Nisaean　plain；　a　vast　flat　in　Media；　producing　horses　of　unusual　size。）　After　the　ten　sacred　horses　came　the　holy　chariot　of　Jupiter；　drawn　by　eight　milk…white　steeds；　with　the　charioteer　on　foot　behind　them　holding　the　reins；　for　no　mortal　is　ever　allowed　to　mount　into　the　car。　Next　to　this　came　Xerxes　himself；　riding　in　a　chariot　drawn　by　Nisaean　horses；　with　his　charioteer；　Patiramphes；　the　son　of　Otanes；　a　Persian；　standing　by　his　side。　　　　　Thus　rode　forth　Xerxes　from　Sardis…　but　he　was　accustomed　every　now　and　then；　when　the　fancy　took　him；　to　alight　from　his　chariot　and　travel　in　a　litter。　Immediately　behind　the　king　there　followed　a　body　of　a　thousand　spearmen；　the　noblest　and　bravest　of　the　Persians；　holding　their　lances　in　the　usual　manner…　then　came　a　thousand　Persian　horse；　picked　men…　then　ten　thousand；　picked　also　after　the　rest；　and　serving　on　foot。　Of　these　last　one　thousand　carried　spears　with　golden　pomegranates　at　their　lower　end　instead　of　spikes；　and　these　encircled　the　other　nine　thousand；　who　bore　on　their　spears　pomegranates　of　silver。　The　spearmen　too　who　pointed　their　lances　towards　the　ground　had　golden　pomegranates；　and　the　thousand　Persians　who　followed　close　after　Xerxes　had　golden　apples。　Behind　the　ten　thousand　footmen　came　a　body　of　Persian　cavalry；　likewise　ten　thousand；　after　which　there　was　again　a　void　space　for　as　much　as　two　furlongs；　and　then　the　rest　of　the　army　followed　in　a　confused　crowd。　　　　　The　march　of　the　army；　after　leaving　Lydia；　was　directed　upon　the　river　Caicus　and　the　land　of　Mysia。　Beyond　the　Caius　the　road；　leaving　Mount　Cana　upon　the　left；　passed　through　the　Atarnean　plain；　to　the　city　of　Carina。　Quitting　this；　the　troops　advanced　across　the　plain　of　Thebe；　passing　Adramyttium；　and　Antandrus；　the　Pelasgic　city；　then；　holding　Mount　Ida　upon　the　left　hand；　it　entered　the　Trojan　territory。　On　this　march　the　Persians　suffered　some　loss；　for　as　they　bivouacked　during　the　night　at　the　foot　of　Ida；　a　storm　of　thunder　and　lightning　burst　upon　them；　and　killed　no　small　number。　　　　　On　reaching　the　Scamander；　which　was　the　first　stream；　of　all　that　they　had　crossed　since　they　left　Sardis；　whose　water　failed　them　and　did　not　suffice　to　satisfy　the　thirst　of　men　and　cattle；　Xerxes　ascended　into　the　Pergamus　of　Priam；　since　he　had　a　longing　to　behold　the　place。　When　he　had　seen　everything；　and　inquired　into　all　particulars；　he　made　an　offering　of　a　thousand　oxen　to　the　Trojan　Minerva；　while　the　Magians　poured　libations　to　the　heroes　who　were　slain　at　Troy。　The　night　after；　a　panic　fell　upon　the　camp：　but　in　the　morning　they　set　off　with　daylight；　and　skirting　on　the　left　hand　the　towns　Rhoeteum；　Ophryneum；　and　Dardanus　（which　borders　on　Abydos）；　on　the　right　the　Teucrians　of　Gergis；　so　reached　Abydos。　　　　　Arrived　here；　Xerxes　wished　to　look　upon　all　his　host；　so　as　there　was　a　throne　of　white　marble　upon　a　hill　near　the　city；　which　they　of　Abydos　had　prepared　beforehand；　by　the　king's　bidding；　for　his　especial　use；　Xerxes　took　his　seat　on　it；　and；　gazing　thence　upon　the　shore　below；　beheld　at　one　view　all　his　land　forces　and　all　his　ships。　While　thus　employed；　he　felt　a　desire　to　behold　a　sailing…match　among　his　ships；　which　accordingly　took　place；　and　was　won　by　the　Phoenicians　of　Sidon；　much　to　the　joy　of　Xerxes；　who　was　delighted　alike　with　the　race　and　with　his　army。　　　　　And　now；　as　he　looked　and　saw　the　whole　Hellespont　covered　with　the　vessels　of　his　fleet；　and　all　the　shore　and　every　plain　about　Abydos　as　full　as　possible　of　men；　Xerxes　congratulated　himself　on　his　good　fortune；　but　after　a　little　while　he　wept。　　　　　Then　Artabanus；　the　king's　uncle　（the　same　who　at　the　first　so　freely　spake　his　mind　to　the　king；　and　advised　him　not　to　lead　his　army　against　Greece）；　when　he　heard　that　Xerxes　was　in　tears；　went　to　him；　and　said：…　　　　　〃How　different；　sire；　is　what　thou　art　now　doing；　from　what　thou　didst　a　little　while　ago！　Then　thou　didst　congratulate　thyself；　and　now；　behold！　thou　weepest。〃　　　　　〃There　came　upon　me；〃　replied　he；　〃a　sudden　pity；　when　I　thought　of　the　shortness　of　man's　life；　and　considered　that　of　all　this　host；　so　numerous　as　it　is；　not　one　will　be　alive　when　a　hundred　years　are　gone　by。〃　　　　　〃And　yet　there　are　sadder　things　in　life　than　that；〃　returned　the　other。　〃Short　as　our　time　is；　there　is　no　man；　whether　it　be　here　among　this　multitude　or　elsewhere；　who　is　so　happy；　as　not　to　have　felt　the　wish…　I　will　not　say　once；　but　full　many　a　time…　that　he　were　dead　rather　than　alive。　Calamities　fall　upon　us；　sicknesses　vex　and　harass　us；　and　make　life；　short　though　it　be；　to　appear　long。　So　death；　through　the　wretchedness　of　our　life；　is　a　most　sweet　refuge　to　our　race：　and　God；　who　gives　us　the　tastes　that　we　enjoy　of　pleasant　times；　is　seen；　in　his　very　gift；　to　be　envious。〃　　　　　〃True；〃　said　Xerxes；　〃human　life　is　even　such　as　thou　hast　painted　it；　O　Artabanus！　But　for　this　very　reason　let　us　turn　our　thoughts　from　it；　and　not　dwell　on　what　is　so　sad；　when　pleasant　things　are　in　hand。　Tell　me　rather；　if　the　vision　which　we　saw　had　not　appeared　so　plainly　to　thyself；　wouldst　thou　have　been　stil