the history-第2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！


f　five　hundred　and　five　years；　during　the　whole　of　which　period；　from　Agron　to　Candaules；　the　crown　descended　in　the　direct　line　from　father　to　son。　　　　　Now　it　happened　that　this　Candaules　was　in　love　with　his　own　wife；　and　not　only　so；　but　thought　her　the　fairest　woman　in　the　whole　world。　This　fancy　had　strange　consequences。　There　was　in　his　bodyguard　a　man　whom　he　specially　favoured；　Gyges；　the　son　of　Dascylus。　All　affairs　of　greatest　moment　were　entrusted　by　Candaules　to　this　person；　and　to　him　he　was　wont　to　extol　the　surpassing　beauty　of　his　wife。　So　matters　went　on　for　a　while。　At　length；　one　day；　Candaules；　who　was　fated　to　end　ill；　thus　addressed　his　follower：　〃I　see　thou　dost　not　credit　what　I　tell　thee　of　my　lady's　loveliness；　but　come　now；　since　men's　ears　are　less　credulous　than　their　eyes；　contrive　some　means　whereby　thou　mayst　behold　her　naked。〃　At　this　the　other　loudly　exclaimed；　saying；　〃What　most　unwise　speech　is　this；　master；　which　thou　hast　uttered？　Wouldst　thou　have　me　behold　my　mistress　when　she　is　naked？　Bethink　thee　that　a　woman；　with　her　clothes；　puts　off　her　bashfulness。　Our　fathers；　in　time　past；　distinguished　right　and　wrong　plainly　enough；　and　it　is　our　wisdom　to　submit　to　be　taught　by　them。　There　is　an　old　saying；　'Let　each　look　on　his　own。'　I　hold　thy　wife　for　the　fairest　of　all　womankind。　Only；　I　beseech　thee；　ask　me　not　to　do　wickedly。〃　　　　　Gyges　thus　endeavoured　to　decline　the　king's　proposal；　trembling　lest　some　dreadful　evil　should　befall　him　through　it。　But　the　king　replied　to　him；　〃Courage；　friend；　suspect　me　not　of　the　design　to　prove　thee　by　this　discourse；　nor　dread　thy　mistress；　lest　mischief　be。　thee　at　her　hands。　Be　sure　I　will　so　manage　that　she　shall　not　even　know　that　thou　hast　looked　upon　her。　I　will　place　thee　behind　the　open　door　of　the　chamber　in　which　we　sleep。　When　I　enter　to　go　to　rest　she　will　follow　me。　There　stands　a　chair　close　to　the　entrance；　on　which　she　will　lay　her　clothes　one　by　one　as　she　takes　them　off。　Thou　wilt　be　able　thus　at　thy　leisure　to　peruse　her　person。　Then；　when　she　is　moving　from　the　chair　toward　the　bed；　and　her　back　is　turned　on　thee；　be　it　thy　care　that　she　see　thee　not　as　thou　passest　through　the　doorway。〃　　　　　Gyges；　unable　to　escape；　could　but　declare　his　readiness。　Then　Candaules；　when　bedtime　came；　led　Gyges　into　his　sleeping…chamber；　and　a　moment　after　the　queen　followed。　She　entered；　and　laid　her　garments　on　the　chair；　and　Gyges　gazed　on　her。　After　a　while　she　moved　toward　the　bed；　and　her　back　being　then　turned；　he　glided　stealthily　from　the　apartment。　As　he　was　passing　out；　however；　she　saw　him；　and　instantly　divining　what　had　happened；　she　neither　screamed　as　her　shame　impelled　her；　nor　even　appeared　to　have　noticed　aught；　purposing　to　take　vengeance　upon　the　husband　who　had　so　affronted　her。　For　among　the　Lydians；　and　indeed　among　the　barbarians　generally；　it　is　reckoned　a　deep　disgrace；　even　to　a　man；　to　be　seen　naked。　　　　　No　sound　or　sign　of　intelligence　escaped　her　at　the　time。　But　in　the　morning；　as　soon　as　day　broke；　she　hastened　to　choose　from　among　her　retinue　such　as　she　knew　to　be　most　faithful　to　her；　and　preparing　them　for　what　was　to　ensue；　summoned　Gyges　into　her　presence。　Now　it　had　often　happened　before　that　the　queen　had　desired　to　confer　with　him；　and　he　was　accustomed　to　come　to　her　at　her　call。　He　therefore　obeyed　the　summons；　not　suspecting　that　she　knew　aught　of　what　had　occurred。　Then　she　addressed　these　words　to　him：　〃Take　thy　choice；　Gyges；　of　two　courses　which　are　open　to　thee。　Slay　Candaules；　and　thereby　become　my　lord；　and　obtain　the　Lydian　throne；　or　die　this　moment　in　his　room。　So　wilt　thou　not　again；　obeying　all　behests　of　thy　master；　behold　what　is　not　lawful　for　thee。　It　must　needs　be　that　either　he　perish　by　whose　counsel　this　thing　was　done；　or　thou；　who　sawest　me　naked；　and　so　didst　break　our　usages。〃　At　these　words　Gyges　stood　awhile　in　mute　astonishment；　recovering　after　a　time；　he　earnestly　besought　the　queen　that　she　would　not　compel　him　to　so　hard　a　choice。　But　finding　he　implored　in　vain；　and　that　necessity　was　indeed　laid　on　him　to　kill　or　to　be　killed；　he　made　choice　of　life　for　himself；　and　replied　by　this　inquiry：　〃If　it　must　be　so；　and　thou　compellest　me　against　my　will　to　put　my　lord　to　death；　come；　let　me　hear　how　thou　wilt　have　me　set　on　him。〃　〃Let　him　be　attacked；〃　she　answered；　〃on　the　spot　where　I　was　by　him　shown　naked　to　you；　and　let　the　assault　be　made　when　he　is　asleep。〃　　　　　All　was　then　prepared　for　the　attack；　and　when　night　fell；　Gyges；　seeing　that　he　had　no　retreat　or　escape；　but　must　absolutely　either　slay　Candaules；　or　himself　be　slain；　followed　his　mistress　into　the　sleeping…room。　She　placed　a　dagger　in　his　hand　and　hid　him　carefully　behind　the　self…same　door。　Then　Gyges；　when　the　king　was　fallen　asleep；　entered　privily　into　the　chamber　and　struck　him　dead。　Thus　did　the　wife　and　kingdom　of　Candaules　pass　into　the　possession　of　Gyges；　of　whom　Archilochus　the　Parian；　who　lived　about　the　same　time；　made　mention　in　a　poem　written　in　iambic　trimeter　verse。　　　　　Gyges　was　afterwards　confirmed　in　the　possession　of　the　throne　by　an　answer　of　the　Delphic　oracle。　Enraged　at　the　murder　of　their　king；　the　people　flew　to　arms；　but　after　a　while　the　partisans　of　Gyges　came　to　terms　with　them；　and　it　was　agreed　that　if　the　Delphic　oracle　declared　him　king　of　the　Lydians；　he　should　reign；　if　otherwise；　he　should　yield　the　throne　to　the　Heraclides。　As　the　oracle　was　given　in　his　favour　he　became　king。　The　Pythoness；　however；　added　that；　in　the　fifth　generation　from　Gyges；　vengeance　should　come　for　the　Heraclides；　a　prophecy　of　which　neither　the　Lydians　nor　their　princes　took　any　account　till　it　was　fulfilled。　Such　was　the　way　in　which　the　Mermnadae　deposed　the　Heraclides；　and　themselves　obtained　the　sovereignty。　　　　　When　Gyges　was　established　on　the　throne；　he　sent　no　small　presents　to　Delphi；　as　his　many　silver　offerings　at　the　Delphic　shrine　testify。　Besides　this　silver　he　gave　a　vast　number　of　vessels　of　gold；　among　which　the　most　worthy　of　mention　are　the　goblets；　six　in　number；　and　weighing　altogether　thirty　talents；　which　stand　in　the　Corinthian　treasury；　dedicated　by　him。　I　call　it　the　Corinthian　treasury；　though　in　strictness　of　speech　it　is　the　treasury　not　of　the　whole　Corinthian　people；　but　of　Cypselus；　son　of　Eetion。　Excepting　Midas；　son　of　Gordias；　king　of　Phrygia；　Gyges　was　the　first　of　the　barbarians　whom　we　know　to　have　sent　offerings　to　Delphi。　Midas　dedicated　the　royal　throne　whereon　he　was　accustomed　to　sit　and　administer　justice；　an　object　well　worth　looking　at。　It　lies　in　the　same　place　as　the　goblets　presented　by　Gyges。　The　Delphians　call　the　whole　of　the　silver　and　the　gold　which　Gyges　dedicated；　after　the　name　of　the　donor；　Gygian。　　　　　As　soon　as　Gyges　was　king　he　made　an　in…road　on　Miletus　and　Smyrna；　and　took　the　city　of　Colophon。　Afterwards；　however；　though　he　reigned　eight　and　thirty　years；　he　did　not　perform　a　single　noble　exploit。　I　shall　therefore　make　no　further　mention　of　him；　but　pass　on　to　his　son　and　successor　in　the　kingdom；　Ardys。　　　　　Ardys　took　Priene　and　made　war　upon　Miletus。　In　his　reign　the　Cimmerians；　driven　from　their　homes　by　the　nomads　of　Scythia；　ente