the history-第206章

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lose　behind　me；　and　may　be　looked　for　shortly。　When　he　comes；　receive　him　as　ye　have　received　me；　and　show　him　every　kindness。　Be　sure　ye　will　never　hereafter　regret　it；　if　ye　so　do。〃　　　　　With　these　words　he　took　his　departure；　and　marched　his　troops　at　their　best　speed　through　Thessaly　and　Macedon　straight　upon　Thrace；　following　the　inland　route；　which　was　the　shortest；　and；　in　good　truth；　using　all　possible　dispatch。　He　himself　succeeded　in　reaching　Byzantium；　but　a　great　part　of　his　army　perished　upon　the　road…　many　being　cut　to　pieces　by　the　Thracians；　and　others　dying　from　hunger　and　excess　of　toil。　From　Byzantium　Artabazus　set　sail；　and　crossed　the　strait；　returning　into　Asia　in　the　manner　which　has　been　here　described。　　　　　On　the　same　day　that　the　blow　was　struck　at　Plataea；　another　defeat　befell　the　Persians　at　Mycale　in　Ionia。　While　the　Greek　fleet　under　Leotychides　the　Lacedaemonian　was　still　lying　inactive　at　Delos；　there　arrived　at　that　place　an　embassy　from　Samos；　consisting　of　three　men；　Lampon　the　son　of　Thrasycles；　Athenagoras　the　son　of　Archestratidas；　and　Hegesistratus　the　son　of　Aristagoras。　The　Samians　had　sent　them　secretly；　concealing　their　departure　both　from　the　Persians　and　from　their　own　tyrant　Theomestor；　the　son　of　Androdamas；　whom　the　Persians　had　made　ruler　of　Samos。　When　the　ambassadors　came　before　the　Greek　captains　Hegesistratus　took　the　word；　and　urged　them　with　many　and　various　arguments；　saying；　〃that　the　Ionians　only　needed　to　see　them　arrive　in　order　to　revolt　from　the　Persians；　and　that　the　Persians　would　never　abide　their　coming；　or　if　they　did；　'twould　be　to　offer　them　the　finest　booty　that　they　could　anywhere　expect　to　gain；〃　while　at　the　same　time　he　made　appeal　to　the　gods　of　their　common　worship；　and　besought　them　to　deliver　from　bondage　a　Grecian　race；　and　withal　to　drive　back　the　barbarians。　〃This；〃　he　said；　〃might　very　easily　be　done；　for　the　Persian　ships　were　bad　sailers；　and　far　from　a　match　for　theirs；〃　adding；　moreover；　〃that　if　there　was　any　suspicion　lest　the　Samians　intended　to　deal　treacherously；　they　were　themselves　ready　to　become　hostages；　and　to　return　on　board　the　ships　of　their　allies　to　Asia。〃　　　　　When　the　Samian　stranger　continued　importunately　beseeching　him；　Leotychides；　either　because　he　wanted　an　omen；　or　by　a　mere　chance；　as　God　guided　him；　asked　the　man…　〃Samian　stranger！　prithee；　tell　me　thy　name？〃　〃Hegesistratus　（army…leader）；〃　answered　the　other；　and　might　have　said　more；　but　Leotychides　stopped　him　by　exclaiming…　〃I　accept；　O　Samian！　the　omen　which　thy　name　affords。　Only；　before　thou　goest　back；　swear　to　us；　thyself　and　thy　brother…envoys；　that　the　Samians　will　indeed　be　our　warm；　friends　and　allies。〃　　　　　No　sooner　had　he　thus　spoken　than　he　proceeded　to　hurry　forward　the　business。　The　Samians　pledged　their　faith　upon　the　spot；　and　oaths　of　alliance　were　exchanged　between　them　and　the　Greeks。　This　done；　two　of　the　ambassadors　forthwith　sailed　away；　as　for　Hegesistratus；　Leotychides　kept　him　to　accompany　his　own　fleet；　for　he　considered　his　name　to　be　a　good　omen。　The　Greeks　abode　where　they　were　that　day；　and　on　the　morrow　sacrificed；　and　found　the　victims　favourable。　Their　soothsayer　was　Deiphonus；　the　son　of　Evenius；　a　man　of　Apollonia…　I　mean　the　Apollonia　which　lies　upon　the　Ionian　Gulf。　　　　　A　strange　thing　happened　to　this　man's　father；　Evenius。　The　Apolloniats　have　a　flock　of　sheep　sacred　to　the　sun。　During　the　daytime　these　sheep　graze　along　the　banks　of　the　river　which　flows　from　Mount　Lacmon　through　their　territory　and　empties　itself　into　the　sea　by　the　port　of　Oricus；　while　at　night　they　are　guarded　by　the　richest　and　noblest　of　the　citizens；　who　are　chosen　to　serve　the　office；　and　who　keep　the　watch　each　for　one　year。　Now　the　Apolloniats　set　great　store　by　these　sheep；　on　account　of　an　oracle　which　they　received　concerning　them。　The　place　where　they　are　folded　at　night　is　a　cavern；　a　long　way　from　the　town。　Here　it　happened　that　Evenius；　when　he　was　chosen　to　keep　the　watch；　by　some　accident　fell　asleep　upon　his　guard；　and　while　he　slept；　the　cave　was　entered　by　wolves；　which　destroyed　some　sixty　of　the　flock　under　his　care。　Evenius；　when　he　woke　and　found　what　had　occurred；　kept　silence　about　it　and　told　no　one；　for　he　thought　to　buy　other　sheep　and　put　them　in　the　place　of　the　slain。　But　the　matter　came　to　the　ears　of　the　Apolloniats；　who　forthwith　brought　Evenius　to　trial；　and　condemned　him　to　lose　his　eyes；　because　he　had　gone　to　sleep　upon　his　post。　Now　when　Evenius　was　blinded；　straightway　the　sheep　had　no　young；　and　the　land　ceased　to　bear　its　wonted　harvests。　Then　the　Apolloniats　sent　to　Dodona；　and　to　Delphi；　and　asked　the　prophets；　what　had　caused　the　woes　which　so　afflicted　them。　The　answer　which　they　received　was　this…　〃The　woes　were　come　for　Evenius；　the　guardian　of　the　sacred　sheep；　whom　the　Apolloniats　had　wrongfully　deprived　of　sight。　They　（the　gods）　had　themselves　sent　the　wolves；　nor　would　they　ever　cease　to　exact　vengeance　for　Evenius；　till　the　Apolloniats　made　him　whatever　atonement　he　liked　to　ask。　When　this　was　paid；　they　would　likewise　give　him　a　gift；　which　would　make　many　men　call　him　blessed。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　tenor　of　the　prophecies。　The　Apolloniats　kept　them　close；　but　charged　some　of　their　citizens　to　go　and　make　terms　with　Evenius；　and　these　men　managed　the　business　for　them　in　the　way　which　I　will　now　describe。　They　found　Evenius　upon　a　bench；　and；　approaching　him；　they　sat　down　by　his　side；　and　began　to　talk：　at　first　they　spoke　of　quite　other　matters；　but　in　the　end　they　mentioned　his　misfortune；　and　offered　him　their　condolence。　Having　thus　beguiled　him；　at　last　they　put　the　question…　〃What　atonement　would　he　desire；　if　the　Apolloniats　were　willing　to　make　him　satisfaction　for　the　wrong　which　they　had　done　to　him？〃　Hereupon　Evenius；　who　had　not　heard　of　the　oracle；　made　answer…　〃If　I　were　given　the　lands　of　this　man　and　that…〃　（here　he　named　the　two　men　whom　he　knew　to　have　the　finest　farms　in　Apollonia）；　〃and　likewise　the　house　of　this　other〃…　（and　here　he　mentioned　the　house　which　he　knew　to　be　the　handsomest　in　the　town）；　〃I　would；　when　master　of　these；　be　quite　content；　and　my　wrath　would　cease　altogether。〃　As　soon　as　Evenius　had　thus　spoken；　the　men　who　sat　by　him　rejoined…　〃Evenius；　the　Apolloniats　give　thee　the　atonement　which　thou　hast　desired；　according　to　the　bidding　of　the　oracles。〃　Then　Evenius　understood　the　whole　matter；　and　was　enraged　that　they　had　deceived　him　so；　but　the　Apolloniats　bought　the　farms　from　their　owners；　and　gave　Evenius　what　he　had　chosen。　After　this　was　done；　straightway　Evenius　had　the　gift　of　prophecy；　insomuch　that　he　became　a　famous　man　in　Greece。　　　　　Deiphonus；　the　son　of　this　Evenius；　had　accompanied　the　Corinthians；　and　was　soothsayer；　as　I　said　before；　to　the　Greek　armament。　One　account；　however；　which　I　have　heard；　declares　that　he　was　not　really　the　son　of　this　man；　but　only　took　the　name；　and　then　went　about　Greece　and　let　out　his　services　for　hire。　　　　　The　Greeks；　as　soon　as　the　victims　were　favourable；　put　to　sea；　and　sailed　across　from　Delos　to　Samos。　Arriving　off　Calami；　a　place　upon　the　Samian　coast；　they　brought　the　fleet　to　an　anchor　near　the　temple　of　Juno　whic