the history-第3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！


ar　upon　Miletus。　In　his　reign　the　Cimmerians；　driven　from　their　homes　by　the　nomads　of　Scythia；　entered　Asia　and　captured　Sardis；　all　but　the　citadel。　He　reigned　forty…nine　years；　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son；　Sadyattes；　who　reigned　twelve　years。　At　his　death　his　son　Alyattes　mounted　the　throne。　　　　　This　prince　waged　war　with　the　Medes　under　Cyaxares；　the　grandson　of　Deioces；　drove　the　Cimmerians　out　of　Asia；　conquered　Smyrna；　the　Colophonian　colony；　and　invaded　Clazomenae。　From　this　last　contest　he　did　not　come　off　as　he　could　have　wished；　but　met　with　a　sore　defeat；　still；　however；　in　the　course　of　his　reign；　he　performed　other　actions　very　worthy　of　note；　of　which　I　will　now　proceed　to　give　an　account。　　　　　Inheriting　from　his　father　a　war　with　the　Milesians；　he　pressed　the　siege　against　the　city　by　attacking　it　in　the　following　manner。　When　the　harvest　was　ripe　on　the　ground　he　marched　his　army　into　Milesia　to　the　sound　of　pipes　and　harps；　and　flutes　masculine　and　feminine。　The　buildings　that　were　scattered　over　the　country　he　neither　pulled　down　nor　burnt；　nor　did　he　even　tear　away　the　doors；　but　left　them　standing　as　they　were。　He　cut　down；　however；　and　utterly　destroyed　all　the　trees　and　all　the　corn　throughout　the　land；　and　then　returned　to　his　own　dominions。　It　was　idle　for　his　army　to　sit　down　before　the　place；　as　the　Milesians　were　masters　of　the　sea。　The　reason　that　he　did　not　demolish　their　buildings　was　that　the　inhabitants　might　be　tempted　to　use　them　as　homesteads　from　which　to　go　forth　to　sow　and　till　their　lands；　and　so　each　time　that　he　invaded　the　country　he　might　find　something　to　plunder。　　　　　In　this　way　he　carried　on　the　war　with　the　Milesians　for　eleven　years；　in　the　course　of　which　he　inflicted　on　them　two　terrible　blows；　one　in　their　own　country　in　the　district　of　Limeneium；　the　other　in　the　plain　of　the　Maeander。　During　six　of　these　eleven　years；　Sadyattes；　the　son　of　Ardys　who　first　lighted　the　flames　of　this　war；　was　king　of　Lydia；　and　made　the　incursions。　Only　the　five　following　years　belong　to　the　reign　of　Alyattes；　son　of　Sadyattes；　who　（as　I　said　before）　inheriting　the　war　from　his　father；　applied　himself　to　it　unremittingly。　The　Milesians　throughout　the　contest　received　no　help　at　all　from　any　of　the　Ionians；　excepting　those　of　Chios；　who　lent　them　troops　in　requital　of　a　like　service　rendered　them　in　former　times；　the　Milesians　having　fought　on　the　side　of　the　Chians　during　the　whole　of　the　war　between　them　and　the　people　of　Erythrae。　　　　　It　was　in　the　twelfth　year　of　the　war　that　the　following　mischance　occurred　from　the　firing　of　the　harvest…fields。　Scarcely　had　the　corn　been　set　alight　by　the　soldiers　when　a　violent　wind　carried　the　flames　against　the　temple　of　Minerva　Assesia；　which　caught　fire　and　was　burnt　to　the　ground。　At　the　time　no　one　made　any　account　of　the　circumstance；　but　afterwards；　on　the　return　of　the　army　to　Sardis；　Alyattes　fell　sick。　His　illness　continued；　whereupon；　either　advised　thereto　by　some　friend；　or　perchance　himself　conceiving　the　idea；　he　sent　messengers　to　Delphi　to　inquire　of　the　god　concerning　his　malady。　On　their　arrival　the　Pythoness　declared　that　no　answer　should　be　given　them　until　they　had　rebuilt　the　temple　of　Minerva；　burnt　by　the　Lydians　at　Assesus　in　Milesia。　　　　　Thus　much　I　know　from　information　given　me　by　the　Delphians；　the　remainder　of　the　story　the　Milesians　add。　　　　　The　answer　made　by　the　oracle　came　to　the　ears　of　Periander；　son　of　Cypselus；　who　was　a　very　close　friend　to　Thrasybulus；　tyrant　of　Miletus　at　that　period。　He　instantly　despatched　a　messenger　to　report　the　oracle　to　him；　in　order　that　Thrasybulus；　forewarned　of　its　tenor；　might　the　better　adapt　his　measures　to　the　posture　of　affairs。　　　　　Alyattes；　the　moment　that　the　words　of　the　oracle　were　reported　to　him；　sent　a　herald　to　Miletus　in　hopes　of　concluding　a　truce　with　Thrasybulus　and　the　Milesians　for　such　a　time　as　was　needed　to　rebuild　the　temple。　The　herald　went　upon　his　way；　but　meantime　Thrasybulus　had　been　apprised　of　everything；　and　conjecturing　what　Alyattes　would　do；　he　contrived　this　artifice。　He　had　all　the　corn　that　was　in　the　city；　whether　belonging　to　himself　or　to　private　persons；　brought　into　the　market…place；　and　issued　an　order　that　the　Milesians　should　hold　themselves　in　readiness；　and；　when　he　gave　the　signal；　should；　one　and　all；　fall　to　drinking　and　revelry。　　　　　The　purpose　for　which　he　gave　these　orders　was　the　following。　He　hoped　that　the　Sardian　herald；　seeing　so　great　store　of　corn　upon　the　ground；　and　all　the　city　given　up　to　festivity；　would　inform　Alyattes　of　it；　which　fell　out　as　he　anticipated。　The　herald　observed　the　whole；　and　when　he　had　delivered　his　message；　went　back　to　Sardis。　This　circumstance　alone；　as　I　gather；　brought　about　the　peace　which　ensued。　Alyattes；　who　had　hoped　that　there　was　now　a　great　scarcity　of　corn　in　Miletus；　and　that　the　people　were　worn　down　to　the　last　pitch　of　suffering；　when　he　heard　from　the　herald　on　his　return　from　Miletus　tidings　so　contrary　to　those　he　had　expected；　made　a　treaty　with　the　enemy　by　which　the　two　nations　became　close　friends　and　allies。　He　then　built　at　Assesus　two　temples　to　Minerva　instead　of　one；　and　shortly　after　recovered　from　his　malady。　Such　were　the　chief　circumstances　of　the　war　which　Alyattes　waged　with　Thrasybulus　and　the　Milesians。　　　　　This　Periander；　who　apprised　Thrasybulus　of　the　oracle；　was　son　of　Cypselus；　and　tyrant　of　Corinth。　In　his　time　a　very　wonderful　thing　is　said　to　have　happened。　The　Corinthians　and　the　Lesbians　agree　in　their　account　of　the　matter。　They　relate　that　Arion　of　Methymna；　who　as　a　player　on　the　harp；　was　second　to　no　man　living　at　that　time；　and　who　was；　so　far　as　we　know；　the　first　to　invent　the　dithyrambic　measure；　to　give　it　its　name；　and　to　recite　in　it　at　Corinth；　was　carried　to　Taenarum　on　the　back　of　a　dolphin。　　　　　He　had　lived　for　many　years　at　the　court　of　Periander；　when　a　longing　came　upon　him　to　sail　across　to　Italy　and　Sicily。　Having　made　rich　profits　in　those　parts；　he　wanted　to　recross　the　seas　to　Corinth。　He　therefore　hired　a　vessel；　the　crew　of　which　were　Corinthians；　thinking　that　there　was　no　people　in　whom　he　could　more　safely　confide；　and；　going　on　board；　he　set　sail　from　Tarentum。　The　sailors；　however；　when　they　reached　the　open　sea；　formed　a　plot　to　throw　him　overboard　and　seize　upon　his　riches。　Discovering　their　design；　he　fell　on　his　knees；　beseeching　them　to　spare　his　life；　and　making　them　welcome　to　his　money。　But　they　refused；　and　required　him　either　to　kill　himself　outright；　if　he　wished　for　a　grave　on　the　dry　land；　or　without　loss　of　time　to　leap　overboard　into　the　sea。　In　this　strait　Arion　begged　them；　since　such　was　their　pleasure；　to　allow　him　to　mount　upon　the　quarter…deck；　dressed　in　his　full　costume；　and　there　to　play　and　sing；　and　promising　that；　as　soon　as　his　song　was　ended；　he　would　destroy　himself。　Delighted　at　the　prospect　of　hearing　the　very　best　harper　in　the　world；　they　consented；　and　withdrew　from　the　stern　to　the　middle　of　the　vessel：　while　Arion　dressed　himself　in　the　full　costume　of　his　calling；　took　his　harp；　and　standing　on　the　quarter…deck；　chanted　the　Orthian。　His　strain　ended；　he　flung　himself；　fully　attired　as　h