the history-第58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！


other　advantages　which　came　to　each　in　rotation；　the　same　man　never　obtaining　them　twice。　A　thousand　Calascirians；　and　the　same　number　of　Hermotybians；　formed　in　alternate　years　the　body…guard　of　the　king；　and　during　their　year　of　service　these　persons；　besides　their　arurae；　received　a　daily　portion　of　meat　and　drink；　consisting　of　five　pounds　of　baked　bread；　two　pounds　of　beef；　and　four　cups　of　wine。　　　　　When　Apries；　at　the　head　of　his　mercenaries；　and　Amasis；　in　command　of　the　whole　native　force　of　the　Egyptians；　encountered　one　another　near　the　city　of　Momemphis；　an　engagement　presently　took　place。　The　foreign　troops　fought　bravely；　but　were　overpowered　by　numbers；　in　which　they　fell　very　far　short　of　their　adversaries。　It　is　said　that　Apries　believed　that　there　was　not　a　god　who　could　cast　him　down　from　his　eminence；　so　firmly　did　he　think　that　he　had　established　himself　in　his　kingdom。　But　at　this　time　the　battle　went　against　him；　and　his　army　being　worsted；　he　fell　into　the　enemy's　hands　and　was　brought　back　a　prisoner　to　Sais；　where　he　was　lodged　in　what　had　been　his　own　house；　but　was　now　the　palace　of　Amasis。　Amasis　treated　him　with　kindness；　and　kept　him　in　the　palace　for　a　while；　but　finding　his　conduct　blamed　by　the　Egyptians；　who　charged　him　with　acting　unjustly　in　preserving　a　man　who　had　shown　himself　so　bitter　an　enemy　both　to　them　and　him；　he　gave　Apries　over　into　the　hands　of　his　former　subjects；　to　deal　with　as　they　chose。　Then　the　Egyptians　took　him　and　strangled　him；　but　having　so　done　they　buried　him　in　the　sepulchre　of　his　fathers。　This　tomb　is　in　the　temple　of　Minerva；　very　near　the　sanctuary；　on　the　left　hand　as　one　enters。　The　Saites　buried　all　the　kings　who　belonged　to　their　canton　inside　this　temple；　and　thus　it　even　contains　the　tomb　of　Amasis；　as　well　as　that　of　Apries　and　his　family。　The　latter　is　not　so　close　to　the　sanctuary　as　the　former；　but　still　it　is　within　the　temple。　It　stands　in　the　court；　and　is　a　spacious　cloister　built　of　stone　and　adorned　with　pillars　carved　so　as　to　resemble　palm　trees；　and　with　other　sumptuous　ornaments。　Within　the　cloister　is　a　chamber　with　folding　doors；　behind　which　lies　the　sepulchre　of　the　king。　　　　　Here　too；　in　this　same　precinct　of　Minerva　at　Sais；　is　the　burial…place　of　one　whom　I　think　it　not　right　to　mention　in　such　a　connection。　It　stands　behind　the　temple；　against　the　backwall；　which　it　entirely　covers。　There　are　also　some　large　stone　obelisks　in　the　enclosure；　and　there　is　a　lake　near　them；　adorned　with　an　edging　of　stone。　In　form　it　is　circular；　and　in　size；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　about　equal　to　the　lake　in　Delos　called　〃the　Hoop。〃　　　　　On　this　lake　it　is　that　the　Egyptians　represent　by　night　his　sufferings　whose　name　I　refrain　from　mentioning；　and　this　representation　they　call　their　Mysteries。　I　know　well　the　whole　course　of　the　proceedings　in　these　ceremonies；　but　they　shall　not　pass　my　lips。　So　too；　with　regard　to　the　mysteries　of　Ceres；　which　the　Greeks　term　〃the　Thesmophoria；〃　I　know　them；　but　I　shall　not　mention　them；　except　so　far　as　may　be　done　without　impiety。　The　daughters　of　Danaus　brought　these　rites　from　Egypt；　and　taught　them　to　the　Pelasgic　women　of　the　Peloponnese。　Afterwards；　when　the　inhabitants　of　the　peninsula　were　driven　from　their　homes　by　the　Dorians；　the　rites　perished。　Only　in　Arcadia；　where　the　natives　remained　and　were　not　compelled　to　migrate；　their　observance　continued。　　　　　After　Apries　had　been　put　to　death　in　the　way　that　I　have　described　above；　Amasis　reigned　over　Egypt。　He　belonged　to　the　canton　of　Sais；　being　a　native　of　the　town　called　Siouph。　At　first　his　subjects　looked　down　on　him　and　held　him　in　small　esteem；　because　he　had　been　a　mere　private　person；　and　of　a　house　of　no　great　distinction；　but　after　a　time　Amasis　succeeded　in　reconciling　them　to　his　rule；　not　by　severity；　but　by　cleverness。　Among　his　other　splendour　he　had　a　golden　foot…pan；　in　which　his　guests　and　himself　were　wont　upon　occasion　to　wash　their　feet。　This　vessel　he　caused　to　be　broken　in　pieces；　and　made　of　the　gold　an　image　of　one　of　the　gods；　which　he　set　up　in　the　most　public　place　in　the　whole　city；　upon　which　the　Egyptians　flocked　to　the　image；　and　worshipped　it　with　the　utmost　reverence。　Amasis；　finding　this　was　so；　called　an　assembly；　and　opened　the　matter　to　them；　explaining　how　the　image　had　been　made　of　the　foot…pan；　wherein　they　had　been　wont　formerly　to　wash　their　feet　and　to　put　all　manner　of　filth；　yet　now　it　was　greatly　reverenced。　〃And　truly；〃　he　went　on　to　say；　〃it　had　gone　with　him　as　with　the　foot…pan。　If　he　was　a　private　person　formerly；　yet　now　he　had　come　to　be　their　king。　And　so　he　bade　them　honour　and　reverence　him。〃　Such　was　the　mode　in　which　he　won　over　the　Egyptians；　and　brought　them　to　be　content　to　do　him　service。　　　　　The　following　was　the　general　habit　of　his　life：…　from　early　dawn　to　the　time　when　the　forum　is　wont　to　fill；　he　sedulously　transacted　all　the　business　that　was　brought　before　him；　during　the　remainder　of　the　day　he　drank　and　joked　with　his　guests；　passing　the　time　in　witty　and；　sometimes；　scarce　seemly　conversation。　It　grieved　his　friends　that　he　should　thus　demean　himself；　and　accordingly　some　of　them　chid　him　on　the　subject；　saying　to　him…　〃Oh！　king；　thou　dost　but　ill　guard　thy　royal　dignity　whilst　thou　allowest　thyself　in　such　levities。　Thou　shouldest　sit　in　state　upon　a　stately　throne；　and　busy　thyself　with　affairs　the　whole　day　long。　So　would　the　Egyptians　feel　that　a　great　man　rules　them；　and　thou　wouldst　be　better　spoken　of。　But　now　thou　conductest　thyself　in　no　kingly　fashion。〃　Amasis　answered　them　thus：…　〃Bowmen　bend　their　bows　when　they　wish　to　shoot；　unbrace　them　when　the　shooting　is　over。　Were　they　kept　always　strung　they　would　break；　and　fail　the　archer　in　time　of　need。　So　it　is　with　men。　If　they　give　themselves　constantly　to　serious　work；　and　never　indulge　awhile　in　pastime　or　sport；　they　lose　their　senses；　and　become　mad　or　moody。　Knowing　this；　I　divide　my　life　between　pastime　and　business。〃　Thus　he　answered　his　friends。　　　　　It　is　said　that　Amasis；　even　while　he　was　a　private　man；　had　the　same　tastes　for　drinking　and　jesting；　and　was　averse　to　engaging　in　any　serious　employment。　He　lived　in　constant　feasts　and　revelries；　and　whenever　his　means　failed　him；　he　roamed　about　and　robbed　people。　On　such　occasions　the　persons　from　whom　he　had　stolen　would　bring　him；　if　he　denied　the　charge；　before　the　nearest　oracle；　sometimes　the　oracle　would　pronounce　him　guilty　of　the　theft；　at　other　times　it　would　acquit　him。　When　afterwards　he　came　to　be　king；　he　neglected　the　temples　of　such　gods　as　had　declared　that　he　was　not　a　thief；　and　neither　contributed　to　their　adornment　nor　frequented　them　for　sacrifice；　since　he　regarded　them　as　utterly　worthless　and　their　oracles　as　wholly　false：　but　the　gods　who　had　detected　his　guilt　he　considered　to　be　true　gods　whose　oracles　did　not　deceive；　and　these　he　honoured　exceedingly。　　　　　First　of　all；　therefore；　he　built　the　gateway　of　the　temple　of　Minerva　at　Sais；　which　is　an　astonishing　work；　far　surpassing　all　other　buildings　of　the　same　kind　both　in　extent　and　height；　and　built　with　stones　of　rare　size　and　excellency。　In　the　next　place；　he　presented　to　the　temple　a　nu