the history-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　HISTORY　OF　HERODOTUS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Herodotus

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　George　Rawlinson

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　First　Book；　Entitled
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CLIO

　　　　THESE　are　the　researches　of　Herodotus　of　Halicarnassus；　which　he　publishes；　in　the　hope　of　thereby　preserving　from　decay　the　remembrance　of　what　men　have　done；　and　of　preventing　the　great　and　wonderful　actions　of　the　Greeks　and　the　Barbarians　from　losing　their　due　meed　of　glory；　and　withal　to　put　on　record　what　were　their　grounds　of　feuds。　　　　　According　to　the　Persians　best　informed　in　history；　the　Phoenicians　began　to　quarrel。　This　people；　who　had　formerly　dwelt　on　the　shores　of　the　Erythraean　Sea；　having　migrated　to　the　Mediterranean　and　settled　in　the　parts　which　they　now　inhabit；　began　at　once；　they　say；　to　adventure　on　long　voyages；　freighting　their　vessels　with　the　wares　of　Egypt　and　Assyria。　They　landed　at　many　places　on　the　coast；　and　among　the　rest　at　Argos；　which　was　then　preeminent　above　all　the　states　included　now　under　the　common　name　of　Hellas。　Here　they　exposed　their　merchandise；　and　traded　with　the　natives　for　five　or　six　days；　at　the　end　of　which　time；　when　almost　everything　was　sold；　there　came　down　to　the　beach　a　number　of　women；　and　among　them　the　daughter　of　the　king；　who　was；　they　say；　agreeing　in　this　with　the　Greeks；　Io；　the　child　of　Inachus。　The　women　were　standing　by　the　stern　of　the　ship　intent　upon　their　purchases；　when　the　Phoenicians；　with　a　general　shout；　rushed　upon　them。　The　greater　part　made　their　escape；　but　some　were　seized　and　carried　off。　Io　herself　was　among　the　captives。　The　Phoenicians　put　the　women　on　board　their　vessel；　and　set　sail　for　Egypt。　Thus　did　Io　pass　into　Egypt；　according　to　the　Persian　story；　which　differs　widely　from　the　Phoenician：　and　thus　commenced；　according　to　their　authors；　the　series　of　outrages。　　　　　At　a　later　period；　certain　Greeks；　with　whose　name　they　are　unacquainted；　but　who　would　probably　be　Cretans；　made　a　landing　at　Tyre；　on　the　Phoenician　coast；　and　bore　off　the　king's　daughter；　Europe。　In　this　they　only　retaliated；　but　afterwards　the　Greeks；　they　say；　were　guilty　of　a　second　violence。　They　manned　a　ship　of　war；　and　sailed　to　Aea；　a　city　of　Colchis；　on　the　river　Phasis；　from　whence；　after　despatching　the　rest　of　the　business　on　which　they　had　come；　they　carried　off　Medea；　the　daughter　of　the　king　of　the　land。　The　monarch　sent　a　herald　into　Greece　to　demand　reparation　of　the　wrong；　and　the　restitution　of　his　child；　but　the　Greeks　made　answer　that；　having　received　no　reparation　of　the　wrong　done　them　in　the　seizure　of　Io　the　Argive；　they　should　give　none　in　this　instance。　　　　　In　the　next　generation　afterwards；　according　to　the　same　authorities；　Alexander　the　son　of　Priam；　bearing　these　events　in　mind；　resolved　to　procure　himself　a　wife　out　of　Greece　by　violence；　fully　persuaded；　that　as　the　Greeks　had　not　given　satisfaction　for　their　outrages；　so　neither　would　he　be　forced　to　make　any　for　his。　Accordingly　he　made　prize　of　Helen；　upon　which　the　Greeks　decided　that；　before　resorting　to　other　measures；　they　would　send　envoys　to　reclaim　the　princess　and　require　reparation　of　the　wrong。　Their　demands　were　met　by　a　reference　to　the　violence　which　had　been　offered　to　Medea；　and　they　were　asked　with　what　face　they　could　now　require　satisfaction；　when　they　had　formerly　rejected　all　demands　for　either　reparation　or　restitution　addressed　to　them。　　　　　Hitherto　the　injuries　on　either　side　had　been　mere　acts　of　common　violence；　but　in　what　followed　the　Persians　consider　that　the　Greeks　were　greatly　to　blame；　since　before　any　attack　had　been　made　on　Europe；　they　led　an　army　into　Asia。　Now　as　for　the　carrying　off　of　women；　it　is　the　deed；　they　say；　of　a　rogue：　but　to　make　a　stir　about　such　as　are　carried　off；　argues　a　man　a　fool。　Men　of　sense　care　nothing　for　such　women；　since　it　is　plain　that　without　their　own　consent　they　would　never　be　forced　away。　The　Asiatics；　when　the　Greeks　ran　off　with　their　women；　never　troubled　themselves　about　the　matter；　but　the　Greeks；　for　the　sake　of　a　single　Lacedaemonian　girl；　collected　a　vast　armament；　invaded　Asia；　and　destroyed　the　kingdom　of　Priam。　Henceforth　they　ever　looked　upon　the　Greeks　as　their　open　enemies。　For　Asia；　with　all　the　various　tribes　of　barbarians　that　inhabit　it；　is　regarded　by　the　Persians　as　their　own；　but　Europe　and　the　Greek　race　they　look　on　as　distinct　and　separate。　　　　　Such　is　the　account　which　the　Persians　give　of　these　matters。　They　trace　to　the　attack　upon　Troy　their　ancient　enmity　towards　the　Greeks。　The　Phoenicians；　however；　as　regards　Io；　vary　from　the　Persian　statements。　They　deny　that　they　used　any　violence　to　remove　her　into　Egypt；　she　herself；　they　say；　having　formed　an　intimacy　with　the　captain；　while　his　vessel　lay　at　Argos；　and　perceiving　herself　to　be　with　child；　of　her　own　free　will　accompanied　the　Phoenicians　on　their　leaving　the　shore；　to　escape　the　shame　of　detection　and　the　reproaches　of　her　parents。　Whether　this　latter　account　be　true；　or　whether　the　matter　happened　otherwise；　I　shall　not　discuss　further。　I　shall　proceed　at　once　to　point　out　the　person　who　first　within　my　own　knowledge　inflicted　injury　on　the　Greeks；　after　which　I　shall　go　forward　with　my　history；　describing　equally　the　greater　and　the　lesser　cities。　For　the　cities　which　were　formerly　great　have　most　of　them　become　insignificant；　and　such　as　are　at　present　powerful；　were　weak　in　the　olden　time。　I　shall　therefore　discourse　equally　of　both；　convinced　that　human　happiness　never　continues　long　in　one　stay。　　　　　Croesus；　son　of　Alyattes；　by　birth　a　Lydian；　was　lord　of　all　the　nations　to　the　west　of　the　river　Halys。　This　stream；　which　separates　Syria　from　Paphlagonia；　runs　with　a　course　from　south　to　north；　and　finally　falls　into　the　Euxine。　So　far　as　our　knowledge　goes；　he　was　the　first　of　the　barbarians　who　had　dealings　with　the　Greeks；　forcing　some　of　them　to　become　his　tributaries；　and　entering　into　alliance　with　others。　He　conquered　the　Aeolians；　Ionians；　and　Dorians　of　Asia；　and　made　a　treaty　with　the　Lacedaemonians。　Up　to　that　time　all　Greeks　had　been　free。　For　the　Cimmerian　attack　upon　Ionia；　which　was　earlier　than　Croesus；　was　not　a　conquest　of　the　cities；　but　only　an　inroad　for　plundering。　　　　　The　sovereignty　of　Lydia；　which　had　belonged　to　the　Heraclides；　passed　into　the　family　of　Croesus；　who　were　called　the　Mermnadae；　in　the　manner　which　I　will　now　relate。　There　was　a　certain　king　of　Sardis；　Candaules　by　name；　whom　the　Greeks　called　Myrsilus。　He　was　a　descendant　of　Alcaeus；　son　of　Hercules。　The　first　king　of　this　dynasty　was　Agron；　son　of　Ninus；　grandson　of　Belus；　and　great…grandson　of　Alcaeus；　Candaules；　son　of　Myrsus；　was　the　last。　The　kings　who　reigned　before　Agron　sprang　from　Lydus；　son　of　Atys；　from　whom　the　people　of　the　land；　called　previously　Meonians；　received　the　name　of　Lydians。　The　Heraclides；　descended　from　Hercules　and　the　slave…girl　of　Jardanus；　having　been　entrusted　by　these　princes　with　the　management　of　affairs；　obtained　the　kingdom　by　an　oracle。　Their　rule　endured　for　two　and　twenty　generations　of　men；　a　space　of　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　movin