the history-第104章

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　to　his　own　house；　where　he　prepared　an　ox　for　sacrifice；　and　offered　it　to　Jupiter；　after　which　he　called　for　his　mother。　　　　　When　she　appeared；　he　took　of　the　entrails；　and　placing　them　in　her　hand；　besought　her　in　these　words　following：…　　　　　〃Dear　mother；　I　beseech　you；　by　all　the　gods；　and　chiefly　by　our　own　hearth…god　Jupiter；　tell　me　the　very　truth；　who　was　really　my　father。　For　Leotychides；　in　the　suit　which　we　had　together；　declared　that　when　thou　becamest　Ariston's　wife　thou　didst　already　bear　in　thy　womb　a　child　by　thy　former　husband；　and　others　repeat　a　yet　more　disgraceful　tale；　that　our　groom　found　favour　in　thine　eyes；　and　that　I　am　his　son。　I　entreat　thee　therefore　by　the　gods　to　tell　me　the　truth。　For　if　thou　hast　gone　astray；　thou　hast　done　no　more　than　many　a　woman；　and　the　Spartans　remark　it　as　strange；　if　I　am　Ariston's　son；　that　he　had　no　children　by　his　other　wives。〃　　　　　Thus　spake　Demaratus；　and　his　mother　replied　as　follows：　〃Dear　son；　since　thou　entreatest　so　earnestly　for　the　truth；　it　shall　indeed　be　fully　told　to　thee。　When　Ariston　brought　me　to　his　house；　on　the　third　night　after　my　coming；　there　appeared　to　me　one　like　to　Ariston；　who；　after　staying　with　me　a　while；　rose；　and　taking　the　garlands　from　his　own　brows　placed　them　upon　my　head；　and　so　went　away。　Presently　after　Ariston　entered；　and　when　he　saw　the　garlands　which　I　still　wore；　asked　me　who　gave　them　to　me。　I　said；　'twas　he；　but　this　he　stoutly　denied；　whereupon　I　solemnly　swore　that　it　was　none　other；　and　told　him　he　did　not　do　well　to　dissemble　when　he　had　so　lately　risen　from　my　side　and　left　the　garlands　with　me。　Then　Ariston；　when　he　heard　my　oath；　understood　that　there　was　something　beyond　nature　in　what　had　taken　place。　And　indeed　it　appeared　that　the　garlands　had　come　from　the　hero…temple　which　stands　by　our　court　gates…　the　temple　of　him　they　call　Astrabacus…　and　the　soothsayers；　moreover；　declared　that　the　apparition　was　that　very　person。　And　now；　my　son；　I　have　told　thee　all　thou　wouldest　fain　know。　Either　thou　art　the　son　of　that　hero…　either　thou　mayest　call　Astrabacus　sire；　or　else　Ariston　was　thy　father。　As　for　that　matter　which　they　who　hate　thee　urge　the　most；　the　words　of　Ariston；　who；　when　the　messenger　told　him　of　thy　birth；　declared　before　many　witnesses　that　'thou　wert　not　his　son；　forasmuch　as　the　ten　months　were　not　fully　out；'　it　was　a　random　speech；　uttered　from　mere　ignorance。　The　truth　is；　children　are　born　not　only　at　ten　months；　but　at　nine；　and　even　at　seven。　Thou　wert　thyself；　my　son；　a　seven　months'　child。　Ariston　acknowledged；　no　long　time　afterwards；　that　his　speech　sprang　from　thoughtlessness。　Hearken　not　then　to　other　tales　concerning　thy　birth；　my　son：　for　be　assured　thou　hast　the　whole　truth。　As　for　grooms；　pray　Heaven　Leotychides　and　all　who　speak　as　he　does　may　suffer　wrong　from　them！〃　Such　was　the　mother's　answer。　　　　　Demaratus；　having　learnt　all　that　he　wished　to　know；　took　with　him　provision　for　the　journey；　and　went　into　Elis；　pretending　that　he　purposed　to　proceed　to　Delphi；　and　there　consult　the　oracle。　The　Lacedaemonians；　however；　suspecting　that　he　meant　to　fly　his　country；　sent　men　in　pursuit　of　him；　but　Demaratus　hastened；　and　leaving　Elis　before　they　arrived；　sailed　across　to　Zacynthus。　The　Lacedaemonians　followed；　and　sought　to　lay　hands　upon　him；　and　to　separate　him　from　his　retinue；　but　the　Zacynthians　would　not　give　him　up　to　them：　so　he　escaping；　made　his　way　afterwards　by　sea　to　Asia；　and　presented　himself　before　King　Darius；　who　received　him　generously；　and　gave　him　both　lands　and　cities。　Such　was　the　chance　which　drove　Demaratus　to　Asia；　a　man　distinguished　among　the　Lacedaemonians　for　many　noble　deeds　and　wise　counsels；　and　who　alone　of　all　the　Spartan　kings　brought　honour　to　his　country　by　winning　at　Olympia　the　prize　in　the　four…horse　chariot…race。　　　　　After　Demaratus　was　deposed；　Leotychides；　the　son　of　Menares；　received　the　kingdom。　He　had　a　son；　Zeuxidamus；　called　Cyniscus　by　many　of　the　Spartans。　This　Zeuxidamus　did　not　reign　at　Sparta；　but　died　before　his　father；　leaving　a　son；　Archidamus。　Leotychides；　when　Zeuxidamus　was　taken　from　him；　married　a　second　wife；　named　Eurydame；　the　sister　of　Menius　and　daughter　of　Diactorides。　By　her　he　had　no　male　offspring；　but　only　a　daughter　called　Lampito；　whom　he　gave　in　marriage　to　Archidamus；　Zeuxidamus'　son。　　　　　Even　Leotychides；　however；　did　not　spend　his　old　age　in　Sparta；　but　suffered　a　punishment　whereby　Demaratus　was　fully　avenged。　He　commanded　the　Lacedaemonians　when　they　made　war　against　Thessaly；　and　might　have　conquered　the　whole　of　it；　but　was　bribed　by　a　large　sum　of　money。　It　chanced　that　he　was　caught　in　the　fact；　being　found　sitting　in　his　tent　on　a　gauntlet；　quite　full　of　silver。　Upon　this　he　was　brought　to　trial　and　banished　from　Sparta；　his　house　was　razed　to　the　ground；　and　he　himself　fled　to　Tegea；　where　he　ended　his　days。　But　these　events　took　place　long　afterwards。　　　　　At　the　time　of　which　we　are　speaking；　Cleomenes；　having　carried　his　proceedings　in　the　matter　of　Demaratus　to　a　prosperous　issue；　forthwith　took　Leotychides　with　him；　and　crossed　over　to　attack　the　Eginetans；　for　his　anger　was　hot　against　them　on　account　of　the　affront　which　they　had　formerly　put　upon　him。　Hereupon　the　Eginetans；　seeing　that　both　the　kings　were　come　against　them；　thought　it　best　to　make　no　further　resistance。　So　the　two　kings　picked　out　from　all　Egina　the　ten　men　who　for　wealth　and　birth　stood　the　highest；　among　whom　were　Crius；　son　of　Polycritus；　and　Casambus；　son　of　Aristocrates；　who　wielded　the　chief　power；　and　these　men　they　carried　with　them　to　Attica；　and　there　deposited　them　in　the　hands　of　the　Athenians；　the　great　enemies　of　the　Eginetans。　　　　　Afterwards；　when　it　came　to　be　known　what　evil　arts　had　been　used　against　Demaratus；　Cleomenes　was　seized　with　fear　of　his　own　countrymen；　and　fled　into　Thessaly。　From　thence　he　passed　into　Arcadia；　where　he　began　to　stir　up　troubles；　and　endeavoured　to　unite　the　Arcadians　against　Sparta。　He　bound　them　by　various　oaths　to　follow　him　whithersoever　he　should　lead；　and　was　even　desirous　of　taking　their　chief　leaders　with　him　to　the　city　of　Nonacris；　that　he　might　swear　them　to　his　cause　by　the　waters　of　the　Styx。　For　the　waters　of　Styx；　as　the　Arcadians　say；　are　in　that　city；　and　this　is　the　appearance　they　present：　you　see　a　little　water；　dripping　from　a　rock　into　a　basin；　which　is　fenced　round　by　a　low　wall。　Nonacris；　where　this　fountain　is　to　be　seen；　is　a　city　of　Arcadia　near　Pheneus。　　　　　　When　the　Lacedaemonians　heard　how　Cleomenes　was　engaged；　they　were　afraid；　and　agreed　with　him　that　he　should　come　back　to　Sparta　and　be　king　as　before。　So　Cleomenes　came　back；　but　had　no　sooner　returned　than　he；　who　had　never　been　altogether　of　sound　mind；　was　smitten　with　downright　madness。　This　he　showed　by　striking　every　Spartan　he　met　upon　the　face　with　his　sceptre。　On　his　behaving　thus；　and　showing　that　he　was　gone　quite　out　of　his　mind；　his　kindred　imprisoned　him；　and　even　put　his　feet　in　the　stocks。　While　so　bound；　finding　himself　left　alone　with　a　single　keeper；　he　asked　the　man　for　a　knife。　The　keeper　at　first　refused；　whereupon　Cleomenes　began　to　threaten　him；　until　at　last　he　was　afraid；　being　only　a　helot；　and　gave　him　what　he　required。　Cleomenes　had　no　sooner　got　the　steel　than；　beginning　at　his　legs；　he　horribly　disfigured　himself；　cutting　gashes　in　his　flesh；　along　his　legs；　thighs；　hips；　and　loins；　until　at　last　he　reached　his　belly；　which　he　likewise　began　to　gash；　whereupon　in　a　little　time　he　died。　The　Greeks　generally　think　that　this　fate　came　upon　him　because　he　induced　the　Pythoness　to　pronounce　against　Demaratus；　the　Athenians　differ　from　all　others　in　saying　that　it　was　because　he　cut　down　the　sacred　grove　of　the　goddesses　when　he　made　his　invasion　by　Eleusis；　while　the　Argives　ascribe　it　to　his　having　taken　from　their　refuge　and　cut　to　pieces　certain　argives　who　had　fled　from　battle　into　a　precinct　sacred　to　Argus；　where　Cleomenes　slew　them；　burning　likewise　at　the　same　time；　through　irreverence；　the　grove　itself。　　　　　For　once；　when　Cleomenes　had　sent　to　Delphi　to　consult　the　oracle；　it　was　prophesied　to　him　that　he　should　take　Argos；　upon　which　he　went　out　at　the　head　of　the　Spartans；　and　led　them　to　the　river　Erasinus。　This　stream　is　reported　to　flow　from　the　Stymphalian　lake；　the　waters　of　which　empty　themselves　into　a　pitch…dark　chasm；　and　then　（as　they　say）　reappear　in　Argos；　where　the　Argives　call　them　the　Erasinus。　Cleomenes；　having　arrived　upon　the　banks　of　this　river；　proceeded　to　offer　sacrifice　to　it；　but；　in　spite　of　all　that　he　could　do；　the　victims　were　not　favourable　to　his　crossing。　So　he　said　that　he　admired　the　god　for　refusing　to　betray　his　countrymen；　but　still　the　Argives　should　not　escape　him　for　all　that。　He　then　withdrew　his　troops；　and　led　them　down　to　Thyrea；　where　he　sacrificed　a　bull　to　the　sea；　and　conveyed　his　men　on　shipboard　to　Nauplia　in　the　Tirynthian　territory。　　　　　The　Argives；　when　they　heard　of　this；　marched　down　to　the　sea　to　defend　their　country；　and　arriving　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Tiryns；　at　the　place　which　bears　the　name　of　Sepeia；　they　pitched　their　camp　opposite　to　the　Lacedaemonians；　leaving　no　great　space　between　the　hosts。　And　now　thei