the history-第112章

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ign　power　arose　among　his　sons；　since　the　law　of　the　Persians　was　that　a　king　must　not　go　out　with　his　army；　until　he　has　appointed　one　to　succeed　him　upon　the　throne。　Darius；　before　he　obtained　the　kingdom；　had　had　three　sons　born　to　him　from　his　former　wife；　who　was　a　daughter　of　Gobryas；　while；　since　he　began　to　reign；　Atossa；　the　daughter　of　Cyrus；　had　borne　him　four。　Artabazanes　was　the　eldest　of　the　first　family；　and　Xerxes　of　the　second。　These　two；　therefore；　being　the　sons　of　different　mothers；　were　now　at　variance。　Artabazanes　claimed　the　crown　as　the　eldest　of　all　the　children；　because　it　was　an　established　custom　all　over　the　world　for　the　eldest　to　have　the　pre…eminence；　while　Xerxes；　on　the　other　hand；　urged　that　he　was　sprung　from　Atossa；　the　daughter　of　Cyrus；　and　that　it　was　Cyrus　who　had　won　the　Persians　their　freedom。　　　　　Before　Darius　had　pronounced　on　the　matter；　it　happened　that　Demaratus；　the　son　of　Ariston；　who　had　been　deprived　of　his　crown　at　Sparta；　and　had　afterwards；　of　his　own　accord；　gone　into　banishment；　came　up　to　Susa；　and　there　heard　of　the　quarrel　of　the　princes。　Hereupon；　as　report　says；　he　went　to　Xerxes；　and　advised　him；　in　addition　to　all　that　he　had　urged　before；　to　plead…　that　at　the　time　when　he　was　born　Darius　was　already　king；　and　bore　rule　over　the　Persians；　but　when　Artabazanes　came　into　the　world；　he　was　a　mere　private　person。　It　would　therefore　be　neither　right　nor　seemly　that　the　crown　should　go　to　another　in　preference　to　himself。　〃For　at　Sparta；〃　said　Demaratus；　byway　of　suggestion；　〃the　law　is　that　if　a　king　has　sons　before　he　comes　to　the　throne；　and　another　son　is　born　to　him　afterwards；　the　child　so　born　is　heir　to　his　father's　kingdom。〃　Xerxes　followed　this　counsel；　and　Darius；　persuaded　that　he　had　justice　on　his　side；　appointed　him　his　successor。　For　my　own　part　I　believe　that；　even　without　this；　the　crown　would　have　gone　to　Xerxes；　for　Atossa　was　all…powerful。　　　　　Darius；　when　he　had　thus　appointed　Xerxes　his　heir；　was　minded　to　lead　forth　his　armies；　but　he　was　prevented　by　death　while　his　preparations　were　still　proceeding。　He　died　in　the　year　following　the　revolt　of　Egypt　and　the　matters　here　related；　after　having　reigned　in　all　six…and…thirty　years；　leaving　the　revolted　Egyptians　and　the　Athenians　alike　unpunished。　At　his　death　the　kingdom　passed　to　his　son　Xerxes。　　　　　Now　Xerxes；　on　first　mounting　the　throne；　was　coldly　disposed　towards　the　Grecian　war；　and　made　it　his　business　to　collect　an　army　against　Egypt。　But　Mardonius；　the　son　of　Gobryas；　who　was　at　the　court；　and　had　more　influence　with　him　than　any　of　the　other　Persians；　being　his　own　cousin；　the　child　of　a　sister　of　Darius；　plied　him　with　discourses　like　the　following：…　　　　　〃Master；　it　is　not　fitting　that　they　of　Athens　escape　scot…free；　after　doing　the　Persians　such　great　injury。　Complete　the　work　which　thou　hast　now　in　hand；　and　then；　when　the　pride　of　Egypt　is　brought　low；　lead　an　army　against　Athens。　So　shalt　thou　thyself　have　good　report　among　men；　and　others　shall　fear　hereafter　to　attack　thy　country。〃　　　　　Thus　far　it　was　of　vengeance　that　he　spoke；　but　sometimes　he　would　vary　the　theme；　and　observe　by　the　way；　〃that　Europe　was　a　wondrous　beautiful　region；　rich　in　all　kinds　of　cultivated　trees；　and　the　soil　excellent：　no　one；　save　the　king；　was　worthy　to　own　such　a　land。〃　　　　　All　this　he　said；　because　he　longed　for　adventures；　and　hoped　to　become　satrap　of　Greece　under　the　king；　and　after　a　while　he　had　his　way；　and　persuaded　Xerxes　to　do　according　to　his　desires。　Other　things；　however；　occurring　about　the　same　time；　helped　his　persuasions。　For；　in　the　first　place；　it　chanced　that　messengers　arrived　from　Thessaly；　sent　by　the　Aleuadae；　Thessalian　kings；　to　invite　Xerxes　into　Greece；　and　to　promise　him　all　the　assistance　which　it　was　in　their　power　to　give。　And　further；　the　Pisistratidae；　who　had　come　up　to　Susa；　held　the　same　language　as　the　Aleuadae；　and　worked　upon　him　even　more　than　they；　by　means　of　Onomacritus　of　Athens；　an　oracle…monger；　and　the　same　who　set　forth　the　prophecies　of　Musaeus　in　their　order。　The　Pisistratidae　had　previously　been　at　enmity　with　this　man；　but　made　up　the　quarrel　before　they　removed　to　Susa。　He　was　banished　from　Athens　by　Hipparchus；　the　son　of　Pisistratus；　because　he　foisted　into　the　writings　of　Musaeus　a　prophecy　that　the　islands　which　lie　off　Lemnos　would　one　day　disappear　in　the　sea。　Lasus　of　Hermione　caught　him　in　the　act　of　so　doing。　For　this　cause　Hipparchus　banished　him；　though　till　then　they　had　been　the　closest　of　friends。　Now；　however；　he　went　up　to　Susa　with　the　sons　of　Pisistratus；　and　they　talked　very　grandly　of　him　to　the　king；　while　he；　for　his　part；　whenever　he　was　in　the　king's　company；　repeated　to　him　certain　of　the　oracles；　and　while　he　took　care　to　pass　over　all　that　spoke　of　disaster　to　the　barbarians；　brought　forward　the　passages　which　promised　them　the　greatest　success。　〃'Twas　fated；〃　he　told　Xerxes；　〃that　a　Persian　should　bridge　the　Hellespont；　and　march　an　army　from　Asia　into　Greece。〃　While　Onomacritus　thus　plied　Xerxes　with　his　oracles；　the　Pisistratidae　and　Aleuadae　did　not　cease　to　press　on　him　their　advice；　till　at　last　the　king　yielded；　and　agreed　to　lead　forth　an　expedition。　　　　　First；　however；　in　the　year　following　the　death　of　Darius；　he　marched　against　those　who　had　revolted　from　him；　and　having　reduced　them；　and　laid　all　Egypt　under　a　far　harder　yoke　than　ever　his　father　had　put　upon　it；　he　gave　the　government　to　Achaeamenes；　who　was　his　own　brother；　and　son　to　Darius。　This　Achaeamenes　was　afterwards　slain　in　his　government　by　Inaros；　the　son　of　Psammetichus；　a　Libyan。　　　　　（SS　1。）　After　Egypt　was　subdued；　Xerxes；　being　about　to　take　in　hand　the　expedition　against　Athens；　called　together　an　assembly　of　the　noblest　Persians　to　learn　their　opinions；　and　to　lay　before　them　his　own　designs。　So；　when　the　men　were　met；　the　king　spake　thus　to　them：…　　　　　〃Persians；　I　shall　not　be　the　first　to　bring　in　among　you　a　new　custom…　I　shall　but　follow　one　which　has　come　down　to　us　from　our　forefathers。　Never　yet；　as　our　old　men　assure　me；　has　our　race　reposed　itself；　since　the　time　when　Cyrus　overcame　Astyages；　and　so　we　Persians　wrested　the　sceptre　from　the　Medes。　Now　in　all　this　God　guides　us；　and　we；　obeying　his　guidance；　prosper　greatly。　What　need　have　I　to　tell　you　of　the　deeds　of　Cyrus　and　Cambyses；　and　my　own　father　Darius；　how　many　nations　they　conquered；　and　added　to　our　dominions？　Ye　know　right　well　what　great　things　they　achieved。　But　for　myself；　I　will　say　that；　from　the　day　on　which　I　mounted　the　throne；　I　have　not　ceased　to　consider　by　what　means　I　may　rival　those　who　have　preceded　me　in　this　post　of　honour；　and　increase　the　power　of　Persia　as　much　as　any　of　them。　And　truly　I　have　pondered　upon　this；　until　at　last　I　have　found　out　a　way　whereby　we　may　at　once　win　glory；　and　likewise　get　possession　of　a　land　which　is　as　large　and　as　rich　as　our　own　nay；　which　is　even　more　varied　in　the　fruits　it　bears…　while　at　the　same　time　we　obtain　satisfaction　and　revenge。　For　this　cause　I　have　now　called　you　together；　that　I　may　make　known　to　you　what　I　design　to　do。　（SS　2。）　My　intent　is　to　throw　a　bridge　over　the　Hellespont　and　march　an　army　through　Europe　against　Greece；　that　thereby　I　may　obtain　vengeance　from　the　Athenians　for　the　wrongs　committed　by　them　against　the　Persians　and　against　my　father。　Your　own　eyes　saw　the　preparations　of　Darius　against　these　men；　but　death　came　upon　him；　and　balked　his　hopes　of　revenge。　In　his　behalf；　therefore；　and　in　behalf　of　all　the　Persians；　I　undertake　the　war；　and　pledge　myself　not　to　rest　till　I　have　taken　and　burnt　Athens；　which　has　dared；　unprovoked；　to　injure　me　and　my　father。　Long　since　they　came　to　Asia　with　Aristagoras　of　Miletus；　who　was　one　of　our　slaves；　and；　entering　Sardis；　burnt　its　temples　and　its　sacred　groves；　again；　more　lately；　when　we　made　a　landing　upon　their　coast　under　Datis　and　Artaphernes；　how　roughly　they　handled　us　ye　do　not　need　to　be　told。　（SS　3。）　For　these　reasons；　therefore；　I　am　bent　upon　this　war；　and　I　see　likewise　therewith　united　no　few　advantages。　Once　let　us　subdue　this　people；　and　those　neighbours　of　theirs　who　hold　the　land　of　Pelops　the　Phrygian；　and　we　shall　extend　the　Persian　territory　as　far　as　God's　heaven　reaches。　The　sun　will　then　shine　on　no　land　beyond　our　borders；　for　I　will　pass　through　Europe　from　one　end　to　the　other；　and　with　your　aid　make　of　all　the　lands　which　it　contains　one　country。　For　thus；　if　what　I　hear　be　true；　affairs　stand：　the　nations　whereof　I　have　spoken；　once　swept　away；　there　is　no　city；　no　country　left　in　all　the　world；　which　will　venture　so　much　as　to　withstand　us　in　arms。　By　this　course　then　we　shall　bring　all　mankind　under　our　yoke；　alike　those　who　are　guilty　and　those　who　are　innocent　of　doing　us　wrong。　（SS　4。）　For　yourselves；　if　you　wish　to　please　me；　do　as　follows：　when　I　announce　the　time　for　the　army　to　meet　together；　hasten　to　the　muster　with　a　good　will；　every　one　of　you；　and　know　that　to　the　man　who　brings　with　him　the　most　gallant　array　I　will　give　the　gifts　which　our　people　consider　the　most　honourable。　This　then　is　what　ye　have　to　do。　But　to　show　that　I　am　not　self…willed　in　this　matter；　I　lay　the　business　before　you；　and　give　you　f