the history-第2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！


e　her　person。　Then；　when　she　is　moving　from　the　chair　toward　the　bed；　and　her　back　is　turned　on　thee；　be　it　thy　care　that　she　see　thee　not　as　thou　passest　through　the　doorway。〃　　　　　Gyges；　unable　to　escape；　could　but　declare　his　readiness。　Then　Candaules；　when　bedtime　came；　led　Gyges　into　his　sleeping…chamber；　and　a　moment　after　the　queen　followed。　She　entered；　and　laid　her　garments　on　the　chair；　and　Gyges　gazed　on　her。　After　a　while　she　moved　toward　the　bed；　and　her　back　being　then　turned；　he　glided　stealthily　from　the　apartment。　As　he　was　passing　out；　however；　she　saw　him；　and　instantly　divining　what　had　happened；　she　neither　screamed　as　her　shame　impelled　her；　nor　even　appeared　to　have　noticed　aught；　purposing　to　take　vengeance　upon　the　husband　who　had　so　affronted　her。　For　among　the　Lydians；　and　indeed　among　the　barbarians　generally；　it　is　reckoned　a　deep　disgrace；　even　to　a　man；　to　be　seen　naked。　　　　　No　sound　or　sign　of　intelligence　escaped　her　at　the　time。　But　in　the　morning；　as　soon　as　day　broke；　she　hastened　to　choose　from　among　her　retinue　such　as　she　knew　to　be　most　faithful　to　her；　and　preparing　them　for　what　was　to　ensue；　summoned　Gyges　into　her　presence。　Now　it　had　often　happened　before　that　the　queen　had　desired　to　confer　with　him；　and　he　was　accustomed　to　come　to　her　at　her　call。　He　therefore　obeyed　the　summons；　not　suspecting　that　she　knew　aught　of　what　had　occurred。　Then　she　addressed　these　words　to　him：　〃Take　thy　choice；　Gyges；　of　two　courses　which　are　open　to　thee。　Slay　Candaules；　and　thereby　become　my　lord；　and　obtain　the　Lydian　throne；　or　die　this　moment　in　his　room。　So　wilt　thou　not　again；　obeying　all　behests　of　thy　master；　behold　what　is　not　lawful　for　thee。　It　must　needs　be　that　either　he　perish　by　whose　counsel　this　thing　was　done；　or　thou；　who　sawest　me　naked；　and　so　didst　break　our　usages。〃　At　these　words　Gyges　stood　awhile　in　mute　astonishment；　recovering　after　a　time；　he　earnestly　besought　the　queen　that　she　would　not　compel　him　to　so　hard　a　choice。　But　finding　he　implored　in　vain；　and　that　necessity　was　indeed　laid　on　him　to　kill　or　to　be　killed；　he　made　choice　of　life　for　himself；　and　replied　by　this　inquiry：　〃If　it　must　be　so；　and　thou　compellest　me　against　my　will　to　put　my　lord　to　death；　come；　let　me　hear　how　thou　wilt　have　me　set　on　him。〃　〃Let　him　be　attacked；〃　she　answered；　〃on　the　spot　where　I　was　by　him　shown　naked　to　you；　and　let　the　assault　be　made　when　he　is　asleep。〃　　　　　All　was　then　prepared　for　the　attack；　and　when　night　fell；　Gyges；　seeing　that　he　had　no　retreat　or　escape；　but　must　absolutely　either　slay　Candaules；　or　himself　be　slain；　followed　his　mistress　into　the　sleeping…room。　She　placed　a　dagger　in　his　hand　and　hid　him　carefully　behind　the　self…same　door。　Then　Gyges；　when　the　king　was　fallen　asleep；　entered　privily　into　the　chamber　and　struck　him　dead。　Thus　did　the　wife　and　kingdom　of　Candaules　pass　into　the　possession　of　Gyges；　of　whom　Archilochus　the　Parian；　who　lived　about　the　same　time；　made　mention　in　a　poem　written　in　iambic　trimeter　verse。　　　　　Gyges　was　afterwards　confirmed　in　the　possession　of　the　throne　by　an　answer　of　the　Delphic　oracle。　Enraged　at　the　murder　of　their　king；　the　people　flew　to　arms；　but　after　a　while　the　partisans　of　Gyges　came　to　terms　with　them；　and　it　was　agreed　that　if　the　Delphic　oracle　declared　him　king　of　the　Lydians；　he　should　reign；　if　otherwise；　he　should　yield　the　throne　to　the　Heraclides。　As　the　oracle　was　given　in　his　favour　he　became　king。　The　Pythoness；　however；　added　that；　in　the　fifth　generation　from　Gyges；　vengeance　should　come　for　the　Heraclides；　a　prophecy　of　which　neither　the　Lydians　nor　their　princes　took　any　account　till　it　was　fulfilled。　Such　was　the　way　in　which　the　Mermnadae　deposed　the　Heraclides；　and　themselves　obtained　the　sovereignty。　　　　　When　Gyges　was　established　on　the　throne；　he　sent　no　small　presents　to　Delphi；　as　his　many　silver　offerings　at　the　Delphic　shrine　testify。　Besides　this　silver　he　gave　a　vast　number　of　vessels　of　gold；　among　which　the　most　worthy　of　mention　are　the　goblets；　six　in　number；　and　weighing　altogether　thirty　talents；　which　stand　in　the　Corinthian　treasury；　dedicated　by　him。　I　call　it　the　Corinthian　treasury；　though　in　strictness　of　speech　it　is　the　treasury　not　of　the　whole　Corinthian　people；　but　of　Cypselus；　son　of　Eetion。　Excepting　Midas；　son　of　Gordias；　king　of　Phrygia；　Gyges　was　the　first　of　the　barbarians　whom　we　know　to　have　sent　offerings　to　Delphi。　Midas　dedicated　the　royal　throne　whereon　he　was　accustomed　to　sit　and　administer　justice；　an　object　well　worth　looking　at。　It　lies　in　the　same　place　as　the　goblets　presented　by　Gyges。　The　Delphians　call　the　whole　of　the　silver　and　the　gold　which　Gyges　dedicated；　after　the　name　of　the　donor；　Gygian。　　　　　As　soon　as　Gyges　was　king　he　made　an　in…road　on　Miletus　and　Smyrna；　and　took　the　city　of　Colophon。　Afterwards；　however；　though　he　reigned　eight　and　thirty　years；　he　did　not　perform　a　single　noble　exploit。　I　shall　therefore　make　no　further　mention　of　him；　but　pass　on　to　his　son　and　successor　in　the　kingdom；　Ardys。　　　　　Ardys　took　Priene　and　made　war　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　o