the history-第4章

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ingly　glorious。　In　a　battle　between　the　Athenians　and　their　neighbours　near　Eleusis；　he　came　to　the　assistance　of　his　countrymen；　routed　the　foe；　and　died　upon　the　field　most　gallantly。　The　Athenians　gave　him　a　public　funeral　on　the　spot　where　he　fell；　and　paid　him　the　highest　honours。〃　　　　　Thus　did　Solon　admonish　Croesus　by　the　example　of　Tellus；　enumerating　the　manifold　particulars　of　his　happiness。　When　he　had　ended；　Croesus　inquired　a　second　time；　who　after　Tellus　seemed　to　him　the　happiest；　expecting　that　at　any　rate；　he　would　be　given　the　second　place。　〃Cleobis　and　Bito；〃　Solon　answered；　〃they　were　of　Argive　race；　their　fortune　was　enough　for　their　wants；　and　they　were　besides　endowed　with　so　much　bodily　strength　that　they　had　both　gained　prizes　at　the　Games。　Also　this　tale　is　told　of　them：…　There　was　a　great　festival　in　honour　of　the　goddess　Juno　at　Argos；　to　which　their　mother　must　needs　be　taken　in　a　car。　Now　the　oxen　did　not　come　home　from　the　field　in　time：　so　the　youths；　fearful　of　being　too　late；　put　the　yoke　on　their　own　necks；　and　themselves　drew　the　car　in　which　their　mother　rode。　Five　and　forty　furlongs　did　they　draw　her；　and　stopped　before　the　temple。　This　deed　of　theirs　was　witnessed　by　the　whole　assembly　of　worshippers；　and　then　their　life　closed　in　the　best　possible　way。　Herein；　too；　God　showed　forth　most　evidently；　how　much　better　a　thing　for　man　death　is　than　life。　For　the　Argive　men；　who　stood　around　the　car；　extolled　the　vast　strength　of　the　youths；　and　the　Argive　women　extolled　the　mother　who　was　blessed　with　such　a　pair　of　sons；　and　the　mother　herself；　overjoyed　at　the　deed　and　at　the　praises　it　had　won；　standing　straight　before　the　image；　besought　the　goddess　to　bestow　on　Cleobis　and　Bito；　the　sons　who　had　so　mightily　honoured　her；　the　highest　blessing　to　which　mortals　can　attain。　Her　prayer　ended；　they　offered　sacrifice　and　partook　of　the　holy　banquet；　after　which　the　two　youths　fell　asleep　in　the　temple。　They　never　woke　more；　but　so　passed　from　the　earth。　The　Argives；　looking　on　them　as　among　the　best　of　men；　caused　statues　of　them　to　be　made；　which　they　gave　to　the　shrine　at　Delphi。〃　　　　　When　Solon　had　thus　assigned　these　youths　the　second　place；　Croesus　broke　in　angrily；　〃What；　stranger　of　Athens；　is　my　happiness；　then；　so　utterly　set　at　nought　by　thee；　that　thou　dost　not　even　put　me　on　a　level　with　private　men？〃　　　　　〃Oh！　Croesus；〃　replied　the　other；　〃thou　askedst　a　question　concerning　the　condition　of　man；　of　one　who　knows　that　the　power　above　us　is　full　of　jealousy；　and　fond　of　troubling　our　lot。　A　long　life　gives　one　to　witness　much；　and　experience　much　oneself；　that　one　would　not　choose。　Seventy　years　I　regard　as　the　limit　of　the　life　of　man。　In　these　seventy　years　are　contained；　without　reckoning　intercalary　months；　twenty…five　thousand　and　two　hundred　days。　Add　an　intercalary　month　to　every　other　year；　that　the　seasons　may　come　round　at　the　right　time；　and　there　will　be；　besides　the　seventy　years；　thirty…five　such　months；　making　an　addition　of　one　thousand　and　fifty　days。　The　whole　number　of　the　days　contained　in　the　seventy　years　will　thus　be　twenty…six　thousand　two　hundred　and　fifty；　whereof　not　one　but　will　produce　events　unlike　the　rest。　Hence　man　is　wholly　accident。　For　thyself；　oh！　Croesus；　I　see　that　thou　art　wonderfully　rich；　and　art　the　lord　of　many　nations；　but　with　respect　to　that　whereon　thou　questionest　me；　I　have　no　answer　to　give；　until　I　hear　that　thou　hast　closed　thy　life　happily。　For　assuredly　he　who　possesses　great　store　of　riches　is　no　nearer　happiness　than　he　who　has　what　suffices　for　his　daily　needs；　unless　it　so　hap　that　luck　attend　upon　him；　and　so　he　continue　in　the　enjoyment　of　all　his　good　things　to　the　end　of　life。　For　many　of　the　wealthiest　men　have　been　unfavoured　of　fortune；　and　many　whose　means　were　moderate　have　had　excellent　luck。　Men　of　the　former　class　excel　those　of　the　latter　but　in　two　respects；　these　last　excel　the　former　in　many。　The　wealthy　man　is　better　able　to　content　his　desires；　and　to　bear　up　against　a　sudden　buffet　of　calamity。　The　other　has　less　ability　to　withstand　these　evils　（from　which；　however；　his　good　luck　keeps　him　clear）；　but　he　enjoys　all　these　following　blessings：　he　is　whole　of　limb；　a　stranger　to　disease；　free　from　misfortune；　happy　in　his　children；　and　comely　to　look　upon。　If；　in　addition　to　all　this；　he　end　his　life　well；　he　is　of　a　truth　the　man　of　whom　thou　art　in　search；　the　man　who　may　rightly　be　termed　happy。　Call　him；　however；　until　he　die；　not　happy　but　fortunate。　Scarcely；　indeed；　can　any　man　unite　all　these　advantages：　as　there　is　no　country　which　contains　within　it　all　that　it　needs；　but　each；　while　it　possesses　some　things；　lacks　others；　and　the　best　country　is　that　which　contains　the　most；　so　no　single　human　being　is　complete　in　every　respect…　something　is　always　lacking。　He　who　unites　the　greatest　number　of　advantages；　and　retaining　them　to　the　day　of　his　death；　then　dies　peaceably；　that　man　alone；　sire；　is；　in　my　judgment；　entitled　to　bear　the　name　of　'happy。'　But　in　every　matter　it　behoves　us　to　mark　well　the　end：　for　oftentimes　God　gives　men　a　gleam　of　happiness；　and　then　plunges　them　into　ruin。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　speech　which　Solon　addressed　to　Croesus；　a　speech　which　brought　him　neither　largess　nor　honour。　The　king　saw　him　depart　with　much　indifference；　since　he　thought　that　a　man　must　be　an　arrant　fool　who　made　no　account　of　present　good；　but　bade　men　always　wait　and　mark　the　end。　　　　　After　Solon　had　gone　away　a　dreadful　vengeance；　sent　of　God；　came　upon　Croesus；　to　punish　him；　it　is　likely；　for　deeming　himself　the　happiest　of　men。　First　he　had　a　dream　in　the　night；　which　foreshowed　him　truly　the　evils　that　were　about　to　befall　him　in　the　person　of　his　son。　For　Croesus　had　two　sons；　one　blasted　by　a　natural　defect；　being　deaf　and　dumb；　the　other；　distinguished　far　above　all　his　co…mates　in　every　pursuit。　The　name　of　the　last　was　Atys。　It　was　this　son　concerning　whom　he　dreamt　a　dream　that　he　would　die　by　the　blow　of　an　iron　weapon。　When　he　woke；　he　considered　earnestly　with　himself；　and；　greatly　alarmed　at　the　dream；　instantly　made　his　son　take　a　wife；　and　whereas　in　former　years　the　youth　had　been　wont　to　command　the　Lydian　forces　in　the　field；　he　now　would　not　suffer　him　to　accompany　them。　All　the　spears　and　javelins；　and　weapons　used　in　the　wars；　he　removed　out　of　the　male　apartments；　and　laid　them　in　heaps　in　the　chambers　of　the　women；　fearing　lest　perhaps　one　of　the　weapons　that　hung　against　the　wall　might　fall　and　strike　him。　　　　　Now　it　chanced　that　while　he　was　making　arrangements　for　the　wedding；　there　came　to　Sardis　a　man　under　a　misfortune；　who　had　upon　him　the　stain　of　blood。　He　was　by　race　a　Phrygian；　and　belonged　to　the　family　of　the　king。　Presenting　himself　at　the　palace　of　Croesus；　he　prayed　to　be　admitted　to　purification　according　to　the　customs　of　the　country。　Now　the　Lydian　method　of　purifying　is　very　nearly　the　same　as　the　Greek。　Croesus　granted　the　request；　and　went　through　all　the　customary　rites；　after　which　he　asked　the　suppliant　of　his　birth　and　country；　addressing　him　as　follows：…　〃Who　art　thou；　stranger；　and　from　what　part　of　Phrygia　fleddest　thou　to　take　refuge　at　my　hearth？　And　whom；　moreover；　what　man　or　what　woman；　hast　thou　slain？〃　〃Oh！　king；〃　replied　the　Phrygian；　〃I　am　the　son　of　Gordias；　son　of　Midas。　I　am　named　Adrastus。　The　man　I　unintentionally　slew　was　my　own　brother。　For　this　my　father　drove　me　from　the　land；　and　I　lost　all。　Then　fled　I　here　to　thee。〃　〃Thou　art　the　offspring；〃　Croesus　rejoined；　〃of　a　house　friendly　to　mine；　and　thou　art　come　to　friends。　Thou　shalt　want　for　nothing　so　long　as　thou　abidest　in　my　dominions。　Bear　thy　misfortune　as　easily　as　thou　mayest；　so　will　it　go　best　with　thee。〃　Thenceforth　Adrastus　lived　in　the　palace　of　the　king。　　　　　It　chanced　that　at　this　very　same　time　there　was　in　the　Mysian　Olympus　a　huge　monster　of　a　boar；　which　went　forth　often　from　this　mountain　country；　and　wasted　the　corn…fields　of　the　Mysians。　Many　a　time　had　the　Mysians　collected　to　hunt　the　beast；　but　instead　of　doing　him　any　hurt；　they　came　off　always　with　some　loss　to　themselves。　At　length　they　sent　ambassadors　to　Croesus；　who　delivered　their　message　to　him　in　these　words：　〃Oh！　king；　a　mighty　monster　of　a　boar　has　appeared　in　our　parts；　and　destroys　the　labour　of　our　hands。　We　do　our　best　to　take　him；　but　in　vain。　Now　therefore　we　beseech　thee　to　let　thy　son　accompany　us　back；　with　some　chosen　youths　and　hounds；　that　we　may　rid　our　country　of　the　animal。〃　Such　was　the　tenor　of　their　prayer。　　　　　But　Croesus　bethought　him　of　his　dream；　and　answered；　〃Say　no　more　of　my　son　going　with　you；　that　may　not　be　in　any　wise。　He　is　but　just　joined　in　wedlock；　and　is　busy　enough　with　that。　I　will　grant　you　a　picked　band　of　Lydians；　and　all　my　huntsmen　and　hounds；　and　I　will　charge　those　whom　I　send　to　use　all　zeal　in　aiding　you　to　rid　your　country　of　the　brute。〃　　　　　With　this　reply　the　Mysians　were　content；　but　the　king's　son；　hearing　what　the　prayer　of　the　Mysians　was；　came　suddenly　in；　and　on　the　refusal　of　Croesus　to　let　him　go　with　them；　thus　addressed　his　father：　〃Formerly；　my　father；　it　was　deemed　the　noblest　and　most　suitable　thing　for　me　to　frequent　the　wars　and　hunting…parties；　and　win