the history-第61章

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ed　to　rule　over　Ionia　and　the　islands。　Knowing　then　that　Polycrates　was　thus　minded；　Oroetes　sent　his　message；　which　ran　as　follows：…　　　　　〃Oroetes　to　Polycrates　thus　sayeth：　I　hear　thou　raisest　thy　thoughts　high；　but　thy　means　are　not　equal　to　thy　ambition。　Listen　then　to　my　words；　and　learn　how　thou　mayest　at　once　serve　thyself　and　preserve　me。　King　Cambyses　is　bent　on　my　destruction…　of　this　I　have　warning　from　a　sure　hand。　Come　thou；　therefore；　and　fetch　me　away；　me　and　all　my　wealth…　share　my　wealth　with　me；　and　then；　so　far　as　money　can　aid；　thou　mayest　make　thyself　master　of　the　whole　of　Greece。　But　if　thou　doubtest　of　my　wealth；　send　the　trustiest　of　thy　followers；　and　I　will　show　my　treasures　to　him。〃　　　　　Polycrates；　when　he　heard　this　message；　was　full　of　joy；　and　straightway　approved　the　terms；　but；　as　money　was　what　he　chiefly　desired；　before　stirring　in　the　business　he　sent　his　secretary；　Maeandrius；　son　of　Maeandrius；　a　Samian；　to　look　into　the　matter。　This　was　the　man　who；　not　very　long　afterwards；　made　an　offering　at　the　temple　of　Juno　of　all　the　furniture　which　had　adorned　the　male　apartments　in　the　palace　of　Polycrates；　an　offering　well　worth　seeing。　Oroetes　learning　that　one　was　coming　to　view　his　treasures；　contrived　as　follows：…　he　filled　eight　great　chests　almost　brimful　of　stones；　and　then　covering　over　the　stones　with　gold；　corded　the　chests；　and　so　held　them　in　readiness。　When　Maeandrius　arrived；　he　was　shown　this　as　Oroetes'　treasure；　and　having　seen　it　returned　to　Samos。　　　　　On　hearing　his　account；　Polycrates；　notwithstanding　many　warnings　given　him　by　the　soothsayers；　and　much　dissuasion　of　his　friends；　made　ready　to　go　in　person。　Even　the　dream　which　visited　his　daughter　failed　to　check　him。　She　had　dreamed　that　she　saw　her　father　hanging　high　in　air；　washed　by　love；　and　anointed　by　the　sun。　Having　therefore　thus　dreamed；　she　used　every　effort　to　prevent　her　father　from　going；　even　as　he　went　on　board　his　penteconter　crying　after　him　with　words　of　evil　omen。　Then　Polycrates　threatened　her　that；　if　he　returned　in　safety；　he　would　keep　her　unmarried　many　years。　She　answered；　〃Oh！　that　he　might　perform　his　threat；　far　better　for　her　to　remain　long　unmarried　than　to　be　bereft　of　her　father！〃　　　　　Polycrates；　however；　making　light　of　all　the　counsel　offered　him；　set　sail　and　went　to　Oroetes。　Many　friends　accompanied　him；　among　the　rest；　Democedes；　the　son　of　Calliphon；　a　native　of　Crotona；　who　was　a　physician；　and　the　best　skilled　in　his　art　of　all　men　then　living。　Polycrates；　on　his　arrival　at　Magnesia；　perished　miserably；　in　a　way　unworthy　of　his　rank　and　of　his　lofty　schemes。　For；　if　we　except　the　Syracusans；　there　has　never　been　one　of　the　Greek　tyrants　who　was　to　be　compared　with　Polycrates　for　magnificence。　Oroetes；　however；　slew　him　in　a　mode　which　is　not　fit　to　be　described；　and　then　hung　his　dead　body　upon　a　cross。　His　Samian　followers　Oroetes　let　go　free；　bidding　them　thank　him　that　they　were　allowed　their　liberty；　the　rest；　who　were　in　part　slaves；　in　part　free　foreigners；　he　alike　treated　as　his　slaves　by　conquest。　Then　was　the　dream　of　the　daughter　of　Polycrates　fulfilled；　for　Polycrates；　as　he　hung　upon　the　cross；　and　rain　fell　on　him；　was　washed　by　Jupiter；　and　he　was　anointed　by　the　sun；　when　his　own　moisture　overspread　his　body。　And　so　the　vast　good　fortune　of　Polycrates　came　at　last　to　the　end　which　Amasis　the　Egyptian　king　had　prophesied　in　days　gone　by。　　　　　It　was　not　long　before　retribution　for　the　murder　of　Polycrates　overtook　Oroetes。　After　the　death　of　Cambyses；　and　during　all　the　time　that　the　Magus　sat　upon　the　throne；　Oroetes　remained　in　Sardis；　and　brought　no　help　to　the　Persians；　whom　the　Medes　had　robbed　of　the　sovereignty。　On　the　contrary；　amid　the　troubles　of　this　season；　he　slew　Mitrobates；　the　satrap　of　Dascyleium；　who　had　cast　the　reproach　upon　him　in　the　matter　of　Polycrates；　and　he　slew　also　Mitrobates's　son；　Cranaspes…　both　men　of　high　repute　among　the　Persians。　He　was　likewise　guilty　of　many　other　acts　of　insolence；　among　the　rest；　of　the　following：…　there　was　a　courier　sent　to　him　by　Darius　whose　message　was　not　to　his　mind…　Oroetes　had　him　waylaid　and　murdered　on　his　road　back　to　the　king；　the　man　and　his　horse　both　disappeared；　and　no　traces　were　left　of　either。　　　　　Darius　therefore　was　no　sooner　settled　upon　the　throne　than　he　longed　to　take　vengeance　upon　Oroetes　for　all　his　misdoings；　and　especially　for　the　murder　of　Mitrobates　and　his　son。　To　send　an　armed　force　openly　against　him；　however；　he　did　not　think　advisable；　as　the　whole　kingdom　was　still　unsettled；　and　he　too　was　but　lately　come　to　the　throne；　while　Oroetes；　as　he　understood；　had　a　great　power。　In　truth　a　thousand　Persians　attended　on　him　as　a　bodyguard；　and　he　held　the　satrapies　of　Phrygia；　Lydia；　and　Ionia。　Darius　therefore　proceeded　by　artifice。　He　called　together　a　meeting　of　all　the　chief　of　the　Persians；　and　thus　addressed　them：…　〃Who　among　you；　O　Persians；　will　undertake　to　accomplish　me　a　matter　by　skill　without　force　or　tumult？　Force　is　misplaced　where　the　work　wants　skilful　management。　Who；　then；　will　undertake　to　bring　me　Oroetes　alive；　or　else　to　kill　him？　He　never　did　the　Persians　any　good　in　his　life；　and　he　has　wrought　us　abundant　injury。　Two　of　our　number；　Mitrobates　and　his　son；　he　has　slain；　and　when　messengers　go　to　recall　him；　even　though　they　have　their　mandate　from　me；　with　an　insolence　which　is　not　to　be　endured；　he　puts　them　to　death。　We　must　kill　this　man；　therefore；　before　he　does　the　Persians　any　greater　hurt。〃　　　　　Thus　spoke　Darius；　and　straightway　thirty　of　those　present　came　forward　and　offered　themselves　for　the　work。　As　they　strove　together；　Darius　interfered；　and　bade　them　have　recourse　to　the　lot。　Accordingly　lots　were　cast；　and　the　task　fell　to　Bagaeus；　son　of　Artontes。　Then　Bagaeus　caused　many　letters　to　be　written　on　divers　matters；　and　sealed　them　all　with　the　king's　signet；　after　which　he　took　the　letters　with　him；　and　departed　for　Sardis。　On　his　arrival　he　was　shown　into　the　presence　of　Oroetes；　when　he　uncovered　the　letters　one　by　one；　and　giving　them　to　the　king's　secretary…　every　satrap　has　with　him　a　king's　secretary…　commanded　him　to　read　their　contents。　Herein　his　design　was　to　try　the　fidelity　of　the　bodyguard；　and　to　see　if　they　would　be　likely　to　fall　away　from　Oroetes。　When　therefore　he　saw　that　they　showed　the　letters　all　due　respect；　and　even　more　highly　reverenced　their　contents；　he　gave　the　secretary　a　paper　in　which　was　written；　〃Persians；　king　Darius　forbids　you　to　guard　Oroetes。〃　The　soldiers　at　these　words　laid　aside　their　spears。　So　Bagaeus；　finding　that　they　obeyed　this　mandate；　took　courage；　and　gave　into　the　secretary's　hands　the　last　letter；　wherein　it　was　written；　〃King　Darius　commands　the　Persians　who　are　in　Sardis　to　kill　Oroetes。〃　Then　the　guards　drew　their　swords　and　slew　him　upon　the　spot。　Thus　did　retribution　for　the　murder　of　Polycrates　the　Samian　overtake　Oroetes　the　Persian。　　　　　Soon　after　the　treasures　of　Oroetes　had　been　conveyed　to　Sardis　it　happened　that　king　Darius；　as　he　leaped　from　his　horse　during　the　chase；　sprained　his　foot。　The　sprain　was　one　of　no　common　severity；　for　the　ankle…bone　was　forced　quite　out　of　the　socket。　Now　Darius　already　had　at　his　court　certain　Egyptians　whom　he　reckoned　the　best…skilled　physicians　in　all　the　world；　to　their　aid；　therefore；　he　had　recourse；　but　they　twisted　the　foot　so　clumsily；　and　used　such　violence；　that　they　only　made　the　mischief　greater。　For　seven　days　and　seven　nights　the　king　lay　without　sleep；　so　grievous　was　the　pain　he　suffered。　On　the　eighth　day　of　his　indisposition；　one　who　had　heard　before　leaving　Sardis　of　the　skill　of　Democedes　the　Crotoniat；　told　Darius；　who　commanded　that　he　should　be　brought　with　all　speed　into　his　presence。　When；　therefore；　they　had　found　him　among　the　slaves　of　Oroetes；　quite　uncared　for　by　any　one；　they　brought　him　just　as　he　was；　clanking　his　fetters；　and　all　clothed　in　rags；　before　the　king。　　　　　As　soon　as　he　was　entered　into　the　presence；　Darius　asked　him　if　he　knew　medicine…　to　which　he　answered　〃No；〃　for　he　feared　that　if　he　made　himself　known　he　would　lose　all　chance　of　ever　again　beholding　Greece。　Darius；　however；　perceiving　that　he　dealt　deceitfully；　and　really　understood　the　art；　bade　those　who　had　brought　him　to　the　presence　go　fetch　the　scourges　and　the　pricking…irons。　Upon　this　Democedes　made　confession；　but　at　the　same　time　said；　that　he　had　no　thorough　knowledge　of　medicine…　he　had　but　lived　some　time　with　a　physician；　and　in　this　way　had　gained　a　slight　smattering　of　the　art。　However；　Darius　put　himself　under　his　care；　and　Democedes；　by　using　the　remedies　customary　among　the　Greeks；　and　exchanging　the　violent　treatment　of　the　Egyptians　for　milder　means；　first　enabled　him　to　get　some　sleep；　and　then　in　a　very　little　time　restored　him　altogether；　after　he　had　quite　lost　the　hope　of　ever　having　the　use　of　his　foot。　Hereupon　the　king　presented　Democedes　with　two　sets　of　fetters　wrought　in　gold；　so　Democedes　asked　if　he　meant　to　double　his　sufferings　because　he　had　brought　him　back　to　health？　Darius　was　pleased　at　the　speech；　and　bade　the　eunuchs　take　Democedes　to　see　his　wives；　which　they　did　accordingly；　telling　them　all　that　this　was　the　man　w