the history-第64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！


del；　while　others　began　the　massacre；　killing　all　they　met；　some　outside；　some　inside　the　temples。　　　　　Maeandrius　fled　from　Samos　to　Lacedaemon；　and　conveyed　thither　all　the　riches　which　he　had　brought　away　from　the　island；　after　which　he　acted　as　follows。　Having　placed　upon　his　board　all　the　gold　and　silver　vessels　that　he　had；　and　bade　his　servants　employ　themselves　in　cleaning　them；　he　himself　went　and　entered　into　conversation　with　Cleomenes；　son　of　Anaxandridas；　king　of　Sparta；　and　as　they　talked　brought　him　along　to　his　house。　There　Cleomenes；　seeing　the　plate；　was　filled　with　wonder　and　astonishment；　whereon　the　other　begged　that　he　would　carry　home　with　him　any　of　the　vessels　that　he　liked。　Maeandrius　said　this　two　or　three　times；　but　Cleomenes　here　displayed　surpassing　honesty。　He　refused　the　gift；　and　thinking　that　if　Maeandrius　made　the　same　offers　to　others　he　would　get　the　aid　he　sought；　the　Spartan　king　went　straight　to　the　ephors　and　told　them　〃it　would　be　best　for　Sparta　that　the　Samian　stranger　should　be　sent　away　from　the　Peloponnese；　for　otherwise　he　might　perchance　persuade　himself　or　some　other　Spartan　to　be　base。〃　The　ephors　took　his　advice；　and　let　Maeandrius　know　by　a　herald　that　he　must　leave　the　city。　　　　　Meanwhile　the　Persians　netted　Samos；　and　delivered　it　up　to　Syloson；　stripped　of　all　its　men。　After　some　time；　however；　this　same　general　Otanes　was　induced　to　repeople　it　by　a　dream　which　he　had；　and　a　loathsome　disease　that　seized　on　him。　　　　　After　the　armament　of　Otanes　had　set　sail　for　Samos；　the　Babylonians　revolted；　having　made　every　preparation　for　defence。　During　all　the　time　that　the　Magus　was　king；　and　while　the　seven　were　conspiring；　they　had　profited　by　the　troubles；　and　had　made　themselves　ready　against　a　siege。　And　it　happened　somehow　or　other　that　no　one　perceived　what　they　were　doing。　At　last　when　the　time　came　for　rebelling　openly；　they　did　as　follows：…　having　first　set　apart　their　mothers；　each　man　chose　besides　out　of　his　whole　household　one　woman；　whomsoever　he　pleased；　these　alone　were　allowed　to　live；　while　all　the　rest　were　brought　to　one　place　and　strangled。　The　women　chosen　were　kept　to　make　bread　for　the　men；　while　the　others　were　strangled　that　they　might　not　consume　the　stores。　　　　　When　tidings　reached　Darius　of　what　had　happened；　he　drew　together　all　his　power；　and　began　the　war　by　marching　straight　upon　Babylon；　and　laying　siege　to　the　place。　The　Babylonians；　however；　cared　not　a　whit　for　his　siege。　Mounting　upon　the　battlements　that　crowned　their　walls；　they　insulted　and　jeered　at　Darius　and　his　mighty　host。　One　even　shouted　to　them　and　said；　〃Why　sit　ye　there；　Persians？　why　do　ye　not　go　back　to　your　homes？　Till　mules　foal　ye　will　not　take　our　city。〃　This　was　by　a　Babylonian　who　thought　that　a　mule　would　never　foal。　　　　　Now　when　a　year　and　seven　months　had　passed；　Darius　and　his　army　were　quite　wearied　out；　finding　that　they　could　not　anyhow　take　the　city。　All　stratagems　and　all　arts　had　been　used；　and　yet　the　king　could　not　prevail…　not　even　when　he　tried　the　means　by　which　Cyrus　made　himself　master　of　the　place。　The　Babylonians　were　ever　upon　the　watch；　and　he　found　no　way　of　conquering　them。　　　　　At　last；　in　the　twentieth　month；　a　marvellous　thing　happened　to　Zopyrus；　son　of　the　Megabyzus　who　was　among　the　seven　men　that　overthrew　the　Magus。　One　of　his　sumpter…mules　gave　birth　to　a　foal。　Zopyrus；　when　they　told　him；　not　thinking　that　it　could　be　true；　went　and　saw　the　colt　with　his　own　eyes；　after　which　he　commanded　his　servants　to　tell　no　one　what　had　come　to　pass；　while　he　himself　pondered　the　matter。　Calling　to　mind　then　the　words　of　the　Babylonian　at　the　beginning　of　the　siege；　〃Till　mules　foal　ye　shall　not　take　our　city〃…　he　thought；　as　he　reflected　on　this　speech；　that　Babylon　might　now　be　taken。　For　it　seemed　to　him　that　there　was　a　Divine　Providence　in　the　man　having　used　the　phrase；　and　then　his　mule　having　foaled。　　　　　As　soon　therefore　as　he　felt　within　himself　that　Babylon　was　fated　to　be　taken；　he　went　to　Darius　and　asked　him　if　he　set　a　very　high　value　on　its　conquest。　When　he　found　that　Darius　did　indeed　value　it　highly；　he　considered　further　with　himself　how　he　might　make　the　deed　his　own；　and　be　the　man　to　take　Babylon。　Noble　exploits　in　Persia　are　ever　highly　honoured　and　bring　their　authors　to　greatness。　He　therefore　reviewed　all　ways　of　bringing　the　city　under；　but　found　none　by　which　he　could　hope　to　prevail；　unless　he　maimed　himself　and　then　went　over　to　the　enemy。　To　do　this　seeming　to　him　a　light　matter；　he　mutilated　himself　in　a　way　that　was　utterly　without　remedy。　For　he　cut　off　his　own　nose　and　ears；　and　then；　clipping　his　hair　close　and　flogging　himself　with　a　scourge；　he　came　in　this　plight　before　Darius。　　　　　Wrath　stirred　within　the　king　at　the　sight　of　a　man　of　his　lofty　rank　in　such　a　condition；　leaping　down　from　his　throne；　he　exclaimed　aloud；　and　asked　Zopyrus　who　it　was　that　had　disfigured　him；　and　what　he　had　done　to　be　so　treated。　Zopyrus　answered；　〃There　is　not　a　man　in　the　world；　but　thou；　O　king；　that　could　reduce　me　to　such　a　plight…　no　stranger's　hands　have　wrought　this　work　on　me；　but　my　own　only。　I　maimed　myself　I　could　not　endure　that　the　Assyrians　should　laugh　at　the　Persians。〃　〃Wretched　man；〃　said　Darius；　〃thou　coverest　the　foulest　deed　with　the　fairest　possible　name；　when　thou　sayest　thy　maiming　is　to　help　our　siege　forward。　How　will　thy　disfigurement；　thou　simpleton；　induce　the　enemy　to　yield　one　day　the　sooner？　Surely　thou　hadst　gone　out　of　thy　mind　when　thou　didst　so　misuse　thyself。〃　〃Had　I　told　thee；〃　rejoined　the　other；　〃what　I　was　bent　on　doing；　thou　wouldest　not　have　suffered　it；　as　it　is；　I　kept　my　own　counsel；　and　so　accomplished　my　plans。　Now；　therefore；　if　there　be　no　failure　on　thy　part；　we　shall　take　Babylon。　I　will　desert　to　the　enemy　as　I　am；　and　when　I　get　into　their　city　I　will　tell　them　that　it　is　by　thee　I　have　been　thus　treated。　I　think　they　will　believe　my　words；　and　entrust　me　with　a　command　of　troops。　Thou；　on　thy　part；　must　wait　till　the　tenth　day　after　I　am　entered　within　the　town；　and　then　place　near　to　the　gates　of　Semiramis　a　detachment　of　thy　army；　troops　for　whose　loss　thou　wilt　care　little；　a　thousand　men。　Wait；　after　that；　seven　days；　and　post　me　another　detachment；　two　thousand　strong；　at　the　Nineveh　gates；　then　let　twenty　days　pass；　and　at　the　end　of　that　time　station　near　the　Chaldaean　gates　a　body　of　four　thousand。　Let　neither　these　nor　the　former　troops　be　armed　with　any　weapons　but　their　swords…　those　thou　mayest　leave　them。　After　the　twenty　days　are　over；　bid　thy　whole　army　attack　the　city　on　every　side；　and　put　me　two　bodies　of　Persians；　one　at　the　Belian；　the　other　at　the　Cissian　gates；　for　I　expect；　that；　on　account　of　my　successes；　the　Babylonians　will　entrust　everything；　even　the　keys　of　their　gates；　to　me。　Then　it　will　be　for　me　and　my　Persians　to　do　the　rest。〃　　　　　Having　left　these　instructions；　Zopyrus　fled　towards　the　gates　of　the　town；　often　looking　back；　to　give　himself　the　air　of　a　deserter。　The　men　upon　the　towers；　whose　business　it　was　to　keep　a　lookout；　observing　him；　hastened　down；　and　setting　one　of　the　gates　slightly　ajar；　questioned　him　who　he　was；　and　on　what　errand　he　had　come。　He　replied　that　he　was　Zopyrus；　and　had　deserted　to　them　from　the　Persians。　Then　the　doorkeepers；　when　they　heard　this；　carried　him　at　once　before　the　Magistrates。　Introduced　into　the　assembly；　he　began　to　bewail　his　misfortunes；　telling　them　that　Darius　had　maltreated　him　in　the　way　they　could　see；　only　because　he　had　given　advice　that　the　siege　should　be　raised；　since　there　seemed　no　hope　of　taking　the　city。　〃And　now；〃　he　went　on　to　say；　〃my　coming　to　you；　Babylonians；　will　prove　the　greatest　gain　that　you　could　possibly　receive；　while　to　Darius　and　the　Persians　it　will　be　the　severest　loss。　Verily　he　by　whom　I　have　been　so　mutilated　shall　not　escape　unpunished。　And　truly　all　the　paths　of　his　counsels　are　known　to　me。〃　Thus　did　Zopyrus　speak。　　　　　The　Babylonians；　seeing　a　Persian　of　such　exalted　rank　in　so　grievous　a　plight；　his　nose　and　ears　cut　off；　his　body　red　with　marks　of　scourging　and　with　blood；　had　no　suspicion　but　that　he　spoke　the　truth；　and　was　really　come　to　be　their　friend　and　helper。　They　were　ready；　therefore；　to　grant　him　anything　that　he　asked；　and　on　his　suing　for　a　command；　they　entrusted　to　him　a　body　of　troops；　with　the　help　of　which　he　proceeded　to　do　as　he　had　arranged　with　Darius。　On　the　tenth　day　after　his　flight　he　led　out　his　detachment；　and　surrounding　the　thousand　men；　whom　Darius　according　to　agreement　had　sent　first；　he　fell　upon　them　and　slew　them　all。　Then　the　Babylonians；　seeing　that　his　deeds　were　as　brave　as　his　words；　were　beyond　measure　pleased；　and　set　no　bounds　to　their　trust。　He　waited；　however；　and　when　the　next　period　agreed　on　had　elapsed；　again　with　a　band　of　picked　men　he　sallied　forth；　and　slaughtered　the　two　thousand。　After　this　second　exploit；　his　praise　was　in　all　mouths。　Once　more；　however；　he　waited　till　the　interval　appointed　had　gone　by；　and　then　leading　the　troops　to　the　place　where　the　four　thousand　were；　he　put　them　also　to　the　sword。　This　last　victory　gave　the　finishing　stroke　to　his　power；　and　made　him　all　in　all　with　the　Babylonians：　accor