artaxerxes-第1部分

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！


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ARTAXERXES
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　437…359　B。C。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden




　　THE　first　Artaxerxes；　among　all　the　kings　of　Persia　the　most
remarkable　for　a　gentle　and　noble　spirit；　was　surnamed　the
Long…handed；　his　right　hand　being　longer　than　his　left；　and　was　the
son　of　Xerxes。　The　second；　whose　story　I　am　now　writing；　who　had　the
surname　of　the　Mindful；　was　the　grandson　of　the　former；　by　his
daughter　Parysatis；　who　brought　Darius　four　sons；　the　eldest
Artaxerxes；　the　next　Cyrus；　and　two　younger　than　these；　Ostanes　and
Oxathres。　Cyrus　took　his　name　of　the　ancient　Cyrus；　as　he；　they　say；
had　his　from　the　sun；　which；　in　the　Persian　language；　is　called　Cyrus。
Artaxerxes　was　at　first　called　Arsicas；　Dinon　says　Oarses；　but　it　is
utterly　improbable　that　Ctesias　（however　otherwise　he　may　have
filled　his　books　with　a　perfect　farrago　of　incredible　and　senseless
fables）　should　be　ignorant　of　the　name　of　the　king　with　whom　he
lived　as　his　physician；　attending　upon　himself；　his　wife；　his
mother；　and　his　children。
　　Cyrus；　from　his　earliest　youth；　showed　something　of　a　headstrong　and
vehement　character；　Artaxerxes；　on　the　other　side；　was　gentler　in
everything；　and　of　a　nature　more　yielding　and　soft　in　its　action。　He
married　a　beautiful　and　virtuous　wife；　at　the　desire　of　his　parents；
but　kept　her　as　expressly　against　their　wishes。　For　King　Darius；
having　put　her　brother　to　death；　was　purposing　likewise　to　destroy
her。　But　Arsicas；　throwing　himself　at　his　mother's　feet；　by　many
tears；　at　last；　with　much　ado；　persuaded　her　that　they　should
neither　put　her　to　death　nor　divorce　her　from　him。　However；　Cyrus；　was
his　mother's　favourite；　and　the　son　whom　she　most　desired　to　settle　in
the　throne。　And　therefore；　his　father　Darius　now　lying　ill；　he；
being　sent　for　from　the　sea　to　the　court；　set　out　thence　with　full
hopes　that　by　her　means　he　was　to　be　declared　the　successor　to　the
kingdom。　For　Parysatis　had　the　specious　plea　in　his　behalf；　which
Xerxes　on　the　advice　of　Demaratus　had　of　old　made　use　of；　that　she　had
borne　him　Arsicas　when　he　was　a　subject；　but　Cyrus；　when　a　king。
Notwithstanding；　she　prevailed　not　with　Darius；　but　the　eldest　son；
Arsicas；　was　proclaimed　king；　his　name　being　changed　into
Artaxerxes；　and　Cyrus　remained　satrap　of　Lydia；　and　commander　in　the
maritime　provinces。
　　It　was　not　long　after　the　decease　of　Darius　that　the　king；　his
successor；　went　to　Pasargadae；　to　have　the　ceremony　of　his
inauguration　consummated　by　the　Persian　priests。　There　is　a　temple
dedicated　to　a　warlike　goddess；　whom　one　might　liken　to　Minerva；
into　which　when　the　royal　person　to　be　initiated　has　passed；　he　must
strip　himself　of　his　own　robe；　and　put　on　that　which　Cyrus　the　first
wore　before　he　was　king；　then；　having　devoured　a　frail　of　figs；　he
must　eat　turpentine；　and　drink　a　cup　of　sour　milk。　To　which　if　they
superadd　any　other　rites；　it　is　unknown　to　any　but　those　that　are
present　at　them。　Now　Artaxerxes　being　about　to　address　himself　to　this
solemnity；　Tisaphernes　came　to　him；　bringing　a　certain　priest；　who；
having　trained　up　Cyrus　in　his　youth　in　the　established　discipline
of　Persia；　and　having　taught　him　the　Magian　philosophy；　was　likely
to　be　as　much　disappointed　as　any　man　that　his　pupil　did　not　succeed
to　the　throne。　And　for　that　reason　his　veracity　was　the　less
questioned　when　he　charged　Cyrus　as　though　he　had　been　about　to　lie　in
wait　for　the　king　in　the　temple；　and　to　assault　and　assassinate　him　as
he　was　putting　off　his　garment。　Some　affirm　that　he　was　apprehended
upon　this　impeachment；　others　that　he　had　entered　the　temple　and　was
pointed　out　there；　as　he　lay　lurking　by　the　priest。　But　as　he　was　on
the　point　of　being　put　to　death；　his　mother　clasped　him　in　her　arms；
and；　entwining　him　with　the　tresses　of　her　hair；　joined　his　neck　close
to　her　own；　and　by　her　bitter　lamentation　and　intercession　to
Artaxerxes　for　him；　succeeded　in　saving　his　life；　and　sent　him　away
again　to　the　sea　and　to　his　former　province。　This；　however；　could　no
longer　content　him；　nor　did　he　so　well　remember　his　delivery　as　his
arrest；　his　resentment　for　which　made　him　more　eagerly　desirous　of　the
kingdom　than　before。
　　Some　say　that　he　revolted　from　his　brother；　because　he　had　not　a
revenue　allowed　him　sufficient　for　his　daily　meals；　but　this　is　on　the
face　of　it　absurd。　For　had　he　had　nothing　else；　yet　he　had　a　mother
ready　to　supply　him　with　whatever　he　could　desire　out　of　her　own
means。　But　the　great　number　of　soldiers　who　were　hired　from　all
quarters　and　maintained；　as　Xenophon　informs　us；　for　his　service；　by
his　friends　and　connections；　is　in　itself　a　sufficient　proof　of　his
riches。　He　did　not　assemble　them　together　in　a　body；　desiring　as　yet
to　conceal　his　enterprise；　but　he　had　agents　everywhere；　enlisting
foreign　soldiers　upon　various　pretences；　and；　in　the　meantime；
Parysatis；　who　was　with　the　king；　did　her　best　to　put　aside　all
suspicions；　and　Cyrus　himself　always　wrote　in　a　humble　and　dutiful
manner　to　him；　sometimes　soliciting　favour；　and　sometimes　making
countercharges　against　Tisaphernes；　as　if　his　jealousy　and　contest　had
been　wholly　with　him。　Moreover；　there　was　a　certain　natural
dilatoriness　in　the　king；　which　was　taken　by　many　for　clemency。　And；
indeed；　in　the　beginning　of　his　reign；　he　did　seem　really　to　emulate
the　gentleness　of　the　first　Artaxerxes；　being　very　accessible　in　his
person；　and　liberal　to　a　fault　in　the　distribution　of　honours　and
favours。　Even　in　his　punishments；　no　contumely　or　vindictive
pleasure　could　be　seen；　and　those　who　offered　him　presents　were　as
much　pleased　with　his　manner　of　accepting；　as　were　those　who
received　gifts　from　him　with　his　graciousness　and　amiability　in　giving
them。　Nor　truly　was　there　anything；　however　inconsiderable；　given　him；
which　he　did　not　deign　kindly　to　accept　of；　insomuch　that　when　one
Omises　had　presented　him　with　a　very　large　pomegranate；　〃By　city
Mithras；〃　said　he；　〃this　man；　were　he　intrusted　with　it；　would　turn
a　small　city　into　a　great　one。〃
　　Once　when　some　were　offering　him　one　thing；　some　another；　as　he
was　on　a　progress；　a　certain　poor　labourer；　having　got　nothing　at　hand
to　bring　him；　ran　to　the　river　side；　and；　taking　up　water　in　his
hands；　offered　it　to　him；　with　which　Artaxerxes　was　so　well　pleased
that　he　sent　him　a　goblet　of　gold　and　a　thousand　darics。　To
Euclidas；　the　Lacedaemonian；　who　had　made　a　number　of　bold　and
arrogant　speeches　to　him；　he　sent　word　by　one　of　his　officers。　〃You
have　leave　to　say　what　you　please　to　me；　and　I；　you　should　remember；
may　both　say　and　do　what　I　please　to　you。〃　Teribazus　once；　when　they
were　hunting；　came　up　and　pointed　out　to　the　king　that　his　royal
robe　was　torn；　the　king　asked　him　what　he　wished　him　to　do；　and　when
Teribazus　replied；　〃May　it　please　you　to　put　on　another　and　give　me
that；〃　the　king　did　so；　saying　withal；　〃I　give　it　you；　Teribazus；
but　I　charge　you　not　to　wear　it。〃　He；　little　regarding　the　injunction；
being　not　a　bad；　but　a　lightheaded；　thoughtless　man；　immediately　the
king　took　it　off；　put　it　on；　and　bedecked　himself　further　with　royal
golden　necklaces　and　women's　ornaments；　to　the　great　scandal　of
everybody；　the　thing　being　quite　unlawful。　But　the　king　laughed　and
told　him；　〃You　have　my　leave　to　wear　the　trinkets　as　a　woman；　and
the　robe　of　state　as　a　fool。〃　And　whereas　none　usually　sat　down　to　eat
with　the　king　besides　his　mother　and　his　wedded　wife；　the　former　being
placed　above；　the　other　below　him；　Artaxerxes　invited　also　to　his
table　his　two　younger　brothers；　Ostanes　and　Oxathres。　But　what　was　the
most　popular　thing　of　all　among　the　Persians　was　the　sight　of　his　wife
Statira's　chariot；　which　always　appeared　with　its　curtains　down；
allowing　her　country…women　to　salute　and　approach　her；　which　made
the　queen　a　great　favourite　with　the　people。
　　Yet　busy；　factious　men；　that　delighted　in　change；　professed　it　to　be
their　opinion　that　the　times　needed　Cyrus；　a　man　of　great　spirit；　an
excellent　warrior；　and　a　lover　of　his　friends；　and　that　the
largeness　of　their　empire　absolutely　required　a　bold　and
enterprising　prince。　Cyrus；　then；　not　only　relying　upon　those　of　his
own　province　near　the　sea；　but　upon　many　of　those　in　the　upper
countries　near　the　king；　commenced　the　war　against　him。　He　wrote　to
the　Lacedaemonians；　bidding　them　come　to　his　assistance　and　supply　him
with　men；　assuring　them　that　to　those　who　came　to　him　on　foot　he　would
give　horses；　and　to　the　horsemen　chariots；　that　upon　those　who　had
farms　he　would　bestow　villages；　and　those　who　were　lords　of　villages
he　would　make　so　of　cities；　and　that　those　who　would　be　his　soldiers
should　receive　their　pay；　not　by　count；　but　by　weight。　And　among
many　other　high　praises　of　himself；　he　said　he　had　the　stronger
soul；　was　more　a　philosopher　and　a　better　Magian；　and　could　drink
and　bear　more　wine　than　his　brother；　who；　as　he　averred；　was　such　a
coward　and　so　little　like　a　man；　that　he　could　neither　sit　his　horse
in　hunting　nor　his　throne　in　time　of　danger。　The　Lacedaemonians；　his
letter　being　read；　sent　a　staff　to　Clearchus；　commandi