artaxerxes-第5部分

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though　they　had　thus　far　relaxed　their　former　habits　of　jealousy　and
variance；　still；　out　of　fear　and　as　a　matter　of　caution；　they　always
ate　of　the　same　dishes　and　of　the　same　parts　of　them。　Now　there　is　a
small　Persian　bird；　in　the　inside　of　which　no　excrement　is　found；　only
a　mass　of　fat；　so　that　they　suppose　the　little　creatures　lives　upon
air　and　dew。　It　is　called　rhyntaces。　Ctesias　affirms；　that
Parysatis；　cutting　a　bird　of　this　kind　into　two　pieces　with　a　knife
one　side　of　which　had　been　smeared　with　the　drug；　the　other　side　being
clear　of　it；　ate　the　untouched　and　wholesome　part　herself；　and　gave
Statira　that　which　was　thus　infected；　but　Dinon　will　not　have　it　to　be
Parysatis；　but　Melantas；　that　cut　up　the　bird　and　presented　the
envenomed　part　of　it　to　Statira；　who；　dying　with　dreadful　agonies
and　convulsions；　was　herself　sensible　of　what　had　happened　to　her；　and
aroused　in　the　king's　mind　suspicion　of　his　mother；　whose　savage　and
implacable　temper　he　knew。　And　therefore　proceeding　instantly　to　an
inquest；　he　seized　upon　his　mother's　domestic　servants　that　attended
at　her　table　and　put　them　upon　the　rack。　Parysatis　kept　Gigis　at
home　with　her　a　long　time；　and　though　the　king　commanded　her；　she
would　not　produce　her。　But　she；　at　last　herself　desiring　that　she
might　be　dismissed　to　her　own　home　by　night；　Artaxerxes　had　intimation
of　it；　and　lying　in　wait　for　her；　hurried　her　away；　and　adjudged　her
to　death。　Now　poisoners　in　Persia　suffer　thus　by　law。　There　is　a　broad
stone；　on　which　they　place　the　head　of　the　culprit；　and　then　with
another　stone　beat　and　press　it；　until　the　face　and　the　head　itself
are　all　pounded　to　pieces；　which　was　the　punishment　Gigis　lost　her
life　by。　But　to　his　mother；　Artaxerxes　neither　said　nor　did　any
other　hurt；　save　that　he　banished　and　confined　her；　not　much　against
her　will；　to　Babylon；　protesting　that　while　she　lived　he　would　not
come　near　that　city。　Such　was　the　condition　of　the　king's　affairs　in
his　own　house。
　　But　when　all　his　attempts　to　capture　the　Greeks　that　had　come　with
Cyrus；　though　he　desired　to　do　so　no　less　than　he　had　desired　to
overcome　Cyrus　and　maintain　his　throne；　proved　unlucky；　and　they；
though　they　had　lost　both　Cyrus　and　their　own　generals；　nevertheless
escaped；　as　it　were；　out　of　his　very　palace；　making　it　plain　to　all
men　that　the　Persian　king　and　his　empire　were　mighty　indeed　in　gold
and　luxury　and　women；　but　otherwise　were　a　mere　show　and　vain　display；
upon　this　all　Greece　took　courage　and　despised　the　barbarians；　and
especially　the　Lacedaemonians　thought　it　strange　if　they　should　not
now　deliver　their　countrymen　that　dwelt　in　Asia　from　their
subjection　to　the　Persians；　nor　put　an　end　to　the　contumelious　usage
of　them。　And　first　having　an　army　under　the　conduct　of　Thimbron；
then　under　Dercyllidas；　but　doing　nothing　memorable；　they　at　last
committed　the　war　to　the　management　of　their　King　Agesilaus；　who；　when
he　had　arrived　with　his　men　in　Asia；　as　soon　as　he　had　landed　them；
fell　actively　to　work；　and　got　himself　great　renown。　He　defeated
Tisaphernes　in　a　pitched　battle；　and　set　many　cities　in　revolt。　Upon
this；　Artaxerxes；　perceiving　what　was　his　wisest　way　of　waging　the
war；　sent　Timocrates　the　Rhodian　into　Greece；　with　large　sums　of　gold；
commanding　him　by　a　free　distribution　of　it　to　corrupt　the　leading　men
in　the　cities；　and　to　excite　a　Greek　war　against　Sparta。　So　Timocrates
following　his　instructions；　the　most　considerable　cities　conspiring
together；　and　Peloponnesus　being　in　disorder；　the　ephors　remanded
Agesilaus　from　Asia。　At　which　time；　they　gay；　as　he　was　upon　his
return；　he　told　his　friends　that　Artaxerxes　had　driven　him　out　of　Asia
with　thirty　thousand　archers；　the　Persian　coin　having　an　archer
stamped　upon　it。
　　Artaxerxes　scoured　the　seas；　too；　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　Conon　the
Athenian　and　Pharnabazus　being　his　admirals。　For　Conon；　after　the
battle　of　Aegospotami；　resided　in　Cyprus；　not　that　he　consulted　his
own　mere　security；　but　looking　for　a　vicissitude　of　affairs　with　no
less　hope　than　men　wait　for　a　change　of　wind　at　sea。　And　perceiving
that　his　skill　wanted　power；　and　that　the　king's　power　wanted　a　wise
man　to　guide　it；　he　sent　him　an　account　of　his　projects；　and　charged
the　bearer　to　hand　it　to　the　king；　if　possible；　by　the　mediation　of
Zeno　the　Cretan　or　Polycritus　the　Mendaean　（the　former　being　a
dancing…master；　the　latter　a　physician）；　or；　in　the　absence　of　them
both；　by　Ctesias；　who　is　said　to　have　taken　Conon's　letter；　and
foisted　into　the　contents　of　it　a　request；　that　the　king　would　also　be
pleased　to　send　over　Ctesias　to　him；　who　was　likely　to　be　of　use　on
the　sea…coast。　Ctesias；　however；　declares　that　the　king；　of　his
accord；　deputed　him　to　his　service。　Artaxerxes；　however；　defeating　the
Lacedaemonians　in　a　sea…fight　at　Cnidos；　under　the　conduct　of
Pharnabazus　and　Conon；　after　he　had　stripped　them　of　their　sovereignty
by　sea；　at　the　same　time　brought；　so　to　say；　the　whole　of　Greece
over　to　him；　so　that　upon　his　own　terms　he　dictated　the　celebrated
peace　among　them；　styled　the　peace　of　Antalcidas。　This　Antalcidas
was　a　Spartan；　the　son　of　one　Leon；　who；　acting　for　the　king's
interest；　induced　the　Lacadaemonians　to　covenant　to　let　all　the
Greek　cities　in　Asia　and　the　islands　adjacent　to　it　become　subject　and
tributary　to　him；　peace　being　upon　these　conditions　established
among　the　Greeks；　if　indeed　the　honourable　name　of　peace　can　fairly　be
given　to　what　was　in　fact　the　disgrace　and　betrayal　of　Greece；　a
treaty　more　inglorious　than　had　ever　been　the　result　of　any　war　to
those　defeated　in　it。
　　And　therefore　Artaxerxes；　though　always　abominating　other
Spartans；　and　looking　upon　them；　as　Dinon　says；　to　be　the　most
impudent　men　living；　gave　wonderful　honour　to　Antalcidas　when　he
came　to　him　into　Persia；　so　much　so　that　one　day；　taking　a　garland
of　flowers　and　dipping　it　in　the　most　precious　ointment；　he　sent　it　to
him　after　supper；　a　favour　which　all　were　amazed　at。　Indeed　he　was　a
person　fit　to　be　thus　delicately　treated；　and　to　have　such　a　crown；
who　had　among　the　Persians　thus　made　fools　of　Leonidas　and
Callicratidas。　Agesilaus；　it　seems；　on　some　one　having　said；　〃O　the
deplorable　fate　of　Greece；　now　that　the　Spartans　turn　Medes！〃　replied；
〃Nay；　rather　it　is　the　Medes　who　become　Spartans。〃　But　the　subtlety　of
the　repartee　did　not　wipe　off　the　infamy　of　the　action。　The
Lacedaemonians　soon　after　lost　their　sovereignty　in　Greece　by　their
defeat　at　Leuctra；　but　they　had　already　lost　their　honour　by　this
treaty。　So　long　then　as　Sparta　continued　to　be　the　first　state　in
Greece；　Artaxerxes　continued　to　Antalcidas　the　honour　of　being
called　his　friend　and　his　guest；　but　when；　routed　and　humbled　at　the
battle　of　Leuctra；　being　under　great　distress　for　money；　they　had
despatched　Agesilaus　into　Egypt；　and　Antalcidas　went　up　to　Artaxerxes；
beseeching　him　to　supply　their　necessities；　he　so　despised；
slighted；　and　rejected　him；　that　finding　himself；　on　his　return；
mocked　and　insulted　by　his　enemies；　and　fearing　also　the　ephors；　he
starved　himself　to　death。　Ismenias；　also；　the　Theban；　and　Pelopidas；
who　had　already　gained　the　victory　at　Leuctra；　arrived　at　the
Persian　court；　where　the　latter　did　nothing　unworthy　of　himself。　But
Ismenias；　being　commanded　to　do　obeisance　to　the　king；　dropped　his
ring　before　him　upon　the　ground；　and　so；　stooping　to　take　it　up；
made　a　show　of　doing　him　homage。　He　was　so　gratified　with　some
secret　intelligence　which　Timagoras　the　Athenian　sent　in　to　him　by　the
hand　of　his　secretary　Beluris；　that　he　bestowed　upon　him　ten
thousand　darics；　and　because　he　was　ordered；　on　account　of　some
sickness；　to　drink　cow's　milk；　there　were　fourscore　milch　kine
driven　after　him；　also；　he　sent　him　a　bed；　furniture；　and　servants　for
it；　the　Grecians　not　having　skill　enough　to　make　it；　as　also
chairmen　to　carry　him；　being　infirm　in　body；　to　the　seaside。　Not　to
mention　the　feast　made　for　him　at　court；　which　was　so　princely　and
splendid　that　Ostanes；　the　king's　brother；　said　to　him；　〃O
Timagoras；　do　not　forget　the　sumptuous　table　you　have　sat　at　here；
it　was　not　put　before　you　for　nothing；〃　was　indeed　rather　a　reflection
upon　his　treason　than　to　remind　him　of　the　king's　bounty。　And　indeed
the　Athenians　condemned　Timagoras　to　death　for　taking　bribes。
　　But　Artaxerxes　gratified　the　Grecians　in　one　thing　in　lieu　of　the
many　wherewith　he　plagued　them；　and　that　was　by　taking　off
Tisaphernes；　their　most　hated　and　malicious　enemy；　whom　he　put　to
death；　Parysatis　adding　her　influence　to　the　charges　made　against　him。
For　the　king　did　not　persist　long　in　his　wrath　with　his　mother；　but
was　reconciled　to　her；　and　sent　for　her；　being　assured　that　she　had
wisdom　and　courage　fit　for　royal　power；　and　there　being　now　no　cause
discernible　but　that　they　might　converse　together　without　suspicion　or
offence。　And　from　thenceforward　humouring　the　king　in　all　things
according　to　his　heart's　desire；　and　finding　fault　with　nothing　that
he　did；　she　obtained　great　power　with　him；　and　was　gratified　in　all
her　requests。　She　perceived　he　was　desperately　in　love　with　Atossa；
one　of　his　own　two　daughters；　and　that　he　concealed　and　checked　his
passion