the history-第191章

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o　Theban　can　lawfully　consult　this　oracle；　for　the　following　reason：　Amphiaraus　by　an　oracle　gave　the　Thebans　their　choice；　to　have　him　for　their　prophet　or　for　their　helper　in　war；　he　bade　them　elect　between　the　two；　and　forego　either　one　or　the　other；　so　they　chose　rather　to　have　him　for　their　helper。　On　this　account　it　is　unlawful　for　a　Theban　to　sleep　in　his　temple。　　　　　One　thing　which　the　Thebans　declare　to　have　happened　at　this　time　is　to　me　very　surprising。　Mys；　the　European；　they　say；　after　he　had　gone　about　to　all　the　oracles；　came　at　last　to　the　sacred　precinct　of　Apollo　Ptous。　The　place　itself　bears　the　name　of　Ptoum；　it　is　in　the　country　of　the　Thebans；　and　is　situated　on　the　mountain　side　overlooking　Lake　Copais；　only　a　very　little　way　from　the　town　called　Acraephia。　Here　Mys　arrived；　and　entered　the　temple；　followed　by　three　Theban　citizens…　picked　men　whom　the　state　had　appointed　to　take　down　whatever　answer　the　god　might　give。　No　sooner　was　he　entered　than　the　prophet　delivered　him　an　oracle；　but　in　a　foreign　tongue；　so　that　his　Theban　attendants　were　astonished；　hearing　a　strange　language　when　they　expected　Greek；　and　did　not　know　what　to　do。　Mys；　however；　the　European；　snatched　from　their　hands　the　tablet　which　they　had　brought　with　them；　and　wrote　down　what　the　prophet　uttered。　The　reply；　he　told　them；　was　in　the　Carian　dialect。　After　this；　Mys　departed　and　returned　to　Thessaly。　　　　　Mardonius；　when　he　had　read　the　answers　given　by　the　oracles；　sent　next　an　envoy　to　Athens。　This　was　Alexander；　the　son　of　Amyntas；　a　Macedonian；　of　whom　he　made　choice　for　two　reasons。　Alexander　was　connected　with　the　Persians　by　family　ties；　for　Gygaea；　who　was　the　daughter　of　Amyntas；　and　sister　to　Alexander　himself；　was　married　to　Bubares；　a　Persian；　and　by　him　had　a　son；　to　wit；　Amyntas　of　Asia；　who　was　named　after　his　mother's　father；　and　enjoyed　the　revenues　of　Alabanda；　a　large　city　of　Phrygia；　which　had　been　assigned　him　by　the　king。　Alexander　was　likewise　（and　of　this　too　Mardonius　was　well　aware）；　both　by　services　which　he　had　rendered；　and　by　formal　compact　of　friendship；　connected　with　Athens。　Mardonius　therefore　thought　that；　by　sending　him；　he　would　be　most　likely　to　gain　over　the　Athenians　to　the　Persian　side。　He　had　heard　that　they　were　a　numerous　and　a　warlike　people；　and　he　knew　that　the　disasters　which　had　befallen　the　Persians　by　sea　were　mainly　their　work；　he　therefore　expected　that；　if　he　could　form　alliance　with　them；　he　would　easily　get　the　mastery　of　the　sea　（as　indeed　he　would　have　done；　beyond　a　doubt）；　while　by　land　he　believed　that　he　was　already　greatly　superior；　and　so　he　thought　by　this　alliance　to　make　sure　of　overcoming　the　Greeks。　Perhaps；　too；　the　oracles　leant　this　way；　and　counselled　him　to　make　Athens　his　friend：　so　that　it　may　have　been　in　obedience　to　them　that　he　sent　the　embassy。　　　　　This　Alexander　was　descended　in　the　seventh　degree　from　Perdiccas；　who　obtained　the　sovereignty　over　the　Macedonians　in　the　way　which　I　will　now　relate。　Three　brothers；　descendants　of　Temenus；　fled　from　Argos　to　the　Illyrians；　their　names　were　Gauanes；　Aeropus；　and　Perdiccas。　From　Illyria　they　went　across　to　Upper　Macedonia；　where　they　came　to　a　certain　town　called　Lebaea。　There　they　hired　themselves　out　to　serve　the　king　in　different　employs；　one　tended　the　horses；　another　looked　after　the　cows；　while　Perdiccas；　who　was　the　youngest；　took　charge　of　the　smaller　cattle。　In　those　early　times　poverty　was　not　confined　to　the　people：　kings　themselves　were　poor；　and　so　here　it　was　the　king's　wife　who　cooked　the　victuals。　Now；　whenever　she　baked　the　bread；　she　always　observed　that　the　loaf　of　the　labouring　boy　Perdiccas　swelled　to　double　its　natural　size。　So　the　queen；　finding　this　never　fail；　spoke　of　it　to　her　husband。　Directly　that　it　came　to　his　ears；　the　thought　struck　him　that　it　was　a　miracle；　and　boded　something　of　no　small　moment。　He　therefore　sent　for　the　three　labourers；　and　told　them　to　begone　out　of　his　dominions。　They　answered；　〃they　had　a　right　to　their　wages；　if　he　would　pay　them　what　was　due；　they　were　quite　willing　to　go。〃　Now　it　happened　that　the　sun　was　shining　down　the　chimney　into　the　room　where　they　were；　and　the　king；　hearing　them　talk　of　wages；　lost　his　wits；　and　said；　〃There　are　the　wages　which　you　deserve；　take　that…　I　give　it　you！〃　and　pointed；　as　he　spoke；　to　the　sunshine。　The　two　elder　brothers；　Gauanes　and　Aeropus；　stood　aghast　at　the　reply；　and　did　nothing；　but　the　boy；　who　had　a　knife　in　his　hand；　made　a　mark　with　it　round　the　sunshine　on　the　floor　of　the　room；　and　said；　〃O　king！　we　accept　your　payment。〃　Then　he　received　the　light　of　the　sun　three　times　into　his　bosom；　and　so　went　away；　and　his　brothers　went　with　him。　　　　　When　they　were　gone；　one　of　those　who　sat　by　told　the　king　what　the　youngest　of　the　three　had　done；　and　hinted　that　he　must　have　had　some　meaning　in　accepting　the　wages　given。　Then　the　king；　when　he　heard　what　had　happened；　was　angry；　and　sent　horsemen　after　the　youths　to　slay　them。　Now　there　is　a　river　in　Macedonia　to　which　the　descendants　of　these　Argives　offer　sacrifice　as　their　saviour。　This　stream　swelled　so　much；　as　soon　as　the　sons　of　Temenus　were　safe　across；　that　the　horsemen　found　it　impossible　to　follow。　So　the　brothers　escaped　into　another　part　of　Macedonia；　and　took　up　their　abode　near　the　place　called　〃the　Gardens　of　Midas；　son　of　Gordias。〃　In　these　gardens　there　are　roses　which　grow　of　themselves；　so　sweet　that　no　others　can　come　near　them；　and　with　blossoms　that　have　as　many　as　sixty　petals　apiece。　It　was　here；　according　to　the　Macedonians；　that　Silenus　was　made　a　prisoner。　Above　the　gardens　stands　a　mountain　called　Bermius；　which　is　so　cold　that　none　can　reach　the　top。　Here　the　brothers　made　their　abode；　and　from　this　place　by；　degrees　they　conquered　all　Macedonia。　　　　　From　the　Perdiccas　of　whom　we　have　here　spoken；　Alexander　was　descended　in　the　following　way：…　Alexander　was　the　son　of　Amyntas；　Amyntas　of　Alcetas；　the　father　of　Alcetas　was　Aeropus；　of　Aeropus；　Philip；　of　Philip；　Argaeus；　of　Argaeus；　Perdiccas；　the　first　sovereign。　Such　was　the　descent　of　Alexander。　　　　　（SS　1。）　When　Alexander　reached　Athens　as　the　ambassador　of　Mardonius；　he　spoke　as　follows：…　　　　　〃O　men　of　Athens；　these　be　the　words　of　Mardonius。　'The　king　has　sent　a　message　to　me；　saying；　〃All　the　trespasses　which　the　Athenians　have　committed　against　me　I　freely　forgive。　Now　then；　Mardonius；　thus　shalt　thou　act　towards　them。　Restore　to　them　their　territory；　and　let　them　choose　for　themselves　whatever　land　they　like　besides；　and　let　them　dwell　therein　as　a　free　people。　Build　up　likewise　all　their　temples　which　I　burned；　if　on　these　terms　they　will　consent　to　enter　into　a　league　with　me。〃　Such　are　the　orders　which　I　have　received；　and　which　I　must　needs　obey；　unless　there　be　a　hindrance　on　your　part。　And　now　I　say　unto　you；…　why　are　ye　so　mad　as　to　levy　war　against　the　king；　whom　ye　cannot　possibly　overcome；　or　even　resist　for　ever？　Ye　have　seen　the　multitude　and　the　bravery　of　the　host　of　Xerxes；　ye　know　also　how　large　a　power　remains　with　me　in　your　land；　suppose　then　ye　should　get　the　better　of　us；　and　defeat　this　army…　a　thing　whereof　ye　will　not；　if　ye　be　wise；　entertain　the　leas