the history-第2章

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　that　necessity　was　indeed　laid　on　him　to　kill　or　to　be　killed；　he　made　choice　of　life　for　himself；　and　replied　by　this　inquiry：　〃If　it　must　be　so；　and　thou　compellest　me　against　my　will　to　put　my　lord　to　death；　come；　let　me　hear　how　thou　wilt　have　me　set　on　him。〃　〃Let　him　be　attacked；〃　she　answered；　〃on　the　spot　where　I　was　by　him　shown　naked　to　you；　and　let　the　assault　be　made　when　he　is　asleep。〃　　　　　All　was　then　prepared　for　the　attack；　and　when　night　fell；　Gyges；　seeing　that　he　had　no　retreat　or　escape；　but　must　absolutely　either　slay　Candaules；　or　himself　be　slain；　followed　his　mistress　into　the　sleeping…room。　She　placed　a　dagger　in　his　hand　and　hid　him　carefully　behind　the　self…same　door。　Then　Gyges；　when　the　king　was　fallen　asleep；　entered　privily　into　the　chamber　and　struck　him　dead。　Thus　did　the　wife　and　kingdom　of　Candaules　pass　into　the　possession　of　Gyges；　of　whom　Archilochus　the　Parian；　who　lived　about　the　same　time；　made　mention　in　a　poem　written　in　iambic　trimeter　verse。　　　　　Gyges　was　afterwards　confirmed　in　the　possession　of　the　throne　by　an　answer　of　the　Delphic　oracle。　Enraged　at　the　murder　of　their　king；　the　people　flew　to　arms；　but　after　a　while　the　partisans　of　Gyges　came　to　terms　with　them；　and　it　was　agreed　that　if　the　Delphic　oracle　declared　him　king　of　the　Lydians；　he　should　reign；　if　otherwise；　he　should　yield　the　throne　to　the　Heraclides。　As　the　oracle　was　given　in　his　favour　he　became　king。　The　Pythoness；　however；　added　that；　in　the　fifth　generation　from　Gyges；　vengeance　should　come　for　the　Heraclides；　a　prophecy　of　which　neither　the　Lydians　nor　their　princes　took　any　account　till　it　was　fulfilled。　Such　was　the　way　in　which　the　Mermnadae　deposed　the　Heraclides；　and　themselves　obtained　the　sovereignty。　　　　　When　Gyges　was　established　on　the　throne；　he　sent　no　small　presents　to　Delphi；　as　his　many　silver　offerings　at　the　Delphic　shrine　testify。　Besides　this　silver　he　gave　a　vast　number　of　vessels　of　gold；　among　which　the　most　worthy　of　mention　are　the　goblets；　six　in　number；　and　weighing　altogether　thirty　talents；　which　stand　in　the　Corinthian　treasury；　dedicated　by　him。　I　call　it　the　Corinthian　treasury；　though　in　strictness　of　speech　it　is　the　treasury　not　of　the　whole　Corinthian　people；　but　of　Cypselus；　son　of　Eetion。　Excepting　Midas；　son　of　Gordias；　king　of　Phrygia；　Gyges　was　the　first　of　the　barbarians　whom　we　know　to　have　sent　offerings　to　Delphi。　Midas　dedicated　the　royal　throne　whereon　he　was　accustomed　to　sit　and　administer　justice；　an　object　well　worth　looking　at。　It　lies　in　the　same　place　as　the　goblets　presented　by　Gyges。　The　Delphians　call　the　whole　of　the　silver　and　the　gold　which　Gyges　dedicated；　after　the　name　of　the　donor；　Gygian。　　　　　As　soon　as　Gyges　was　king　he　made　an　in…road　on　Miletus　and　Smyrna；　and　took　the　city　of　Colophon。　Afterwards；　however；　though　he　reigned　eight　and　thirty　years；　he　did　not　perform　a　single　noble　exploit。　I　shall　therefore　make　no　further　mention　of　him；　but　pass　on　to　his　son　and　successor　in　the　kingdom；　Ardys。　　　　　Ardys　took　Priene　and　made　war　upon　Miletus。　In　his　reign　the　Cimmerians；　driven　from　their　homes　by　the　nomads　of　Scythia；　entered　Asia　and　captured　Sardis；　all　but　the　citadel。　He　reigned　forty…nine　years；　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son；　Sadyattes；　who　reigned　twelve　years。　At　his　death　his　son　Alyattes　mounted　the　throne。　　　　　This　prince　waged　war　with　the　Medes　under　Cyaxares；　the　grandson　of　Deioces；　drove　the　Cimmerians　out　of　Asia；　conquered　Smyrna；　the　Colophonian　colony；　and　invaded　Clazomenae。　From　this　last　contest　he　did　not　come　off　as　he　could　have　wished；　but　met　with　a　sore　defeat；　still；　however；　in　the　course　of　his　reign；　he　performed　other　actions　very　worthy　of　note；　of　which　I　will　now　proceed　to　give　an　account。　　　　　Inheriting　from　his　father　a　war　with　the　Milesians；　he　pressed　the　siege　against　the　city　by　attacking　it　in　the　following　manner。　When　the　harvest　was　ripe　on　the　ground　he　marched　his　army　into　Milesia　to　the　sound　of　pipes　and　harps；　and　flutes　masculine　and　feminine。　The　buildings　that　were　scattered　over　the　country　he　neither　pulled　down　nor　burnt；　nor　did　he　even　tear　away　the　doors；　but　left　them　standing　as　they　were。　He　cut　down；　however；　and　utterly　destroyed　all　the　trees　and　all　the　corn　throughout　the　land；　and　then　returned　to　his　own　dominions。　It　was　idle　for　his　army　to　sit　down　before　the　place；　as　the　Milesians　were　masters　of　the　sea。　The　reason　that　he　did　not　demolish　their　buildings　was　that　the　inhabitants　might　be　tempted　to　use　them　as　homesteads　from　which　to　go　forth　to　sow　and　till　their　lands；　and　so　each　time　that　he　invaded　the　country　he　might　find　something　to　plunder。　　　　　In　this　way　he　carried　on　the　war　with　the　Milesians　for　eleven　years；　in　the　course　of　which　he　inflicted　on　them　two　terrible　blows；　one　in　their　own　country　in　the　district　of　Limeneium；　the　other　in　the　plain　of　the　Maeander。　During　six　of　these　eleven　years；　Sadyattes；　the　son　of　Ardys　who　first　lighted　the　flames　of　this　war；　was　king　of　Lydia；　and　made　the　incursions。　Only　the　five　following　years　belong　to　the　reign　of　Alyattes；　son　of　Sadyattes；　who　（as　I　said　before）　inheriting　the　war　from　his　father；　applied　himself　to　it　unremittingly。　The　Milesians　throughout　the　contest　received　no　help　at　all　from　any　of　the　Ionians；　excepting　those　of　Chios；　who　lent　them　troops　in　requital　of　a　like　service　rendered　them　in　former　times；　the　Milesians　having　fought　on　the　side　of　the　Chians　during　the　whole　of　the　war　between　them　and　the　people　of　Erythrae。　　　　　It　was　in　the　twelfth　year　of　the　war　that　the　following　mischance　occurred　from　the　firing　of　the　harvest…fields。　Scarcely　had　the　corn　been　set　alight　by　the　soldiers　when　a　violent　wind　carried　the　flames　against　the　temple　of　Minerva　Assesia；　which　caught　fire　and　was　burnt　to　the　ground。　At　the　time　no　one　made　any　account　of　the　circumstance；　but　afterwards；　on　the　return　of　the　army　to　Sardis；　Alyattes　fell　sick。　His　illness　continued；　whereupon；　either　advised　thereto　by　some　friend；　or　perchance　himself　conceiving　the　idea；　he　sent　messengers　to　Delphi　to　inquire　of　the　god　concerning　his　malady。　On　their　arrival　the　Pythoness　declared　that　no　answer　should　be　given　them　until　they　had　rebuilt　the　temple　of　Minerva；　burnt　by　the　Lydians　at　Assesus　in　Milesia。　　　　　Thus　much　I　know　from　information　given　me　by　the　Delphians；　the　remainder　of　the　story　the　Milesians　add。　　　　　The　answer　made　by　the　oracle　came　to　the　ears　of　Periander；　son　of　Cypselus；　who　was　a　very　close　friend　to　Thrasybulus；　tyrant　of　Miletus　at　that　period。　He　instantly　despatched　a　messenger　to　report　the　oracle　to　him；　in　order　that　Thrasybulus；　forewarned　of　its　tenor；　might　the　better　adapt　his　measures　to　the　posture　of　affairs。　　　　　Alyattes；　the　moment　that　the　words　of　the　oracle　were　reported　to　him；　sent　a　herald　to　Miletus　in　hopes　of　concluding　a　truce　with　Thrasybulus　and　the　Milesians　for　such　a　time　as　was　needed　to　rebuild　the　temple。　The　herald　went　upon　his　way；　but　meantime　Thrasybulus　had　been　apprised　of　everything；　and　conjecturing　what　Alyattes　would　do；　he　contrived　this　artifice。　He　had　all　the　corn　that　was　in　the　city；　whether　belonging　to　himself　or　to　private　persons；　brought　into　the　market…place；　and　issued　an　order　that　the　Milesians　should　hold　themselves　in　readiness；　and；　when　he　gave　the　signal；　should；　one　and　all；　fall　to　drinking　and　revelry。　　　　　The　purpose　for　which　he　gave　these　orders　was　the　following。　He　hoped　that　the　Sardian　herald；　seeing　so　great　store　of　corn　upon　the　ground；　and　all　the　city　given　up　to　festivity；　would　inform　Alyattes　of　it；　which　fell　out　as　he　anticipated。　The　herald　observed　the　whole；　and　when　he　had　delivered　his　message；　went　back　to　Sardis。　This　circumstance　alone；　as　I　gather；　brought　about　the　peace　which　ensued。　Alyattes；　who　had　hoped　that　there　was　now　a　great　scarcity　of　corn　in　Miletus；　and　that　the　people　were　worn　down　to　the　last　pitch　of　suffering；　when　he　heard　from　the　herald　on　his　return　from　Miletus　tidings　so　contrary　to　those　he　had　expected；　made　a　treaty　with　the　enemy　by　which　the　two　nations　became　close　friends　and　allies。　He　then　built　at　Assesus　two　temples　to　Minerva　instead　of　one；　and　shortly　after　recovered　from　his　malady。　Such　were　the　chief　circumstances　of　the　war　which　Alyattes　waged　with　Thrasybulus　and　the　Milesians。　　　　　This　Periander；　who　apprised　Thrasybulus　of　the　oracle；　was　son　of　Cypselus；　and　tyrant　of　Corinth。　In　his　time　a　very　wonderful　thing　is　said　to　have　happened。　The　Corinthians　and　the　Lesbians　agree　in　their　account　of　the　matter。　They　relate　that　Arion　of　Methymna；　who　as　a　player　on　the　harp；　was　second　to　no　man　living　at　that　time；　and　who　was；　so　far　as　we　know；　the　first　to　invent　the　dithyrambic　measure；　to　give　it　its　name；　and　to　recite　in　it　at　Corinth；　was　carried　to　Taenarum　on　the　back　of　a　dolphin。　　　　　He　had　lived　for　many　years　at　the　court　of　Periander；　when　a　longing　came　upon　him　to　sail　across　to　Italy　and　Sicily。　Having　made　rich　profits　in　those　parts；　he　wanted　to　recross　the　seas　to　Corinth。　He　therefore　hired　a　vessel；　the　crew　of　which　were　Corinthians；　thinking　that　there　was　no　people　in　whom　he　could　more　safely　confide；　and；　going　on　board；　he　set　sail　from　Tarentum。　The　sailors；　however；　when　they　reached　the　open　sea；　formed　a　plot　to　throw　him　overboard　and　seize　upon　his　riches。　Discovering　their　design；　he　fell　on　his　knees；　beseeching　them　to　spare　his　life；　and　making　them　welcome　to　his　money。　But　they　refused；　and　required　him　either　to　kill　himself　outright；　if　he　wished　for　a　grave　on　the　dry　land；　or　without　loss　of　time　to　leap　overboard　into　the　sea。　In　this　strait　Arion　begged　them；　since　such　was　their　pleasure；　to　allow　him　to　mount　upon　the　quarter…deck；　dressed　in　his　full　costume；　and　there　to　play　and　sing；　and　promising　that；　as　soon　as　his　song　was　ended；　he　would　destroy　himself。　Delighted　at　the　prospect　of　hearing　the　very　best　harper　in　the　world；　they　consented；　and　withdrew　from　the　stern　to　the　middle　of　the　vessel：　while　Arion　dressed　himself　in　the　full　costume　of　his　calling；　took　his　harp；　and　standing　on　the　quarter…deck；　chanted　the　Orthian。　His　strain　ended；　he　flung　himself；　fully　attired　as　he　was；　headlong　into　the　sea。　The　Corinthians　then　sailed　on　to　Corinth。　As　for　Arion；　a　dolphin；　they　say；　took　him　upon　his　back　and　carried　him　to　Taenarum；　where　he　went　ashore；　and　thence　proceeded　to　Corinth　in　his　musician's　dress；　and　told　all　that　had　happened　to　him。　Periander；　however；　disbelieved　the　story；　and　put　Arion　in　ward；　to　prevent　his　leaving　Corinth；　while　he　watched　anxiously　for　the　return　of　the　mariners。　On　their　arrival　he　summoned　them　before　him　and　asked　them　if　they　could　give　him　any　tiding　of　Arion。　They　returned　for　answer　that　he　was　alive　and　in　good　health　in　Italy；　and　that　they　had　left　him　at　Tarentum；　where　he　was　doing　well。　Thereupon　Arion　appeared　before　them；　just　as　he　was　when　he　jumped　from　the　vessel：　the　men；　astonished　and　detected　in　falsehood；　could　no　longer　deny　their　guilt。　Such　is　the　account　which　the　Corinthians　and　Lesbians　give；　and　there　is　to　this　day　at　Taenarum；　an　offering　of　Arion's　at　the　shrine；　which　is　a　small　figure　in　bronze；　representi