the history-第3章

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day　at　Taenarum；　an　offering　of　Arion's　at　the　shrine；　which　is　a　small　figure　in　bronze；　representing　a　man　seated　upon　a　dolphin。　　　　　Having　brought　the　war　with　the　Milesians　to　a　close；　and　reigned　over　the　land　of　Lydia　for　fifty…seven　years；　Alyattes　died。　He　was　the　second　prince　of　his　house　who　made　offerings　at　Delphi。　His　gifts；　which　he　sent　on　recovering　from　his　sickness；　were　a　great　bowl　of　pure　silver；　with　a　salver　in　steel　curiously　inlaid；　a　work　among　all　the　offerings　at　Delphi　the　best　worth　looking　at。　Glaucus；　the　Chian；　made　it；　the　man　who　first　invented　the　art　of　inlaying　steel。　　　　　On　the　death　of　Alyattes；　Croesus；　his　son；　who　was　thirty…five　years　old；　succeeded　to　the　throne。　Of　the　Greek　cities；　Ephesus　was　the　first　that　he　attacked。　The　Ephesians；　when　he　laid　siege　to　the　place；　made　an　offering　of　their　city　to　Diana；　by　stretching　a　rope　from　the　town　wall　to　the　temple　of　the　goddess；　which　was　distant　from　the　ancient　city；　then　besieged　by　Croesus；　a　space　of　seven　furlongs。　They　were；　as　I　said；　the　first　Greeks　whom　he　attacked。　Afterwards；　on　some　pretext　or　other；　he　made　war　in　turn　upon　every　Ionian　and　Aeolian　state；　bringing　forward；　where　he　could；　a　substantial　ground　of　complaint；　where　such　failed　him；　advancing　some　poor　excuse。　　　　　In　this　way　he　made　himself　master　of　all　the　Greek　cities　in　Asia；　and　forced　them　to　become　his　tributaries；　after　which　he　began　to　think　of　building　ships；　and　attacking　the　islanders。　Everything　had　been　got　ready　for　this　purpose；　when　Bias　of　Priene　（or；　as　some　say；　Pittacus　the　Mytilenean）　put　a　stop　to　the　project。　The　king　had　made　inquiry　of　this　person；　who　was　lately　arrived　at　Sardis；　if　there　were　any　news　from　Greece；　to　which　he　answered；　〃Yes；　sire；　the　islanders　are　gathering　ten　thousand　horse；　designing　an　expedition　against　thee　and　against　thy　capital。〃　Croesus；　thinking　he　spake　seriously；　broke　out；　〃Ah；　might　the　gods　put　such　a　thought　into　their　minds　as　to　attack　the　sons　of　the　Lydians　with　cavalry！〃　〃It　seems；　oh！　king；〃　rejoined　the　other；　〃that　thou　desirest　earnestly　to　catch　the　islanders　on　horseback　upon　the　mainland；…　thou　knowest　well　what　would　come　of　it。　But　what　thinkest　thou　the　islanders　desire　better；　now　that　they　hear　thou　art　about　to　build　ships　and　sail　against　them；　than　to　catch　the　Lydians　at　sea；　and　there　revenge　on　them　the　wrongs　of　their　brothers　upon　the　mainland；　whom　thou　holdest　in　slavery？〃　Croesus　was　charmed　with　the　turn　of　the　speech；　and　thinking　there　was　reason　in　what　was　said；　gave　up　his　ship…building　and　concluded　a　league　of　amity　with　the　Ionians　of　the　isles。　　　　　Croesus　afterwards；　in　the　course　of　many　years；　brought　under　his　sway　almost　all　the　nations　to　the　west　of　the　Halys。　The　Lycians　and　Cilicians　alone　continued　free；　all　the　other　tribes　he　reduced　and　held　in　subjection。　They　were　the　following：　the　Lydians；　Phrygians；　Mysians；　Mariandynians；　Chalybians；　Paphlagonians；　Thynian　and　Bithynian　Thracians；　Carians；　Ionians；　Dorians；　Aeolians　and　Pamphylians。　　　　　When　all　these　conquests　had　been　added　to　the　Lydian　empire；　and　the　prosperity　of　Sardis　was　now　at　its　height；　there　came　thither；　one　after　another；　all　the　sages　of　Greece　living　at　the　time；　and　among　them　Solon；　the　Athenian。　He　was　on　his　travels；　having　left　Athens　to　be　absent　ten　years；　under　the　pretence　of　wishing　to　see　the　world；　but　really　to　avoid　being　forced　to　repeal　any　of　the　laws　which；　at　the　request　of　the　Athenians；　he　had　made　for　them。　Without　his　sanction　the　Athenians　could　not　repeal　them；　as　they　had　bound　themselves　under　a　heavy　curse　to　be　governed　for　ten　years　by　the　laws　which　should　be　imposed　on　them　by　Solon。　　　　　On　this　account；　as　well　as　to　see　the　world；　Solon　set　out　upon　his　travels；　in　the　course　of　which　he　went　to　Egypt　to　the　court　of　Amasis；　and　also　came　on　a　visit　to　Croesus　at　Sardis。　Croesus　received　him　as　his　guest；　and　lodged　him　in　the　royal　palace。　On　the　third　or　fourth　day　after；　he　bade　his　servants　conduct　Solon。　over　his　treasuries；　and　show　him　all　their　greatness　and　magnificence。　When　he　had　seen　them　all；　and；　so　far　as　time　allowed；　inspected　them；　Croesus　addressed　this　question　to　him。　〃Stranger　of　Athens；　we　have　heard　much　of　thy　wisdom　and　of　thy　travels　through　many　lands；　from　love　of　knowledge　and　a　wish　to　see　the　world。　I　am　curious　therefore　to　inquire　of　thee；　whom；　of　all　the　men　that　thou　hast　seen；　thou　deemest　the　most　happy？〃　This　he　asked　because　he　thought　himself　the　happiest　of　mortals：　but　Solon　answered　him　without　flattery；　according　to　his　true　sentiments；　〃Tellus　of　Athens；　sire。〃　Full　of　astonishment　at　what　he　heard；　Croesus　demanded　sharply；　〃And　wherefore　dost　thou　deem　Tellus　happiest？〃　To　which　the　other　replied；　〃First；　because　his　country　was　flourishing　in　his　days；　and　he　himself　had　sons　both　beautiful　and　good；　and　he　lived　to　see　children　born　to　each　of　them；　and　these　children　all　grew　up；　and　further　because；　after　a　life　spent　in　what　our　people　look　upon　as　comfort；　his　end　was　surpassingly　glorious。　In　a　battle　between　the　Athenians　and　their　neighbours　near　Eleusis；　he　came　to　the　assistance　of　his　countrymen；　routed　the　foe；　and　died　upon　the　field　most　gallantly。　The　Athenians　gave　him　a　public　funeral　on　the　spot　where　he　fell；　and　paid　him　the　highest　honours。〃　　　　　Thus　did　Solon　admonish　Croesus　by　the　example　of　Tellus；　enumerating　the　manifold　particulars　of　his　happiness。　When　he　had　ended；　Croesus　inquired　a　second　time；　who　after　Tellus　seemed　to　him　the　happiest；　expecting　that　at　any　rate；　he　would　be　given　the　second　place。　〃Cleobis　and　Bito；〃　Solon　answered；　〃they　were　of　Argive　race；　their　fortune　was　enough　for　their　wants；　and　they　were　besides　endowed　with　so　much　bodily　strength　that　they　had　both　gained　prizes　at　the　Games。　Also　this　tale　is　told　of　them：…　There　was　a　great　festival　in　honour　of　the　goddess　Juno　at　Argos；　to　which　their　mother　must　needs　be　taken　in　a　car。　Now　the　oxen　did　not　come　home　from　the　field　in　time：　so　the　youths；　fearful　of　being　too　late；　put　the　yoke　on　their　own　necks；　and　themselves　drew　the　car　in　which　their　mother　rode。　Five　and　forty　furlongs　did　they　draw　her；　and　stopped　before　the　temple。　This　deed　of　theirs　was　witnessed　by　the　whole　assembly　of　worshippers；　and　then　their　life　closed　in　the　best　possible　way。　Herein；　too；　God　showed　forth　most　evidently；　how　much　better　a　thing　for　man　death　is　than　life。　For　the　Argive　men；　who　stood　around　the　car；　extolled　the　vast　strength　of　the　youths；　and　the　Argive　women　extolled　the　mother　who　was　blessed　with　such　a　pair　of　sons；　and　the　mother　herself；　overjoyed　at　the　deed　and　at　the　praises　it　had　won；　standing　straight　before　the　image；　besought　the　goddess　to　bestow　on　Cleobis　and　Bito；　the　sons　who　had　so　mightily　honoured　her；　the　highest　blessing　to　which　mortals　can　attain。　Her　prayer　ended；　they　offered　sacrifice　and　partook　of　the　holy　banquet；　after　which　the　two　youths　fell　asleep　in　the　temple。　They　never　woke　more；　but　so　passed　from　the　earth。　The　Argives；　looking　on　them　as　among　the　best　of　men；　caused　statues　of　them　to　be　made；　which　they　gave　to　the　shrine　at　Delphi。〃　　　　　When　Solon　had　thus　assigned　these　youths　the　second　place；　Croesus　broke　in　angrily；　〃What；　stranger　of　Athens；　is　my　happiness；　then；　so　utterly　set　at　nought　by　thee；　that　thou　dost　not　even　put　me　on　a　level　with　private　men？〃　　　　　〃Oh！　Croesus；〃　replied　the　other；　〃thou　askedst　a　question　concerning　the　condition　of　man；　of　one　who　knows　that　the　power　above　us　is　full　of　jealousy；　and　fond　of　troubling　our　lot。　A　long　life　gives　one　to　witness　much；　and　experience　much　oneself；　that　one　would　not　choose。　Seventy　years　I　regard　as　the　limit　of　the　life　of　man。　In　these　seventy　years　are　contained；　without　reckoning　intercalary　months；　twenty…five　thousand　and　two　hundred　days。　Add　an　intercalary　month　to　every　other　year；　that　the　seasons　may　come　round　at　the　right　time；　and　there　will　be；　besides　the　seventy　years；　thirty…five　such　months；　making　an　addition　of　one　thousand　and　fifty　days。　The　whole　number　of　the　days　contained　in　the　seventy　years　will　thus　be　twenty…six　thousand　two　hundred　and　fifty；　whereof　not　one　but　will　produce　events　unlike　the　rest。　Hence　man　is　wholly　accident。　For　thyself；　oh！　Croesus；　I　see　that　thou　art　wonderfully　rich；　and　art　the　lord　of　many　nations；　but　with　respect　to　that　whereon　thou　questionest　me；　I　have　no　answer　to　give；　until　I　hear　that　thou　hast　closed　thy　life　happily。　For　assuredly　he　who　possesses　great　store　of　riches　is　no　nearer　happiness　than　he　who　has　what　suffices　for　his　daily　needs；　unless　it　so　hap　that　luck　attend　upon　him；　and　so　he　continue　in　the　enjoyment　of　all　his　good　things　to　the　end　of　life。　For　many　of　the　wealthiest　men　have　been　unfavoured　of　fortune；　and　many　whose　means　were　moderate　have　had　excellent　luck。　Men　of　the　former　class　excel　those　of　the　latter　but　in　two　respects；　these　last　excel　the　former　in　many。　The　wealthy　man　is　better　able　to　content　his　desires；　and　to　bear　up　against　a　sudden　buffet　of　calamity。　The　other　has　less　ability　to　withstand　these　evils　（from　which；　however；　his　good　luck　keeps　him　clear）；　but　he　enjoys　all　these　following　blessings：　he　is　whole　of　limb；　a　stranger　to　disease；　free　from　misfortune；　happy　in　his　children；　and　comely　to　look　upon。　If；　in　addition　to　all　this；　he　end　his　life　well；　he　is　of　a　truth　the　man　of　whom　thou　art　in　search；　the　man　who　may　rightly　be　termed　happy。　Call　him；　however；　until　he　die；　not　happy　but　fortunate。　Scarcely；　indeed；　can　any　man　unite　all　these　advantages：　as　there　is　no　country　which　contains　within　it　all　that　it　needs；　but　each；　while　it　possesses　some　things；　lacks　others；　and　the　best　country　is　that　which　contains　the　most；　so　no　single　human　being　is　complete　in　every　respect…　something　is　always　lacking。　He　who　unites　the　greatest　number　of　advantages；　and　retaining　them　to　the　day　of　his　death；　then　dies　peaceably；　that　man　alone；　sire；　is；　in　my　judgment；　entitled　to　bear　the　name　of　'happy。'　But　in　every　matter　it　behoves　us　to　mark　well　the　end：　for　oftentimes　God　gives　men　a　gleam　of　happiness；　and　then　plunges　them　into　ruin。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　speech　which　Solon　addressed　to　Croesus；　a　speech　which　brought　him　neither　largess　nor　honour。　The　king　saw　him　depart　with　much　indifference；　since　he　thought　that　a　man　must　be　an　arrant　fool　who　made　no　account　of　present　good；　but　bade　men　always　wait　and　mark　the　end。　　　　　After　Solon　had　gone　away　a　dreadful　vengeance；　sent　of　God；　came　upon　Croesus；　to　punish　him；　it　is　likely；　for　deeming　himself　the　happiest　of　men。　First　he　had　a　dream　in　the　night；　which　foreshowed　him　truly　the　evils　that　were　about　to　befall　him　in　the　person　of　his　son。　For　Croesus　had　two　sons；　one　blasted　by　a　natural　defect；　being　deaf　and　dumb；　the　other；　distinguished　far　above　all　his　co…mates　in　every　pursuit。　The　name　of　the　last　was　Atys。　It　was　this　son　concerning　whom　he　dreamt　a　dream　that　he　would　die　by　the　blow　of　an　iron　weapon。　When　he　woke；　he　considered　earnestly　with　himself；　and；　greatly　alarmed　at　the　dream；　instantly　made　his　son　take　a　wife；　and　whereas　in　former　years　the　youth　had　been　wont　to　co