nicias-第3章

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！


with　loud　reproaches；　to　the　forebodings　of　those　who　said　that　the
Fates　decreed　this　to　be　a　war　of　thrice　nine　years；　the　whole
question　having　been　debated；　they　made　a　peace。　And　most　people
thought；　now；　indeed；　they　had　got　an　end　of　all　their　evils。　And
Nicias　was　in　every　man's　mouth；　as　one　especially　beloved　of　the
gods；　who；　for　his　piety　and　devotion；　had　been　appointed　to　give　a
name　to　the　fairest　and　greatest　of　all　blessings。　For　in　fact　they
considered　the　peace　Nicias's　work；　as　the　war　the　work　of　Pericles；
because　he；　on　light　occasions；　seemed　to　have　plunged　the　Greeks　into
great　calamities；　while　Nicias　had　induced　them　to　forget　all　the
evils　they　had　done　each　other　and　to　be　friends　again；　and　so　to　this
day　it　is　called　the　Peace　of　Nicias。
　　The　articles　being；　that　the　garrisons　and　towns　taken　or；　either
side　and　the　prisoners　should　be　restored；　and　they　to　restore　the
first　to　whom　it　should　fall　by　lot。　Nicias；　as　Theophrastus　tells　us；
by　a　sum　of　money　procured　that　the　lot　should　fall　for　the
Lacedaemonians　to　deliver　the　first。　Afterwards；　when　the
Corinthians　and　the　Boeotians　showed　their　dislike　of　what　was　done；
and　by　their　complaints　and　accusations　were　well…nigh　bringing　the
war　back　again；　Nicias　persuaded　the　Athenians　and　the　Lacedaemonians；
besides　the　peace；　to　make　a　treaty　of　alliance；　offensive　and
defensive；　as　a　tie　and　confirmation　of　the　peace；　which　would　make
them　more　terrible　to　those　that　held　out；　and　the　firmer　to　each
other。　Whilst　these　matters　were　on　foot；　Alcibiades；　who　was　no　lover
of　tranquillity；　and　who　was　offended　with　the　Lacedaemonians
because　of　their　applications　and　attentions　to　Nicias；　while　they
overlooked　and　despised　himself；　from　first　to　last；　indeed；　had
opposed　the　peace；　though　all　in　vain；　but　now　finding　that　the
Lacedaemonians　did　not　altogether　continue　to　please　the　Athenians；
but　were　thought　to　have　acted　unfairly　in　having　made　a　league　with
the　Boeotians；　and　had　not　given　up　Panactum；　as　they　should　have
done；　with　its　fortifications　unrazed；　nor　yet　Amphipolis；　he　laid
hold　on　these　occasions　for　his　purpose；　and　availed　himself　of
every　one　of　them　to　irritate　the　people。　And；　at　length；　sending
for　ambassadors　from　the　Argives；　he　exerted　himself　to　effect　a
confederacy　between　the　Athenians　and　them。　And　now；　when
Lacedaemonian　ambassadors　were　come　with　full　powers；　and　at　their
preliminary　audience　by　the　council　seemed　to　come　in　all　points
with　just　proposals；　he；　fearing　that　the　general　assembly；　also；
would　be　won　to　their　offers；　overreached　them　with　false
professions　and　oaths　of　assistance；　on　the　condition　that　they
would　not　avow　that　they　came　with　full　powers；　this；　he　said；　being
the　only　way　for　them　to　attain　their　desires。　They　being
over…persuaded　and　decoyed　from　Nicias　to　follow　him；　he　introduced
them　to　the　assembly；　and　asked　them　presently　whether　or　no　they　came
in　all　points　with　full　powers；　which；　when　they　denied；　he；
contrary　to　their　expectation；　changing　his　countenance；　called　the
council　to　witness　their　words；　and　now　bade　the　people　beware　how
they　trust　or　transact　anything　with　such　manifest　liars；　who　say　at
one　time　one　thing；　and　at　another　the　very　opposite　upon　the　same
subject。　These　plenipotentiaries　were；　as　well　they　might　be；
confounded　at　this；　and　Nicias；　also　being　at　a　loss　what　to　say；
and　struck　with　amazement　and　wonder；　the　assembly　resolved　to　send
immediately　for　the　Argives；　to　enter　into　a　league　with　them。　An
earthquake；　which　interrupted　the　assembly；　made　for　Nicias's
advantage；　and　the　next　day　the　people　being　again　assembled；　after
much　speaking　and　soliciting；　with　great　ado　he　brought　it　about
that　the　treaty　with　the　Argives　should　be　deferred；　and　he　be　sent　to
the　Lacedaemonians；　in　full　expectation　that　so　all　would　go　well。
　　When　he　arrived　at　Sparta；　they　received　him　there　as　a　good　man；
and　one　well　inclined　towards　them；　yet　he　effected　nothing；　but；
baffled　by　the　party　that　favoured　the　Boeotians；　he　returned　home；
not　only　dishonoured　and　hardly　spoken　of；　but　likewise　in　fear　of　the
Athenians；　who　were　vexed　and　enraged　that　through　his　persuasions
they　had　released　so　many　and　such　considerable　persons；　their
prisoners；　for　the　men　who　had　been　brought　from　Pylos　were　of　the
chiefest　families　of　Sparta；　and　had　those　who　were　highest　there　in
place　and　power　for　their　friends　and　kindred。　Yet　did　they　not　in
their　heat　proceed　against　him；　otherwise　than　that　they　chose
Alcibiades　general；　and　took　the　Mantineans　and　Eleans；　who　had　thrown
up　their　alliance　with　the　Lacedaemonians；　into　the　league；　together
with　the　Argives；　and　sent　to　Pylos　freebooters　to　infest　Laconia；
whereby　the　war　began　to　break　out　afresh。
　　But　the　enmity　betwixt　Nicias　and　Alcibiades　running　higher　and
higher；　and　the　time　being　at　hand　for　decreeing　the　ostracism　or
banishment；　for　ten　years；　which　the　people；　putting　the　name　on　a
sherd；　were　wont　to　inflict　at　certain　times　on　some　person
suspected　or　regarded　with　jealousy　for　his　popularity　or　wealth；　both
were　now　in　alarm　and　apprehension；　one　of　them；　in　all　likelihood；
being　to　undergo　this　ostracism；　as　the　people　abominated　the　life
of　Alcibiades；　and　stood　in　fear　of　his　boldness　and　resolution；　as　is
shown　particularly　in　the　history　of　him；　while　as　for　Nicias；　his
riches　made　him　envied；　and　his　habits　of　living；　in　particular　his
unsociable　and　exclusive　ways；　not　like　those　of　a　fellow…citizen；
or　even　a　fellow…man；　went　against　him；　and　having　many　times
opposed　their　inclinations；　forcing　them　against　their　feelings　to
do　what　was　their　interest；　he　had　got　himself　disliked。
　　To　speak　plainly；　it　was　a　contest　of　the　young　men　who　were　eager
for　war；　against　the　men　of　years　and　lovers　of　peace；　they　turning
the　ostracism　upon　the　one；　these　upon　the　other。　But…

　　　　　　　　　〃In　civil　strife　e'en　villains　rise　to　fame。〃

And　so　now　it　happened　that　the　city；　distracted　into　two　factions；
allowed　free　course　to　the　most　impudent　and　profligate　persons；　among
whom　was　Hyperbolus　of　the　Perithoedae；　one　who　could　not；　indeed；
be　said　to　be　presuming　upon　any　power；　but　rather　by　his
presumption　rose　into　power；　and　by　the　honour　he　found　in　the　city；
became　the　scandal　of　it。　He；　at　this　time；　thought　himself　far　enough
from　the　ostracism；　as　more　properly　deserving；　the　slave's　gallows；
and　made　account；　that　one　of　these　men　being；　despatched　out　of　the
way　he　might　be　able　to　play　a　part　against　the　other　that　should　be
left；　and　openly　showed　his　pleasure　at　the　dissension；　and　his　desire
to　inflame　the　people　against　both　of　them。　Nicias　and　Alcibiades；
perceiving　his　malice；　secretly　combined　together；　and　setting　both
their　interests　jointly　at　work；　succeeded　in　fixing　the　ostracism　not
on　either　of　them；　but　even　on　Hyperbolus。　This；　indeed；　at　the
first　made　sport；　and　raised　laughter　among　the　people；　but　afterwards
it　was　felt　as　an　affront；　that　the　thing　should　be　dishonoured　by
being　employed　upon　so　unworthy　a　subject；　punishment；　also；　having
its　proper　dignity；　and　ostracism　being　one　that　was　appropriate
rather　for　Thucydides；　Aristides；　and　such　like　persons；　whereas　for
Hyperbolus　it　was　a　glory；　and　a　fair　ground　for　boasting　on　his　part；
when　for　his　villainy　he　suffered　the　same　with　the　best　men。　As
Plato；　the　comic　poet；　said　of　him：…

　　　　　　　　　〃The　man　deserved　the　fate；　deny　who　can；
　　　　　　　　　　Yes；　but　the　fate　did　not　deserve　the　man；
　　　　　　　　　　Not　for　the　like　of　him　and　his　slave…brands；
　　　　　　　　　　Did　Athens　put　the　sherd　into　our　hands。〃

　　And；　in　fact；　none　ever　afterwards　suffered　this　sort　of　punishment；
but　Hyperbolus　was　the　last；　as　Hipparchus　the　Cholargian；　who　was　kin
to　the　tyrant；　was　the　first。
　　There　is　no　judgment　to　be　made　of　fortune；　nor　can　any　reasoning
bring　us　to　a　certainty　about　it。　If　Nicias　had　run　the　risk　with
Alcibiades　whether　of　the　two　should　undergo　the　ostracism；　he　had
either　prevailed；　and；　his　rival　being　expelled　the　city；　he　had
remained　secure；　or；　being　overcome；　he　had　avoided　the　utmost
disasters；　and　preserved　the　reputation　of　a　most　excellent　commander。
Meantime　I　am　not　ignorant　that　Theophrastus　says；　that　when
Hyperbolus　was　banished；　Phaeax；　not　Nicias；　contested　it　with
Alcibiades；　but　most　authors　differ　from　him。
　　It　was　Alcibiades；　at　any　rate；　whom　when　the　Aegestean　and　Leontine
ambassadors　arrived　and　urged　the　Athenians　to　make　an　expedition
against　Sicily；　Nicias　opposed；　and　by　whose　persuasions　and
ambition　he　found　himself　overborne；　who；　even　before　the　people　could
be　assembled；　had　preoccupied　and　corrupted　their　judgment　with
hopes　and　with　speeches；　insomuch　that　the　young　men　at　their
sports；　and　the　old　men　in　their　workshops；　and　sitting　together　on
the　benches；　would　be　drawing　maps　of　Sicily；　and　making　charts
showing　the　seas；　the　harbours；　and　general　character　of　the　coast
of　the　island　opposite　Africa。　For　they　made　not　Sicily　the　end　of　the
war　but　rather　its　starting…point　and　headquarters　from　whence　they
might　carry　it　to　the　Carthaginians；　and　possess　themselves　of　Africa；
and　of　the　seas　as　far　as　the　pillars　of　Hercules。　The　bulk　of　the
people；　therefore；　pressing　this　way；　Nicias；　who　opposed　them；
found　but　few　supporters；　nor　those　of　much　influence；　for　the　men
of　substance；　fearing　lest　they　should　seem　to　shun　the　public　charges
and　ship…money；　were　quiet　against　their　inclination；　nevertheless
he　did　not　tire　nor　give　it　up；　but　even　after　the　Athenians　decreed　a
war　and　chose　him　in　the　first　place　general；　together　with　Alcibiades
and　Lamachus；　when　they　were　again　assembled；　he　stood　up；　dissuaded
them；　and　protested　against　the　decision；　and　laid　the　blame　on
Alcibiades；　charging　him　with　going　about　to　involve　the　city　in
foreign　dangers　and　difficulties；　merely　with　a　view　to　his　own
private　lucre　and　ambition。　Yet　it　came　to　nothing。　Nicias；　because　of
his　experience；　was　looked　upon　as　the　fitter　for　the　employment；
and　his　wariness　with　the　bravery　of　Alcibiades；　and　the　easy　temper
of　Lamachus；　all　compounded　together；　promised　such　security；　that
he　did　but　confirm　the　resolution。　Demostratus；　who；　of　the　popular
leaders；　was　the　one　who　chiefly　pressed　the　Athenians　to　the
expedition；　stood　up　and　said　he　would　stop　the　mouth　of　Nicias　from
urging　any　more　excuses；　and　moved　that　the　generals　should　have
absolute　power；　both　at　home　and　abroad；　to　order　and　to　act　as　they
thought　best；　and　this　vote　the　people　passed。
　　The　priests；　however；　are　said　to　have　very　earnestly　opposed　the
enterprise。　But　Alcibiades　had　his　diviners　of　another　sort；　who
from　some　old　prophecies　announced　that　〃there　shall　be　great　fame
of　the　Athenians　in　Sicily；〃　and　messengers　came　back　to　him　from
Jupiter　Ammon　with　oracles　importing　that　〃the　Athenians　shall　take
all　the　Syracusans。〃　Those；　meanwhile；　who　knew　anything　that　boded
ill；　concealed　it　lest　they　might　seem　to　fore…speak　ill…luck。　For
even　prodigies　that　were　obvious　and　plain　would　not　deter　them；　not
the　defacing　of　the　Hermae；　all　maimed　in　one　night　except　one；　calle