第 5 节
作者:
雨霖铃 更新:2022-08-21 16:42 字数:9322
besieged; begged him; when they concluded a peace; to let them have some of his engines; which they might preserve as a memorial at once of his power and of their own brave resistance。 The quarrel between him and the Rhodians was on account of their being allies to Ptolemy; and in the siege the greatest of all the engines was planted against their walls。 The base of it was exactly square; each side containing twenty…four cubits; it rose to a height of thirty…three cubits; growing narrower from the base to the top。 Within were several apartments or chambers; which were to be filled with armed men; and in every story the front towards the enemy had windows for discharging missiles of all sorts; the whole being filled with soldiers for every description of fighting。 And what was most wonderful was that; notwithstanding its size; when it was moved it never tottered or inclined to one side; but went forward on its base in perfect equilibrium; with a loud noise and great impetus; astounding the minds; and yet at the same time charming the eyes of all the beholders。 Whilst Demetrius was at this same siege; there were brought to him two iron cuirasses from Cyprus; weighing each of them on more than forty pounds; and Zoilus; who had forged them; to show the excellence of their temper; desired that one of them might be tried with a catapult missile; shot out of one of the engines at no greater distance than six…and…twenty paces; and; upon the experiment; it was found that though the dart exactly hit the cuirass; yet it made no greater impression than such a slight scratch as might be made with the point of a style or graver。 Demetrius took this for his own wearing; and gave the other to Alcimus the Epirot; the best soldier and strongest man of all his captains; the only one who used to wear armour to the weight of two talents; one talent being the weight which others thought sufficient。 He fell during this siege in a battle near the theatre。 The Rhodians made a brave defence; insomuch that Demetrius saw he was making but little progress; and only persisted out of obstinacy and passion; and the rather because the Rhodians; having captured a ship in which some clothes and furniture; with letters from herself; were coming to him from Phila his wife; had sent on everything to Ptolemy; and had not copied the honourable example of the Athenians; who; having surprised an express sent from King Philip; their enemy; opened all the letters he was charged with; excepting only those directed to Queen Olympias; which they returned with the seal unbroken。 Yet; although greatly provoked; Demetrius; into whose power it shortly after came to repay the affront; would not suffer himself to retaliate。 Protogenes the Caunian had been making them a painting of the story of Ialysus; which was all but completed; when it was taken by Demetrius in one of the suburbs。 The Rhodians sent a herald begging him to be pleased to spare the work and not let it be destroyed; Demetrius's answer to which was that he would rather burn the pictures of his father than a piece of art which had cost so much labour。 It is said to have taken Protogenes seven years to paint; and they tell us that Apelles; when he first saw it; was struck dumb with wonder; and called it; on recovering his speech; 〃a great labour and a wonderful success;〃 adding; however; that it had not the graces which carried his own paintings as it were up to the heavens。 This picture; which came with the rest in the general mass to Rome; there perished by fire。 While the Rhodians were thus defending their city to the utmost; Demetrius; who was not sorry for an excuse to retire; found one in the arrival of ambassadors from Athens; by whose mediation terms were made that the Rhodians should bind themselves to aid Antigonus and Demetrius against all enemies; Ptolemy excepted。 The Athenians entreated his help against Cassander; who was besieging the city。 So he went thither with a fleet of three hundred and thirty ships; and many soldiers; and not only drove Cassander out of Attica; but pursued him as far as Thermopylae; routed him and became master of Heraclea; which came over to him voluntarily; and of a body of six thousand Macedonians; which also joined him。 Returning hence; he gave their liberty to all the Greeks on this side Thermopylae; and made alliance with the Boeotians; took Cenchreae; and reducing the fortresses of Phyle and Panactum; in which were garrisons of Cassander; restored them to the Athenians。 They; in requital; though they had before been so profuse in bestowing honours upon him that one would have thought they had exhausted all the capacities of invention; showed they had still new refinements of adulation to devise for him。 They gave him; as his lodging; the back temple in the Parthenon; and here he lived; under the immediate roof as they meant it to imply; of his hostess; Minerva… no reputable or well…conducted guest to be quartered upon a maiden goddess! When his brother Philip was once put into a house where three young women were living; Antigonus; saying nothing to him; sent for his quartermaster; and told him; in the young man's presence; to find some less crowded lodgings for him。 Demetrius; however; who should; to say the least; have paid the goddess the respect due to an elder sister; for that was the purport of the city's compliment; filled the temple with such pollutions that the place seemed least profaned when his licence confined itself to common women like Chrysis; Lamia; Demo; and Anticyra。 The fair name of the city forbids any further plain particulars; let us only record the severe virtue of the young Damocles; surnamed; and by that surname pointed out to Demetrius; the beautiful; who; to escape importunities; avoided every place of resort; and when at last followed into a private bathing room by Demetrius; seeing none at hand to help or deliver; seized the lid from the cauldron; and; plunging into the boiling water; sought a death untimely and unmerited; but worthy of the country and of the beauty that occasioned it。 Not so Cleaenetus; the son of Cleomedon; who; to obtain from Demetrius a letter of intercession to the people in behalf of his father; lately condemned in a fine of fifty talents; disgraced himself; and got the city into trouble。 In deference to the letter; they remitted the fine; yet they made an edict prohibiting any citizen for the future to bring letters from Demetrius。 But being informed that Demetrius resented this as a great indignity; they not only rescinded in alarm the former order; but put some of the proposers and advisers of it to death and banished others; and furthermore enacted and decreed; that whatsoever King Demetrius should in time to come ordain; should be accounted right towards the gods and just towards men; and when one of the better class of citizens said Stratocles must be mad to use such words; Demochares of Leuconoe observed he would be a fool not to be mad。 For Stratocles was well rewarded for his flatteries; and the saying was remembered against Demochares; who was soon after sent into banishment。 So fared the Athenians; after being relieved of the foreign garrison; and recovering what was called their liberty。 After this Demetrius marched with his forces into Peloponnesus; where he met with none to oppose him; his enemies flying before him; and allowing the cities to join him。 He received into friendship all Acte; as it is called; and all Arcadia except Mantinea。 He bought the liberty of Argos; Corinth; and Sicyon; by paying a hundred talents to their garrisons to evacuate them。 At Argos; during the feast of Juno; which happened at the time; he presided at the games; and; joining in the festivities with the of the Greeks assembled there; he celebrated his marriage with Deidamia; daughter of Aeacides; King of the Molossians; and sister of Pyrrhus。 At Sicyon he told the people they had put the city just outside of the city; and; persuading them to remove to where they now live; gave their town not only a new site but a new name; Demetrias; after himself。 A general assembly met on the Isthmus; where he was proclaimed; by a great concourse of the people; the Commander of Greece; like Philip and Alexander of old; whose superior he; in the present height of his prosperity and power; was willing enough to consider himself; and certainly; in one respect; he outdid Alexander; who never refused their title to other kings; or took on himself the style of king of kings; though many kings received both their title and their authority as such from him; whereas Demetrius used to ridicule those who gave the name of king to any except himself and his father; and in his entertainments was well pleased when his followers; after drinking to him and his father as kings; went on to drink the healths of Seleucus; with the title of Master of the Elephants; of Ptolemy; by the name of High Admiral; of Lysimachus; with the addition of Treasurer; and of Agathocles; with the style of Governor of the Island of Sicily。 The other kings merely laughed when they were told of this vanity; Lysimachus alone expressed some indignation at being considered a eunuch; such being usually then selected for the office of treasurer。 And; in general; there was a more bit