第 33 节
作者:
这就是结局 更新:2021-02-20 14:15 字数:9321
have come to you to do him harm; many a kindness have I received from
him; and many a service have I done him。 But now that his kingdom has
descended to my boy's murdererI could never be loyal to that man;
and he; I know; could never regard me as a friend。 He knows too well
how I feel towards him; and how; after my former splendour; I pass my
days in mourning; growing old in loneliness and grief。 '7' If you can
receive me; if you can give me some hope of vengeance for my dear son;
I think I should grow young again; I should not feel ashamed to live;
and when I came to die I should not die in utter wretchedness。〃
'8' So he spoke; and Cyrus answered:
〃Gobryas; if your heart be set towards us as you say; I receive you as
my suppliant; and I promise; God helping me; to avenge your son。 But
tell me;〃 he added; 〃if we do this for you; and if we suffer you to
keep your stronghold; your land; your arms; and the power which you
had; how will you serve us in return?〃
'9' And the old man answered:
〃My stronghold shall be yours; to live in as often as you come to me;
the tribute which I used to pay to Assyria shall be paid to you; and
whenever you march out to war; I will march at your side with the men
from my own land。 Moreover; I have a daughter; a well…beloved maiden;
ripe for marriage; once I thought of bringing her up to be the bride
of the man who is now king; but she besought me herself; with tears;
not to give her to her brother's murderer; and I have no mind to
oppose her。 And now I will put her in your hands; to deal with as I
shall deal with you。〃
'10' So it came to pass that Cyrus said; 〃On the faith that you have
spoken truly and with true intent; I take your hand and I give you
mine; let the gods be witness。〃
And when this was done; Cyrus bade the old man depart in peace;
without surrendering his arms; and then he asked him how far away he
lived; 〃Since;〃 said he; 〃I am minded to visit you。〃 And Gobryas
answered; 〃If you set off early to…morrow; the next day you may lodge
with us。〃 '11' With that he took his own departure; leaving a guide
for Cyrus。
Then the Medes presented themselves; they had set apart for the gods
what the Persian Priests thought right; and had left it in their
hands; and they had chosen for Cyrus the finest of all the tents; and
a lady from Susa; of whom the story says that in all Asia there was
never a woman so fair as she; and two singing…girls with her; the most
skilful among the musicians。 The second choice was for Cyaxares; and
for themselves they had taken their fill of all they could need on the
campaign; since there was abundance of everything。 '12' The Hyrcanians
had all they wanted too; and they made the messenger from Cyaxares
share and share alike with them。 The tents which were left over they
delivered to Cyrus for his Persians; and the coined money they said
should be divided as soon as it was all collected; and divided it was。
NOTES
C1。10。 Two theories of hedonism: (1) Cyaxares' 〃Economise the greatest
joy when you have got it;〃 and by contrast (2) Cyrus' roaming from joy
to joy。
C1。22。 Xenophon the Artist: the 〃kinsman〃 of Cyrus again; and the
light by…play to enliven the severe history。 The economic organising
genius of Cyrus is also brought out。
C2。25。 No looting; an order of the Duke of Wellington; Napier;
Wolseley。
C2。32。 Cf。 modern times; humane orders; but strict。
C2。34。 The question of commissariat。 Would a modern force storm a camp
without taking rations? I dare say they would。
C2。37。 Notice the tone he adopts to these slaves; no bullying; but
appealing to appetite and lower motives。 This is doubtless
Xenophontine and Hellenic。
C2。38。 Important as illustrating the stern Spartan self…denial of the
man and his followers。 There is a hedonistic test; but the higher
hedonism prevails against the lower: ignoble and impolitic to sit here
feasting while they are fighting; and we don't even know how it fares
with them; our allies。 The style rises and is at times Pauline。 St。
Paul; of course; is moving on a higher spiritual plane; but still
C2。45; fin。 The Education of Cyrus; Cyropaedia; {Keroupaideia}; the
name justified。
C2。46。 Hystaspas' simple response: important; with other passages; to
show how naturally it came to them (i。e。 the Hellenes and Xenophon) to
give a spiritual application to their rules of bodily and mental
training。 These things to them are an allegory。 The goal is lofty; if
not so sublime as St。 Paul's or Comte's; the Christians or Positivists
(there has been an alteration for the better in the spiritual plane;
and Socrates helped to bring it about; I believe); but /ceteris
paribus/; the words of St。 Paul are the words of Hystaspas and
Xenophon。 They for a corruptible crown; and we for an incorruptible
and one might find a still happier parable!
C2。46。 Fine sentiment; this /noblesse oblige/ (cf。 the archangelic
dignity in Milton; /Paradise Lost/; I think)。
C2。47。 The aristocratic theory (cf。 modern English 〃nigger〃 theory;
Anglo…Indian; etc。)。
C3。3。 Xenophon's dramatic skill。 We are made to feel the touch of
something galling in the manner of these Median and Hyrcanian
troopers。
C3。4。 A 'cute beginning rhetorically; because in the most graceful way
possible; and without egotism /versus/ Medes and Hyrcanians; it
postulates the Persian superiority; moral; as against the accidental
inferiority of the moment caused by want of cavalry and the dependence
on others which that involves。 I suppose it's no reflection on Cyrus'
military acumen not to foreseen this need。 It would have been
premature then; now it organically grows; and there's no great crisis
to pass through。
C3。11。 I should have thought this was a dangerous argument; obviously
boys do learn better than men certain things。
C3。12。 Short sharp snap of argumentative style。
C3。19。 The antithetic balance and word…jingle; with an exquisite;
puristic; precise; and delicate lisp; as of one tasting the flavour of
his words throughout。
C3。23。 I think one sees how Xenophon built up his ideal structure on a
basis of actual living facts。 The actual diverts the creator of Cyrus
from the ideal at times; as here。 It is a slight declension in the
character of Cyrus to lay down this law; 〃equestrian once; equestrian
always。〃 Xenophon has to account for the actual Persian horror of
pedestrianism: Cyrus himself can dismount; and so can the Persian
nobles with Cyrus the Younger; but still the rule is 〃never be seen
walking;〃 and without the concluding paragraph the dramatic narrative
that precedes would seem a little bit unfinished and pointless: with
the explanation it floats; and we forgive 〃the archic man〃 his
partiality to equestrianism; as later on we have to forgive him his
Median get…up and artificiality generally; which again is contrary to
the Xenophontine and the ideal Spartan spirit。
C4。 Xenophon has this theory of mankind: some are fit to rule; the
rest to be ruled。 It is parallel to the Hellenic slavery theory。 Some
moderns; e。g。 Carlyle (Ruskin perhaps) inherit it; and in lieu of
Hellenic slavery we have a good many caste…distinction crotchets still
left。
C4。13; fin。 The first salaam; ominous of the advent of imperialism;
the sun's rim visible; and a ray shot up to the zenith。
C5。 Here the question forces itself in the midst of all this 〃ironic〃
waiting on the part of the Persians in Spartan durance for a future
apotheosis of splendour and luxuriance;what is the moral? 〃Hunger
now and thirst; for ye shall be filled〃is that it? Well; anyhow it's
parallel to the modern popular Christianity; reward…in…heaven theory;
only on a less high level; but exactly the same logicality。
C5。6。 A point; this reward to the catcher; and this rigid /couvrefeu/
habit (cf。 modern military law)。
C5。8。 A dramatic contrast; the Median Cyaxares who follows Pleasure;
and the Persian Cyrus who follows Valour; /vide/ Heracles' choice
'/Memorabilia/; II。 i。 21'。 This allegorising tendency is engrained in
Xenophon: it is his view of life; one of the best things he got from
Socrates; no doubt。 Later (§ 12) the 〃ironic〃 suicidal self…assertion
of Cyaxares is contrasted with the health…giving victorious self…
repression of Cyrus。
C5。9…10。 Xenophon can depict character splendidly: this is the
crapulous {orge} of the somewhat 〃hybristic〃 nature; seeing how the
land lies; /siccis luminibus/; the day after the premature revel。
Theophrastus couldn't better have depicted the irascible man。 These
earliest portraits of character are; according to Xenophon's genius;
all sketched in the concrete; as it were。 The character is not
philosophised and then illustrated by concrete instances after the
manner of Theophrastus; but we see the man moving before us and are
made aware of his nature at once。
C5。17。 {kalos ka nomimos}; 〃in all honour; and according to the law;〃
almost a Xenophontine motto; and important in reference to the
〃questionable〃 conduct on his part in exile〃questionable〃 from a
modern rather than an 〃antique〃 standard。 'The chief reference is to
Xenophon's presence on the Spartan side at the battle of Coronea
against his na