第 20 节
作者:
孤独半圆 更新:2021-02-21 16:04 字数:9322
th Tyrrhenia; with Iberia; and the city of Tartessus。 The vessel which they used in their voyages was not the round…built merchant…ship; but the long penteconter。 On their arrival at Tartessus; the king of the country; whose name was Arganthonius; took a liking to them。 This monarch reigned over the Tartessians for eighty years; and lived to be a hundred and twenty years old。 He regarded the Phocaeans with so much favour as; at first; to beg them to quit Ionia and settle in whatever part of his country they liked。 Afterwards; finding that he could not prevail upon them to agree to this; and hearing that the Mede was growing great in their neighbourhood; he gave them money to build a wall about their town; and certainly he must have given it with a bountiful hand; for the town is many furlongs in circuit; and the wall is built entirely of great blocks of stone skilfully fitted together。 The wall; then; was built by his aid。 Harpagus; having advanced against the Phocaeans with his army; laid siege to their city; first; however; offering them terms。 〃It would content him;〃 he said; 〃if the Phocaeans would agree to throw down one of their battlements; and dedicate one dwelling…house to the king。〃 The Phocaeans; sorely vexed at the thought of becoming slaves; asked a single day to deliberate on the answer they should return; and besought Harpagus during that day to draw off his forces from the walls。 Harpagus replied; 〃that he understood well enough what they were about to do; but nevertheless he would grant their request。〃 Accordingly the troops were withdrawn; and the Phocaeans forthwith took advantage of their absence to launch their penteconters; and put on board their wives and children; their household goods; and even the images of their gods; with all the votive offerings from the fanes except the paintings and the works in stone or brass; which were left behind。 With the rest they embarked; and putting to sea; set sail for Chios。 The Persians; on their return; took possession of an empty town。 Arrived at Chios; the Phocaeans made offers for the purchase of the islands called the Oenussae; but the Chians refused to part with them; fearing lest the Phocaeans should establish a factory there; and exclude their merchants from the commerce of those seas。 On their refusal; the Phocaeans; as Arganthonius was now dead; made up their minds to sail to Cyrnus (Corsica); where; twenty years before; following the direction of an oracle; they had founded a city; which was called Alalia。 Before they set out; however; on this voyage; they sailed once more to Phocaea; and surprising the Persian troops appointed by Harpagus to garrison town; put them all to the sword。 After this laid the heaviest curses on the man who should draw back and forsake the armament; and having dropped a heavy mass of iron into the sea; swore never to return to Phocaea till that mass reappeared upon the surface。 Nevertheless; as they were preparing to depart for Cyrnus; more than half of their number were seized with such sadness and so great a longing to see once more their city and their ancient homes; that they broke the oath by which they had bound themselves and sailed back to Phocaea。 The rest of the Phocaeans who kept their oath; proceeded without stopping upon their voyage; and when they came to Cyrnus established themselves along with the earlier settlers at Alalia and built temples in the place。 For five years they annoyed their neighbours by plundering and pillaging on all sides; until at length the Carthaginians and Tyrrhenians leagued against them; and sent each a fleet of sixty ships to attack the town。 The Phocaeans; on their part; manned all their vessels; sixty in number; and met their enemy on the Sardinian sea。 In the engagement which followed the Phocaeans were victorious; but their success was only a sort of Cadmeian victory。' They lost forty ships in the battle; and the twenty which remained came out of the engagement with beaks so bent and blunted as to be no longer serviceable。 The Phocaeans therefore sailed back again to Alalia; and taking their wives and children on board; with such portion of their goods and chattels as the vessels could bear; bade adieu to Cyrnus and sailed to Rhegium。 The Carthaginians and Tyrrhenians; who had got into their hands many more than the Phocaeans from among the crews of the forty vessels that were destroyed; landed their captives upon the coast after the fight; and stoned them all to death。 Afterwards; when sheep; or oxen; or even men of the district of Agylla passed by the spot where the murdered Phocaeans lay; their bodies became distorted; or they were seized with palsy; or they lost the use of some of their limbs。 On this the people of Agylla sent to Delphi to ask the oracle how they might expiate their sin。 The answer of the Pythoness required them to institute the custom; which they still observe; of honouring the dead Phocaeans with magnificent funeral rites; and solemn games; both gymnic and equestrian。 Such; then; was the fate that befell the Phocaean prisoners。 The other Phocaeans; who had fled to Rhegium; became after a while the founders of the city called Vela; in the district of Oenotria。 This city they colonised; upon the showing of a man of Posidonia; who suggested that the oracle had not meant to bid them set up a town in Cyrnus the island; but set up the worship of Cyrnus the hero。 Thus fared it with the men of the city of Phocaea in Ionia。 They of Teos did and suffered almost the same; for they too; when Harpagus had raised his mound to the height of their defences; took ship; one and all; and sailing across the sea to Thrace; founded there the city of Abdera。 The site was one which Timesius of Clazomenae had previously tried to colonise; but without any lasting success; for he was expelled by the Thracians。 Still the Teians of Abdera worship him to this day as a hero。 Of all the Ionians these two states alone; rather than submit to slavery; forsook their fatherland。 The others (I except Miletus) resisted Harpagus no less bravely than those who fled their country; and performed many feats of arms; each fighting in their own defence; but one after another they suffered defeat; the cities were taken; and the inhabitants submitted; remaining in their respective countries; and obeying the behests of their new lords。 Miletus; as I have already mentioned; had made terms with Cyrus; and so continued at peace。 Thus was continental Ionia once more reduced to servitude; and when the Ionians of the islands saw their brethren upon the mainland subjugated; they also; dreading the like; gave themselves up to Cyrus。 It was while the Ionians were in this distress; but still; amid it all; held their meetings; as of old; at the Panionium; that Bias of Priene; who was present at the festival; recommended (as I am informed) a project of the very highest wisdom; which would; had it been embraced; have enabled the Ionians to become the happiest and most flourishing of the Greeks。 He exhorted them 〃to join in one body; set sail for Sardinia; and there found a single Pan…Ionic city; so they would escape from slavery and rise to great fortune; being masters of the largest island in the world; exercising dominion even beyond its bounds; whereas if they stayed in Ionia; he saw no prospect of their ever recovering their lost freedom。〃 Such was the counsel which Bias gave the Ionians in their affliction。 Before their misfortunes began; Thales; a man of Miletus; of Phoenician descent; had recommended a different plan。 He counselled them to establish a single seat of government; and pointed out Teos as the fittest place for it; 〃for that;〃 he said; 〃was the centre of Ionia。 Their other cities might still continue to enjoy their own laws; just as if they were independent states。〃 This also was good advice。 After conquering the Ionians; Harpagus proceeded to attack the Carians; the Caunians; and the Lycians。 The Ionians and Aeolians were forced to serve in his army。 Now; of the above nations the Carians are a race who came into the mainland from the islands。 In ancient times they were subjects of king Minos; and went by the name of Leleges; dwelling among the isles; and; so far as I have been able to push my inquiries; never liable to give tribute to any man。 They served on board the ships of king Minos whenever he required; and thus; as he was a great conqueror and prospered in his wars; the Carians were in his day the most famous by far of all the nations of the earth。 They likewise were the inventors of three things; the use of which was borrowed from them by the Greeks; they were the first to fasten crests on helmets and to put devices on shields; and they also invented handles for shields。 In the earlier times shields were without handles; and their wearers managed them by the aid of a leathern thong; by which they were slung round the neck and left shoulder。 Long after the time of Minos; the Carians were driven from the islands by the Ionians and Dorians; and so settled upon the mainland。 The above is the account which the Cretans give of the Carians: the Carians themselves say very differently。 They maintain that they are the aboriginal inhabitants of the part of the mainland where they now dwe